Undoubtedly, the Cowboys have had a chip on their shoulder ever since they let go of Former Head Coach, Jason Garrett after 10 seasons with the team. Since then, Jerry Jones went with his gut to hire Mike McCarthy to attempt to reach the promised land, the Super Bowl. This quickly forepassed when they only have two winning seasons in 2021 and 2022 under McCarthy but only reached so far in the playoffs but got knocked out by the 49ers twice in a row. The team has shoes to fill but needs to capitalize on getting past the divisional round to call the upcoming season a success.
Dallas Cowboys 2022 Recap
The team finished the 2022 regular season with a record of 12-5 and went on the road to Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Round to defeat the Buccaneers 31-14. It all fell short when the Cowboys lost to the 49ers once again in the divisional round, 12-19. Despite that, Tony Pollard made promising strides by finishing with 1,007 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Thanks to Ezekiel Elliott’s injuries, Pollard is now the starter for Dallas but enters the season with no contract extension. Dak Prescott did well despite the 15 interceptions, by recording 23 touchdowns and 2,860 passing yards. The problem with Dallas was not on the defense, but the weapons given to Prescott in the wide receiving end. The only star was CeeDee Lamb who recorded 9 touchdowns with 1,359 yards. Michael Gallup and Kevontae Turpin struggled to keep up the pace.
Dallas Cowboys 2023 free agent signings
If Dallas is going back to reach the Lombardi trophy, they needed to sign weapons and bring back key players for the 2023 season. This includes Former Houston Texan, Brandin Cooks. He recorded six touchdowns and 1,150 yards in 2020 while his time with the Texans. Prescott and new offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, finally get the speed they need to help the offense. Ronald Jones was also brought in on a one-year deal to add cushion to Pollard. Jones spent his NFL career with the Bucs for three seasons and one season with the Chiefs. To help Dan Quinn’s defense, they are bringing in Stephon Gilmore who spent most of his career with the Patriots and Colts. This makes Trevon Diggs’s task much easier for him to learn and play alongside Gilmore. Digg recently signed a 5-year extension worth over 100M to lock in with Dallas.
We Diggs it! ⭐️
The Cowboys & @TrevonDiggs have agreed to a five-year extension worth up to $100 million.
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/Tm7GvqJau9#DallasCowboys | @blockchain pic.twitter.com/I3w1jSx3bH
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 25, 2023
Players that are coming back
It was important for Dallas to bring back their starters to the lineup. Stars like Tyron Smith and Terence Steele are coming back to help Prescott on offense. The team is bringing back Leighton Vander Esch and Dante Fowler to help Quinn’s defense which recorded 16 interceptions in 2022. Quinn is reportedly fired up for this upcoming season with his guys coming back. Indeed, Micah Parsons had an explosive 2022 and has the same feeling too. He led the team with 13.5 sacks which surpassed the previous total of 13. This new attitude can put the team’s defense higher in the ranks to help Dallas’ offense spend more time on the field.
What this means for the 2023 season
Mike McCarthy needs to capitalize and find a way to help Dallas reach at least the NFC Championship Game. They have not done so since 1995. Now with Kellen Moore gone, this opens the door to a new system under Schottenheimer. This puts relief for Dallas’s offense as Mike McCarthy plans to call the plays for 2023. With that, they can make much-needed noise with Cooks and Jones on offense. Despite failing to acquire Odell Beckham Jr. and bringing back Ezekiel Elliott, it puts the team on a pedestal for vengeance this upcoming season. However, McCarthy needs to let Prescott loose and create a game that works for him. Dallas can create their legitimacy in the postseason fresh off the regular season success they had the past two seasons. It’s up to the team if they want it enough to remove that chip off their shoulder and provide Prescott with a well-deserved super team. He has new weapons and a new offensive system so Dallas will have to see if this will work for Dak to lead the team to a Super Bowl win.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
