Before the season started, the Dallas Cowboys were +1800 to win the Super Bowl. Since then, the offense and defense have formed one of the most well-balanced attacks in the NFL.
The Cowboys are now +800 to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Here’s how they got there:
Defense wins championships
A strong offense is necessary to win a Super Bowl. Look at the teams with top odds to win it all and you’ll notice all of them can light up the scoreboard.
But the old adage still rings true that defense wins championships, and Dallas has one of the best in the NFL.
Micah Parsons burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2021, posting 13 sacks and earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Some questioned if Parsons could recreate that magic this season, and he’s certainly lived up to the hype.
Parsons’ ability to pressure the QB makes him a game-wrecker. A stud pass rusher is a key component of a Super Bowl-caliber defense, and the Cowboys have that in Parsons.
Another important piece of a championship defense is a player that can force turnovers. Dallas checks that box with third-year CB Trevon Diggs.
Similar to Parsons, many questioned if Diggs could replicate his 11-interception campaign from a season ago. While Diggs isn’t intercepting passes at the same clip, his abilities in coverage have improved greatly.
Parsons and Diggs form one of the NFL’s best 1-2 punches of a pass rusher and ball hawker.
The offense has improved
The sky was falling for Cowboys fans after the Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only did the offense muster up only three points, QB Dak Prescott fractured his thumb and went on to miss five games.
During that stretch, Cooper Rush came in and saved the season. He didn’t light up the stat sheet; his peak was 235 passing yards in Week 2. But he did enough, leading Dallas to a 4-1 record in Prescott’s absence.
But Dak is back and the offense has playmakers at every position. CeeDee Lamb has performed like a WR1 and Noah Brown has been a revelation. Brown had 425 receiving yards from 2018 to 2021. He’s on pace to surpass that total in this season alone.
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are the perfect combination of power and quickness. Elliott excels in pass blocking and picking up short yardage, while Pollard has the speed and agility to bust big runs.
Future Hall of Famer Zack Martin has dominated like usual. But the Cowboys offensive line is getting great play from its young players, too.
Third-year RT Terence Steele has done a phenomenal job anchoring his side of the line. Rookie Tyler Smith was rushed into action at LT after Tyron Smith tore his hamstring in preseason. But Tyler has filled Tyron’s shoes well.
The Cowboys biggest NFC threat is a familiar foe
The Philadelphia Eagles pose the biggest threat to Dallas’ chances of getting to the Super Bowl. The Eagles have the best odds to win the NFC at +175.
Much like the Cowboys, the Eagles are very well-balanced on offense and defense. Time will tell if the teams cross paths in the postseason.
