The Dallas Cowboys continue to rise up the rankings in the competitive NFC division. That following two high-profile victories. One against an 8-1 Minnesota Vikings team in Week 11 and the other versus the 7-3 New York Giants on Thanksgiving.
Now, the Cowboys enter the all-so important month of December to make their final playoff push. And with matchups against the 4-6-1 Indianapolis Colts, 1-9-1 Houston Texans, and the 4-7 Jacksonville Jaguars up next, Dallas figures to add to their win column significantly. Plus, the team is also expected to get even better in the coming weeks.
Benjamin Solak, NFL Staff Writer for The Ringer, recently made an appearance on the Bill Simmons podcast where he was asked to name the most complete teams in the league from a ceiling stand-point. Solak’s answer should excite fans of America’s Team.
“In the NFC, specifically, it’s extremely tough. I think we’ve seen the ceiling of the Eagles team and it’s a very, very good Eagles team. I think we are currently watching the ceiling of the Niners team. And I think Dallas is still getting there, right? Dallas is expecting Tyron Smith to come back this season. And then they’ll be able to kick their excellent left tackle, rookie player Tyler Smith, into guard. And that bringing another step up to this offensive line could pay off huge dividends. They really haven’t had all of their weapons healthy at the same time.”
Benjamin Solak on the Bill Simmons podcast
Solak would go on to explain what gives Dallas the edge over both the Eagles and the Niners as the team with the highest ceiling in the NFC.
“I think the highest ceiling belongs to the Cowboys because the pass rush for both San Francisco and for Dallas is dominate. At any time, in any game, Dallas’s defensive line and San Francisco’s defensive line, when they’re fully healthy, can decide like ‘Hey, you’re just not moving the ball’. For four quarters, these are the two lines in the league right now that I trust to just win for 60 minutes. Dallas has a little bit better of a quarterback and I think a little bit better of a passing attack … ceiling-wise, I think still in the NFC, give the ticket to Dallas.”
While the Dallas Cowboys could certainly see their roster improve in the coming weeks with the pending return of All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith and a potential signing of free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on the horizon, the Cowboys must remain relatively healthy in order to avoid postseason derailment. As we’ve already seen this season in Dallas, one critical injury can quickly turn an area of strength into a massive weakness that other NFL teams would love nothing more than to exploit.
