The Dallas Cowboys have put themselves in a bad spot after five weeks, and history is not exactly offering a comforting way out.
At 2-3, Dallas has already dropped two of its first five games in a stretch that was supposed to be especially demanding. The opening month included the trip to Brazil, then a road game after that, followed by a short week. That context matters, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Cowboys came out of it with only two wins.
Had they managed four wins across that span, they’d likely be looking at a playoff-caliber season. Even getting through it at 3-2 would have been a strong result given the scheduling quirks. Instead, they’re sitting at 2-3 and dealing with a historical trend that is hard to ignore.
With five games now on the books, this is the 24th time in franchise history that a Cowboys team has started 2-3 or worse through its first five. The track record from those previous teams is bleak: Dallas has reached the playoffs only twice in those 23 earlier cases. That rounds out to 9%.
Both of those playoff teams, in 1996 and 2018, got in by winning the NFC East. That’s the path that stands out now, too.
In a division that may not demand a high win total, 10 victories might be enough to get somebody a division title and a spot in the tournament. The Cowboys could still be in that mix.
Still, the broader picture is ugly. The teams that have started this way in Cowboys history have mostly not been very good, and several have been maddening in the way they fell short. That’s what makes this start sting so much.
It’s even more frustrating because Dallas is back in this spot in back-to-back seasons, even with an offense that, on paper, looks like one of the best in franchise history. So far, that talent has not translated into results, and that’s the mystery hanging over this team now.
In Other News...
Stephen A. Smith Just Added Fuel To An Ugly Dak Prescott Debate
The fallout from Dallas Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay has lingered well beyond the final whistle, with a viral clip from AT&T Stadium showing an employee calling Dak Prescott and the Cowboys embarrassing before the moment quickly became a bigger conversation about frustration inside and around the building. The employee was reportedly fired after the incident, turning what began as a postgame outburst into another uneasy chapter in the pressure that follows this team whenever it slips.
Stephen A. Smith then weighed in and helped keep the debate alive, taking aim at Prescott while arguing the employee crossed a line and should have known his place. For a Cowboys team already living under a bright spotlight, the episode only deepened the divide between criticism of the quarterback and the reaction to anyone willing to say it out loud. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Face A Dangerous Secondary Question Ahead Of Packers Week
The Cowboys got back to work Monday with Green Bay looming in Week 6, but the secondary was thin enough to raise real questions about how ready the back end will be by the weekend. DaRon Bland and Caelan Carson both missed practice because of illness, while Ameer Speed and Shavon Revel Jr. were limited in drills as Dallas tried to sort through a group that already has little margin for error.
Cobie Durant and P.J. Locke were also working in the rehab group, adding to the uncertainty at a spot that could be tested again soon. There was a more encouraging note elsewhere on the injury front, with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown saying he is optimistic about getting back on the field after his hamstring issue, but for now the Cowboys focus remains on whether enough pieces in the secondary can be available when the Packers arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Spencer Had A Cowboys Career Fans Still Wonder About
Anthony Spencer remains the name most Cowboys fans think of when jersey No. 93 comes up, and for good reason. Drafted in the first round in 2007, he stepped into a starting linebacker role right away and quickly became one of the more recognizable pieces of Dallas defense. His run with the team stretched across 104 regular-season games, long enough to leave a real imprint even before injuries began cutting into his time on the field.
Spencers story still carries the what-if feeling that follows so many promising Cowboys careers. He reached the Pro Bowl in 2012 and flashed the kind of production that suggested even more could have been ahead, but the injuries that followed changed the arc of what had been a steady ascent. For a player associated with both impact and unfinished business, No. 93 has stayed memorable in Dallas in a way that goes beyond the numbers. [Read more 🡒]