There’s a perception that Dallas Cowboys fans believe every year is “their year,” but that couldn’t be farther from the truth, as there was palpable trepidation entering both Mike McCarthy’s final year and Brian Schottenheimer’s debut season as head coach.
That angst was well-founded, as Dallas missed the playoffs both years. However, there was a lot to like about the 2025 season, and the Cowboys followed that with one of their most serious offseasons in recent memory.
Franchise legend Troy Aikman never pulls punches when discussing his former team. While Aikman is bullish on Dallas, he laid out on ESPN's Get Up why the offense may take a step back in 2026, and why that might be in the team's best interest.
"Can that offense continue to play at the level that they did last year? That's a big if. It was one of Dak Prescott's best years. It was George Pickens' career year. It was Javonte Williams' career year.
There was a lot that happened on the offensive side of the ball. The numbers may not look as good. In fact, I think if you're a Cowboys fan, you hope the offensive numbers don't look as good, because that would then mean that the defense is better and playing a much bigger role in the success of that team."
Dallas Cowboys fans should probably root for lesser offensive numbers in 2026
As always, Aikman is spot on.
The offense is still comfortably the identity of this team. It ranked fifth in EPA per play last season (0.08) and returns every starter. That assumes George Pickens won’t be traded or hold out into the regular season, but both scenarios feel highly unlikely right now.
That said, it's unrealistic to expect Prescott, Pickens, and Williams to all have career years again. If there’s one member of the offense who might feel disappointed in his season, it’s probably CeeDee Lamb. That sounds absurd considering how productive he still was, but early drop issues and an ankle sprain that sidelined him for three games kept him from reaching his usual standard.
As Aikman laid out, though, Cowboys fans should want fewer fireworks on offense, as it would mean the defense is holding up its end of the bargain.
In a vacuum, we will happily sign for Schottenheimer's offense scoring 5.0 fewer points per game if it means the defense is actually making stops and generating takeaways. The Cowboys ranked 32nd last season in both defensive EPA per play (0.162) and points allowed per game (30.1).
Even with the additions of Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, Rashan Gary, and Malachi Lawrence -- among others -- Christian Parker isn’t going to turn the defense into a top-10 unit overnight.
The hope is that improved personnel, a better scheme, and buy-in from players who finally have a coordinator who teaches and connects with them will produce a below-average-to-average defense in Parker’s first year.
Parker was hired with the long-term goal of building an elite defense, but 2026 is more about steady improvement across the board so the offense isn’t forced to win shootouts every week.
If that comes to fruition, the Cowboys are going to win a lot of games.
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