Dallas Cowboys 2024 opening win total revealed

The Dallas Cowboys hit the over for their 2023 win total by going 12-5 for the third consecutive season under Mike McCarthy and the stage is set for them to do it again in 2024. According to BetOnline, the opening over/under for the Cowboys’ 2024 win total is 10 games. Last season, they had an over/under of 9.5 games.

Based on BetOnline’s initial odds, the Dallas Cowboys are projected to finish with the second-best record in the NFC East. Las Vegas oddsmakers set the over/under for the Philadelphia Eagles at 10.5 wins, with 7.5 wins for the Washington Commanders under Dan Quinn in his first year and 6.5 wins for the New York Giants.

Of all the NFC East teams, the Commanders are expected to make the biggest jump after acquiring a litany of veterans, many from the Cowboys, in free agency. They also have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, as well as two early second-round picks.

Meanwhile, if the Cowboys were to push on their over/under and win just 10 games, it would almost certainly be seen as a step back in Dallas. A 10-win season and a first-round playoff loss could spell the end of the Mike McCarthy/Dak Prescott era for Jerry Jones’ franchise.

Other NFL teams with the opening win total set at over/under 10 wins are the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins. Both were playoff teams in 2023.

Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy staying cool under pressure in final contract year

Mike McCarthy opened up this week about the pressure he faces entering his final contract year. When Dallas entered the playoffs in January with a 12-5 regular season record and the NFC East title, it seemed McCarthy was a couple of wins away from a big extension with the team. However, a loss in the first round against the Packers caused that extension to evaporate.

When the former Packers coach took over in Dallas, he signed on a five-year deal. Since then, he’s gone 42-25, but 1-3 in postseason games. Despite not receiving an extension, McCarthy insisted to reporters on Tuesday that there’s no more pressure in 2024 than in any other year. The Cowboys go into every season expecting a shot at the Super Bowl, and any year they fall short of those expectations could mean the end of his tenure.

“I don’t (feel pressure),” McCarthy said. “Because I mean, I think as a coach, you know, every year is, I mean, it’s the same. I mean, let’s be honest, and that’s the way it’s always been. Personally, I’ve been in this spot. This will be the third time, and it’s worked out very well for me. So I’m not really concerned about it.”