Dallas Cowboys: 2017 will be both better and worse

Even though it’s likely that the Dallas Cowboys will have a worse record than last year, it’s completely plausible that they will be a better team.

What will the Dallas Cowboys do for an encore in 2017?

If you’re expecting another thirteen win season or maybe more, you should lower your expectations.  That’s not to say that the Cowboys will be worse this season.

In fact, I believe they will be a better team than they were last year.  Their record, however, almost certainly will not reflect that.

Winning thirteen games is extremely difficult in the NFL.  Even the unquestionable best franchise in the league rarely eclipses that mark.

The New England Patriots have posted double-digit wins in an unprecedented 14 seasons.  Even with such an incredible display of dominance, they’ve won 13+ just six times in that span.  That includes just once in the last five years which just so happened to be in 2016.

For even more perspective, the Dallas Cowboys have only won 13+ games just three times in 57 seasons.  This is a franchise that boasts both the most wins since 1960 as well as the highest winning percentage in league history.

Adding to all of that is a first place schedule that features six teams that won nine or more games in 2016.

No wonder why Las Vegas has the Cowboys win total at just 9.5.

Still, even if the Dallas Cowboys only win ten games this year, this will be a better team than last year’s version.

How can that be possible?  Here’s how.

Quarterback Dak Prescott will undoubtedly grow as a NFL quarterback.  Cowboys coaches are already having him focus on tape from last season’s second matchups within the division.  The value here is that most teams in 2017 will use that as a tool to stop him.  Keeping him ahead of the curve can only help his maturation.

I also expect to see new wrinkles in the offense catering specifically to his skill set.  With a full offseason to focus on improvement instead of introduction into the NFL game, I think Dak will be even in better in 2017.

I also believe this defense has improved from what we saw at the end of last season.  Each area of the defense has been upgraded.

The defensive line will have the luxury of Charles Tapper and Taco Charlton.  The unit will also have DeMarcus Lawrence for an entire season.

At linebacker, the highly anticipated debut of Jaylon Smith looms as a beacon of excitement.

Then, there is the completely revamped secondary.

Three new starters will man both cornerback spots as well as the safety position.  With as many as four rookies who could all see significant time on the field, the unit is faster, not to mention more talented.

Lastly, for the first time in quite a while, the roster looks like it has depth at multiple positions.  At worst, the competition in practice for playing time should make everyone better.

Next: Ranking the Top 10 Dallas Cowboys going into 2017

It’s impossible in late May to make an educated guess as to how many games a team might win in the upcoming season.  I firmly believe that the Dallas Cowboys will win double-digit games again in 2017.  What that actual total will be is beyond me.

I’m extremely confident that it won’t be higher than thirteen.  At the end of the day, the win total is irrelevant.  It’s all about making the playoffs.

With a better overall team, that playoff experience should last more than one game this time.