On paper, the 2025 Dallas Cowboys season is looking to be one to bounce back from. Going from a 7-10 record, to the controversial hiring of Brian Schottheimer, to trading for George Pickens this offseason, things are starting to look up for the first time in a while.
Now, with the NFL media catching up on all of the offseason acquisitions, it appears not everyone is sold on the Cowboys making a comeback this upcoming season.
The latest ESPN analytics aren't close to on Dallas' side this season. America's Team is not only predicted to miss the playoffs, but to become a complete joke.
Per ESPN's analytics model, the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants are the only teams in the NFC with a better chance to make the playoffs than the Cowboys.
ESPN gives Cowboys fourth-worst odds to make playoffs in NFC
It seems that most the "Get Up" crew was shocked at that stat, but ESPN's Dan Orlovsky has made headlines for his comments regarding the lack of physicality of the front seven, and he made it crystal clear that Dallas does not have a good enough roster to compete for a playoff spot.
"Under Brian Schottenheimer, you're going to hav eto find a way to get more physical in the NFC," Orlovsky said of the Cowboys' playoff chances.
The most concerning thing about Dallas this upcoming season is the gauntlet of potential Super Bowl-contending opponents that they will face late in the season. Each of their opponents from Weeks 12 to 17 made the playoffs last year.
It's one thing if that was going to happen early on, but in desperate times when teams are fighting for a playoff spot, let's just say that the NFL didn't do the Cowboys any favors on that end of the schedule.
Nonetheless, these odds are extremely surprising considering that this was a great offseason for the Cowboys. It may take a while for the new faces to mesh together, but once they do those analytics won't be looking so relevant anymore.