2020 Dallas Cowboys Preview/NFL Predictions: Finally A New Sheriff
It was only fitting that in the same offseason where the Dallas Cowboys finally fired Jason Garrett and hired a real head coach in Mike McCarthy, a pandemic would hit, making all those new changes quite challenging.
Either way, the NFL season has sneaked up on us as it kicks off tomorrow night in a much different and strange way, and maybe that’s what the Cowboys need in order to be successful.
Even though there’s been a bit of a disadvantage with teams having to do everything virtually without team practices until shortly before training camp came on Aug. 17 for just three weeks, McCarthy is giving this team an advantage with a bit of a culture change. Normally, you would see full Cowboys plays in camps or scrimmages on video, but he’s only allowing parts of the plays. Normally, you would see the players’ jersey numbers in a blue-and-white scrimmage, but he did without them while not showing any of the game on broadcast.
Special teams coordinator John Fassel summed it up perfectly when asked if CeeDee Lamb would be returning punts in Sunday’s season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. “When I was in Oakland, Al Davis got mad at me once. He said ‘Never give information. Only get it. That one stuck with me about 12 years ago, so tune in.”
That’s funny. I’ve always thought the same. In a year where quarterback Dak Prescott is playing for a contract after getting the franchise tag for $31 million, I’m expecting big numbers and growth after finishing second in the league in passing last season. This is when he needs to beat good defenses and teams after going 2–6 against ones with winning records in 2019. (Those two were just 9–7.)
And while we’re at it, this whole contract deal with Dak is ridiculous. They couldn’t get a deal before last season and in September when he was 3–0 with the second-best QB rating. Then in the offseason the two sides waited until the last minute to talk before the March 15 deadline, which then put him on the tag since they couldn’t agree on a deal. As a result, he didn’t participate in the Cowboys’ virtual offseason program. And then by July 15, you guessed it. They couldn’t, which means he’ll have to play the whole year on it.
There are so many disgruntled and unthankful fans who think Dallas should trade or release him. I get that his asking price is a little greedy, although as of Sunday, Deshaun Watson is getting what Prescott wanted a year ago: $40 million a year. And he’s only won one playoff game as well, but it’s come in less time with 2.5 years of starting compared to four. Prescott wants to be the second-highest paid QB in the league.
I don’t know if there will be a deal with how this saga has gone, but people who think he sucks need a come-to-Jesus meeting. Only Tom Brady, the GOAT, has won more games in the last four years, which also is a testament to his health, not missing one start. If you ever needed to see if he could throw the ball, last season would do it for you as he spread it all over the field.
Do you remember the last time the Cowboys didn’t have a franchise quarterback? Yeah, that was a pretty long wait going from Troy Aikman to Tony Romo in a course of six years and seven different starters. Great, even good, quarterbacks don’t grow like apples on trees. When you got somebody who can play, you need to try to keep and win with them as much as you can. If Jerry Jones and Co. can get their stuff together with Prescott and Co. and agree on something, which both want to, then we can move forward. And I believe having McCarthy, who has coached Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, is going to take him to that next level, making the Cowboys really want to pay him, which might need to be the result for his asking price.
Anyways, back to the team. Star running back Ezekiel Elliott is hungry after critics are saying he doesn’t have the speed he used to have for breakout runs like his rookie year. Plus, he’s trying to live up to that contract that was the highest ever for a running back.
The offensive line has some question marks. All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith has been slowed down by injuries. Joe Looney is probably replacing one of the NFL’s best at center with Travis Frederick retiring. Young, unproven linemen in Connor McGovern (who was hurt last year), Connor Williams and fourth-round rookie Tyler Biadasz could get time at center also or guard. Right tackle La’el Collins, who was a Pro Bowl snub last season, is on short-term IR for at least three games with a hip injury and will be replaced by Cameron Erving, who is….just a guy.
The receiving corps could have three 1,000-yard players. Amari Cooper is coming off a max contract. Michael Gallup has the potential to outperform him in his third season. Lamb, a first-round pick, is wearing the coveted №88 and turning heads in practice.
With longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten gone to Las Vegas, it gives Blake Jarwin a chance to reach his potential with those long receptions he gets while Dalton Shultz and Blake Bell contribute mainly with blocking.
Defense is the question as the offense should be stellar again. McCarthy made moves, beefing up that defensive line with veteran talent as five of them were in their 30s coming into camp. However, one of the top acquisitions, six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy had his season end on the first day of padded practices because of a torn right quadriceps. Dallas cut him from his three-year contract, which noted that injury concern, to save cap space but hope to resign the 32-year-old next year. The other veteran signed in March is two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dontari Poe, who gives great size at 6’3” and 346 pounds. Luckily, the Cowboys drafted third-round DT Neville Gallimore to help fill in and grow with McCoy absent. Last year’s second-round pick Trysten Hill looks to be getting some playing time….at least we hope.
At defensive end, the Cowboys have lots of notable names. First, they signed Aldon Smith in the spring. Smith had the third-most sacks in three seasons starting as a pro with 33.5, but off-field troubles derailed his career as he hasn’t played a down in five years. He’s back though as a changed man and if he can be some sort of version of his old self, that’ll be scary.
In August, the Cowboys weren’t done though. After being cut from Minnesota for cap space, four-time Pro Bowl veteran Everson Griffen was signed. Tyrone Crawford is back from his hip injury that kept him out all of last year. Franchise defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is looking to have a bounce-back year coming off a season with just 5.5 sacks. Also, the guy Dallas keeps holding onto with a million second chances, Randy Gregory, is being reinstated after missing last season due to another suspension. He can practice Oct. 5 and play against Washington Oct. 25. Luckily, positive tests for marijuana won’t suspend a player anymore under the new CBA. The Cowboys just like him so much even though football play has only been decent.
At linebacker, Jaylon Smith may have led the team in tackles last year, but he really didn’t play as well as his 2018 breakout season. Leighton Vander Esch is hoping for better health this year with his career neck injuries and will be of much benefit with him directing plays at middle linebacker instead of Smith. They need him to be as veteran Sean Lee will miss at least three games due to a pelvis injury that he dealt with late last season. Aldon Smith should also see time at outside linebacker with Mike Nolan interchangeably using 4–3 and 3–4 schemes.
The secondary is a bit of a mystery after Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones left for Miami. Anthony Brown, fresh off a three-year extension, will get the start at right corner. On the other side, second-round rookie Trevon Diggs will be in action. Chibode Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis are both dealing with injuries and need to perform better going into contract years. Fourth-round Reggie Robinson III will look to shine as both he and Diggs know how to get turnovers, something missing from last year’s team, which had the least amount since 2012.
Safety is the biggest mystery. After losing Jeff Heath in free agency to Las Vegas, McCarthy brought in Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, one of his former players, on a one-year deal but was cut last week due to performance. Darian Thompson is currently taking his place at strong safety. Xavier Woods looks like he’ll get the start at free safety although he has a groin injury. Former Cowboy veteran Brandon Carr is being brought back as a safety on the practice squad, which allows for 16 players this season.
This is the position the Cowboys have been reluctant at addressing. There have been several opportunities to trade for or sign Earl Thomas that never worked out. Then came Jamal Adams and that didn’t work. While both of these guys are Pro Bowlers, they’re a bit of a locker room problem. Adams is now in Seattle where Thomas was and is causing issues. Meanwhile, Thomas punched a player in practice before being released from Baltimore in August. My guess is they don’t want to deal with those personalities, which may be a good thing, given the Cowboys’ history, but this needs to get better. There hasn’t been a great safety since Darren Woodson. (Roy Williams was good at other things besides coverage.)
After signing kicker Kai Forbath in December as he went a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals, Fassel brought with him Greg Zuerelin from LA, aka “Greg the Leg” for his long range.
This is going to be real interesting when the NFL kicks off tomorrow night. There were no preseason games, so this is going to feel like a real rough draft considering teams have only played each other. Other major leagues had some game time before restarting. MLB had spring training. The NBA and NHL almost played a whole season. Of course, four months off is going to feel like a new year in some sense.
There will be no fans at stadiums except for the Cowboys, Kansas City, Miami, Jacksonville and Indianapolis until at least October. The former has not been specified by Jones while the others will be anywhere from 10 to 17,000. Both New York teams and Las Vegas (who will have their inaugural venue, Allegiant Stadium, and team, the Raiders) will not have any fans all season. Football home crowds are more vital to noise and home-field advantage than other sports. It will be interesting to see how loud home stadiums like the Chiefs and Seattle have will do without major ones. The fake noise just doesn’t do it justice and it’s just a little depressing not seeing any fans in these venues.
And, of course, there will be risks with COVID-19 as players and coaches will be tested a whole lot with many restrictions. Players in your fantasy team could suddenly skip a game due to a positive test or being in close contact with someone. The NBA and NHL haven’t had a single positive case due to their bubble being in one or two locations while the MLB is having a seesaw effect of cases within teams as they travel to opponents’ stadiums, causing teams to play several doubleheaders in already shortened 60-game season. Could the NFL have the latter? We’ll see.
As far as predictions, it seems the Cowboys have a better chance at glory with McCarthy and his staff. Players are seeing the difference between Garrett’s style and his, and it seems to be working. (By the way, seeing them play the New York Giants twice a year where Garrett is now the offensive coordinator is going to be real fun. If he calls questionable plays, Cowboys fans will be happy instead of angry.)
Obviously, the goal is to win Super Bowls but getting this team to an NFC Championship Game would be getting over a hurdle, which McCarthy has done quite a lot with Green Bay where he had four appearances, winning one that ended in a Lombardi Trophy here at AT&T Stadium. Maybe his 4–0 record there will be good luck or us as well.
But I just can’t pick the Cowboys to make the Super Bowl anymore, which is always talked about by everybody every freakin’ year. With that being said, Dallas has the NFC’s fourth highest odds of making it, the most since 2010, which ended in a 6–10 dismal season. I believe last year’s team had a higher chance of disappointment with Garrett leading the way, missing the playoffs at 8–8 in very underwhelming fashion. McCarthy is better than that.
I’m not saying he won’t get there as he just might be that guy, but I think getting over the hump happens this year. Heck, the Dallas Stars just got back to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 12 years, winning a Game 7 semifinal round on the third try. Maybe it’s time for this other Dallas team.
When it comes to winning the NFC East, no team ever repeats. With that being said, I like the Cowboys taking it back as the streak continues since 2004. I’m going to say 12–4. The division really isn’t hard and they have the easiest schedule in the NFC. And I’m picking them to finally make the NFC Championship Game since 1995. The year 2020 has been weird enough, right?
Before you read my NFL playoff predictions, note that there are seven seeds this year in both conferences. (I hate change!) The №1 seeds still get a bye week while the rest settle it in seeding format during wild card weekend as three games will be on display in the AFC and NFC.
AFC seeds: 1) Kansas City Chiefs 2) Baltimore Ravens 3) Indianapolis Colts 4) New England Patriots 5) Pittsburgh Steelers 6) Houston Texans 7) Tennessee Titans
NFC seeds: 1) Seattle Seahawks 2) Dallas Cowboys 3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4) Green Bay Packers 5) San Francisco 49ers 6) New Orleans Saints 7) Philadelphia Eagles
AFC Championship: Kansas City over Baltimore
NFC Championship: Seattle over Dallas
Super Bowl LV: Kansas City over Seattle
Sorry, I just don’t see the ‘Boys making it to the Super Bowl just yet. I’m also a little superstitious since they never get there when I pick them. The Seahawks are a playoff team almost every year. It’ll be the NFC Championship Game that should have been played six years ago as Russell Wilson out-duels Prescott. This year is their turn to get back to the big game.
Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes just became a half-billionaire. Teams haven’t had a lot of practice, so whoever was on top last season has a greater chance of continuation. Ravens dual-threat star quarterback Lamar Jackson has another solid year that’s not quite as great as the previous record-breaking season. He gets his first playoff win and the last two MVP, young stars finally meet in the playoffs with Mahomes getting the win.
Wilson, one of the other elite QBs, tries to stop Mahomes from repeating, which the former failed a few yards from in 2014, but Mahomes is too good. The Chiefs become the first team since New England in 2004 to repeat as champs, and just might start a similar dynasty with Mahomes’s ten-year contract into play.
