(CBSDFW.com)- With Dak Prescott returning after suffering a season-ending ankle injury last season, the Cowboys are expected to be the class of the NFC East division and return to the playoffs. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives them a 44.9% chance of doing so with Washington being the next closest at 28.6%. But, according to Alex Kay of Bleacher Report, Cowboys fans should brace themselves for disappointment.
Kay listed seven teams believed to be most likely to disappoint this season and the Cowboys were among that group. The writer took a look at win totals set by oddsmakers for each team and identified the Cowboys as likely to come in under their current win total of 9. The main reason why? The defense.
“The Cowboys conceded the second-most rushing yards and allowed 20 touchdowns on the ground. The lack of consistent pressure was felt in the passing game, as Dallas gave up 34 touchdowns and secured a meager 10 interceptions while notching a middling 31 sacks.
The Cowboys drafted standout linebacker Micah Parsons at No. 12 overall and used eight of their 11 picks—including all five of their Day 1 and 2 selections—on defensive prospects this spring. The team will be asking a lot from a rookie class, however, after its free-agency acquisitions weren’t too splashy,” Kay wrote.
The Cowboys defense certainly was an area of concern last season for the reasons mentioned above but the team brought in new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to straighten things out. The other point to consider is strength of schedule which, heading into the 2021 season, the Cowboys have the second-easiest in the league behind only the rival Philadelphia Eagles.
We’re just a few weeks away from kick-off for the Cowboys on the 2021 season. What do you think? Will they end up disappointing? Or can the team get to double-digit wins?
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