Tom Brady did not have much of a connection to the Dallas Cowboys during most of his NFL career, but his latest football experiences continue to be intertwined with them.
Dak Prescott and company trounced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round in 2023, in what was Brady’s final professional game (for now at least). The seven-time Super Bowl champion then made his broadcasting debut on Fox by calling last Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Cleveland Browns. He will also be in the booth for Dallas’ home opener versus the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 and will surely work other games featuring America’s Team in 2024-25.
All of this is to say, Brady has had quite the vivid view of the modern-day Cowboys. Though, unlike many pundits and analysts, he seems to have a great deal of faith in the Jerry Jones-owned franchise.
“I think it’s a promising time for Cowboys fans because they’ve had a great team the last three seasons, and I think what I saw from last week’s game, they’re going to be really tough to beat this year,” he said in front of a Dallas crowd, per D210Sports’ Brittany Bowen.
“They play really well at home,” a gushing Tom Brady continued. “Coach {Mike} McCarthy has done a great job with this team. I think bringing Mike Zimmer in as defensive coordinator is going to make a big difference, {will} allow Micah Parsons to make a big impact on every single game. They just have a lot of great, talented players, great coaches… I expect great things from the Cowboys. I don’t see any drop-off from this year to last year.”
Is Tom Brady right about the Cowboys?
It is entirely possible that Brady was putting a little something extra behind his glowing assessment of the Cowboys. After all, a lack of enthusiasm was fans’ biggest criticism of his broadcasting debut, and a master of perpetration like the three-time MVP would surely look to quickly correct his shortcomings. That being said, his copious praise included plenty of specific reasoning, suggesting that this was not merely obligatory fluff.
Furthermore, Brady’s points are difficult to argue. Amid concerns about their rushing attack, depleted secondary or CeeDee Lamb’s rust, Dallas obliterated the Cleveland Browns in almost every facet of the game. A 31-17 road victory goes a long way in telling the football-watching world that the Cowboys might be just as reliable as they have been during the last three regular seasons.
Since Mike McCarthy came aboard, this team has been the epitome of excellence from September through the first week of January, earning a 12-5 record each year along with two divisional titles. Dallas is also extremely consistent in the playoffs, but in a very different way.
Stars like Prescott and Parsons have underwhelmed in big spots, and bizarre blunders consistently ravage the franchise. Many believe the same fate will befall the Cowboys as long as the team’s core and management structure remains similar. Though, Brady noted a key addition that could pay huge dividends.
Dallas hopes an old friend can be part of the solution
Mike Zimmer is starting his second stint as Dallas’ defensive coordinator– previously held role from 2000-06 and served as an assistant on the 1995-96 Super Bowl team — and there is optimism this reunion could act as an X-factor this season.
Brady appears to thinks so. If this group is indeed no worse than last year’s, which arguably possessed one of the deepest rosters in the league, then perhaps this coaching change can help the Cowboys fulfill their potential and end their run of postseason despair.
Most people are understandably hesitant to hop aboard the hype train, as history looms large. But that train admittedly feels a little less likely to derail when the greatest quarterback and winner the sport has ever known outlines why this might actually be the year Dallas safely arrive at the station.
It remains to be seen, however, if Brady the broadcaster is as sharp as Brady the player. He will try to prove as much when the Cowboys host the Saints on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
