The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995 but somehow manage every year to be one of those teams that are discussed as possible contenders. Owner Jerry Jones has done a great job of keeping the optimism high around them even though over the past 20-plus years their record has indicated that they have been a pretty average franchise.

This offseason for the Cowboys has been interesting, to say the least. Contrary to their past tendencies, they have had a relatively quiet offseason to his point, with their only big move being trading Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and losing a bidding war to the Denver Broncos for Randy Gregory.

So, it’s safe to say the Cowboys have lost more pieces than they added to their team. Last year the Cowboys finished with a 12-5 record and had a disappointing loss in the divisional round of the playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers.

Entering this season, the Cowboys have tons of question marks that will ultimately determine the success of their season. Dallas is one of those teams that have a high ceiling but also have a low floor, and that is a very dangerous place to be.

Cowboys fans of course are optimistic about their possible success this season, while the Cowboys haters are highlighting every reason to why Dallas won’t be successful. And usually, the truth about a team usually lies somewhere in between the two. So, I decided to outlay the worst possible scenario for the Cowboys, the best possible scenario for the Cowboys and where I think they will ultimately finish this season.

Worst Case Scenario:

Dak Prescott plays at the level of a middle of the pack quarterback
The offensive line continues to struggle
Splitting the reps of Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard keeps the running game off rhythm
Defensively, they take a step backward
Trevon Diggs looks more like the player from the end of the season instead of the beginning of the season
The team is unresponsive to head coach Mike McCarthy in the belief that he is a lame-duck head coach.

Record (7-10)

Best Case Scenario:

Dak Prescott plays at an All-Pro level
Offensive line resolidifies itself as one of the best in the league
The run game performs at a high level
The wide receiver by committee approach works with CeeDee Lamb leading the group
Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs have repeat performances from last year
The team plays motivated under Head Coach Mike McCarthy

Record (12-5)

My Predictive Outcome:

Dak Prescott plays at a top-10 quarterback level
The offensive line will be better than last year but not a top-5 unit in the NFL
The wide receiver by committee approach is effective and receivers other than CeeDee Lamb emerge as reliable targets
Micah Parsons has another repeat performance from last year, Trevon Diggs takes a step back
Defensively, they play as a cohesive unit and force turnovers
Dan Quinn will lead the defense and McCarthy will serve as a reference point for the offense but Prescott will ultimately become the leader of this offense

Record (9-8)

The Dallas Cowboys have many questions entering the season. Some questions I believe will have positive outcomes and some not so much. I believe that the Cowboys take a slight step backward next year as far as record but are fortunate enough to be playing in a conference that is just not that good. So, I believe that Dallas will make the playoffs as a wildcard team, win their playoff game and lose in the divisional round. It leaves them somewhere as a slightly above-average team that has been right on par for the Cowboys franchise the past 25 years.