Cowboys 10 Bold Predictions: Dak, Micah & Tank Career Years to NFC Championship Game

Our 10 Bold Predictions? The Dallas Cowboys are not only looking to make it their third-straight 12-win season under coach Mike McCarthy, but also make a deep playoff run. And that is exactly what Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons will lead them to do.

The Dallas Cowboys are not only looking to make it their third-straight 12-win season under coach Mike McCarthy but also make a deep playoff run. Despite much of the talk centering quarterback Dak Prescott this offseason, the Cowboys' roster looks like one of the best they've had since the 1990s. 

The Cowboys managed to get help at their positions of need this offseason, including receiver, cornerback and nose tackle, while keeping their key contributors from going elsewhere. (One asterisk as we plow forward: All "bold predictions'' are predicated on the assumption that Zack Martin is in the fold by Week 1.)

With all that being said and the start of the regular season just weeks away, here are our "bold predictions'' for the Cowboys in 2023.

No. 1: DeMarcus Lawrence Sets New Career-High Sack Total

Injuries have slowed Lawrence down in recent years. After a fractured foot cost him  10 games in 2021, "Tank" played in all 17 games last season and made the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career despite not returning to his double-digit sack total. 

Heading into the last year of his three-year extension that he signed last offseason, which includes 2025 as a void year, there are already rumblings that this could be Lawrence's final season as a Cowboy. 

Yet, looking at the last time Lawrence played on a contract year back in 2018, he registered 10.5 sacks while playing in 16 games; he may make it tough for the Cowboys to let him go. No, it wasn't his best year in the sacks department, as a season earlier, he totaled 14.5. 

Now with Micah Parsons on the team, it seems like the boldest prediction on this list, but with it being a contract year, we predict Lawrence will set a new career high in sacks.

No. 2: Dak Prescott Joins The 5,000-Yard Club

This one is simple: there has been a ton of noise this offseason surrounding the Cowboys quarterback after throwing a league-leading 15 interceptions. Many are publicly beginning to doubt Prescott, making it seem like the perfect scenario for No. 4 to silence the critics ... while sometimes going deep within the new "Texas Coast Offense'' ... with 5,000 yards passing. 

To truly silence the critics, though, Prescott will also need to do the next thing on this list ... 

No. 3: Prescott Throws Fewer Than 10 Interceptions 

On the surface, this may not even feel like a bold prediction, as despite what the media is saying currently, Prescott hasn't always had a turnover issue. Prescott has thrown less than 10 interceptions twice in his career (not including 2020), 2016, and 2018. 

But when you pair it with throwing for 5,000 yards, this prediction gets very bold, as no quarterback in NFL history has thrown for that many yards with single-digit interceptions. Peyton Manning came the closest to accomplishing that incredible feat in 2013 when he threw for 5,477 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. 

No. 4: CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Brandin Cooks All Have 1,000 Yards Receiving 

Another prediction that seems very outlandish, yet this wouldn't be a bold prediction list without it. With the acquisition of Brandin Cooks this offseason, the Cowboys finally have a potential three-headed monster out wide, and if all goes to plan, maybe they become just the sixth trio of receivers to all have 1,000 yards in a single season. 

The last trio of receivers to accomplish this statistic was the 2008 Arizona Cardinals with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston.

No. 5: Tony Pollard Still Rushes for 1,000 Yards

Again hear me out, this isn't bold by itself, yet we are predicting that Pollard still manages to rush for 1,000 yards while Prescott throws for 5,000. 

But has this been done before? Only the 2013 Denver Broncos (Manning and Knowshown Moreno) and 2016 New Orleans Saints (Drew Brees and Mark Ingram) have done this so far.  

No. 6: Trevon Diggs Leads League in Interceptions

This may not seem like a bold prediction when considering that Diggs has already led the league in interceptions once in his career. But could it still happen after seeing his targeted numbers decrease from 103 in 2021 to 85 last season and potentially even more in the coming years?

No. 7: Micah Parsons Leads League in Sacks

Again it may not seem bold, but when paired with the prediction of Lawrence setting a new career high in sacks, which would have to be at least 15, you can see how hard it'd get for Parsons to lead the league. 

No. 8: Cowboys Defense Ranks Inside Top-10 for Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed per Game

Can the Cowboys finally turn their weakness into a strength? Dallas's biggest defensive weakness over the last few years has been its run defense.

Yet, after re-signing nose tackle Jonathan Hankins and using their first-round draft pick on another in Michigan's Mazi Smith, the interior of the Cowboys defensive line looks better than it has been in quite some time. 

The Cowboys will need more than just Hankins and Smith, as stopping the run is a full team effort from the defensive line to the secondary.

No. 9: Deuce Vaughn Finishes Second on the Team in Rushing

Since being drafted out of Kansas State, Vaughn has quickly become a fan-favorite and social media sensation. Despite being undersized at 5-foot-5, Vaughn found immense success for the Wildcats, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his last two seasons. 

With Ezekiel Elliott no longer with the Cowboys, they will be looking for a No. 2 running back behind Pollard, and we will predict that it will turn out to be Vaughn when the season is over.

No. 10: Cowboys Make NFC Championship Game

It has been since 1995 the last time the Cowboys made it to an NFC Championship game, and while it is a social media troll of fans every year, could this be the best roster Dallas has to end the drought?

On paper, it seems the Cowboys filled their biggest holes at receiver, cornerback, and nose tackle. As we write this, there remains the Zack Martin contractual concern, but again, our bold thoughts include him being on the field in Week 1 at New York.

If the offense can figure out how to cut down on the turnovers while the defense improves against the run. In that case, the expectation should be an NFC Championship appearance.

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