3 reasons to believe in a Dallas Cowboys miracle after the Knicks overcame a 53-year drought
Dallas Cowboys fans likely felt envy watching the New York Knicks snap a championship drought of five decades plus. While it’s not exactly smart to bet on the Cowboys doing the same, here’s to those looking for hope.
If the New York Knicks can do it, why can’t the Dallas Cowboys? Let me warn you, dear reader, that is a foolish thought process. We thought similar things about the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Cavs in 2016.
Not to mention, those were even longer streaks than the Cowboys’ 30+ years without a Super Bowl win. But hey, if you can’t be hopeful in June on the heels of a sports miracle, why even be a fan?
That’s why we’re looking at three reasons to be hopeful on a Knicks-like miracle for the Cowboys.
1. Dak Prescott
I know many fans will scoff at this topping the list, but having a quarterback of Prescott’s caliber goes a long way in the NFL. In the last two healthy seasons he’s played, Dak has played as a Top 3 quarterback in the league.
It’s true he has to win in the playoffs to change his legacy, but the evidence of top-tier quarterback play is there. If last year’s defense had played even average football, the Prescott-led offense would have likely won enough games to make it to the playoffs.
Prescott is one of the best processors in football, allowing second-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer to put a lot on his plate and make the most of the team’s playmakers. Speaking of which…
2. Elite WR duo
Prescott has not one, but two playmakers at wide receiver. Lamb and Pickens hit it off last year upon the latter’s arrival via trade. Things could have easily gone wrong based on both wanting to be WR1, but they instead embraced a co-one receiver mindset.
Pickens and Lamb combined for 2,506 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns. Opposing defenses often struggled to find a way to defend both without exposing themselves in the run game. With both being able to play inside and outside, doubling them in coverage is easier said than done.
As long as Pickens remains in Dallas by the time the season starts, there’s no reason to believe the Cowboys offense won’t be top tier.
3. A fresh coaching staff
Though Schottenheimer has a lot to prove before we can definitely call him a good NFL head coach, there’s one thing we can’t deny: The Cowboys are running things differently. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t say that extends to the team’s free agency approach.
But hiring Klayton Adams (offensive coordinator) and Christian Parker (defensive coordinator) was a breath of fresh air for the team.
In Year 1, Adams overhauled the Cowboys’ run game and made it a Top 6 unit in the league. Now, it would be unfair to ask Parker to achieve that success in Year 1 running the defense. But improvement should be expected. If he can get the Cowboys defense to average, it may be enough to make Dallas a contender.
One thing that stood out from the Knicks in the 2026 season was how much of a team they were. Say what you want about Schottenheimer, but his locker room appears to be all in on the task at hand.