Blogging The Boys
There are a lot of oddsmakers doubting the Cowboys right now.
There is always a disparity between fans and oddsmakers when it comes to the Cowboys this time of year. It’s become a recurring gag for fans to say “this is our year!” when it, in fact, is not. Oddsmakers, as well as the national media, generally know this too.
Still, this year feels different.
As of right now, the Cowboys have +190 odds to make the playoffs and +600 to win the NFC East according to DraftKings sportsbook. Only three other teams in the NFC - the Panthers, Saints, and Giants - have worse odds of making the postseason; unsurprisingly, the Giants are the only team with worse odds to win the NFC East.
That last part seems fair, at least. Both the Eagles and Commanders went to the NFC Championship game last year, with Philadelphia winning the Super Bowl, and neither team lost any of their biggest names. Both are good bets to get back to the playoffs, while the Cowboys lost 10 games last year and have a first-time head coach.
Having the third-best odds to win the division feels right at this point, but having the fourth-worst odds to go to the playoffs out of the NFC? That’s the part that conveys how grossly underestimated this team is right now.
It’s understandable why oddsmakers aren’t taking this team seriously, though. The messy process that led to Mike McCarthy ditching the organization and then saw Jerry Jones pivot to Brian Schottenheimer - who was on the radar of zero other teams - brought fan interest to an all-time low.
Since then, though, the Cowboys have done and said just about all the right things.
They were extremely active in free agency, still not spending big money but bringing in more players via signings and trades than their last two offseasons combined. They built an impressive coaching staff with a clear vision for the new era of Cowboys football and pursued players who fit that mold in the draft.
And, after missing out on the top receiver in said draft, the Cowboys continued to churn the roster by trading for George Pickens. All the while, Schottenheimer has used every speaking appearance to talk about how physical the team will be and generally instill confidence in fans that his personality has already made him a popular figure in the locker room, someone the players want to play for.
Of course, the biggest story for the Cowboys - that everyone seems to be overlooking - is Dak Prescott. The quarterback continues to be a lightning rod for opinion, but the fact remains that Prescott - who is still only 15 months removed from finishing second in MVP voting - is good at taking the Cowboys to the playoffs.
In seasons where Prescott plays at least 12 games, the Cowboys have only missed the postseason twice, both of which came under Jason Garrett. The Cowboys have also never finished with a...
