Dallas Cowboys

2021 Record: 0-0

The less said about the Dallas Cowboys’ 2020 season, the better, unless you are one of the many members of the anti-Cowboys legion. The biggest headline of the season was Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury in Week 5 against the New York Giants, but it was a rough year all around. There were struggles on the defensive side of the ball before Prescott’s injury, offensive struggles after it, and not one, not two, not three, but four different starting quarterbacks over the course of the season.

But to their credit, the Cowboys didn’t mail it in even after a 2-7 start, and a three-game win streak late in the season saw the Cowboys somehow enter Week 17 with a chance to steal the NFC East title if things shook out the right way. They didn’t, but what could have been a completely lost year had a better ending than expected after Dak went down.

Dak is back, locked in for this season and for the next several seasons after finally getting his long-awaited contract extension in the offseason. And the Cowboys are favored to capture a third NFC East title in six seasons. The Cowboys have the potential to have one of the league’s most potent offenses, which is why Dak is the NFL futures odds favorite to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year and slots in fifth in NFL MVP odds behind Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Josh Allen.

Defensively, there are a lot of question marks after a season in which the Cowboys were statistically one of the NFL’s worst teams defensively. But they should receive a significant boost from rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, who they drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Parsons is the NFL betting favorite for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and will be counted on to make an early impact.

While the Cowboys are favored to win what shapes up to be one of the NFL’s more mediocre divisions, postseason success is not an expectation. But if Dak returns with a vengeance and the defense makes the necessary strides, they could very well be a threat in the NFC.

Dallas Cowboys 2021 Schedule

Monday, September 27, 2021: vs Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Sunday, October 3, 2021: vs Carolina Panthers, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Sunday, October 10, 2021: vs New York Giants, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX

Sunday, October 17, 2021: at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

BYE WEEK

Sunday, October 31, 2021: at Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

Sunday, November 7, 2021: vs Denver Broncos, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Sunday, November 14, 2021: vs Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Sunday, November 21, 2021: at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX

Thursday, November 25, 2021: vs Las Vegas Raiders, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Thursday, December 2, 2021: at New Orleans Saints, 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX & NFL Network

Sunday, December 12, 2021: at Washington Football Team, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Sunday, December 19, 2021: at New York Giants, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX