Welcome to the first edition of One Mo’ Thought, where I intend to share one more thing that’s on my mind on Dallas Cowboys gameday. I’ll do my best to avoid the typical preview approach and instead share the one thing that’s on my mind at that point of the season (I do have you covered with the Cowboys’ keys to the game if that’s what you’re looking for). So let’s kick it off ahead of the Cowboys’ showdown versus the New York Giants. 

I genuinely believe this is going to go down as one of the most important seasons in Cowboys history. And I don’t say that because I’ve got the Cowboys winning it all. I’m not saying that because I believe “this is the year.” I’m not trying to fall into any fan talk or any hopium kind of talk. I’m trying to illustrate a different point entirely.

Dak Prescott is entering his 11th season in the NFL, and he has a very good supporting cast on offense, particularly because of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. This is not common, and I don’t think Cowboys fans should be desensitized to the fact that they’ve got two elite wide receivers paired with an NFL top-10 quarterback. Which is what Dak Prescott is.

From Romo to Prescott

Here’s the thing about why this season matters so much. The Cowboys stumbled upon Tony Romo. I’m not saying they didn’t scout him, but he was an undrafted free agent who became a franchise quarterback. A rarity in the NFL. A luxury, I would say. This is not how NFL teams are supposed to find quarterbacks. They’re supposed to either overspend for them in free agency, make massive blockbuster trades for them, or spend a first-round pick on them.

The Cowboys did none of that with Romo. And the truth is, the Cowboys regret the fact that they wasted his career by not even getting a chance to play in the NFC Championship Game.

This is where I say it again. Prescott, year 11. Like Romo, they stumbled onto him. The Cowboys picked him in the fourth round of the NFL Draft after missing out on Paxton Lynch. Can they waste two franchise quarterbacks? They’re trying not to but the window is closing. 

Pickens is under contract for the 2026 season but not beyond that. Lamb is in his prime, or at least close to it, with his best season coming in 2023. Three first-round picks on the offensive line. A tight end on a $52 million contract extension. Javonte Williams at running back, fresh off a career year. This is an offense that is playoff caliber. You can put it up against any offense in the NFL. It’s also an offense that was held back by the NFL’s worst defense last year, arguably the worst in franchise history.

Can the defense be any different in 2026? All signs point toward yes. 

The Cowboys’ defensive overhaul is real

While the defense remains a mystery, what we need to recognize from the Dallas front office is they really made as much of a 180-degree turn as they could have made. They fired Matt Eberflus one year into the job, which is not common in the NFL, and they completely overhauled the coaching staff and the personnel behind him.

The entire coaching staff is new except for one assistant coach on defense. The starting lineup will feature somewhere between six and eight new starters on defense compared to last year’s Week 1. That includes a couple of new linebackers, a new starting nickelback, at least one new edge rusher (probably two depending on how Dallas deploys its pieces), star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and safety Jalen Thompson, who the Cowboys signed for $33 million in free agency.

It’s difficult for a defense to find big-time success in year one, but at least the Cowboys put in the effort to try to find those results.

The moves that stand out

The Cowboys don’t know if their defensive overhaul is going to work, but they truly went as much all-in as they could have without taking overwhelming risks. Let’s break it down.

They acquired Quinnen Williams last November as a result of the Micah Parsons trade. They got Rashan Gary for a fourth-round pick. People have criticized the value there, but the Cowboys don’t usually give up a fourth-round pick like that, and the Packers have since said they would not have released Gary, contrary to popular belief.

They spent more on Thompson than they had on any outside free agent since Brandon Carr, which is also an indictment of how they do business, but still a change in how they do things. They signed Cobie Durant for $5 million in free agency. They drafted Caleb Downs in the first round and traded up to do so. They used another first round pick on EDGE Malachi Lawrence. They traded for another starting-caliber LB in Dee Winters. They even added Von Miller in August.

It just feels like the Cowboys know how important this year is. And if it doesn’t work out in 2026, it’s going to get significantly harder to end the drought in the next few years.

Is it the year?

This is Prescott’s best shot at winning a Super Bowl that we’ve seen yet. It absolutely is. And it’s a shot that isn’t guaranteed beyond 2026. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said they have plans for Pickens in the future, plans that go beyond 2026. But until a long-term contract is signed, his future is uncertain. 

I’m not going to say it’s the end of the drought because there are better teams. I think there are better play callers. I think there are better-built rosters. There are many teams with fewer holes than Dallas because the Cowboys do have flaws. You already know about the lack of a proven MIKE linebacker. You already know about the question marks surrounding DaRon Bland’s play after back-to-back offseason surgeries and many more..

So yeah, it’s a big year. Is it the year? Maybe not. The Cowboys think there’s a chance it is. It’s going to be Dak Prescott’s best shot at it, I think.