Not much broke Dallas’ way in Week 1, and the 28-20 loss to the New York Giants felt more lopsided than the final score suggested. Now the Cowboys turn right around and face another divisional test this Sunday against the Washington Commanders, with an early chance to avoid starting 0-2.
If Dallas wants a different result, a couple of usage tweaks make sense. Two players, in particular, deserve a bigger role.
Brevyn Spann-Ford is the first name that stands out. The Cowboys made a notable commitment to the 26-year-old tight end last week, handing him a three-year extension worth $18M. That kind of investment says plenty about how Dallas views him now and going forward.
But the on-field role didn’t match the money in Week 1. Against the Giants, Spann-Ford was on the field for just 13 offensive snaps, and only eight of those came on pass plays. That’s not nearly enough if the Cowboys believe he can help unlock something in the offense against Washington.
Jake Ferguson remains Dallas TE1, but his production has been quiet for a while. Since Week 6 of the 2024 season, Ferguson has averaged 7.2 Y/R and 5.4 Y/Tgt across a 25-game stretch. The big-play element and YAC presence that once made him such a weapon hasn’t been showing up consistently.
Spann-Ford hasn’t had a full runway yet, but the numbers he has put up are interesting. He has 20 career catches and is averaging 9.6 Y/R.
At 6’6, he gives Dallas a different kind of threat in the middle of the field, one with enough size and ability to make defenses pay if they lose track of him. The Cowboys need to see more of that on Sunday.
The other player who should be getting more run is Cobie Durant. At this point, he looks like Dallas’ best cornerback. That’s not just camp hype, either - he backed it up in Week 1.
Durant was excellent against New York, finishing with a 77.2 Pro Football Focus coverage grade. He gave up only one catch on three targets, and that went for 18 yards. He also played 50 defensive snaps, including 26 in pass coverage.
Some of those snaps were shifted to second-year corner Shavon Revel Jr., who played 20 defensive snaps with nine in coverage. Revel matters to Dallas’ future, but that doesn’t mean Durant should be the one losing playing time. If the Cowboys are looking for snaps to redistribute, DaRon Bland is the more logical place to find them.
In Other News...
Former Cowboys Pass Rusher Returns With Something To Prove In Dallas
Dorance Armstrong is set to make his 2026 debut Sunday against the Cowboys, a familiar opponent for a pass rusher who spent years in Dallas before moving on to Washington. After serving a one-game suspension and working back from the torn ACL that wiped out most of last season, Armstrong enters the matchup with a fresh chance to reestablish himself in a game that still carries some extra edge for everyone involved.
Washington's staff has said it is confident Armstrong is ready to go, and the plan is to rotate him with the rest of the pass-rush group to keep his workload manageable. For Dallas, that means facing a former defensive end who knows the building, the personnel and the stage, even if the bigger question now is how much of Armstrong's old burst has returned after such a long absence. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Just Raised The Stakes For Dallas' Shaky Defense
Jerry Jones didnt sound interested in pretending the Cowboys defensive performance in Week 1 was anything close to where it needs to be. The team owner acknowledged Dallas underestimated the Giants in the opener, and with Washington up next, he pointed to the defense as the area most likely to show a better version of itself in a game that already feels important for setting the tone of the season.
The challenge for Dallas is that belief and execution are two different things, and the defense has given plenty of reasons for skepticism already. Jones is framing the Commanders matchup as a chance to reset, but until the Cowboys actually string together a cleaner outing, every promise of improvement comes with a layer of doubt that the schedule will quickly test. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones May Soon Face A Cowboys Decision He Hates
Brian Schottenheimers second season in Dallas already carries the sort of early pressure that tends to come with this franchise, even if the Cowboys have historically shown more patience with head coaches than most. After going 7-9-1 in his first year, Schottenheimer watched the team open a new defensive chapter by moving on from Matt Eberflus and turning the unit over to Christian Parker, a change meant to steady a side of the ball that has been a major point of concern.
Instead, the defense stumbled in Week 1 against the New York Giants, and that is where the unease begins to creep in for a team that cannot afford another losing year. There is already speculation about Schottenheimers seat if the record goes the wrong way again, and for Jerry Jones, the uncomfortable part may be less about making a change than having to consider one at all. [Read more 🡒]