Cowboys Rumors: DAL Described as 'Fringe Contender' by Some NFL Executives

Some NFL executives are reportedly not buying into the Dallas Cowboys as a Super Bowl contender.

"I like Dallas' chances to make some noise in the playoffs, but when I ask execs around the league, the words 'fringe contender' come up a lot," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Friday on Get Up.

The Cowboys enter Week 17 at 11-4, tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams for the second-best record in the NFC. With a little luck over the final two weeks of the regular season, they could clinch the No. 1 seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Perhaps the Cowboys' lack of recent playoff success is clouding the minds of talent evaluators. Dallas hasn't gotten past the divisional round since 1995 and has consistently fallen short of expectations with this talented core of players. Head coach Mike McCarthy was fired in Green Bay for his own disappointing playoff performances after winning Super Bowl XLV.

In terms of evaluating these Cowboys as they are, they look every bit worthy of Super Bowl contention. They lead the NFL with 409.5 yards per game and have forced an NFL-high 33 turnovers.

While the Dallas defense is a middle-of-the-road unit from a yardage standpoint, it's good enough at forcing turnovers and generating pressure that it can compete with any playoff offense.

In a season wherein no team appears to be a can't-miss juggernaut, the Cowboys are clearly a Super Bowl contender.