The Dallas Cowboys' offseason was a mess. Contract concerns plagued the franchise, from Dak Prescott's looming free agency to the extensions of key stars like Zack Martin and Trevon Diggs. Jerry Jones traded for Trey Lance out of left field. Tony Pollard's future is murky at best. And on it goes.
One wouldn't be blamed for looking at the Cowboys' offseason and developing a healthy skepticism. Dallas won 12 games last season but fell short of Philadelphia in the NFC East standings and failed to reach the conference championship game.
And yet... all it took was one half of quality football against the New York Giants to reaffirm a fanbase on the brink. The Cowboys look like very real contenders on Sunday Night Football, and there are few sensations equal to the Cowboys thriving in primetime.
Dallas Cowboys fanbase ready for Super Bowl parade after first half vs. New York Giants
The Cowboys led 26-0 at halftime over the New York Giants — on the road, no less. Daniel Jones has been completely stifled by the Dallas defense, while Dak Prescott looks confident at the controls.
As of this writing, Tony Pollard looks more than healthy. He has two touchdowns with an average of 4.8 yards per carry. CeeDee Lamb only has two receptions, but he already has 58 yards. It's that kind of night for the Cowboys' offense (and, conversely, the Giants' defense).
The fanbase is already taking to the (Twitter) streets in celebration.
All signs point toward the Cowboys going 1-0 to start the season. They also get to hand the Giants an early 0-1 deficit in the standings for good measure. It's way too early to say with any real confidence that the Cowboys are Super Bowl-bound, but it's impossible to not be impressed with the team's execution so far. Dallas has looked better than any team in Week 1.
The Cowboys have all the pieces to genuinely contend. Prescott struggled last season but his resume is that of a consistent winner. Dallas has made key additions to the defense while keeping all of its core offensive pieces intact (for now, at least). The Lance trade was inexplicable, but it's not like Jones cleared out the roster to make space.
It's only Week 1 — and that cannot be overstated — but the Cowboys certainly let the world know they mean business.