An NFL graphic released Wednesday morning has Cowboys fans doing a double take, because Dak Prescott was placed front and center in the league’s season-opening image ahead of the Seahawks-Patriots matchup.
That kind of thing has already fueled plenty of chatter before. Last year, when the Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks was set, fans noticed that a pre-season NFL graphic featured Sam Darnold and Drake Maye up front. The result, at least in hindsight, made that image look like a pretty good omen for New England and Seattle.
Now the question is whether Dallas is next.
Prescott was clearly positioned in front of all but one player in the new graphic. The only name he doesn’t appear to be ahead of is Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
That detail matters because CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco is, as far as can be told, the only person publicly picking a Cowboys-Jaguars Super Bowl this season. And if that matchup somehow becomes reality, he’ll have called his shot.
Prisco believes Dallas’ offense could be a problem for opposing defenses. “I think this offense is going to be so good, I think Dak Prescott is finally going to get the flowers he deserves and I think he's going to put up big numbers and might even be in the MVP conversation,” Prisco said.
He also expects a high-scoring finish if Dallas and Jacksonville meet on the sport’s biggest stage. “And again, two really good offensive teams that are going to score a lot of points,” he added.
“It's going to be a fun Super Bowl, but in the end I think Trevor Lawrence will make the play late to win it. Jacksonville wins its first-ever Super Bowl and, in fact, the first one they ever get to.”
For Jacksonville, that would be the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. For Dallas, it would be No.
- The Cowboys have won five of their eight previous trips.
If Dallas is going to get back there, the offense has to hold up its end. Health and production from Prescott and company matter, but the bigger swing factor is the defense.
That side of the ball was the league’s worst in 2025, and it was the reason the Cowboys missed the postseason altogether. This offseason, Dallas attacked the problem at every level and also handed the defense to a new coordinator, Christian Parker.
Nobody knows exactly how the new pieces will mesh or how Parker will look in his first season calling plays. Still, the offseason has offered enough hints to suggest the unit should be a lot better than it was a year ago.
If the Cowboys can simply climb to average on defense, that might be enough to get them back into the playoffs. For a real Super Bowl push, though, they probably need more. Since 2013, every Super Bowl winner except two has had a top-10 defense.
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Jerry Jones Just Gave Cowboys Fans A New Reason To Watch Week 1
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Cowboys Could Be Watching A Costly Secondary Opportunity Develop
The Cowboys have been tied to plenty of defensive rumor traffic as the calendar creeps toward the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and Joey Porter Jr. has emerged as one of the more intriguing names to watch. The Steelers cornerback had been viewed as a possible trade chip, with Dallas and Washington both mentioned as potential suitors if Pittsburgh ever decided to move him, which would naturally catch the eye of a Cowboys team always looking for help on the back end.
But the latest word out of Pittsburgh is that the Steelers may simply hold onto Porter, even as contract talks remain at an impasse and his status for the start of the season is unsettled. For Dallas, that creates a familiar kind of waiting game, the sort where a promising secondary upgrade can shift from realistic to unlikely in a hurry, depending on how another team chooses to handle its own long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]