3 reasons Cowboys are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, 1 they’re not

It's a dangerous thing for a Dallas Cowboys fan to have hope. After a 40-0 win over the rival Giants followed by a 30-10 win over the Jets in Week 2, however, it's hard not to have hope. Moreover, even after just two weeks and as many wins, the dominance to this point makes it hard not to at least think about a Super Bowl coming back to America's Team.

The postseason woes of Dallas have been widely discussed at this point (in just about every corner of the internet). There have now been 12-straight playoff appearances for the Cowboys where they've failed to even make the NFC Championship Game. So based on history, there's no reason to consider this team a Super Bowl contender.

But streaks only exist until they're broken. What we're seeing from the 2023 Dallas Cowboys is plenty of signs that they could legitimately win the Super Bowl. Let's unpack three things that put them quite obviously in that conversation, but also the one thing that should hold any fan back from going all-in on this team as a contender to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Why Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders: Offense is loaded with weapons

The most publicized move that the Cowboys made on offense in the 2023 offseason was parting ways with longtime running back Ezekiel Elliott. But not only was that move something that fans have been calling for over a lengthy period of time, it also overshadowed the fact that Dallas' offense actually got better in terms of talent.

That starts with the elevation of Tony Pollard into the RB1 role with Zeke's departure. Pollard has been one of the most explosive and efficient backs in football since entering the NFL, so his presence is an upgrade to the backfield, particularly with how inefficient Elliott was last season and of late overall.

Beyond that, though, the Cowboys also added Brandin Cooks to the receiving corps. This passing game clearly lacked last season in that way of complementing CeeDee Lamb as Michael Gallup struggled to be effective returning from injury. Thus, adding a proven veteran who can also take the top off the defense is a massive plus. Throw in the progression of second-year player Jalen Tolbert, and it's even bigger.

Some might talk about losing Dalton Schultz as a negative, but Dallas certainly worked to replace him in recent years and we've already seen that start to take shape with Jake Ferguson. Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot also figure into that equation.

This offense, working behind a still-great offensive line when healthy on top of all of this, has leveled up its personnel. And we haven't totally gotten to see it unlocked -- because, you know, it hasn't had to be -- but the potential is there.