It’s been suggested by more than one analyst this NFL offseason that if the Cowboys can field even an average defense, they will be a team to contend with in 2026.
While that statement certainly puts the onus on new defensive coordinator Christian Parker to engineer a fairly dramatic turnaround in his first year on the job, it also assumes that the offense can more or less maintain its impressive output of a season ago.
The Dallas offense finished 2025 with the most plays run in the league and the second-most yards. They had a top-five ranking in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. They were top-10 in rushing yards, yards per completion, yards per rush, and sacks allowed.
Obviously, most of the offense goes through quarterback Dak Prescott, but it is, after all, a team game. And without a strong support system around Prescott, the Cowboys don’t turn in mostly-gaudy numbers across the board.
So just how good is the offense that the Cowboys have constructed around their signal caller? According to Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, better than that of just about every other team in the league.
In a full ranking of the 32 teams based on offensive supporting casts- with the QB taken out of the equation- the Cowboys come in a very impressive second overall, behind only the Rams.
Vacchiano writes:
“Wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens have a chance to put up some scary numbers in this offense if they can both stay healthy. Both are explosive enough to be considered top 10 in the league. And Dallas has other weapons, too, such as tight end Jake Ferguson and deep threat KaVontae Turpin.
“What really vaults the Cowboys on this list, though, is their commitment to Javonte Williams and the running game. ‘[Williams] surprised me with how strong a runner he was,’ a scout told me. ‘But I was even more surprised by how much he was used. He really takes the pressure off the passing game.’ It also helps that Dak Prescott has a top-tier line protecting him. If left tackle Tyler Guyton and center Cooper Beebe can stay healthy, Dallas might have one of the best lines in the league.”
The Bears, Eagles, and Lions round out the top five, in that order, making the NFC the conference to watch this season for maximum fireworks…
And giving Cowboys fans even more reason to hope that the defense can be at least mediocre.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Where does Cowboys’ offense rank even without Dak Prescott? Higher than you think
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
