SI.com's Don Banks does some predicting, and he likes the Cowboys in the NFC East.
Answer: Yes, but there are several obvious qualifiers that go along with that premise. Dallas has a defense that could be dominating, but this is the year that all that young talent must mature into a unit that consistently puts the Cowboys in a position to win. Give Bledsoe some improved protection (49 sacks in 2005), a defense that leads the way and a big-play threat in Terrell Owens, and the Cowboys could reign in a conference devoid of great teams. After all, Bill Parcells took teams to the Super Bowl in both 1986 and '96. He's due.
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Dallas (10-6): In a division dominated by quality coaching, the Cowboys get the nod based on defense. Dallas' two-year streak of missing the playoffs is the NFC East's longest.
SI.com also talked to opposing scouts for each team, go here to read the answers. This one particularly rang true:
ESPN does a breakdown of the Cowboys from several of their "experts". Here's John Clayton on the Cowboys defense:
Drew Bledsoe is good to go, just a sore neck.
The injury is not a concussion, and Bledsoe should start in the season opener Sept. 10 in Jacksonville.
Vanderjagt has got the support of his teammates.
After he missed two potential game-winning field goals in overtime Thursday night, Mike Vanderjagt received nothing but a glare from Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells.
Vanderjagt's teammates tried a different approach.
"I told him to keep his head up," Owens said after the Cowboys tied Minnesota 10-10 to close the preseason. "We're going to count on him during the course of the season. I'm still behind him and a lot of the team is still behind him."