Cowboys 2025 Season Recap: A Playoff-Caliber Offense Wasted by a Defensive Collapse
Let’s not sugarcoat it - the Dallas Cowboys’ 2025 season was a mess. A 7-9-1 finish and a second straight year without playoff football?
That’s not what anyone in Dallas had in mind heading into the season, especially with the kind of firepower they had on offense. And when you take a step back and look at the full picture, the D- grade they’ve been handed feels about right - if not generous.
The Parsons Trade That Set the Tone
The writing may have been on the wall before the season even kicked off. Trading away All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons just a week before the opener sent shockwaves through the locker room and across the league. You don’t move a player of that caliber unless you’re signaling a major shift - and that shift came with growing pains.
Parsons wasn’t just a defensive anchor; he was the identity of that unit. Without him, Dallas lost its bite on that side of the ball - and it showed.
Schottenheimer’s Wild Ride
Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as an NFL head coach was anything but smooth. The Cowboys were inconsistent from the jump, and while Schottenheimer showed flashes of promise, the team never found its footing. A 7-9-1 record isn’t a total disaster for a first-year head coach, but it’s not what you expect from a franchise with championship aspirations.
And it’s not like the offense didn’t give them a chance.
Offense Could Hang With Anyone
Dak Prescott turned in another strong season, earning his fourth Pro Bowl selection. He had plenty of help, too.
CeeDee Lamb continued to look like one of the league’s elite wideouts, George Pickens brought big-play ability, and Javonte Williams gave them a powerful presence in the backfield. When things were clicking, this group could put up points with the best of them.
But the problem wasn’t scoring - it was stopping the other team from doing the same.
A Defense That Couldn't Get a Stop
The numbers are brutal. Dallas gave up 30 or more points in nine of their 17 games.
That’s not just bad - that’s historically bad. Matt Eberflus’ unit was overmatched week in and week out, and there was no real sign of improvement as the season wore on.
There was a brief glimmer of hope midseason. After trading away Quinnen Williams - another eyebrow-raiser - and getting a few injured starters back on defense, the Cowboys rattled off wins over the Raiders, Eagles, and Chiefs. For a moment, it looked like they might be turning a corner.
But that momentum didn’t last.
The Collapse Down the Stretch
Dallas closed the year by losing four of their final five games. The offense, which had carried the team for most of the season, finally hit a wall.
For three straight weeks, they failed to score a single second-half touchdown. Joe Milton finally broke that streak in Week 18 against the Giants, but by then, the damage was done.
The Cowboys finished the season with just one win in eight games against teams with winning records. That’s the kind of stat that gets you left out of the playoff picture - and earns you a failing grade.
Final Thoughts: A D- With No Complaints
There’s no sugarcoating a 7-9-1 season when you have a top-tier quarterback, elite weapons, and a defense that simply couldn’t hold up its end of the bargain. The Cowboys had enough talent to make a run, but they were undone by defensive breakdowns and late-season offensive stagnation.
Cowboys fans have every right to be frustrated. The pieces are there on offense.
The quarterback is still playing at a high level. But until the defense gets fixed - and fixed in a big way - this team will keep falling short.
A D- feels right. Because in a season where expectations were high, the Cowboys didn’t just underperform - they unraveled.