FRISCO, Texas – Alas, the final game of the 2025 season for the Dallas Cowboys, the fourth day of the New Year, Noon CST, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, against a 3-13 New York Giants team coming off its first win in the past 10 games.
Yes, the end of the 66th season in franchise history, one unlike many, if any, in the past for this team, which entered the NFL in 1960 as the first expansion franchise, this designation no attempt at hyperbole.
This 2025 was a lot. Whole lot.
Moving on from the head coach, Mike McCarthy, after five years, three of those 12-5 playoff seasons, yet going a final 7-10 after losing Dak Prescott in Game 8 for the rest of the 2024 season. Hiring a first-time head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, on Jan. 24, also essentially an entirely new coaching staff, including all three coordinators.
Watching five starters and the longtime backup quarterback depart in free agency, including your very best defensive lineman, DeMarcus Lawerence. Trading for a hopeful No. 2 receiver, George Pickens, along with a hopeful middle linebacker, Kenneth Murray, and a hopeful backup quarterback, Joe Milton.
Then the six-month drama of trying to re-sign Micah Parsons, who turned into a drama king himself. That saga ended with the surprise trade of the team's sack leader in each of the past four seasons to Green Bay.
Don't forget the NFL season-opening 24-21 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles when the Cowboys had enough passes dropped to fill a water bucket. Or the 40-40 game the Green Bay Packers tied in overtime, kicking a 34-yard field goal with one second left, only because a deflected pass in the end zone the previous play fell straight down to the ground, stopping the OT clock at :01. Had the ball bounced up, by the time it fell back down to the ground the clock would have expired to provide the Cowboys an inspiring win.
Then there was the emotional rollercoaster of an encouraging three-game winning streak to reach 6-5-1 with five games to play. But that then led into the three-game losing streak to fall to 6-8-1.
The emotionally draining loss of second-year teammate Marshawn Kneelend, who committed suicide at the end of a police chase. The catalyst for such an unconscionable act during the team's bye week is still really unknown, but the loss of life ripped through the entire organization.
Let's include the first series benching for tardiness of star wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Pickens, though with this one the Cowboys managed to leave what happens in Vegas in Vegas since both went on to produce Pro Bowl-worthy seasons. Although only Pickens received the honor.
Then that Trevon Diggs drama, having begun in the offseason when he refused to rehab from his serious knee surgery at the team facility and then not ready to start training camp or the regular season. As if not long enough, then extending through the middle of the season for the eight weeks he spent on injured reserve, the veteran corner saying he was ready to play but the Cowboys hesitating to put him on the field. To me, they were trying to keep him healthy enough to be released in the end. And that end came Tuesday of this week after poor play in the two games since his return, Diggs then being picked up off waivers by Green Bay after 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Get it. A lot. Just so much.
So now, at 7-8-1, having been eliminated from the playoffs once the Eagles won their 10th game to become the first NFC East team to win consecutive division titles since they did so from 2001-04, just one final game of the season for the Cowboys to play. About the only tangible hanging carrot left to play for, aside from just the pride of winning an NFL game, would be beating the Giants to not only finish 8-8-1 and avoid consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2000-02 but also finish with the best NFC East record at 5-1.
For that, Dak will start, marking the second time in three years he's started every single regular season game and the seventh time in his 10-year career. To a lesser extent, after being honored with his fourth Pro Bowl selection, would be to win this season's NFL passing title for most passing yards, though only has a 34-yard lead over the Rams' Matthew Stafford. And there is a chance Stafford might play more than just starting if the Rams have a chance to improve their wild-card standing with a win.
Aside from Dak, here is a sobering thought when considering just who were the Cowboys' 26 starters (including four special teams players) in the season opener against the Eagles to where they are now. If we include Parsons, the presumed starter six days prior to the trade, nine of those guys will not be starting in Sunday's game, either no longer on the team, injured or demoted. That is a whole lot, especially if we also include missing top rotational players.
And in this game, made cornerbacks coach David Overstreet laugh today when asked if he'll need to suit up at corner. Remember, while six-game starter Diggs is no longer here, 12-game starter DaRon Bland is on IR, five-game starter Shavon Revel has been ruled out while still dealing with a concussion, seven-game starter Kaiir Elam is no longer on the team, and though Josh Bulter might be activated off IR/Return, he, too, has finally moved to fully practicing from being limited all week (knee). That leaves Caelen Carson and Trikweze Bridges the likely starters.
Then there is running back. In case you've forgotten, Miles Sanders has been on IR since Oct. 11, and now the top two, Javonte Williams and Malik Davis, have been ruled out of this game with injuries. You're up Jaydon Blue, and watch for the possibility of rookie Phil Mafah being moved off IR to get his first snaps this season.
Throw in DeMarvion Overshown out, having yet to clear concussion protocol, and starting left guard T. J. Bass, who will also miss the final game (knee) and only starting these past two games since the Cowboys moved Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith to left tackle because starter Tyler Guyton had been moved to IR (ankle).
You still with me on all this?
Which makes me laugh when I hear, "Play the young guys." Why, the Cowboys have been playing the young guys, some earned, some out of necessity. And ain't nobody still young 17 games into the season.
Maybe now you now understand why Schottenheimer said earlier in the week, "The training room is full."
Yet still, the Cowboys, after all they have been through this season – and I'll say it again, it's been a lot – their intent is to win this final game, knowing no one gives you any excuses for whatever your final record states. As the guys like to say, "It is what it is."
"No one is going to look at this game, and say, 'Oh, hey, they played their starters; they didn't play their starters," Schottenheimer reasoned. "Hey, no, we're going to have a record when the season is over. When the clock hits zero Sunday afternoon, we're going to have a record for the 2025 season.
"It's important for us to build this culture about winning. To me, a championship opportunity is you take whatever that game is, you give it everything you've got throughout the course of the week – from Monday leading up through Friday, Saturday and Sunday – and at the end of the day, you're going to have a win or a loss. And the wins and the losses can be terminal when you're not in the playoffs, but you're still going to be evaluated on those."
As black and white as that might seem, Schotty is right. The Cowboys will either be 8-8-1 if they beat the Giants, somehow during the 17 odd number of games figuring out a way to finish the improbable .500, or 7-9-1, a second consecutive losing season.
And nobody – none – will place an asterisk next to their record either, something to indicate all the grief and circumstances the Cowboys have been through during this trying 2025 season, and guessing, in retrospect, you, too, will continue to agree with me in the end:
It darn sure has been a lot.
