National Day of the Cowboy: Assessing the Chances of the Dallas Cowboys This Season

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most polarizing teams in professional sports. Whether they field one of the top rosters in the NFL or a sub-par group, assessing their Super Bowl chances is perennially one of the most discussed topics during the NFL offseason. 

The good thing is that the Cowboys play in the NFC, the weaker conference in the NFL. This gives them a path to Super Bowl 58. Another good thing is that the Cowboys also have a talented roster full of talented players on either side of the football. 

The Cowboys have gone 12-5 in each of the past two seasons under head coach Mike McCarthy. However, despite their regular season success, it failed to carry over into the NFL Playoffs. The Cowboys were eliminated from the postseason in the Wild Card Round in the past two seasons respectively. 

The 2022 Cowboys went 12-5 in the regular season while also fielding outstanding units on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys' offense scored the third most points (467) in the NFL while the defense surrendered the sixth fewest (342). Last year's Cowboys team was also ultra-opportunistic with a +10 turnover differential, the second-best in the NFL while leading the league with 33 takeaways. 

Despite blowing out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs, seemingly ending the Hall of Fame career of Tom Brady, the Cowboys' Jekyll-and-Hyde antics once again reared their ugly head in the Divisional Round against the 49ers. While the team's defense held its own, the Dak Prescott-led offense failed to score the football. In fact, it could not get out of its own way for the duration of the football game. The Cowboys fell to the 49ers by one possession, with a 19-12 final score. 

In the wake of the loss, the Cowboys understood that they had to make organizational changes to right the ship if they wanted to contend for a Super Bowl. While DC Dan Quinn once again interviewed for head-coaching vacancies, he elected to remain in his defensive coordinator role with the Cowboys. But the defense has not been Dallas' Achilles heel. The onus for the Cowboys' failures has fallen on the shoulders of the offense, leading to the team parting ways with former OC Kellen Moore, who is now in the same role with the Los Angeles Chargers. McCarthy will not call plays for the Cowboys. 

Coaching changes were not the only ones made on America's Team. The Cowboys also made some player personnel moves. Notably, electing not to re-sign RB Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott remains unsigned and has been linked to re-signing with the Cowboys, but that has yet to happen as of this writing. 

Furthermore, the Cowboys also made a pair of player acquisitions at positions of need. First, they traded for veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore may not be the same player as he was in the past, but Pro Football Focus still ranks him as the sixth-best corner in the NFL. His defensive backfield counterpart, Trevon Diggs, is ranked eighth. It is safe to say that the Cowboys will field one of the best cornerback duos in the league in 2023. 

On the offensive side of the football, the Cowboys added much-needed help at wide receiver in the form of veteran Brandin Cooks. Cooks' career has been volatile of late, which is to be expected playing for a dumpster fire team like the Houston Texans. But this is still a player who has posted at least 1,037 receiving yards in six of his nine seasons in the NFL. Despite entering his age 30 season, Cooks should add some pop to the Dallas offense as an over-the-top field stretcher. The speedy wideout will also play second fiddle to CeeDee Lamb. Cooks will rarely draw top-end coverage from the enemy defense. 

It is also important to note that PFF ranks the Cowboys' offensive line the sixth best in the NFL entering the 2023 NFL season. This is imperative for a team that must run the football to thrive. The Cowboys were fifth in team run plays per game last season (31.2). As long as Prescott cools down with his giveaways -- he posted 15 interceptions in 12 regular season games -- the Cowboys' offense should once again be a force in 2023. 

The Cowboys have the sixth best odds to win Super Bowl 58. Cowboys Super Bowl odds are +1600 at BetMGM. Bet on Cowboys Super Bowl odds today with the best sportsbook promo codes so you can take advantage of exclusive welcome offers for new bettors today. 

Be mindful that NFL odds could fluctuate by the day, especially if there are any significant player movements or injuries. Therefore, the best way to ensure that you are getting the best odds is to shop the top sportsbooks to make sure you are getting the best prices on the markets that you want to bet on. 

Focusing on NFC teams, only the Philadelphia Eagles (+800) and San Francisco 49ers (+1000) have better odds to win the Super Bowl than the Cowboys and both of those teams have holes. The Eagles lost both of their coordinators and key starters on offense and defense. Meanwhile, the 49ers have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL from top to bottom. But they also lost their defensive coordinator to a head coaching vacancy and have a clear hole at quarterback, the most important position on the field. 

There is a clear path for the Cowboys to reach Super Bowl 58 despite their difficult schedule. With a loaded roster while playing in a weak NFC conference with only five ranked in the top 15 when it comes to Super Bowl odds, betting on the Cowboys at +1600 odds on the best sports betting apps is a wise wager to make today. 

Since the Cowboys share a division with the reigning NFC Conference Champion Eagles, most believe they do not have a chance to advance to the Super Bowl. However, that is far from the case.

In the NFC East, a division known for its unpredictability with rare repeat division winners, both the Cowboys and Eagles compete. Despite the Eagles being the previous year's division winner, the Cowboys should logically be the favored team to win the division if we are paying attention to recent historical trends. Surprisingly, the odds tell a different story, with the Eagles having -110 odds, while the Cowboys boast +170 odds. The Cowboys have won the NFC East four times since 2014.

If the Cowboys win the NFC East, they will obviously have the best record in the division. But in that scenario, they could also end the NFL regular season with the best record in the NFC since the 49ers have the glaring hole at quarterback. If the Cowboys finish with the best record in the conference, they'll earn the No. 1 seed, home-field advantage, and a first-round bye, heightening the team's chances to run through the NFC into a Super Bowl 58 berth. 

As long as the Cowboys avoid any injuries or setbacks, advancing to Super Bowl 58 is an attainable feat for America's Team.

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