Cowboys predicted to win NFC East, win 11 games in 2022

We’ve officially hit the lull in the NFL calendar. Sure, there are OTAs and a minicamp coming up, but those offer little real news. The free agent signings have become a mere trickle, and the thrill of the draft is over. But if there is one thing NFL fans and media do well over all 365 days in a year, it’s speculate. So we’ll jump on board.

CBS Sports is taking a look at NFC East win totals from Vegas and predicting whether teams will go over or under. Right now, most sportsbooks, like our friends at DraftKings, have the Dallas Cowboys as the favorites in the East, but the Philadelphia Eagles are right behind.

In the CBS piece, the total for the Cowboys is set at 10.5 wins. Their projection has the Cowboys hitting the over.

Dallas Cowboys

Win total projection: 10.5 (Over +100, Under -120)

Strength of schedule: T-31st

The Cowboys put together their best campaign since 2016, even though they fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. Mike McCarthy may be on the hot seat, as Jerry Jones wants this team to be successful not only in the regular season, but postseason as well. Dallas should have no problem getting back to the playoffs, as it has what is perceived to be one of the easiest schedules in the NFL. A big storyline to keep an eye on is how Dak Prescott will fare without Amari Cooper and Ced Wilson. Will Noah Brown, Jalen Tolbert or James Washington step up to bolster this passing attack?

In looking at the Cowboys’ schedule, I’m leaning towards an 11-6 final record. It’s true that the NFC East should be better in 2022, but the Cowboys still should be the top dog. Dallas won 12 games last year and I don’t think they are set up for some kind of major regression.

The pick: Over 10.5

Around The Cowboys universe, there has certainly been more pessimism than normal. But that hasn’t really translated to the NFL universe at large. We noted a few weeks ago that the Cowboys are still seen as contenders, and here we see another example of the Cowboys being pegged to win the NFC East, make the playoffs and really not see a major regression. They won 12 games last year, and the prediction here is 11 games.

The Eagles are seen as winning 9-10 games, while the Giants and Commanders are non-factors.

Of course, it’s all about winning in the playoffs for the Cowboys and their fan base, anything less will be seen as a failure. So while we can speculate on win totals and winning the division, nothing is going to satisfy until this team wins in the playoffs.

How many games do you think the Cowboys will win in 2022?