Latest news with #NFCPlayoff
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Resuscitation? Doubt in Cowboys persists, despite steady offseason improvements
The current NFL world doesn't think much of the 2025 Dallas Cowboys, that's what an abysmal season and a perceived flop of a new hire at head coach got them. Throw in a front office that doesn't do great work in the offseason and that means the Cowboys are outside the top 17 teams who have a shot at the Super Bowl, according to ESPN. Currently ranked 18th in the latest Power Index, the Cowboys are on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, and nowhere near making a title run. After a 7-10 season where quarterback Dak Prescott didn't play his best football and the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as an underwhelming choice makes it understandable from an outside perspective. Advertisement However, last year's results have little to do with who the Cowboys will be for the upcoming season. In the NFL, there's a near 50% turnover rate in playoff teams every year and the Cowboys haven't missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since the 2019-2020 campaigns. And when Prescott's been healthy for most of a season, the Cowboys have been a postseason team. It's has also been a solid offseason for the front office, who didn't make any splashes in free agency but did add some solid players to fill most of the team's weaknesses. Jerry and Stephen Jones did get aggressive in the trade market, where they added three former first-round picks, and their best move, the trade for George Pickens, could have one of the biggest impacts across the league. There aren't many better fits for any team this offseason than Pickens and the Cowboys. Dallas had a great draft as well. The team found great prospects at the right cost, and even if they get bashed for selecting a non-athletic guard with the 12th overall pick, there's little doubt about his ability to play. Tyler Booker is a walk-in starter at right guard; it's drafting the position so high that people question. But the Cowboys straightened all the value issues out when they drafted pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round and cornerback Shavon Revel in the third. Both players were expected to be drafted much higher. Advertisement The Schottenheimer hire has also been a hit thus far. He brought on an incredible staff that included one of the most desirable upcoming offensive coaches in Klayton Adams and an extremely successful college offensive line coach in Conor Riley to boost a running game that had gotten stale. Schottenheimer's been saying and doing the right things in building the team as well. Cowboys players love his enthusiasm and the connection he's making with them; the team's culture is shifting. The results of that cannot be seen yet, but the first-time coach is making a positive impression. Despite all the good things the organization has done this offseason, they're still behind teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears in their NFC Playoff odds. The 49ers had their roster gutted in the last few months, the Bears are also working in a new head coach, and if anyone can identify why the Cardinals' odds should be higher than the Cowboys, please step up. The NFL is all about the QB, and Dallas has the best one of that group. The Philadelphia Eagles lead the way in the NFC with a 78% chance to make the playoffs, and another NFC East rival, the Washington Commanders, currently have the sixth-best odds at 58%. It's understandable to buy into the Eagles, but fans have seen this movie before with the Commanders. They get a hotshot rookie QB to boost their stock but come crashing back down to earth. The Commanders haven't been to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since the 1991-1992 campaigns, so they'll have to prove they have what it takes to stay. In the AFC, a few of the head-scratching teams that have better odds than the Cowboys to make the Super Bowl include the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Those all feel like strange clubs to put ahead of Dallas, especially the Bengals, who play in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL and are coming off a rough offseason, and the Steelers, who don't have a QB and play in the same division. Advertisement With playoff chances currently at 30.6%, 10th best in the NFC, and Super Bowl chances at 1.4% (18th), there isn't much belief in Dallas. The expectations for the Cowboys might be deserved, but being this low feels like they're being disresepcted. They have earned their place on the lists, but the Cowboys could be preparing to prove everyone wrong in 2025. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Universal outlook for Cowboys in 2025 not good, but there are signs
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Resuscitation? Doubt in Cowboys persists, despite steady offseason improvements
The current NFL world doesn't think much of the 2025 Dallas Cowboys, that's what an abysmal season and a perceived flop of a new hire at head coach got them. Throw in a front office that doesn't do great work in the offseason and that means the Cowboys are outside the top 17 teams who have a shot at the Super Bowl, according to ESPN. Currently ranked 18th in the latest Power Index, the Cowboys are on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, and nowhere near making a title run. After a 7-10 season where quarterback Dak Prescott didn't play his best football and the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as an underwhelming choice makes it understandable from an outside perspective. However, last year's results have little to do with who the Cowboys will be for the upcoming season. In the NFL, there's a near 50% turnover rate in playoff teams every year and the Cowboys haven't missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since the 2019-2020 campaigns. And when Prescott's been healthy for most of a season, the Cowboys have been a postseason team. It's has also been a solid offseason for the front office, who didn't make any splashes in free agency but did add some solid players to fill most of the team's weaknesses. Jerry and Stephen Jones did get aggressive in the trade market, where they added three former first-round picks, and their best move, the trade for George Pickens, could have one of the biggest impacts across the league. There aren't many better fits for any team this offseason than Pickens and the Cowboys. Dallas had a great draft as well. The team found great prospects at the right cost, and even if they get bashed for selecting a non-athletic guard with the 12th overall pick, there's little doubt about his ability to play. Tyler Booker is a walk-in starter at right guard; it's drafting the position so high that people question. But the Cowboys straightened all the value issues out when they drafted pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round and cornerback Shavon Revel in the third. Both players were expected to be drafted much higher. The Schottenheimer hire has also been a hit thus far. He brought on an incredible staff that included one of the most desirable upcoming offensive coaches in Klayton Adams and an extremely successful college offensive line coach in Conor Riley to boost a running game that had gotten stale. Schottenheimer's been saying and doing the right things in building the team as well. Cowboys players love his enthusiasm and the connection he's making with them; the team's culture is shifting. The results of that cannot be seen yet, but the first-time coach is making a positive impression. Despite all the good things the organization has done this offseason, they're still behind teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears in their NFC Playoff odds. The 49ers had their roster gutted in the last few months, the Bears are also working in a new head coach, and if anyone can identify why the Cardinals' odds should be higher than the Cowboys, please step up. The NFL is all about the QB, and Dallas has the best one of that group. The Philadelphia Eagles lead the way in the NFC with a 78% chance to make the playoffs, and another NFC East rival, the Washington Commanders, currently have the sixth-best odds at 58%. It's understandable to buy into the Eagles, but fans have seen this movie before with the Commanders. They get a hotshot rookie QB to boost their stock but come crashing back down to earth. The Commanders haven't been to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since the 1991-1992 campaigns, so they'll have to prove they have what it takes to stay. In the AFC, a few of the head-scratching teams that have better odds than the Cowboys to make the Super Bowl include the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Those all feel like strange clubs to put ahead of Dallas, especially the Bengals, who play in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL and are coming off a rough offseason, and the Steelers, who don't have a QB and play in the same division. With playoff chances currently at 30.6%, 10th best in the NFC, and Super Bowl chances at 1.4% (18th), there isn't much belief in Dallas. The expectations for the Cowboys might be deserved, but being this low feels like they're being disresepcted. They have earned their place on the lists, but the Cowboys could be preparing to prove everyone wrong in 2025. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
