The Cowboys have made strides to improve, while the Eagles remain an enigma, so could Schottenheimer's team climb back to the summit of the NFC East in 2026?
The Dallas Cowboys know that their 2026 schedule will be a tough one, as the franchise faces a grueling gauntlet to open the season.
Even with the defensive upgrades on and off the field, some still think the Cowboys will be also-rans in 2026.
But not everyone.
There are a lot of people jumping on the Cowboys' bandwagon in Brian Schottenheimer's second season, with the offense poised to be an elite unit again, while the defense simply has to improve.
However, picking the record Dallas will finish with in May is a rather silly task, but it hasn't stopped the media from doing it.
Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano, who uses the over/under win total projections from DraftKings, has given his thoughts on Dallas.
DraftKings has it set at 9.5, with Manzano confident the Cowboys can hit the over.
"The Cowboys should have more of a balanced roster with the improvements they made on defense," Manzano wrote. "Rookie safety Caleb Downs could provide an immediate boost, and there’s depth at edge rusher, which wasn’t the case last summer after the sudden Micah Parsons trade.
"If the contract negotiations with George Pickens, who was hit with the franchise tag, don’t get messy and he’s available for training camp, this should again be one of the better offenses in the league after averaging 27.7 points per game last year."
So, the Cowboys, with their tough schedule, Manzano has winning 10 games at least.
Now, a 10-7 record, I think most Dallas fans would take right now, and that would likely mean playoff football.
It is also worth noting the other teams in the division that Manzano had as well.
Based on his predictions, there is a good chance that the Cowboys will finally dethrone the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East.
The Eagles' over/under is 10.5, and Manzano is going under, while the Washington Commanders and New York Giants both are at 7.5 wins, and Manzano has them going under as well.
So, in this scenario, both Dallas and Philadelphia win 10 games, and the tiebreaker will likely be the head-to-head division matchups.
Many are bullish on the Cowboys in 2026, and we can now add Manzano to that ever-growing list, with Dallas maybe becoming NFC East champs.
