2023 Cowboys preview central: Storylines, roster and schedule analysis, predictions, more

The preseason is over and the Cowboys are closing in on their Sept. 10 season opener against their division rival, the New York Giants. Dallas has hefty expectations for itself after a productive offseason.

Dak Prescott has healthier options at receiver, Tony Pollard has control over the backfield and Micah Parsons keeps improving.

Here is everything you need to know about the Cowboys’ 2023 season.

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Cowboys’ Dak Prescott soon faces Giants, a team at center of his adversity and triumph

Dak Prescott hasn’t lost to the New York Giants since his rookie season.

But when you discuss the quarterback’s career, when you point to his successes in this league as the Cowboys prepare to open the season outside New York this weekend, the adversity the Giants dealt Prescott has had more to do with the competitor he’s become than the victories.

It wasn’t the broken leg Prescott suffered 35 months ago. It was the book he received from the defender who inflicted the injury.

Read more here.

Elite defense? Cowboys ready to prove they belong with some of the best units ever

There are different ways to measure the health and effectiveness of a defense.

Turnovers are a key indicator. The Cowboys bounty in this category the last two seasons is something the NFL hasn’t seen in five decades.

The Dallas defense has led the league in turnovers forced in two consecutive seasons, the best stretch since Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain did that to opponents in three straight years in the early 1970s.

“Three is better than two,” Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse said. “Why not do it three years in a row?

“That’s our goal.”

Read more here.

What is Carpe Omnia? Mike McCarthy’s 2023 theme for Cowboys is about seizing everything

Brandin Cooks has seen a lot in the NFL.

He was drafted to one franchise and traded to four others. He has appeared in back-to-back Super Bowls and played on three straight three- or four-win teams. Mike McCarthy is his fifth head coach in five years and seventh across a 10-year career.

On Wednesday morning, the Cowboys wide receiver and several dozen teammates walked into a meeting room inside Ford Center at The Star. An empty photo frame awaited. McCarthy was about to give an in-depth reveal of their team theme for the 2023 season.

“This was unique,” Cooks said afterward. “This was unique. Obviously, teams have their theme. But as far as making a showcase of it, I would say this was the first time. I enjoyed it. I loved it.”

Read more here.

Cowboys’ Tony Pollard has endured a long wait for his time to shine. His moment is here

This is Tony Pollard’s moment. It took nearly 10 years, but patience and professionalism are two words that describe how the Cowboys running back handles his career.

When the Cowboys face the Giants in their regular-season opener Sept. 10, Pollard will emerge as the lead running back.

He becomes the lead running back at a time when the position is being devalued on the field and financially by the moment. And questions about Pollard’s abilities to withstand the physical responsibility that comes with being the lead back hover over him.

The Cowboys don’t care. They believe in their lead running back.

Read more here.

Ties that bind: How Mike McCarthy, Brian Schottenheimer are transforming Cowboys offense

How close did McCarthy come to scrapping the Cowboys offense and going all in on the West Coast scheme? Closer than you think. But under McCarthy’s direction — with Schottenheimer doing the heavy lifting — the two fused together a system that quarterback Dak Prescott has dubbed the Texas Coast.

Read more here.

Quick analysis

— 5 final thoughts about Cowboys-Giants: Dak Prescott’s win streak, who will be inactive?

— National predictions: Can Cowboys overcome tough 2023 slate, make Super Bowl run?

— 5 things to know about Cowboys defense: Dan Quinn, Dallas pushing for spot with NFL’s best

— 5 things to know about Cowboys offense: Speed infusion, more Tony Pollard in Dallas?

— Cowboys’ Tyron Smith doesn’t plan on slowing down entering Year 13 of HOF-worthy career

— Where do the Dallas Cowboys fit in an NFC East that’s stronger than ever?

— NFC division previews: Cowboys continue NFC East battle with Eagles

— Cowboys 53-man roster analysis: Dallas remains light in a few areas ahead of Week 1

— 5 things to know about new Cowboys QB Trey Lance, including his 2022 ankle injury

— How does new Zack Martin deal impact Dallas Cowboys’ future financial obligations?

An illustrated prediction of every Dallas Cowboys game

This is the first time in 15 years the Cowboys enter a season with consecutive playoff appearances in their back pocket. Can Dallas make it to the postseason three years in a row?

Yes.

Philadelphia, San Francisco and Dallas — order to be determined — are the best teams in the conference. Those teams will battle for NFC supremacy while others nip at their heels.

See David Moore’s prediction of how the season will unfold, accompanied by illustrations from Michael Hogue.

Schedule

More topics

— New Cowboys CB Noah Igbinoghene needed a fresh start. He’s found one in Dallas

— Dallas Cowboys top Forbes’ most valuable NFL franchises for 15th consecutive year

— Trey Lance expresses gratitude for fresh start with Cowboys: ‘I’m here for a reason’

— After escaping house fire, sleeping in rest stops, Cowboys DB on verge of NFL stability

— Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert ready for Week 1 after sitting out last year’s opener as a rookie

— Dak Prescott opens up on Trey Lance trade: ‘Not surprised by anything anymore’

— Meet Brandon Aubrey, the local software engineer chasing his NFL dream with Cowboys

— Cowboys’ Micah Parsons has proven himself as a versatile weapon. He feels he can do more

— Cowboys C Tyler Biadasz is focused on setting tone with toughness in contract year

— Brandin Cooks, the pilot? Cowboys WR opens up on ‘last flight of the year’ over Seattle

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