The dead period of the Dallas Cowboys offseason is about to end as they get ready to start training camp on July 24th.
So why not welcome back the fans that turned off their football fans when the team lost to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs by hitting the theme of the 2024 season, its main characters, and subplots to monitor.
In film media style, we'll end things with a hype level for the season as well. Let's dive in!
The Backcover: What the 2024 Cowboys season is about
The difference between "very good" and "great" is often overlooked in sports and beyond them but for the 2024 version of the Dallas Cowboys, it's the biggest theme.
Since 2021, only one team has won more regular season games than the Cowboys' 36 and that's the Kansas City Chiefs. In that span, the Chiefs have made three AFC Championship appearances and have won two Super Bowls.
The Cowboys have one playoff win and three losses, with the win happening against a mediocre Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that limped into the postseason with an 8-9 losing record.
Frustratingly enough, the Cowboys had an almost perfect set of circumstances laid out in front of them earlier this year: The Philadelphia Eagles crumbled late in the year to lose its advantage on the NFC East race, which resulted in Dallas winning the division and having the second seed in the conference, which meant facing the seven seed.
Since the league expanded the postseason to 14 teams, no seven seed had won a playoff game. Until it was the Cowboys on the other side. In January 14th, the Cowboys collapsed in shocking fashion, being down 27-0 at one point in the first half.
Naturally, anything that the Cowboys do in the regular season following three consecutive 12-win years will do little to get anyone excited. This is the burden of the team: Powering through a regular season with extreme focus knowing nothing matters other than showing up strong in the playoffs.
Main characters: Most important players to watch
- Dak Prescott: Fresh off of the best season of his career, Prescott is publicly being asked by the Cowboys front office to do "more with less." Question marks surround him but with O.P.O.Y. candidate CeeDee Lamb and the rising Jake Ferguson at tight end , the Cowboys offense has a chance at being highly successful as long as Dak is locked in.
- Micah Parsons: In each of his first three years in the NFL, Micah has been in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year. It's been a loud offseason for Parsons, who's proven to be a controversial character away from the gridiron. Once football kicks off, he can quiet all the noise by keeping up the historic start to his career after being the second player ever to have at least 13 sacks in each of his first three seasons.
- CeeDee Lamb: As mentioned above, Lamb is a legit O.P.O.Y. candidate after establishing himself as an elite WR with 1,749 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2023. As he seeks a contract that could make him the highest-paid receiver in the league, Lamb might just produce the best season of his career in 2024. He's expected to hold out from training camp, which is set to start next week.
Subplots for the educated fans: Cowboys storylines to monitor closely
Can the offense maintain its elite production?
Under Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys offense started a bit awkwardly in 2023. Although the team was moving the ball efficiently, it was doing so with little explosion and with a passing game mostly consisting of short, quick-hitting passes. That blew up on their faces against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5.
Shortly after that, McCarthy turned the pass-happy knobs all the way up and Prescott and Lamb ran with it on their way to All-Pro seasons. Dallas finished the year as the second best offense per EPA/play and led the league in points per game.
Does McCarthy remain this aggressive in 2024? It sure seems like the best way toward having elite production again. And with so many question marks around the running game, it's a no-brainer.
Will the defense finally regress?
The Cowboys had a remarkable run under Dan Quinn, ranking No. 1 in EPA/play allowed over the last three years. Now, there are some question marks as the team welcomes in Mike Zimmer but loses several key contributors including nose tackle Johnathan Hankins, and ends Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr.
In the secondary, the Cowboys lose Stephon Gilmore while banking on a healthy return from Trevon Diggs. With a weakened defensive front and a new coordinator in town, is this the year the Cowboys defense finally regresses after maintaining a high level for three years? It's not an easy task in the NFL where defensive regression hits even historic units on a year to year basis.
Will it be Dak Prescott's final season with the Cowboys?
In a saga that's going to be dragged into training camp at minimum, quarterback Dak Prescott has yet to sign a deal that keeps him in Dallas beyond 2024. If the season kicks off with no contract extension reached, the risk of this being Prescott's final year with the Cowboys will rise dramatically.
Prescott has significant leverage over the Joneses and he has proven more than willing to bet on himself in the past. The Cowboys will need to embrace that fact if they want to keep him.
Hype level: 6/10
Any time you're considered a legit contender in an NFL season, hype should be high. And make no mistake about it, the Cowboys are considered such, ranking as the fourth favorite out of the NFC in the world of sports betting.
With the Cowboys though, things are a bit different given their recent history in the playoffs. Having done little to take the team to the next level during the offseason, it will be a year in which hype won't rise to its peak until the team proves it can perform at a higher level in January.
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