We are itching closer to the summer months, and before we know it, preseason football will be here in August and then when we close our eyes it will be September.
The Dallas Cowboys have had a very interesting offseason, but after adding George Pickens, a handful of people could possibly see them as a playoff team in 2025.
Yet, a lot of folks don’t trust them, and they have every reason to feel that way. Three things come to mind when I think about the roadblocks for this team, and what will be their downfall in terms of not making the playoffs.
See if you agree with me.
First-Year Head Coach
The first roadblock that jumps off the screen is them having a first-year head coach.
Brian Schottenheimer is going to have tremendous pressure in 2025 to win now with the team that he has. It is not like he took over a team that has no expectations.
Barry Switzer was hired to provide a steady hand for the Cowboys after Jimmy Johnson’s sudden resignation in the 1994 offseason.
Dallas wasn’t able to complete the three-peat in Switzer’s first season as head coach, losing to San Francisco in a battle of titans in the 1994 NFC Championship Game.
“I plan on being really successful.”
Cowboys rookie minicamp provides first look at changes under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer https://t.co/X4bweQFF6q
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 5, 2025
A year later, though, Switzer led the Cowboys back to a Super Bowl title. They had a dominant 12-4 season before winning each of their playoff games decisively to capture their third Super Bowl title in four seasons.
Let’s be real though, that isn’t going to happen. This team is good enough to win some games now with Pickens, but Schotty could be a huge roadblock as they get into the middle of the season.
Strength Of Schedule
Taking into account their opponents’ combined win total last season (161), the Cowboys have the fifth-toughest schedule in the NFL.
That is a problem.
The Cowboys’ schedule includes 10 games against teams that finished above .500 in 2024. Seven against teams with 12 or more victories and six against squads that had less than six wins.
Dallas has 10 teams who made the playoffs last year on its schedule in 2025.
Week 12 through 17 are going to determine if they make the playoffs or not. They start with home games against the Eagles and Chiefs. Two teams that found themselves in the Super Bowl last year.
Then they go to Detroit to face the Lions.
At home against a Vikings team that should still be good, at home against the Chargers and Justin Herbert, who everyone thinks is the greatest QB to never win anything in his life. Then they travel to Washington on Christmas day to face the Commanders.
The narrative of this team can’t beat any playoff teams is going to either hit it right on the head or Dallas will have the chance to win a lot against playoff teams.
Health
This might be the biggest of the three. If this team loses Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb or Micah Parsons, they will be done.
I understand they have George Pickens now, but can he keep it cool on the field? It sounds like the vibes are right with him right now.
Dak Prescott speaks on his two No. 1s pic.twitter.com/qCuc5PFCS4
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) May 21, 2025
If these guys can stay on the field, they are going to have a chance to at least compete in every single game.
Sure, say what you want, and I agree, for the most part, it will fall on Dak and if he can win games in January, but no Cowboys QB has won anything when it counts since Troy Aikman.
These three things are my biggest roadblocks to the Cowboys’ success in 2025. The running back room just missed the cut, but that could be a problem as well.
