FanPost

Let's Not Get Ahead of Ourselves

This is essentially a response to one line from: Dallas Cowboys trade Brandin Cooks gives team weapon similar Tyreek Hill, and that line being:

While the Cowboys still have more moves to make ahead of the 2023 season, they are already assembling a roster that should put them in contention to be Super Bowl favorites this year.

And this will be something similar to a fanpost made during the regular season, A Few Reasons Why We Aren't Super Bowl Favorites... when an article came up on how Dallas was a favorite to win the Super Bowl.

We weren't then and aren't now. Largely because a "favorite" is someone expected to do well and be consistent, and in all honesty, the Cowboys as a team cannot really be trusted to do that. I like the trade for Cooks, and he will improve Dallas's chances, but that doesn't make us favorites. Particularly as many of the issues that have plagued the Cowboys remain. Now, some have improved, as Dallas did get better with regard to penalties after the I posted the first version of this sort of post, but they did remain, and probably WILL remain going forward. And in this, I won't go over things like Dallas's playoff history, penalties, and other related issues again, particularly as some of those issues, like penalties, we'll have to wait and see on when the next season starts in the fall.

But there remains a big issue that will remain and holds us back from being favorites to "win the Super Bowl." And that remains an issue of consistency, and while this would apply to the entire team, it's going to come heavily to the team's offensive leader, particularly in relation to how Brandin Cooks' presence will improve the team. Now, don't get me wrong... I like Dak and he is a good QB. In terms of throwing potential, I'd argue he easily has the highest ceiling of any QB in our division, and by itself that's a good thing.

But a high ceiling is only going to be great if there is also a high floor and little variation in Dak's play between his ceiling and his floor, and that DIDN'T happen last season. Based on last season, and this is just with the regular season, Dak's floor is also easily lower than the floor of every starter in the division, including Daniel Jones and whoever ends up with the job in Washington. And for much of the season, Dak fluctuated between his ceiling and his floor, sometimes within games. So it wasn't as though he had one game that was good and then one game that was bad... he had one quarter that was good and then one quarter that was bad. And that is a mark of inconsistency that can and has killed this team, particularly once getting into the playoffs... and adding Cooks doesn't change that.

Can we compete for the Super Bowl? Sure, and I'd even argue that adding Cooks improves our chances, but until Dak raises his floor, or at least shows less fluctuation between his floor and ceiling in the coming season, we aren't favorites to win the Super Bowl. And saying we are... that's only just Kool-Aid talking.

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