Dallas Cowboys fans have seen enough ugly finishes to last a lifetime, and the latest one only added to the pile. What looked like another collapse had a familiar ending, with Lamar Jackson finding an open Zay Flowers downfield before Tyler Loop drilled a 56-yard field goal to win it. For Brian Schottenheimer, the message is simple: the fixes have to start now.
The problems aren’t isolated to one bad drive, either. This has been building since Week 1, when the Giants kept running the same four plays to Devin Singletary and Dallas still couldn’t shut it down. The Cowboys keep running into the same walls, and right now there are three issues that stand out above the rest.
The first is Christian Parker’s defense not looking nearly as settled as expected. When the Cowboys hired the former Eagles passing game coordinator, there was real excitement about what he could do with the group.
That buzz has faded fast. Parker has plenty of talent to work with, but he also has a defense full of new pieces and young players, and that has made the learning curve steeper than anyone expected.
Caleb Downs has flashed big-time ability, including 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, but he is still very much a young player. Dallas also brought in a wave of new faces in Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson, Dee Winters, Rashan Gary, Otito Ogbonnia and Jaishawn Barham, and then added former Steelers corner Joey Porter Jr. in a trade. That’s a lot to sort through, and the last seven seconds against Baltimore, plus the rough stretch against the Giants, have put Parker under the microscope.
Barham is the next issue, and it’s hard to ignore how much he has already given this defense. The rookie made a huge fourth-down stop and added more impact moments that helped keep the game tight. He also stepped in for DaMarvion Overshown’s green-dot duties and posted four solo tackles and three assisted tackles against the Ravens.
No one is suggesting Barham should replace Overshown outright, but he has done enough to deserve a bigger role. He looks like a player who should be on the field more often, not less.
Then there’s the larger problem hanging over all of it: the defense still isn’t good enough. Dallas is sitting 30th in defense right now, and that number says plenty. Three games is still a small sample, but it is not the kind of jump the Cowboys were expecting after being talked up as a Super Bowl team because of this unit.
Instead, the same old issues keep popping up. The Cowboys have stayed stuck in the habits that have haunted them, whether that’s failing to get Singletary or Cam Skattebo down or struggling to consistently pressure the quarterback and make routine tackles. Those are the kinds of basics that have to get cleaned up before the season gets even more out of hand.
In Other News...
Joey Porter Jr. Trade Just Dragged Cowboys Into A Steelers Controversy
The Joey Porter Jr. trade has stirred more than just roster talk around Dallas. After the Cowboys landed the cornerback from Pittsburgh, former Steelers running back LeVeon Bell jumped on social media to take aim at his old team, using the move to reopen broader questions about how the franchise has handled some of the Black players it drafted.
Bells comments pointed to Porter and former wide receiver George Pickens while leaving linebacker T.J. Watt out of the criticism, and his own history with the Steelers added another layer to the conversation. For the Cowboys, the deal itself is the football piece, but the surrounding noise has ensured Porter arrives in Dallas with a spotlight that reaches well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Tight End Need Puts An Awkward Cowboys Trade Idea In Play
The Cowboys 2023 draft class has already thinned out, and tight end Luke Schoonmaker is still trying to carve out a clearer role in Dallas. He remains behind Jake Ferguson on the depth chart, which has left him as one of the few members of that class still on the roster without a firm path to starting snaps.
That uncertainty has even opened the door to a curious trade thought, with analyst Kristopher Knox pointing to teams like the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles as possible landing spots for Schoonmaker. For Dallas, the awkward part is obvious: the idea of moving a young tight end within the division is never easy to ignore, especially when the roster still has so little left from that draft class. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Pollard Could Be Headed Back Into A Contender's Plans
The Titans rough 0-3 start has already put a spotlight on their offense, and it has also reopened questions about what comes next for Tony Pollard. ESPNs Dan Graziano floated the idea that the veteran running back could become a trade candidate if he stays healthy and Tennessee decides it does not plan to extend his contract, a development that would put him on the radar of teams looking for backfield help.
For Cowboys fans, it is the sort of early-season storyline worth watching because Pollard remains a familiar name with real market value if Tennessee keeps sliding. The Saints, Vikings and Packers were all mentioned as possible suitors if the Titans drift out of playoff contention, which could turn Pollard into one of the more interesting available pieces before the trade deadline picture starts to clear. [Read more 🡒]