The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won the Super Bowl since following the 1995 season, which was also the last time the team even reached the NFC title game. Will things change for owner Jerry Jones’ club this year? It might.

A Closer Look at the Dallas Cowboys 2023 NFL Season

• NFL Week 1: at New York Giants — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 2: vs. New York Jets — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 3: at Arizona Cardinals — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 4: vs. New England Patriots — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 6: at Los Angeles Chargers — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• NFL Week 7: BYE
• NFL Week 8: vs. Los Angeles Rams — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 9: at Philadelphia Eagles — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 10: vs. New York Giants — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 11: at Carolina Panthers — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 12: vs. Washington Commanders — 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks — 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• NFL Week 14: vs. Philadelphia Eagles — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 15: at Buffalo Bills — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 16: at Miami Dolphins — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
• NFL Week 18: at Washington Commanders — TBD (TBD)

What happened last season?

Some believed that Jerry Jones would fire coach Mike McCarthy if Dallas yet again came up short of the NFC title game. The Cowboys finished the regular season at 12-5, which in many years would be good enough for the NFC East title but not in 2022 as Philly won it. In the wild card round, the Cowboys ended the Hall of Fame career of Tom Brady with a 31-14 win at Tampa Bay. Dak Prescott was fabulous in completing 25 of 33 for 305 yards with four TDs as Dallas beat Brady for the first time in the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s career and won in the postseason on the road for the first time in 30 years.

However, Dallas was no match for the 49ers in the Divisional Round in a 19-12 loss. Well, the defense played great but the offense did little as the Cowboys lost for the record seventh straight time in the divisional round. Prescott threw two interceptions.

Roster Moves

The offseason, the biggest news Dallas made was saying goodbye to running back Ezekiel Elliott, although really there’s nothing keeping the Cowboys from still re-signing him. Zeke led the league in rushing yards in two of his first three seasons, and he led the league in rushing yards per game in the other season. Things haven’t been quite as good since, and over the past few seasons, Tony Pollard has clearly surpassed him as the team’s better running back.

Pollard got the franchise tag in the offseason and has signed it, which means he will make $10.1 million this year. If the sides are unable to reach an agreement by July 15, Pollard would have to play the season on the tag. A fourth-round draft pick in 2019, Pollard had a breakout season in 2022 and earned a Pro Bowl spot after eclipsing 1,000 yards (1,007) for the first time in his career, although surgery to repair a high ankle sprain suffered in the playoffs against the 49ers kept him out of the Pro Bowl Games festivities. Pollard will be fine by training camp.

Dallas also got Prescott a little help in acquiring former Pro Bowl receiver Brandin Cooks from the Texans for a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a sixth-round pick in 2024. Cooks, 29, is a former first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints (2014) who has blown past 1,000-yards receiving in six of his nine NFL seasons, and that includes twice for a Texans team that lacked stability at quarterback. Dallas needed a speedster to help take the pressure off of CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.

On defense, the club traded for ex- Defensive Player of the Year and cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The Cowboys gave up pick No. 176 in this year’s draft, one of the two fifth-round compensatory picks they earned, to the Colts in exchange for Gilmore, who is entering the final year of his contract and has a base salary of $7.9 million. Gilmore will be paired with Trevon Diggs, who has made the Pro Bowl the past two seasons, to give the Cowboys one of their best cornerback duos in years. DaRon Bland led the Cowboys with five interceptions in 2023, playing mostly in the slot in his rookie season.

Dallas also re-signed linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and safety Donovan Wilson. Wilson was one of two Dallas defenders to fill every major statistical category in 2022: sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, pass breakups, fumble recoveries and forced fumbles. Vander Esch missed the final three regular-season games due to a trapezius injury but still managed 100 tackles.

In the draft, the team grabbed Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith at No. 26 overall. It was the first time Dallas picked a first-round defensive tackle for the first time since 1991 when they took Russell Maryland No. 1 overall. In a division that features strong run games in the Eagles and Giants, plus a conference contender that has knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs the last two years in the 49ers, they wanted to do what they could to slow the run.

How is their schedule heading into the season?

The Dallas 2023 regular-season schedule ranks as the fourth-toughest in the NFL with its opponents combining for a 2022 winning percentage of .549. The Cowboys are 3-point favorites for Week 1 at the Giants on Sunday night. The division rivals will face off to begin the season for the seventh time since 2012, but this will only be the second time that New York has hosted the opener against Dallas in that span. The Cowboys swept the 2022 series, winning 23-16 at MetLife Stadium. Prescott was out injured and Cooper Rush was at QB for Dallas.

Where to Bet On NFL with Bitcoin

NFL odds are available all year round here at Nitrobetting. Create a Nitrobetting account now to win tons of Bitcoin from the 2023-24 NFL season with our up-to-date NFL futures odds, as well as our special Bitcoin Squares and Picks contests throughout the upcoming season!

Check out our latest bitcoin betting guides for the NFL season. Stay tuned for more football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest NFL betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide