National Football League

Are the Dallas Cowboys a top-10 team in the NFL?

Updated Sep. 28, 2022 4:53 p.m. ET

Following an emphatic victory over the New York Giants on Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys have vaulted into the No. 10 spot in USA Today's latest NFL power rankings.

This is certainly a welcome sight for Cowboys fans, especially considering many wrote the team off after Dak Prescott's thumb injury.

Dallas has reason to be optimistic after its last two showings, but according to "Undisputed" cohost Shannon Sharpe, the team is far too high on the list.

Cowboys climb to 10th in NFL's latest Power Rankings

Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe discuss the Cowboys' USA Today ranking.

"I'd have them middle of the pack," Sharpe said. "I think that somewhere between 15 and 20 seems about right.

"I think top 10 is crazy," he added. "I think their defense is good, but this is about the team. This is not about a particular unit, this is about the team as a whole – offense, defense, special teams. And I don't think as a team they're very good.

Backup quarterback Cooper Rush has filled in admirably for the Cowboys over the past two weeks. While the team's offense hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, it has looked much-improved since Week 1. However, Sharpe credits an easy schedule for Dallas' recent success.

"They're 30th in scoring offense, they're eighth in scoring defense. … Dak's gone out, and they've had the benefit of playing some teams that aren't very good, especially the Giants … and Bengals. And they've got the Washington Football Team coming up," Sharpe said. "By the end of the year, we'll see if this team is in the top 10 of power rankings again. [Cowboys] fans will be disappointed again, and you'll say ‘that Jerry Jones did it again. … I'm done with this football team.' Until next football season, and you'll be right back on the bandwagon again. … We know how it's going to end."

Skip Bayless had another take on the matter.

"Shannon Sharpe says my team is middle of the pack," Bayless said. "This is all highly amusing to me. Tyron Smith goes down maybe until the end of the year, and everyone says, ‘uh oh, the Dallas Cowboys are in big trouble.’ Then on opening night, Dak stinks it up, breaks his throwing hand thumb … and everybody said, ‘the Dallas Cowboys are done.'

"Then Cooper Rush beats Cincinnati and the whole NFL world sits back and giggles at Cooper Rush. Then Cooper Rush goes up to the Giants, just when the NFL thought ‘the Giants are back,' and Cooper Rush clutches the Giants again. … Deep down, everybody said, ‘maybe the Cowboys are better than I thought.’"

Maybe the Cowboys are better than most of us thought, but Sharpe's sentiments beckon the ultimate question for this team going forward: Can Dallas sustain this level of success throughout the entire season?