DALLAS — The season for the Dallas Cowboys is now far in the rearview mirror, but the memories of what could’ve been remain as the NFL playoffs continue. The 2023 campaign felt to many like the year where the team would finally exorcise some demons and at least make an NFC title game appearance for the first time in 28 years.
Alas, it was not to be, again. It’s going to be another long offseason for the Cowboys and their fans. There are decisions that need to be made that start with quarterback Dak Prescott, his contract and how to build around him as extensions for a few of the teams’ best young players also start to come due.
Free agency is just over a month away, but the Cowboys sparingly use it as a tool to build. The draft is where Dallas will likely try to restock the roster. That’s what the offseason looks like for Dallas, just as it has for the past 10 years as risk-taking has given way to a more meticulous draft and re-sign formula that still hasn’t gotten the team over the hump.
Before heading down that mundane road, here’s one final look back at the Cowboys’ 2023 season and what we learned over the course of the campaign:
Texas Coast offense was legit
The Cowboys made offseason changes when they parted ways with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and gave head coach Mike McCarthy the keys to the offense. A new scheme was installed, and McCarthy went back to his play calling roots to help get the most out of his talented group of skill players.
It took some time for things to get going, but the dubbed ‘Texas Coast’ offense became one of the most efficient offenses in the league. The Cowboys stayed near the top of every major offensive category, even after a shaky start. Dallas topped the NFL in points and Prescott led the league in touchdown passes with 36.
The running game wasn’t as good as it had been in years past – ironic, since McCarthy claimed a desire to run the ball more – but it’s hard to argue against the results. For much of the year, the Cowboys moved the ball at will and were hard to stop. The Texas Coast offense had a successful first year and has room to get even better.
A top-tier one-two punch
The production of the offense skyrocketed when Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb started connecting. McCarthy wanted to spread the ball around, but after the first five weeks, and an embarrassing loss to the San Francisco 49ers, things had to change. The star WR needed the ball to make the offense go and when McCarthy began force-feeding his best playmaker, the offense took off.
Lamb set franchise records for catches and yards in a season and was the best WR in the league over the last 12 weeks of the 2023 campaign. The record-breaking game was capped off by the biggest play in Dallas’ season, a 92-yard touchdown with former record holder Michael Irvin in attendance.
The duo was the best QB-WR combination in the league and when the Cowboys needed a play, without fail it was a connection that helped the team win games in key moments.
It was a season to remember for both Prescott and Lamb. Prescott had an MVP-caliber year and finished the year a second-team All-Pro. Lamb led the league in catches, was second in yards and had 15 total touchdowns, 13 coming through the air on his way to a first-team All-Pro selection.
One path to victory
The Cowboys won 12 games in 2023, and nine of them were by 20 or more points. When they won, it was usually via a laugher. However, if Dallas lost, they usually got off to a poor start and could never recover. This team had one path to victory and if that was thrown off at all, it meant trouble.
McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s plan to win games revolved around scoring first, building a double-digit lead and then forcing offenses into mistakes with a strong pass rush and an opportunistic defense. The Cowboys weren’t first in takeaways this season, but they still created turnovers and cornerback DaRon Bland set a new NFL record for interceptions returned for touchdowns with five.
The Cowboys loved to play the bully and intimidate when playing with the lead. Yet when the tables were turned, especially on the road, the team cowered and got embarrassed. Teams that ran the ball at a defense that was soft in the middle were able to get a lead and leave them with no answers. That led to teams beating the Cowboys in embarrassing fashion, mostly notably and recently in the wild-card drubbing by Green Bay that ended Dallas’ season.
The bullies did not like getting bullied. When Dallas was challenged this season, they rarely responded.
Same old Cowboys
The years change, the coaches change, the players change, but the one thing that hasn’t changed in almost 30 years is the results. The Cowboys still get stuck in the playoffs and provide the football world with plenty of ammunition to poke fun at Jerry Jones and his franchise.
No matter how good of a regular season they have, Dallas always stumbles in the postseason. Three straight 12-win seasons have gone unrewarded unless you count one dubious distinction.
The Cowboys seem to save their worst for last and open themselves up for mockery. They went undefeated at home this season – the only team in the league to do so – yet found a way to get blown out when it counted at AT&T Stadium. Ironically, they were the only home team to lose in the playoffs until Buffalo fell in the Divisional round on Sunday.
Prescott and Lamb had an unbelievable connection all year, yet it didn’t seem like they were on the same page in the wild card loss. The coaches weren’t any better. McCarthy and Quinn had the wrong game plans with the season on the line.
This year felt different. The Cowboys appeared to have the right pieces with home games lined up and the QB playing his best football. It didn’t matter. The team folded in January, just like they have for the last 28 years. That left throngs of Cowboys fans feeling a familiar sting of disappointment despite months of excitement.
The 2023 season had plenty of things to be proud of, but it was again sullied by an early playoff exit. It might be a long time before fans believe in Dallas again, which might be for the best.
Do you think the Cowboys had an overall successful season in 2023? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
