Will the Dallas Cowboys suffer another six win season, or are they heading for the playoffs in 2021?
The Dallas Cowboys have every reason to be optimistic entering 2021.
A healthy Dak Prescott, a raring to go Ezekiel Elliott, and no more Mike Nolan. Combine these factors with a rejuvenated and young defensive corps and, hopefully, an improved offensive line, and the potential isn't hard to see.
But, can Mike McCarthy push aside the woes of 2020 and get the most out of their team this year? Well, Pro Football Focus has predicted both the best and worst scenario outcomes for every NFL team, and they seemed cautiously optimistic.
The worst-case scenario has the Cowboys finishing with a painfully familiar number of wins... 6-11:
Whether this should be read as Dan Quinn failing or their young defense struggling to mesh straight away is up to you, but either way, it would be difficult to see the likes of Cooper, Prescott, Lamb, and co. producing yet again... only to be let down by a leaking defense.
On a more positive note, the best-case scenario does at least predict a vastly improved defense and an 11-6 record:
Trevon Diggs looks more comfortable in his second NFL season, and the Cowboys get enough out of rookies Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright at cornerback that the defense isn’t a major liability. Dallas boasts one of the best linebacking corps in the league, as well.
Now, this is more like it.
A winning record, red hot offense, blossoming defense, and a linebacker corps for the ages.
Maybe expectations should be tempered slightly so as to not overwhelm the youngsters on the roster, but none of this should be out of reach.
2020 was a poor year.
But this team is still young enough and hasn't lost any irreplaceable talent this offseason. If McCarthy and his team can learn from last year's mistakes, Quinn is able to get their defense in shape, and the players can avoid any 'Hard Knocks' during training camp (Sorry), then the best-case scenario could even be an underestimation...