The Dallas Cowboys have had a solid offseason, reforming a defense and retaining key offensive players for the system. Naturally, this has led to optimism among the fan community, with some even suggesting that a Super Bowl run could be on the table. With more opinions going in the Cowboys' direction, analysts are starting to get on the bandwagon as well.
However, former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky isn’t as enthusiastic as others. During a segment in which former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty listed why he believes the Cowboys could be Super Bowl contenders, Orlovsky was quick to pour cold water on the take.
“They’re not better than the Rams; they’re not better than Seattle. They’re not better than San Francisco; they’re not better than Philadelphia, and Philadelphia’s got a significantly easier schedule,” Orlovsky said on ESPN.
Where does Orlovsky project the Cowboys?
A big point of Orlovsky’s argument against the Cowboys wasn’t because of their roster. In fact, he later stated that he thinks they’re a good football team that could make the playoffs. Instead, he focused on their tough schedule, pointing to two particular stretches from Weeks 3-7 and 12-15.
“Look at the stretch of that schedule that goes from essentially Week 3. Baltimore, at Houston, Tampa- who’s gonna be fantastic. Green Bay, at Philly. That is a brutal stretch. And then they have on the right side, Philly, at Seattle, at the Rams,” Orlovsky stated.
It is, in fact, a tough schedule that Dallas will have to deal with. There are also other challenges littered throughout, such as at Indianapolis in Week 9, then the 49ers the very next Week. There’s also the Jaguars in Week 16, and they were quietly hot at the right time near the end of last season.
Some view the entire NFC North as a potential bloodbath, with three great teams in Green Bay, Detroit, and the Chicago Bears. Listing teams like the 49ers and Eagles ahead of them is a hot take.
But we get how Orlovsky sees it. After all, Philly and San Fran are two experienced teams with a lot of success in recent seasons. They also have excellent head coaches, franchise QBs, and star players on both sides of the ball. The tougher schedule could end up being a big separator for the Cowboys compared to those other teams in their skill range.
At the end of the day, if they are the reformed team that we’re talking them up to be, then the Cowboys could very well win some of those hard matchups and become contenders. But the hard schedule is a good thing to keep in mind as a potential hiccup in the dream season that all Dallas fans have been waiting for since 1996.
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