The Dallas Cowboys are, without a doubt, one of the most iconic teams in the NFL, with a storied history full of Super Bowl wins and “all-timer” players backed by a passionate fan base! Today, we explore some of the Cowboys’ remarkable legacy and achievements while looking at what could come next for the team for the rest of the season and even further ahead.
A Legacy of Dominance
The Cowboys are NFL royalty, which can’t be disputed after winning five Super Bowl championships, which are second only to the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. The ‘Big D’ also has 36 playoff appearances and the best all-time regular season record among active franchises. It’s quite an illustrious and impressive history.
Maybe it was always destiny for the Cowboys to be a big team. Just ten years after being founded in 1960, they started to dominate the sport and became popularly known as “America’s Team.” That was primarily due to the talent of head coach Tom Landy, who guided Dallas to two Super Bowls during a remarkable 28-year stint as head coach. The first Super Bowl (VI) championship came during the 1971 season. Shortly after moving to Texas Stadium, the Cowboys cruised to a 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins, with Roger Staubach grabbing the headlines as MVP. A second (XIII) followed in the 1977 season with another dominant win, this time 27-10 against the Denver Broncos.
Landy’s unforgettable time at the Cowboys finally came to an end in 1988, but they didn’t have to wait too long to become a dominant force once again. Businessman Jerry Jones bought the franchise for $150m around this time and hired Jimmy Johnson (who spearheaded another memorable period for the team).
During the 1990s, fans were treated to some remarkable displays from a new generation of fresh-faced stars as Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, and Michael Irvin made light work of regular season games and returned the Cowboys to the NFL’s elite. A third Super Bowl (XXVII) arrived in 1992 as they forced a record nine turnovers on the way to a crushing 52-17 win over the Buffalo Bills. Dallas repeated the trick a year later, advancing with a 12-4 regular season record and then defeating the Bills again in a 30-13 victory in Super Bowl XXVIII. A golden period culminated in a third win in four years and a fifth championship in 1995 as the Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17.
There have been many challenges since that day in Arizona, but the Cowboys have maintained an excellent standard. Since 1995, there have been 13 playoff appearances, but a sixth Super Bowl remains elusive for them! In the meantime, they have also moved to the Cowboys AT&T Stadium, their home since 2009. The Cowboys have played in three stadiums during their acclaimed history.
Building Momentum
Fast-forward to the present day, the Cowboys continue to show flashes of brilliance, especially during the regular season. Mick McCarthy joined the team as head coach in 2020 and had to contend with a pretty severe injury to star quarterback Dak Prescott, which derailed the campaign, to say the least.
Thankfully, fortunes for the team improved in 2021 and 2022, with a solid 12-5 record in both seasons. Even though they ultimately fell short in the Wild Card round, McCarthy took over play-call duties for the 2023 season and oversaw a 12-5 record.
The Cowboys have made considerable strides in their offense and defence and are among the best-ranked franchises at both ends of the field, but playoff disappointment has sadly been a long-running theme for them. Unfortunately, 2024 looks set to be a step back for the ‘Boys and McCarthy. That's fair to say they have not had it all their own way this season! After nine games, they are third in the NFC East with a losing record, and it now looks unlikely that Dallas will extend their record playoff appearance run. While there have been suggestions that it might be time for McCarthy to move on, owner Jerry Jones is adamant that won’t happen (not until an end-of-season postmortem, at least). Jones stated that he regrets firing coaches mid-season in the past, and it looks like he would rather stick than twist for now.
During the upcoming busy festive period, the Cowboys will face off against the Bengals, Panthers, Buccaneers, and Eagles in quick succession! The blowout 34-6 defeat to the Eagles in early November suggests a late-season rally will be a challenge, with the team now having just an extremely slim 1.1% chance of securing a Wild Card spot in the NFC.
Chasing Championship Dreams
While the Cowboys have endured a less-than-stellar season so far, they have the real foundation of a competitive team in this current lineup. However, challenges remain, and they will need to develop younger players, particularly in problem areas across the defensive line and in the secondary. Recent NFL Drafts have helped here, but investing in better player development and coaching is key if the Cowboys will end their recent playoff woes and gain some momentum again.
Clarity over Johnson’s position will help. The head coach’s contract has not been extended past the 2025 season, and with fans unhappy with the current direction, tough decisions will need to be made to right the ship and get everyone pulling in the right direction. Jones outlined his thoughts in a recent interview. He said, "My criteria has always been, 'How we're playing. Do we have an edge? Are we fundamentally competitive? Are we competitive when we're down? Those kinds of things." The owner still believes McCarthy is a “heckuva coach” and is willing to allow him to show that the Cowboys are “better than we’re playing right now.”
Dallas may also need to improve their salary cap management as they juggle high-paying contracts. Prescott, who looks set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines, is on a whopping $240m four-year deal - making him the highest-paid player in the NFL, ever! Extended and restructuring deals for promising talent like Micah Parsons will also be key.
With a bevy of talented players across the roster, nothing is stopping the Cowboys from renewing their Super Bowl aspirations. Overcoming the recent postseason roadblocks that have hindered them will be the first step. However, with the franchise’s vision still rooted in pursuing excellence and with a dedicated fan base on its side, the Cowboys’ future could be as bright (if not brighter) as their illustrious past!
