Bold Prediction: Cowboys Will Miss Playoffs?

The Dallas Cowboys are entering the 2022 NFL season attempting to accomplish a goal which has eluded them the past 15 years.

Fresh off a playoff appearance in 2021, Dallas has set its sights on earning a postseason berth in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2006-07.

The Cowboys won 12 games last season, capturing their first NFC East title since 2018. Despite a quiet offseason, Dallas is still a popular choice among analysts to repeat as division champions. However, not everyone is convinced that the Cowboys will be able to replicate their 2021 success.

In fact, Bleacher Report has listed Dallas’ missing the playoffs as one of its 9 Bold Predictions For The 2022 NFL Season; thus failing to qualify for the postseason for the third time in four years.

Last year, the Cowboys went 6-0 within the NFC East, but their rivals have stocked up on talent and made significant changes this offseason …

Aside from a tougher division schedule, Dallas has question marks at key positions.

The Cowboys pass rush may regress without Randy Gregory …

How will quarterback Dak Prescott adjust without wide receiver Amari Cooper? …

Most importantly, the Cowboys offensive line may not be as dominant compared to units from recent years. …

While the Cowboys could compete for a Wild Card spot in 2022, their most likely path to the playoffs will be as division champions. Based on their competition, it is a more-than-reasonable expectation.

Though the Washington Commanders have added Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback, the remainder of the offensive roster is cloaked in question. The Commanders’ defense is formidable enough to keep them in the division race.

An impressive draft class, a new head coach, and a buy-in on quarterback Daniel Jones (at least for this season) make the New York Giants a team on which to keep an eye this season. Still, the Giants project as a cut below the rest in the NFC East. New York’s day is coming … just not in 2022.

As such, Dallas’ most formidable challenger for the division crown is the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles’ roster is well-stocked on both sides of the ball. However, the biggest question remains the ability of quarterback Jalen Hurts to lead Philadelphia on a full-season run to the playoffs. Hurts will need to improve upon his decision-making under pressure to bring the Eagles to the top of the NFC East.

Ultimately, Dallas is still in the driver’s seat, despite the losses of wide receiver Amari Cooper and linebacker Randy Gregory. Having revitalized a notoriously subpar defense from 2020, the current iteration of Dallas’ defense hopes to build upon the improvements they showed in 2021.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys can show marked improvement. However, they must commit to evenly distributing the offensive responsibilities between quarterback Dak Prescott and the passing game, and the running game led by running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. However, if the team and head coach Mike McCarthy continue to struggle with such decisions moving forward, the Dallas Cowboys may find themselves on the outside looking in come January.