(re-post to add missing link along with some
interesting Super Bowl repeat facts & to fix
Cowboys rushing yards allowed - they were
11th-worst, not 7th-worst, & to fix alignment
on 1,000 yard receivers + adding a few more
interesting facts)

May 20 2023
by Lou Scataglia
https://withthefirstpick.com/2023/05/20/bold-predictions-dallas-cowboys/

Highlight:

"Dallas plays in the NFC Championship Game

Will this be the year that the Dallas Cowboys
makes it to the NFC Championship Game? I
think so. Between roster & coaching, I’m not
sure there’s a more complete team in the NFC.
Perhaps they’ll finally be able to get over the
hump. ... I think they’ll have a top 7 scoring ...

.... offense & defense & will scratch & claw
their way to a berth in the title game in 2023."

[Hmmm, title game? Was he possibly refer-
ring to the Super Bowl or was he simply using
title to refer to the NFC Championship game?
Since he never mentioned the Super Bowl, I
presume he wasn't referring to the Cowboys
making it to the Super Bowl, or was he?]

I suppose for the reason pundits are in awe
of the Eagles, & presume the Cowboys won't
ever beat the 49ers, no one (that I've seen,
thus far) is willing to predict the Cowboys
will be in Super Bowl 58, & as often happens,
last year's winner (Chiefs) is presumed to ...

.... repeat even though that has only happened
in 8 of 56 Super Bowls in which a repeat-win
was possible (a repeat-win rate of just 14.3%)
& hasn't happened since the Patriots did it at
the end of the 2003 & 2004 seasons.
https://sports.nbcsports.com/2021/02/07/when-was-the-last-time-weve-seen-repeat-super-bowl-winners/
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/

Sidenote: 1st Super Bowl, repeat-win not possi-
ble albeit if one counts the Packers 1965 NFL
Championship, technically one might perceive
their 1st Super Bowl win as a repeat as the AFL
was not yet in the picture & the Packers 2nd
Super Bowl win as a 3-peat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NFL_champions_(1920%E2%80%931969)

There have been no Super Bowl 3-peats unless
one includes the Packers 1965 NFL champion-
ship in the picture.

~~~

Last year, the Cowboys were 4th in points scored
& 11th in offensive yardage. Weaknesses included
being 3rd-worst in Interceptions thrown. The arti-
cle hopes Dak will improve in that area, saying
"Dak Prescott needs to bounce back."

The article hopes Lamb+Cooks+Gallup = 3 1,000
yard receivers. Last year, no team had 3 1,000 yard
receivers & only 5 teams had just 2 receivers over
1,000 yards, the Eagles, Seahawks, Bucs, Bengals,
Dolphins (all 5 of those teams made it to the play-
offs; Super Bowl winning Chiefs had just 1 1,000
yard receiver, All-Pro TE Travis Kelce):
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2022/receiving.htm#receiving::rec_yds

1 Justin Jefferson*+ ...... MIN ... 1809
2 Tyreek Hill*+ ................ MIA ... 1710
3 Davante Adams*+ ....... LVR .... 1516
4 A.J. Brown* ................. PHI ..... 1496
5 Stefon Diggs* .............. BUF .... 1429
6 CeeDee Lamb* ............ DAL .... 1359
7 Jaylen Waddle ............. MIA .... 1356
8 Travis Kelce*+ ............. KAN .... 1338
9 DeVonta Smith ............ PHI ..... 1196
10 Terry McLaurin* ........ WAS .... 1191
11 Amon-Ra St. Brown* . DET ..... 1161
12 Amari Cooper ............ CLE ..... 1160
13 Mike Evans ................ TAM .... 1124
14 Christian Kirk ............ JAX ...... 1108
15 Garrett Wilson ........... NYJ ...... 1103
16 D.K. Metcalf .............. SEA ...... 1048
17 Ja'Marr Chase* ......... CIN ....... 1046
18 Chris Olave ................ NOR ..... 1042
19 Tyler Lockett ............. SEA ...... 1033
20 Tee Higgins ............... CIN ....... 1029
21 Chris Godwin ............. TAM ..... 1023
22 Brandon Aiyuk ........... SFO ...... 1015

* Pro Bowl - 10 with over 1,000 yards
+ All-Pro - 4 with over 1,000 yards

~~~

Defensively, the Cowboys were 5th in few-
est points allowed, 12th in fewest yards
allowed, & 1st in takeaways. Weaknesses
included being 11th-worst in rushing yards
allowed.

All the article says about the Cowboys
defense is "we can probably safely say
the defense will still be elite", neglecting
to mention that rushing yards allowed
serious problem involved in all 6 of their
losses in 2022.

Hopefully, the addition of 1st round draft
pick DT Mazi Smith, cornerback Stephen
Gilmore, & the return of Leighton Vander
Esch (who missed the last 3 games of
2022 regular season, albeit his standout
year & Pro Bowl appearance happened ...

.... just once, his rookie year of 2018) will
bode well for the Cowboys defense in
2023.

Stephen Gilmore
(peaked in 2019, NFL Defensive Player
of the Year, All-Pro, & 2018, All-Pro;
made Pro Bowl in 2016 & 2018-2021)
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/V/VandLe00.htm

Leighton Vander Esch
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/V/VandLe00.htm

~~~

The Cowboys won all 7 of the games in
which they held the opponent to < 100
rushing yards in 2022. They were 6-6 in
the 12 2022 games where the opponent
rushed for more than 100 yards.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/2022.htm

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