Three reasons to be optimistic about the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have either the fifth- or sixth-best odds of winning Super Bowl LVIII, depending on which book you go with. After consecutive 12-win seasons, it might be time to ask, "Why not them Cowboys?”

1. Jerry Jones

You read that right. The Dallas owner is the biggest reason Cowboys fans should always feel optimistic about the future. In the past 20 years, Dallas has just four losing seasons. Among NFC East owners, only Philadelphia’s Jeffrey Lurie has a better winning percentage, but Lurie’s news conferences aren’t nearly as fun.

For all of his bluster, Jones wants to win and will do whatever it takes to field a competitive team. He spends money — see Ezekiel Elliott. Jones takes chances — see Dez Bryant, Randy Gregory or even Adam "Pacman" Jones. Most importantly, Jones is loyal.

Did he wait too long to fire head coach Jason Garrett? Definitely. Is he being too patient with Mike McCarthy? Perhaps. But his team isn’t breaking in its third head coach in as many years like the other team in Texas, and there is something to be said for consistency.

2. Youth

Before last season, ESPN identified the Cowboys as the team with the most talent under 25. With an average age of 25.2, the 2022 team was the league's third youngest but still managed 12 wins and the first playoff victory since 2018. 

Young talent can be found on both sides of the ball. WR CeeDee Lamb’s stats get better every year. For the first time in his career in 2022, his yardage, reception and touchdown numbers put him in the league's top 10. The team let Amari Cooper go hoping Lamb could fill the void. Both caught nine touchdown passes in 2022, but the 23-year-old Lamb will make substantially less than Cooper’s $20 million salary next season.

Defensively, the Cowboys are stacked with young playmakers. Micah Parsons followed a 13-sack rookie season with 13.5 sacks in 2022. Trevon Diggs couldn’t match his 11-interception performance of 2021, but he had help from rookie cornerback DaRon Bland, whose team-leading five interceptions tied for second place in the NFL in 2022.

3. Dan Quinn

Bland, Diggs and Parsons owe a great deal of their success to their defensive coordinator. The season before Quinn joined the team in 2021, Dallas gave up 29.6 points per game, fifth most in the league.

Last season, only four teams gave up fewer than Dallas' 20.1 points per game.

Quinn helped build Seattle’s "Legion of Doom" before taking the Falcons to Super Bowl LI as head coach. He has been a popular head-coaching candidate for the past two years and recently interviewed with the Colts, Broncos and Cardinals.

Jones paid big money to keep him in 2022, and with a talented roster, he’ll pay dividends in 2023.