5 reasons to remain optimistic about the Cowboys even though the sky seems to be falling in Dallas

There's been a lot of negative coverage surrounding the Dallas Cowboys and, quite honestly, deservedly so. 

The owner is lashing out and threatening jobs of radio hosts of a show he doesn't even own, the on-field product is bad, and the team's highly criticized offseason decisions are catching up to the team. 

At 3-3 entering the bye week, they might not even make the playoffs. However, we're going full spin zone mode for this post as we try to find for reasons to be optimistic about the Cowboys turning it around.

Disclaimer: These aren't predictions, rather the things that I could see taking a turn for the better down the road. I don't expect the Cowboys to make big additions at the trade deadline nor any big coaching changes. So, if they'll get better, it'll be through improvement from the guys they already have. 

How could that happen? Here are five ways. Let's dive in.

1. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb could skyrocket

This is the same duo that earned All-Pro honors last year while torching NFL defenses week in and week out. For some reason, they're not on the same page in 2024 and the training camp excuse is getting old quickly as we see other players that held out perform at a high level.

We've seen these two dominate on Sundays before. If the Cowboys can find a way to consistently get Lamb the ball, the offense should look entirely different even with the many issues it's dealing with. If No. 4 and No. 88 get going, they'll have a chance of wining any game they play.

2. Tyler Guyton could improve at left tackle

For that to realistically be the case, however, Prescott and Lamb need better pass protection up front. I'm starting to get real worried about Terence Steele but Guyton provides some promise in the sense that every time he plays he gains experience. In his still limited playing time, Guyton has shown flashes of what he can be while showing plenty of rookie woes as a player that lacks NFL-ready technique. 

This might be wishful thinking but Guyton improving could completely change the game for the Cowboys, as pass protection on the edges would stop being a concern on both sides of the offensive line. 

3. Better discipline and gap integrity on defense

The Cowboys lack talent upfront and depth just about everywhere on defense. But some of the woes for Mike Zimmer's defense aren't even about being outplayed but rather a lack of gap discipline and a frustrating tendency to try to do more.

The Cowboys DC recently talked about players trying to do too much, which has been a common theme since early in the year. If the team really applies the "do your job" mentality moving forward, the Cowboys should get better immediately. 

4. Returns from injury

This is an obvious one. The Cowboys defense might be bad even at 100% but it's obviously not going to look the same once Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, DaRon Bland, and even Marshawn Kneeland are back on the field. 

The same goes for the offense with Brandin Cooks. Jalen Tolbert has improved so getting Cooks back could make for a much stronger receiving core. But the unit needs to be much more consistent. 

5. NFC East wins

The Cowboys are sitting at an awkward 3-3 but it's far from a season-breaking win-loss record and the fact that they've played only one game out of their six division matchups is huge. And it's not like beating the Philadelphia Eagles or even the Washington Commanders is unfeasible. 

The Commanders have one of the worst defenses in the league and the Cowboys know how to attack the Eagles' secondary. They won't be easy games but if Dallas manages to go 3-1 against its top NFC East foes at the moment, they could make the playoffs with little trouble. Again, not saying that they will, but it feels like they mostly control their own destiny, which is important.