The Dallas Cowboys finally get to start answering the big question Sunday night against the New York Giants: was all this offseason optimism earned, or just another round of August hope?
There’s no shortage of reasons people around the team are feeling better than they did a year ago. The offense is mostly intact from last season, and that unit was strong.
The problem in 2025 wasn’t the attack. It was a defense that was described as historically bad, and the rebuild on that side of the ball has been underway for seven months, beginning with new coordinator Christian Parker.
That’s why the case for Dallas feels real this time. The bar on defense is so low that simply getting back to the middle of the league would change the whole look of the season. If that happens, the Cowboys should be back in the playoffs.
Tom Ryle sees the optimism as justified, but not because anyone can truly predict what a team will become in September. He pointed to the NFL’s annual habit of turning last year’s results into this year’s projections, even though rosters and circumstances change so much. Dallas, in his view, is a good example of why that logic can be misleading.
He also noted that the offseason moves have started to feel different. The additions appear to fit better, and the front office has shown more willingness to move on from recent draft picks rather than cling to sunk costs. That, more than anything, has helped change the mood.
Sean Martin said the vibe around the team has shifted for fans too. After months of writing about how the front office has operated differently, he likes that the conversation now centers on real players with actual production instead of trying to talk up names nobody else knows. Even the depth chart, he said, has more credible pieces than in past seasons, especially on special teams where improvements are needed.
Where Sean drew a line was on the idea that elite offense plus merely average defense is enough. He said that formula has already fallen short for plenty of recent teams, and Dallas needs a higher standard if it wants to end the drought. For him, that starts inside on the defensive line, which will be one of the biggest areas to watch Sunday night.
There is, though, one piece of bad news that has taken some of the shine off the build-up: Tyler Smith’s injury. Sean said it has definitely dampened the optimism for the opener and for the season’s start, even if the Cowboys can absorb one setback for now.
T.J. Bass is the most experienced and trustworthy backup, and the interior offensive line remains a concern beyond him.
Even with that injury, Sean does not expect the passing game to lose its shape. He said fans have waited all summer to see Dallas throw it downfield with the full cast of offensive stars on the field, and Bass is actually better in pass protection than he is as a run-game mauler.
So the big picture stays the same: the offense should be able to do its part, and the defense, by almost any measure, has room to improve. That’s the path to a better season. Whether it becomes something bigger will start to come into focus under the Sunday night lights.
In Other News...
Cowboys Suddenly Face A Week 1 Problem They Know Too Well
Malik Nabers is back in the mix for the Giants just in time for Week 1, and that matters because Dallas opens the season facing a receiver it has already spent plenty of time game-planning around. Nabers was a full participant in practice after working his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 4, clearing up the uncertainty that had hung over his availability for the matchup.
For the Cowboys, the timing is less than ideal. New York is getting ready for its first game under head coach John Harbaugh, and Nabers presence gives that offense a dangerous piece right away against a Dallas defense coordinated by Christian Parker. Even before kickoff, the Cowboys are dealing with a familiar kind of early-season stress test, the sort that can turn a clean opener into a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Just Gave Cowboys Fans A New Reason To Watch Week 1
Jerry Jones gave Cowboys fans a little extra to monitor as Week 1 approaches, saying Dallas is still "in play" for potential trades while stopping short of putting a timetable on anything. It is the kind of late-summer update that keeps the front office chatter alive, especially with the roster still taking shape around a defense that has already drawn attention for Christian Parker's role on the coaching staff.
Kenny Clark also enters the season with added responsibility after being named a captain for 2026, joining Dak Prescott, Brandon Aubrey and Quinnen Williams among the team's leaders. For a Cowboys team trying to settle its identity early, those names point to a locker room built around experience and stability, even as Jones leaves the door open for more change down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Could Be Watching A Costly Secondary Opportunity Develop
The Cowboys have been tied to plenty of defensive rumor traffic as the calendar creeps toward the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and Joey Porter Jr. has emerged as one of the more intriguing names to watch. The Steelers cornerback had been viewed as a possible trade chip, with Dallas and Washington both mentioned as potential suitors if Pittsburgh ever decided to move him, which would naturally catch the eye of a Cowboys team always looking for help on the back end.
But the latest word out of Pittsburgh is that the Steelers may simply hold onto Porter, even as contract talks remain at an impasse and his status for the start of the season is unsettled. For Dallas, that creates a familiar kind of waiting game, the sort where a promising secondary upgrade can shift from realistic to unlikely in a hurry, depending on how another team chooses to handle its own long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]