The Cowboys spent the offseason trying to fix a defense that had fallen apart under Matt Eberflus, and they came into Week 1 with a fresh direction under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Dallas also turned over a big chunk of the roster, rolling into the showdown with the New York Giants with six new starters.
There were a few early signs of life. Rookie Caleb Downs got home for a sack, and Quinnen Williams forced a turnover with a fumble. But the overall picture was still ugly, and the numbers told the story: Dallas allowed 213 yards on four drives and gave up 6.9 yards per play.
The worst stretch came right before halftime, when the Giants ripped off 55 yards in six plays in just 29 seconds. That march ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Isaiah Likely, and Cris Collinsworth didn’t hold back on NBC.
"I thought I saw some bad defense out of the Cowboys last year, that sequence was as bad as it gets," Collinsworth said during the broadcast on NBC.
The Cowboys had handed New York strong field position with a little more than a minute left after Dak Prescott tried to throw the ball out of bounds under pressure and didn’t get enough on it. Jevon Holland came down with the interception, putting Dallas in a spot where it looked like the defense might still survive and send the game into the half tied 7-7.
Instead, the secondary fell apart. On third-and-nine after a false start, Malik Nabers was left completely alone for a 16-yard catch.
The next snap brought an 18-yard gain to Darnell Mooney, who was also uncovered. A five-yard throw to Likely set up the touchdown, and there was nobody around the tight end when he finished the drive.
There was plenty of buzz around this Cowboys team entering the season, and the defense was supposed to be part of that excitement. But with so many new pieces and Parker in a coordinator role for the first time at any level, this kind of rough patch was always part of the equation. The drive that drew Collinsworth’s blast was a perfect example of how bumpy that process can be.
In Other News...
Cowboys Fans Have A New Overshown Question After That Giants Opener
The Cowboys season opener against the Giants brought an immediate jolt when New York hit the end zone early, but the bigger Dallas talking point may have come on defense. DeMarvion Overshown, back healthy after a tough run of knee injuries, is supposed to be a key piece in the Cowboys scheme, the kind of linebacker whose speed and urgency can change a game in a hurry.
Instead, one of the first moments fans latched onto was Overshowns late hit on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, a play that drew a penalty and is now under league review for a possible fine. For a player whose return already carries plenty of weight, the question in Dallas is no longer just how he fits into the defense, but how he balances that edge without giving away costly yards in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Loss Exposed The Same Problems Fans Feared Most
The Cowboys opened the season with a loss to the Giants that did little to quiet the doubts hanging over the team after an offseason of change. Dallas fell 28-20 and, for long stretches, looked familiar in all the wrong ways as the defense again had trouble getting off the field and the offense spent too much time chasing the game.
New York converted 10 of 11 third downs, a number that says plenty about how often Dallas let manageable moments turn into drive-sustaining ones. Add in penalties, poor tackling, an interception and dropped passes, and the afternoon became less about one bad break than a collection of problems fans had been warning about before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Let A Winnable Night In New York Slip Away Fast
For a Dallas team that had a chance to turn a tense Sunday night into something far more manageable, the sequence before halftime was the kind of swing that lingers. The Cowboys got a fumble recovery near the break and briefly had life against the Giants, only for Dak Prescott to throw an interception that helped flip the mood almost immediately.
New York answered with a quick touchdown drive before halftime and never let the Cowboys get back on even footing. From there, Dallas spent the second half chasing the game instead of controlling it, and the Giants stayed in front all the way to a 28-20 finish. [Read more 🡒]