The Cowboys’ season opener in New York did more than leave Dallas with an ugly loss. It put the team’s preseason approach right back under the microscope.
After an offseason that built plenty of buzz, the Cowboys looked flat against the Giants. The offense never found a rhythm, and the defense spent too much time watching New York stay on the field. The Giants finished the week with the highest third-down conversion rate and were flawless in the red zone, going 4-for-4.
That kind of start naturally revived the conversation around Dallas sitting its starters in the preseason. Since Dak Prescott didn’t take a rep in preseason, the Cowboys are now 2-5 in season openers in those seasons. It’s a trend that has people asking whether the team gave itself enough live-game work before Week 1.
Jerry Jones doesn’t sound interested in changing course.
On Tuesday morning during his weekly spot on 105.3 The Fan, the Cowboys owner and general manager said resting starters in the preseason is usually the “right way to go.” The logic is straightforward: keep key players fresh for the stretch run in December and January, and reduce the risk of injuries in July and August.
But Dallas also walked into this season with a lot of new moving parts, and that’s where the decision feels more questionable. The Cowboys have eight new starters on defense and a new scheme, and Sunday night showed exactly how much timing and communication still need work. There were blown assignments, obvious confusion, and plenty of moments that looked painfully familiar to anyone who watched the Matt Eberflus era.
The offense wasn’t much cleaner. Dallas opened with a three-and-out, an unusual outcome for a unit that had the fewest three-and-outs on opening drives in the league last season. Instead of looking sharp, the Cowboys looked rusty, out of sync, and a step slow.
Still, Jones pushed back on any panic. He pointed out that both Super Bowl teams from last season lost in Week 1, and said the Cowboys should stay the course.
“The two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year, they both lost their opening game,” Jones noted. “Both of them evolved as the season went along. I've lost the first game (1993) and won the Super Bowl.
"The first game for this team was unquestionably important. Don't get it wrong.
But we (have to) keep in place where we're trying to go with this group. I saw nothing on review yesterday that tells us that we should depart away from the plan that we've got about getting better on defense that we've been (working on) since last year.”
For now, the loss is just one game. But the Cowboys will need a much sharper showing in Week 2, with fewer mental mistakes and more energy when they return home.
Dallas hosts the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX.
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