Predictions: Are the Dallas Cowboys a contender or pretender this season?

How will the Dallas Cowboys do this season and should we consider them contenders or pretenders?

The national media hasn’t been very kind to the Dallas Cowboys as of late. As Dan Ruppert just pointed out Thursday, Dallas has been ranked on the wrong side of average more than a few times.

So are those “expert” opinions on to something or are they missing something? A few of our writers at Sport DFW have some opinions of their own they’d like to share…

Reid Hanson

It’s understandable the national media is sleeping on the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott ended his second season on a sour note and the entire pass-catching element of the roster was totally revamped with largely unrecognizable names (unrecognizable to national folks, that is).

As I wrote about earlier in the week – the passing portion of this offense is a true unknown. Whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic about it, it’s all unsubstantiated at this point. But with that said, those of us closely following the team have reason to believe the national media is missing more than they’re noticing.

The Cowboys may quite possibly have the best running game in the NFL. They also may have one of the best defenses. Randy Gregory and Jaylon Smith both have the potential to shock the world with their next-level ability, and Dak Prescott enters his “crossroads” in the most advantageous of circumstances.

At the end of the day this team’s success will come down to its ability to convert 3^rd downs. If they can do that, watch out NFL. So are they contenders or pretenders? I say contenders with a fair amount of confidence.

Final Record: 10-6 Win Wild Card round, lose Divisional Round

Dink Kearney

The Dallas Cowboys are definitely a contender because it boasts one of the best offensive lines in the NFL (even with Travis Frederick’s injury), it has an elite running back with Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak Prescott is a really good up and coming quarterback that’s only going to get better.

Another reason the Cowboys are a contender is because it’s defense will be better with Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory provided that much needed pass rush or “War Daddy”. The defense will be the surprise of the NFL.

Final record: 12-4

Jason Lippert

The Cowboys are going to be a contender for the NFC East, but a pretender in the hunt for a Super Bowl berth. Dallas will have more of a shot to knock off Philadelphia in the division than people realize. Travis Frederick was not placed on IR, but instead left on the active roster. This means the Cowboys are optimistic that Frederick returns prior to week nine.

Just as the left tackle is vital to the quarterback, the center is vital to the run game. If he can return at some point this season, I like the Cowboys’ chances to play through Zeke and rack up a few wins.

At the end of the day, I can’t see Dallas getting any further than the Divisional round. The NFC is loaded, and the Cowboys would have a tall task running into Minnesota or New Orleans early on.

Final Record: 9-7

Dan Ruppert

The 2018 Dallas Cowboys are a little bit of an enigma. We didn’t see much of the first team offense in as a whole during the preseason, and with the uncertainty of Travis Frederick it is hard to fully evaluate what the offense will look like and will be. The defense on the other hand looks like it could be a top 5 defense.

The defense alone makes the Dallas Cowboys at the very least a playoff team. They’re possible contenders if the passing game good, or even average, as long as the running game is what we all know it should be.

Final Record: 10-6

• Published on 09/09/2018 at 12:01 PM
• Last updated at 09/10/2018 at 12:02 PM