Decisions, Decisions

After Dak Prescott connected with George Pickens for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it a one score game, Brian Schottenheimer and the Cowboys offense elected to go for a two-point conversion in order to make it a six-point game instead of an eight-point game.

Things did not work as planned, as Prescott was forced to his left and tried to get a pass to CeeDee Lamb, but was incomplete. After the game, Prescott said he wished he threw it towards the back pylon in the end zone where Ryan Flournoy could've gone to get it.

"It's kind of our philosophy," Schottenheimer said. "When you're down 14, you like to go for two, especially with our offense, because when you get it, you have a chance to go and win the game, to make it a six-point game. And that was our philosophy. We liked to play and we just didn't get executed."

Injury Roundup

The Cowboys entered the game with injury troubles, and dealt with more before kickoff with CB Joey Porter Jr. coming down with an illness and flu symptoms, according to Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones.

As the game went on, Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb was sidelined with a quad injury, something Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he was dealing with last week and got hit in the same spot again. Lamb was in and out of the game down the stretch, which could point to potentially good news that it isn't a serious injury.

On the last drive of the game for the offense, Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton sustained a back injury. Schottenheimer said after the game that initial x-rays "looked good," but the team will conduct some more tests.

Troubling Trend

Earlier in the week, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer pointed out he wasn't a fan of the high passer rating that Dallas' defense has been allowing to each of the quarterbacks they've faced thus far this season.

All five quarterbacks the Cowboys have faced this season have posted passer ratings of over 100 on them, beginning with Jaxson Dart (134.2), Marcus Mariota in Week 2 (109.1), Lamar Jackson in Rio de Janeiro (136.7), C.J. Stroud last week (126.7), and now rookie UDFA Jalon Daniels (110.2).

The Cowboys had their opportunities to limit Daniels, who was making just his second career NFL start on Thursday night, but couldn't convert.

"Missed tackles," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said of what happened defensively against Tampa Bay. "We were around [Daniels] quite a bit. And like I said, it comes down to when you're around him, you got to get him on the ground and did not do a good enough job of that. He hurt us. Again, I thought we made him hold the ball, which is usually a good thing, and he was getting locked on to certain things. But at the end of the day, like I said, it comes down to we got to get him on the ground. We got to tackle him, got to wrap him up, and we didn't do that."

Film to Watch

Speaking at his locker postgame, Cowboys DT and team captain Quinnen Williams said "I've got to watch the film," or something similar, nine times when asked about some of Dallas' struggles defensively on Thursday night.

It's safe to say that there will be a lot of film to be watched for Williams and the Cowboys defense in order to find ways to improve coming out of what will be a 10-day break before the team travels to Green Bay for their Week 6 game. Williams is still confident in Christian Parker's defense.

"100% faith," Williams said of his belief in Parker. "At the end of the day, we step in between those lines, and we've got to execute to the best of our ability every single down. No matter what CP calls, we've got to execute."

Not Getting Home

The Cowboys' struggles to get after the quarterback continued in Week 5, as Dallas recorded just seven total pressures against the Tampa Bay offensive line, good for a 22.6% pressure rate.

When under pressure, Buccaneers QB Jalon Daniels was 3/5 for just eight yards. Rashan Gary led the Cowboys defense with four pressures, and Quinnen Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence all had two. Lawrence and Ezeiruaku combined for the lone sack of the night for Dallas' defense.

After the struggles Dallas had defensively last season, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones said the defense was "in my mind, right where we started looking to our defense." Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer was more confident in his unit.

"Certainly Jerry's going to have his opinions and I respect his opinions certainly, but I do think that today was a disappointing day, but there has been things," Schottenheimer said. "You got to get off the field on third down. We have to not turn the football over. I mean you can't be -3 and win a game in the National Football League. That's not going to work.

Surprising Struggles

In the last year, the Cowboys have invested a lot into their defense, especially against the run. Dallas has added Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, Jaishawn Barham, Caleb Downs and others to help the defense stop the run, something they've struggled to do in recent years.

And yet, five games in, the Cowboys have the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 168.4 rushing yards per game. On Thursday night, Tampa Bay ran for 241 compared to Dallas' 50.

"I thought both their fronts, was really surprised at how well they ran the ball, how they ran it between the tackles," Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones said. "That was surprising. We thought if they were going to run it, they'd do it outside, and thought we'd put it on the quarterback shoulders. Their staff, their quarterback, all their players got a great victory here tonight, and it was a tough loss for us."

Help Is On the Way?

The Cowboys have been bit by the injury bug early this season, but got some help back on Sunday when starting safety Malik Hooker returned from a forearm injury. Hooker went on to lead the team in tackles with seven and recorded two pass breakups as well. Even going into a short week, the Cowboys may get even more help back.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the game that All-Pro guard Tyler Smith (thumb) and LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) are "trending positively" towards returning Thursday against the Buccaneers.

Schottenheimer added that the team will have a better idea of their status on Tuesday. Smith will have to have his 21-day return to practice window opened as he returns from injured reserve.

A Unique Plane Ride Home

After each Cowboys road game, the team boards buses together and takes a chartered flight back to Dallas.

Following Sunday's win, there was one less player on the flight, and for good reason.

Cowboys LB Shemar James flew back to Dallas with the Jones family in order to make it back faster as his wife went into labor.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer had James break down the team in the locker room before he quickly departed in order to make it back to his wife.

JPJ's Debut

In his Cowboys debut, CB Joey Porter Jr. played 24 total defensive snaps for Dallas, 19 of which he was dropping back into coverage.

Porter was targeted just one time in coverage, and did not allow a reception. In five matchups against Texans WR Nico Collins, Collins was not targeted when Porter was covering him. After missing training camp and the first three games of the season before getting traded, Porter was glad to be back on the field.

"I'm a dog at the end of the day, and I want to be out there with the guys," Porter said. So I have to prove why they got me here, and I feel like I did that today."

Another Blocked Kick

For the second straight week, the Cowboys saw a kick blocked. Last week, it was the Ravens getting interior pressure to Keondre Jackson, who blocked a 59-yard attempt from Brandon Aubrey. This time, it was star EDGE Will Anderson Jr. getting his hands on a 65-yard attempt from Aubrey.

"Inside gap integrity is the key," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "You'll see that. Again, Will Anderson's an incredible player. We were a little bit, in the one against Baltimore, we blocked out and didn't stay strong in our inside gap. You want to make the guys beat you around the edges, not up inside. But the elite power and stuff of Will Anderson, he made a great play. It's a long kick, so it's going to be a little bit flatter. But we'll get it shored up."

As a result of the blocked kick, the Texans took over at the Cowboys 45-yard line with 26 seconds remaining in the first half. They needed just nine yards to set up a 54-yard Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal, which gave Houston a ten-point lead going into the halftime break.

The Defensive Front

The Cowboys' secondary had their fair share of struggles over the course of the afternoon, as C.J. Stroud threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns.

On the ground, however, Dallas' defensive front held the Texans to just 62 yards rushing on 19 carries, good for 3.3 yards per carry. According to NextGenStats, Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark combined for seven run tackles and three run stuffs, with Williams also adding two tackles for loss.

In the pass rush department, Dallas pressured C.J. Stroud on 10 of their 52 defensive plays (28.6%) and sacked him twice, one from Quinnen Williams and the other by Rashan Gary. When pressured, Texans QB C.J. Stroud was 4/8 for 88 yards and a touchdown. The defense still has a lot of work to do, as they can't continue to allow 30 points per game, but have shown some signs of improvement.

THE Dynamic Duo?

Cowboys WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens believe they are the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. With a strong combined performance through the air against the Texans' touted secondary, Pickens feels like they've proved that.

"If they consider themselves the best, and we do what we do, then I definitely feel like we're the best in the NFL." Pickens said.

Lamb's historic 17 catch, 189-yard performance was complimented by a quiet, but effective two receptions for 75 yards from Pickens. Some of Pickens' production didn't show up on the stat sheet, as he continued to draw multiple defenders which opened up more opportunities for Lamb.

"If you're going to play to George like that, and leave CeeDee one on one and give him those opportunities, we're going to go to the open guy," Prescott said. "CeeDee just does a great job of feeling the zone, beating his man, whatever it is, and getting open."

Swing the Hammer

Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham had the best game of his young NFL career on Sunday night, posting seven tackles and two tackles for loss against the Ravens, including two stuffs on All-Pro RB Derrick Henry in crucial situations.

"I thought he flashed a lot, but more than anything, I thought he was in great command and control of what we were doing and calling the game," Schottenheimer said. "The green dot, that's a young player stepping up, I do think that helps him settle into the game a little bit, being in communication with Christian."

When Barham was on the field Sunday, the Cowboys defense allowed 2.4 fewer yards per play and a 8.3% lower success rate, according to NextGenStats. Barham's five run stops against Baltimore bring his season total up to 13, third-most among rookies this season.

Injury Bug Bites

The Cowboys already came into Sunday night with some key injuries to starters like Tyler Smith (thumb), DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) and Malik Hooker (forearm). Unfortunately, the injury bug continued to bite, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Some players suffered injuries and were able to return to the game, but S Jalen Thompson (hamstring), CB Shavon Revel (knee) and DT Jonathan Bullard (calf) did not return to the game after their injuries.

"We got beat to hell. I don't have all the injury reports… we got beat up pretty good. Next man up was real tonight." Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said.

The Cowboys have a short week coming up before facing the Houston Texans on the road next Sunday. Schottenheimer is giving his players Monday and Tuesday off to recover.

Next Men Up

With so many injuries in the secondary, a number of Dallas' depth players at cornerback and safety had to play increased roles. Players like Reddy Steward, Caelen Carson, Markquese Bell, Alijah Clark and Ameer Speed all saw more snaps defensively than they had in the past.

While Dallas' defense was able to get some crucial stops to get back in the game, the big chunk play to Zay Flowers with seven seconds left in the game will ultimately be what is remembered about this game.

"I liked the call," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said about his defense's plan on the last play. "I wanted them to stay sticky. But at the end of the day, [the Ravens] ran two ins. It's a play we run quite a bit of. And the bottom line is you've got to make the ball go to the first one, not the layer that they hit to Zay Flowers. So that's where we have to better. But I was good with the call, we've just got to execute in those situations."

Wrong Side of History

When Brandon Aubrey put through a 23-yard field goal with 10 seconds to go in the fourth quarter and a tied ball game, most in Rio de Janeiro thought Cowboys-Ravens was headed for overtime.

Instead, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and Tyler Loop had other plans.

After Flowers' big play to set up Loop's 56-yard field goal as time expired, Sunday's Week 3 matchup between Dallas and Baltimore became the first game in the Super Bowl era where both teams kicked a field goal in the final 10 seconds of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they were the ones who kicked it first.

A Dynamic Duo

Despite having some self-inflicted wounds over the course of the night, the Cowboys saw more of what they were used to from their two star receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens against the Ravens.

Lamb caught seven passes for 112 yards, his second straight 100+ yard game, and Pickens hauled in seven catches as well for 82 yards.

Is this the most in rhythm the Cowboys passing game has been this season in terms of getting the ball to both of their alpha receivers? "Both made some big catches at times throughout the game, especially that last drive. Yeah, if we're just talking those two games," Cowboys QB Dak Prescott said. "But I mean, we've got a full season of work in our belt with those two guys and knowing what we want to do, so it really depends on what defenses are giving us, how they're playing us, and we're able to attack with both guys."

Special Teams Struggles

On two occasion Sunday night, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey had kickoffs go out of bounds. The first came on Baltimore's third drive of the game offensively, which help prompt their first touchdown drive of the night.

"It happens occasionally. It can't happen twice in a game," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "We don't expect that from Brandon. You know how talented he is. Like I said, no one coached or played a perfect game. And because of that, we ended up coming up short to a good football team."

Because Aubrey had the two kicks out of bounds, Schottenheimer said that influenced the decision to have Aubrey kick out of the end zone with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, that would give Baltimore the ball at their own 35-yard line, and after a 27-yard completion to Zay Flowers, set up their game winning field goal.

Field Condition Concerns?

Ahead of the Cowboys' Week 3 game against the Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, concerns have raised on social media in recent days about the playing surface at Maracanã Stadium, where Dallas and Baltimore will meet next Sunday.

Flamengo, Brazil's most valuable football club and a member of Brazilian Serie A, plays their home matches at Maracanã Stadium, including a 2-1 win over Red Bull Bragantino on Sunday. In an earlier match this week, some Flamengo players had voiced their displeasure with the quality of the playing surface.

When asked about it after the game, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Dallas' operations team has been in contact with the league about the field but isn't concerned about it.

The league seems to feel like everything's going to be fine," Schottenheimer said. "And in reality, we were focused on this, but I have no concerns...I'm aware of some of the quotes and stuff, but again, I trust that the league's going to make the right decision and they'll get the field up to standard."

The Ground Game

In order to set up the passing game, you often times need to be able to run the ball. That was not the case for the Cowboys on Sunday, as the Dallas threw for 266 yards and ran for just 66. Running back Javonte Williams was held to 30 yards on 12 carries, good for 2.5 yards per carry.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the plan going into the game was to throw the ball around the field and spread Washington's defense out, which may be part of the explanation for Dallas' lack of success on the ground.

"I didn't think the numbers would be 66 yards, but like I said, I did want to come out and spread them out and use some of our play action passing game," Schottenheimer said. "Dak did a really nice job running. And then again, we had the long one called back in the fourth quarter. That was a nice run by Javonte [Williams]."

"It's a good front and they're explosive and powerful and they did a nice job. But again, the commitment there from me was Hey, we're going to come out throwing the ball around. And I think it worked pretty well for us."

Injury Roundup

With a "short" week coming up, the Cowboys had a few injuries pile up against the Commanders. S P.J. Locke, who was starting in place of Malik Hooker (forearm), suffered a foot injury early in the game and did not return. He was seen in a walking boot after the game.

Also in the secondary, CB Cobie Durant was stepped on by S Markquese Bell in the end zone after an incomplete pass and missed the remainder of the game with a hamstring injury. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said they've "got to get some more tests there" and did not provide a timetable for return on either one of them.

The Cowboys were already without Hooker and LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) on Sunday and could be without them again against the Ravens. Additionally, LB Jaishawn Barham, who wore the green dot in Overshown's absence, suffered a stinger, according to Schottenheimer.

Close, not Close Enough

According to NextGenStats, the Cowboys defense recorded nine pressures when using four pass rushers against the Commanders, up from just two four-man pressures in their season opener against the Giants.

Dallas had 12 total pressures on Commanders QBs, but did not record a sack. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was able to scramble on six occasions for 69 yards, averaging 11.5 yards per carry, before suffering a devastating elbow injury at the end of the first half. It's a sign of improvement for Dallas' defense, but also a sign of more improvement that needs to be done.

"I know we didn't get any sacks, but [Daniels] and Marcus [Mariota)]were both moved off the spot quite a bit," Schottenheimer said of the Cowboys pass rush. "And so I felt good about that, but there's always things to clean up. We certainly have not arrived. We got a lot of work to do."

A Week's Time

Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker got his first win as a defensive play caller on Sunday, a week removed from Dallas' 28-20 loss where Parker's defense struggled in his debut.

There are still plenty of things to clean up ahead of facing Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens offense in Week 3. That said, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer saw his young coordinator and the defense he manages respond the right way after a tough start to the year.

"They didn't blink," Schottenheimer said. "I've been in a tough situation like that before as a young coordinator and not sure and you're taking a lot of bullets. He didn't blink and that's a sign of a competitor that has a very, very bright future."

A Connection Beyond the Field

Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson caught two touchdown passes from Dak Prescott on his record-setting night, and the two have always had a knack for connecting in big moments especially up the seams in the middle of the field.

That connection extends far beyond the playing field. Ferguson and Prescott are very close off the field. After the game, Ferguson said that Prescott pulled him out of a meeting at training camp after Ferguson's stepfather passed away in order to make sure he was okay. Those kinds of relationships hold a special place in Prescott's heart.

"When he lost his [step]father in camp, I knew where he was," Prescott said. "I've been in that position and just wanting to be there for him and check on him and let him know that whatever you're feeling is okay. You're mad, pissed, whatever. And he handled as good as anybody can, losing a stepfather and being there for his mom and for his family and being a rock. And I just wanted to be a little help if I could."

Trench Work

One of the many things Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was frustrated with from his team was their play at the line of scrimmage. Offensively, the front five were able to keep Dak Prescott clean, but struggled to generate a push in the run game.

"I thought they pushed us around a little bit up front," Schottenheimer said. "Their defensive line, our running game, there was way too much penetration early in the game. Javonte was running into freaking, a wall in the beginning of the game. We made some good adjustments at halftime, but this is a team game."

At the halfway point of the game, the Cowboys had 50 yards rushing on 14 carries. In the second half, Dallas ran just 4 times for 19 yards.

"They played a great game," Cowboys RB Javonte Williams said of the Giants' front. "We just got to execute better next time we see them. I feel like we could've started a little faster, we could've played better on both sides. It isn't one side's fault or the other side's fault, we've just got to be better."

Cleaning Things Up

In the first half, the Cowboys had seven total penalties called against them. By the end of the night, Dallas had gotten nine flags thrown against them for a total of 90 yards that went to benefit the Giants.

"Penalties kill your ability to win, especially the self-inflicted wounds," Schottenheimer said. "We just offsides a couple times in short yardage situations, which we gave them free downs if you will. That led to sustained drives, it led to them again controlling the football, but it comes down to discipline. And we're more disciplined than the way we played tonight." As Javonte Williams was headed for the end zone to make it a one possession game at the end of the fourth quarter, he was flagged for a taunting penalty when he stuck the ball in the direction of a defender as scored, backing up the extra point 15 yards. Brandon Aubrey would go on to miss the kick, and Schottenheimer said after the game he was planning on going for two before Williams' uncharacteristic penalty.

"I'm a pro, I know better than that," Williams said. "I shouldn't have did it. I'ma correct it. It is what it is, we're just going to move past it."

Missing Darts

In 2025, the Cowboys defense allowed the fifth-highest success rate on quarterback runs (65.2%) and eight touchdowns on quarterback runs, the most in the NFL. In Week 1, Dallas struggled to defend Jaxson Dart's legs.

Dart finished the night as New York's second leading rusher with 54 yards on 11 carries, highlighted by a 22-yard designed run. Dallas' run defending struggles carried over across the board, as the team had a total of seven missed tackles.

Of Dart's 11 carries, NextGenStats credited seven of them as successful, seeing him finish with a 63.6% success rate with the ball in his hands. That was more successful than Cam Skattebo, who had 9 on 18 carries (50%) as he finished with 81 yards.

Injury Roundup

The Cowboys left East Rutherford with two injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Veteran safety Malik Hooker may have fractured his forearm, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and the team will hold more testing on Monday to determine more.

Additionally, Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown suffered a hamstring injury. Schottenheimer said they don't yet know the severity of the injury yet. Overshown has missed significant time in his NFL career due to two major knee injuries.

During Friday's practice before the season opener, the Cowboys lost Malik Davis for the season to a serious non-contact hip injury.

"Devasted for him," Schottenheimer said. "Very serious injury. He's an incredible young man, I've talked a lot about it. Non-contact issue, we knew it was pretty significant and pretty serious, and our prayers are with him. I talked to him the other night and the night that it happened, and he was in pretty good spirits, but I know he'd appreciate everybody's thoughts and prayers."

Trying to Heat Up

One of the reasons Giants QB Jaxson Dart was able to throw for 230 yards on a 79.3% completion percentage was because Dallas struggled to get a consistent pass rush in order to make things difficult for the second-year signal caller.

"We did not get enough pressure on him," Schottenheimer said. "He looked pretty comfortable back there. I thought we had some good shots on the ball, but the pass rush does have to be better, for sure."

According to NextGenStats, Dart was pressured 11 times on Sunday night. When rushing with four pass rushers, the Cowboys defense was only able to generate two pressures on Dart, and he completed 17 of his 19 passing attempts for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Parker's Debut

Evidently, Christian Parker's debut as a defensive coordinator did not go as many imagined. Dallas' defense was one of the worst in franchise history in 2025, and the first impression of the 2026 unit did not offer many improvements against the Giants.

After a difficult start for the 34-year-old first-time defensive play caller, what does Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer tell him?

"Don't flinch," Schottenheimer said. "You can't flinch in this league. You're going to get humbled at times. It happens. He'll learn from it, we'll learn from it, he's going to be hardest on himself anyways, he and the defensive staff. At the end of the day, when you look at the numbers, they were four-for-four in the red zone, they were nine of 11 with a kneel down on third down, it's just not good enough. And so you gotta figure out why, and you got to do it in a hurry."