ESPN doesn’t see the Dallas Cowboys as an elite team in 2025.
2024 was a rough campaign for the Dallas Cowboys. They entered the year with plenty of hope following three consecutive 12-5 seasons, only to fall to 7-10.
It’s easy to pick apart the roster following such a decline, but injuries have to be taken into account. Dallas lost Dak Prescott after eight games, Micah Parsons for four, and had Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland playing together for only one game.
Despite these issues, they still had an outside shot at the postseason heading into the final stretch. That’s a testament to the players, who never gave up.
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer speaks to the media at a press conference at the Star. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Even with that being the case, ESPN isn’t expecting much more this season. Perhaps they’re overlooking the injuries, or maybe they believe the move from Mike McCarthy to Brian Schottenheimer at head coach is a downgrade.
Whatever their reasoning, they have the Cowboys’ win total at just 8.5 games. Of course, they’re spinning this like a positive, stating they have the longest current stretch of at least 8 wins on their projections.
“This would be the 22nd consecutive season that Dallas has a win total of at least 8, the longest streak by any team this century.” — ESPN
Still, they lowered their Super Bowl odds tremendously despite a far more impressive offseason than one year ago.
“The Cowboys opened last season 16-1 to win the Super Bowl. They are 50-1 this season.” — ESPN
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott reacts to a penalty against the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Of course, we all know these win total projections mean nothing in the end. That said, it doesn’t seem as if anyone outside of Dallas expects them to improve much at all, which is historically when they’re at their best.