DALLAS — Ask any Dallas Cowboys fan and they’ll tell you it’s been too long since the team has seriously competed for the Super Bowl. Winning division titles and beating division rivals is nice, but it doesn’t end 26 years of failing to reach the NFC championship game.
Ask Jerry Jones and he’ll tell you he would pay any amount of money to win another Lombardi Trophy. Talk is cheap, and so was the team’s philosophy on acquiring talent in the offseason, which makes Jones’ words ring hollow.
Ask faithful followers of the Cowboys and many don’t have a lot of hope that this is the year that the franchise turns around and makes a real run at winning it all.
It was a rough offseason in Dallas and the team doesn’t appear to have the same amount of talent they had in years prior. That might not mean impending doom on the horizon, but the rest of the NFC East got better and will challenge the Cowboys in the division with the hopes of making it 18 years without a repeat winner in the division.
Here are some predictions on how the 2022 season will turn out for the Dallas Cowboys:
CeeDee Lamb becomes a top WR
The Cowboys were surprised when Lamb was available with their first-round pick in the 2020 draft and the plan was for him to eventually become their No. 1 receiver. That time has arrived, and Lamb is ready to explode as one of the best WRs in the league.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has been known to spread the ball around, but he’s now going to be forced to look Lamb’s way. The third year wideout is the best threat in the passing game for Dallas and they’re going to take advantage of Lamb’s skillset.
Lamb will be among the league leaders in targets this season and expects a monster year that includes going over 1,300 yards and double-digit touchdowns.
Tyler Smith struggles, but provides optimism
April provided a bit of a surprise when the Cowboys drafted Smith 24th overall, but it was a selection made with the future of the offensive line in mind. The rookie has been put in an awkward position of moving between left guard and tackle late during training camp, which will bring some growing pains. No one should be shocked when he gives up sacks and gets flagged for some holding calls, especially early in the season.
However, expect Smith to get better and look like a smart pick by the Cowboys as the year wears on. Smith will find his groove, show he was the right pick for Dallas, and provide optimism for the years to come.
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard dominate
The Cowboys continue to tell anyone who will listen that they want to run the ball and that means Elliott will have to return to his early career form. He was on his way last year until an injury slowed Elliott’s comeback campaign. Expect the veteran RB to pick up where his pre-injury season left off last year, a 1,200-yard season and 10+ scores are coming.
Pollard will spell Elliott in the running game, but he’ll also contribute to the passing game until the receivers are ready to take over some of the work. The Cowboys have said they’ll try to get Pollard more involved and that makes sense since he’s the more explosive player between him and Elliott. A career season is coming from Pollard through the air.
Defense becomes the better side of the ball
Last year the offense was loaded for the Cowboys, and they wound up the number one scoring offense in the league. A lot of those points were courtesy of a defense that took the ball away better than anyone else.
Turnovers are fluky so Cowboys fans shouldn’t expect the defense to force 30+ turnovers again, but that doesn’t mean Dallas can’t be dominant on D. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has a unit that boasts a deep rotation along the defensive line, a good linebacker group with one of the better players in the NFL, and a talented secondary that has versatility.
There aren’t many defenses in the league that have the type of talent or can match the Cowboys’ speed.
It’s not all about turnovers and the Cowboys will likely force fewer of them this season but be a better unit overall. The defense will be the better side of the ball in Dallas.
Micah Parsons wins DPOY
The year Parsons put together in 2021 was one of the best defensive performances by a rookie in recent memory. Parsons will only build on that and has the look of a top defender in the league.
There was nothing lucky about Parsons’ rookie year, he’s on his way to being one of the best players in the NFL, and you shouldn’t be surprised when he earns the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Cowboys win NFC East (11-6 record)
Winning the NFC East is never an easy task and it won’t be as easy as it was last season when the Cowboys swept the division. Dallas has an advantage, however, as they still have the best quarterback in the NFC East, and the best coaching staff, headed by Mike McCarthy.
Expect them to lose a game or two against their rivals and still manage to become the first back-to-back NFC East champions in 18 years.
Coming up short, again
Unfortunately, after a tumultuous offseason that saw them take a step back in terms of talent, the Cowboys don’t have the juice to make a deep run in 2022. There are too many holes, including their offensive line, to get into the final four in the NFL. At minimum, that’s where the Cowboys are hoping to get, but it’ll be another short-lived playoff run.
Dallas should win a home Wild Card playoff game but don’t expect them to get it done on the road, leaving another long offseason of frustration.
How many games do you think the Cowboys will win in 2022? Share your predictions with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
