The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round and it should be their sole focus as of right now. It's all about beating Mike McCarthy's former team and not looking ahead because that gets you eliminated in the NFL. 

But lean in a little bit closer and I'll tell you a secret: You and I? We're not playing the game on Sunday.

So with that in mind, let's break the rules and look ahead. Here are five reasons why the Cowboys have what it takes to go all the way and win Super Bowl LVIII. 

1. Dak Prescott & CeeDee Lamb

It couldn't be any more obvious by now: The Cowboys are not a defense-first operation as Mike McCarthy suggested earlier in the year. All of that changed when the whole plan failed miserably in San Francisco.

That's why after the bye week, the offense became much more aggressive and pass-happier. The result? A serious MVP candidacy for Dak Prescott and an almost-guaranteed First-Team All-Pro for CeeDee Lamb. 

This team's best shot at a deep run is its offense and it all starts with this duo, which seems to have reached a level where they can get going against any style of defense.

2. Home-field advantage

At the end of the day, you can't ignore an 8-0 record at home against a 3-5 record away. Being the second seed, the Cowboys are guaranteed playing at AT&T Stadium through the Divisional Round. 

The Cowboys have been more disciplined and more efficient on offense when playing under their roof. In my eyes, winning the NFC East instead of going on the road as a Wild Card makes a huge difference for their long-term aspirations. 

3. NFC foes' coverage skills

Since the Cowboys changed up their offense back in their bye week, their worst games on that side of the ball have come against the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins, two defenses that ranked Top 6 in PFF coverage grade at the time.

Other than the Niners, every other NFC playoff team is outside of the Top 15 in that category and the grades are consistent with the numbers and the tape:

• Packers, 19th
• Bucs, 22nd
• Eagles, 24th
• Lions, 29th
• Rams, 31st

In other words, I expect the Cowboys offense to keep on cooking in January with the big question mark still being if they can hang on with the 49ers.

4. Red zone expertise

A lot was said about the Cowboys' red zone woes early on during the 2023 NFL season but those concerns have been put to rest. Since the bye week, the offense has the most red zone trips and ranks 7th in the league in touchdown rate.

A big part of that has been Brandin Cooks, who has eight touchdowns in the last 12 games. Dak and Brandin have been elite in hitting those corner routes inside the 20-yard line and having to focus so much on Lamb means defenses will be forced to keep that route paying off for the veterans. 

5. Micah Parsons and a clutch defense

Between Week 13 and Week 17, the toughest stretch of the Cowboys' schedule. Dallas ranked 29th in defensive success rate. While that speaks volumes about the undeniable fact that this is no immovable object, it also shouldn't be overstated.

The Cowboys still have one of the most dangerous pass rushes in the league thanks to Parsons, who forces defenses to double-team him and even triple-team him. That and elite tackling paired with stepping up in high-leverage situations (they're 5th-best in third down conversions allowed over expectations) means this is still a strength.

They have a little bit of a bend-but-don't-break thing going for them but that's all the Cowboys need if the offense stays cooking.

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Behind enemy lines.