Howie Long says it’s finally time to stop under-estimating the Dallas Cowboys

NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long said that he it’s time that to take the Dallas Cowboys seriously.

And this time he truly means it.

“Over the years, we may have, at times, over-estimated the Cowboys,” said Long on the FOX NFL Sunday pregame show which was broadcast live from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Preseason expectations are often quite high for the Cowboys, self-proclaimed as “America’s team.” Yet, they haven’t won a championship since capturing Super Bowl XXX in 1996.

This season, Long said the Cowboys may deserve the national attention.

“In some ways we under-estimated the Cowboys this year, particular once Dak (Prescott) went down,” Long said of the Cowboys’ quarterback who missed five games with a fractured thumb.

“But once he went down, it was the focus on defense, back to leaning on the run game,” he said. “The offensive line had time to grow. They found a different way to win.”

“That defense and Micah Parsons takes the pressure off the offense,” Long said.

He continued to say the Cowboys belong in the NFL’s upper echelon and should be considered a contender for the NFC title, along with Philadelphia, Minnesota and a few others.

Earlier in the show, former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson said Dallas has the leadership to lead the team to a possible championship season.

The Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

This story was originally published November 13, 2022 at 12:50 PM.