Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Dak Prescott boldly declared the Dallas Cowboys as NFC representatives for Super Bowl LXI during training camp this week.
- The Cowboys' defense, ranked near the bottom in every major category last season.
- With a revamped defense and a top-tier offense, though, the Cowboys may actually be Super Bowl contenders.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is calling his and the Dallas Cowboys shot for the 2026-27 season. He's carrying the expectation the team will be representing the NFC in Super Bowl LXI, something most fans will laugh at but he doesn't care.
"A lot of things in my life I said I'd do and I did it, so why shy away from that now?" Prescott asked defiantly during a press conference at training camp.
The Cowboys finished the 2025 campaign 7-9-1 and have missed the playoffs in four of the last seven campaigns. Prescott himself somewhat acknowledged Dallas was held back from a championship run because of a poor defense post-Micah Parsons trade. All of that would indicate the franchise is far from competing for a record-tying sixth Lombardi Trophy.
Cowboys' offseason revamp will be ignored at Super Bowl contenders' peril
Dallas was dead last (or near the bottom) in just about every major defensive category in 2025: yards allowed per game (30th), points allowed per game (32nd), total yards allowed (30th), total points allowed (32nd) — it was a train wreck. But when you turn to look at the offense, Prescott's Super Bowl aspirations don't look too far off.
Prescott sat behind only Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff in passing yards that year, but if it weren't for Dallas' nine losses and single tie, he would've been in the MVP conversation. The 32-year-old absolutely has an argument that the defense last year cost him his best opportunity to chase a championship.
With new defensive coordinator Christian Parker coming in to set things straight, it really can't get any worse than last year for the franchise — and it posted a minus-nine turnover ratio. The pass rush added Rashan Gary, a former Green Bay Packers star, and rookie Malachi Lawrence from UCF to threaten opposing passers and fill the Parsons-sized gap. Downs is a massive upgrade for the struggling secondary, which used to be led by Trevon Diggs and recorded just six interceptions.
That's a serious overhaul to correct massive mistakes and opportunities missed in 2025. Until we see Dallas hit the gridiron and fail to take advantage of favorable matchups, the only argument against real success this season is just pointing to history. Hype comes with the territory in Dallas, but all it's done is fueled the memes and criticism.
Prescott doesn't help himself by making bold predictions year in and year out but that's the attitude of a competitor. He's even gone so far as to label Dallas' offense with the acronym "GOTI," which translates to "Greatest Offense There Is." He has another good opportunity to finally prove it to the haters.
The Cowboys could get off to a hot start in 2026 should the defense perform at a higher level. Four of the team's first five opponents didn't make the playoffs last year, and if Prescott continues to hit on all cylinders with star wideouts CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, the NFC East crown could be back on the table. After that, it could finally be the Cowboys' year to end their 30-year Super Bowl drought.
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