The Dallas Cowboys were one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams last season. An 8-8 record put Dallas a game behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, forcing them to miss the playoffs.

Expectations are high for America’s Team in 2020. The Cowboys are the only odds-on division favorites that failed to finish in first place a season ago. Only a handful of NFC teams are given a better chance to win the Super Bowl than Dallas.

Why so much optimism? Here are three quick reasons for the Cowboys to be NFC East favorites.

Dak Prescott

You can debate whether or not Prescott is worth the record-setting contract that’s likely coming his way, but he’s proven to be a consistent winner. Dallas is 40-24 with Prescott under center since 2016, and most importantly, he hasn’t missed a start. That’s why he’s the division’s most reliable quarterback. Carson Wentz might be the better player on a game-by-game basis, but the Philadelphia Eagles’ signal caller has watched his team’s final game on the sidelines with an injury in three straight seasons.

Draft

It’s virtually impossible to judge a team’s draft just a few weeks after it takes place, but there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful in Dallas’ case. First-round pick CeeDee Lamb and second-round pick Trevon Diggs both went to the Cowboys after many mock drafts predicted them to be long gone. Lamb had 1,327 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season for Oklahoma. He joins the NFL’s No.1 ranked offense, which brings back a pair of 1,000-yard receivers. Diggs could have an immediate impact in helping replace cornerback Byron Jones, who left for the Miami Dolphins in free agency.

New Head Coach

The Cowboys were rarely a bad team with Jason Garrett, who posted just one losing record in a decade as Dallas’ head coach. The team had a high floor under Garrett, but it also had a low ceiling, never advancing beyond the divisional playoffs. Perhaps Mike McCarthy can help the Cowboys get over that hump. He won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and took the team to three other conference championship games. At the very least, replacing Garrett with McCarthy should be a slight upgrade.

Dak prescott Ezekiel Elliott
Dak Prescott #4 and Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys react after a Prescott touchdown late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images
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