Cowboys playoff failures now amplified by thriving state of Dallas sports

Every NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys are expected to compete for a Super Bowl. This offseason, owner Jerry Jones declared the team was "all-in," but they made very minimal moves in free agency. Instead, they are running it back with essentially the same team, with pressure on head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott.

Now, the pressure is on the Cowboys even more, thanks in part to the recent success of their fellow professional sports teams in the Dallas area.

On Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference Finals by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-116. The night prior, the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche in double overtime to advance to the Western Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Then, last year, the Texas Rangers won their first World Series title by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.

As The Athletic's Jon Machota points out, the Mavericks, Stars, and Rangers have made it to the conference and league championship round of the playoffs in the past two years. As for the Cowboys, they haven't made it to either the NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl since 1995.

Cowboys championship drought looks even worse with success of Mavericks, Stars, and Rangers

Cowboys fans have heard their less than stellar playoff history ad nauseam from those who root against them.

With a team that is Super Bowl or bust, you would expect the team to be making regular appearances, much like the Bill Belichick, Tom Brady dynasty with the New England Patriots. Instead, the last time the Cowboys reached the conference title game and Super Bowl was in 1995 when the offense was led by quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin, with Barry Switzer as head coach.

Since they last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, the Cowboys have a 5-13 record in the playoffs. Not to mention, the Stars won their first Stanley Cup in 1999, the Mavericks won their first NBA Championship in 2011, and the Rangers won the World Series in 2023.

In terms of conference title game appearances, the Stars made it in three of the past five seasons, while the Mavericks made two in the previous three seasons. The success is there in the Dallas sports scene, it's just the Cowboys haven't delivered under the massive spotlight that is on them throughout the year.

Maybe, just maybe, the recent success in Dallas can bring the Cowboys to a Super Bowl this upcoming season. Cowboys fans certainly hope so. But recent history isn't on their side.