FRISCO, Texas – Now that the hysteria has subsided following the Cowboys exhilarating 40-37 walk-off victory over the New York Football Giants, let's look at this team objectively, if indeed the word "objectively" means anything anymore.
Start with the Cowboys defense, the one giving up 506 total yards to the Giants, the most since giving up 509 to Las Vegas on Thanksgiving 2021 in a 36-33 overtime loss. No two ways about it, a horrible performance to somewhat of an offensively challenged team, 36-year-old quarterback Russell Wilson accounting for 450 of those yards during an air raid.
But then again, get this: With the score tied at 37 going into OT, out of nowhere, that Cowboys defense stops the Giants on their first possession, four plays and out, with the second possession ending in two plays after Donovan Wilson's interception, sending the Cowboys rolling toward Brandon Aubrey's walk-off 46-yard field goal.
Now then, the Cowboys offensive line was good, not great. Quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked three times, forced to run three times out of necessity and was hit seven times, yet was hurried 37 percent on 57 drop backs, including on his lone interception.
Still, the Cowboys did score 40 points, something they had not accomplished in their previous 23 games. On top of that, Dak was able to throw for 361 yards and two touchdowns fora 96.7 QB rating. But wait, there is more. After driving the Cowboys 63 yards to score the go-ahead touchdown on his pass to George Pickens with 52 seconds remaining, now up 34-30, Prescott drives the Cowboys 21 yards in 21 seconds to set up Aubrey's 64-yard walk-off-into-overtime field goal.
Oh, wait again, this offense was not done yet. On the Cowboys' third possession of overtime, Dak leads the team on a 42-yard, three-play drive in 1:56 to set up Aubrey's game-winning 46-yard field goal as time expired.
So let's take that into account when trying to dissect the capability of this offense.
And let's also take into consideration the pressure this offense operated under after falling behind 13-3 early and 13-10 at halftime. But they also erased Giants leads of 17-13, 23-20, 30-27 and 37-34 in this classic topsy-turvy game in order to break the 37-37 tie in overtime. Plus, did all this late having to substitute for injured center Cooper Beebe and the third wide receiver KaVontae Turpin.
Impressed yet?
Oh, now then, must consider the 478 total yards of offense. Why, that's the most since Nov. 12, 2023, when they laid 640 on the Giants, the second-highest total in franchise history, only to the 652 against the Eagles in 1966 in another century. Not bad for the new head coach/play caller in his offense.
So, just sayin', as the 1-1 Cowboys trek up North to Chicago to face the 0-2 Bears, the ones having lost 12 of their last 13 games after enduring a 10-game losing streak in 2024, thisoffense sure seems capable of being something else.
"Go look at the tape, somebody's open at least one time," CeeDee Lamb said of the offense's versatility. "If I'm not getting doubled, I'm sure I am. If GP's got one on one, I'm sure he is. If Turp's got one on one, I'm sure he is. If Ferg's got one on one, I'm sure he is. It's fun to be in an offense like that."
Now look, we can tap the brakes a little. It's not as if the 0-2 Giants are the bullies of theNFC East or anything. But still, the Cowboys were able to dominate on offense with the assist of only that one OT takeaway and without some long bomb of a touchdown. They had just five plays of 27 yards or more, the longest a Dak 48-yard pass to Lamb. They ran on the Giants, too, their 135 yards the second triple-digit total in two games and the fifth-highest mark in their past 19 games.
Get it, only two games, but something is brewing here.
This offensive explosion is not coming out of nowhere. This was presumed to be the broad shoulders this team would need to stand on coming into the season. The defense is young, with those injuries adding to the challenge. Many of the players are new, and that seemed to be the evaluation even before the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Packers.
And as pointed out the other day, never a good thing when you go into a game like the Cowboys did against the Giants, no matter who the quarterback might be, with four of your top six cornerbacks unavailable – DaRon Bland, Caelen Carson, Shavon Revel and Josh Butler. Add to that, Trevon Diggs was forced to play 61 snaps in just his second game back since last playing on Dec. 9 of 2024, with the other outside corner, Kaiir Elam, new to the team and inactive in all three preseason games. The Cowboys could ill afford to have the fourth-year corner and probablestarter they traded for suffer an injury in a meaningless game.
Now the calvary is approaching the hilltop with three of those corners having to miss two more games before eligible to come off their respective reserve lists. And since Bland will misshis second consecutive game – the club hopeful for a return in time for next week's Green Bay showdown – better cross your fingers for Sunday.
That means this offense must become the Cowboys' cart-pulling ox. And to think, that's already the perception, and very well a necessity, created just two games into the 2025 season.
"Who knows?" Dak said when asked how much better this offense can be. "Like I said, I'm not going to put any limitations on it. We can be very explosive. It's going to be a fun offense to play in. If we just continue to be multiple and we continue marrying the run game with the pass game, we can get those actions even more. Yeah, it can be scary."
While the Cowboys have their depth problems at the cornerback position, well, the Bears have theirs as well. They already have ruled out starting corner Jaylon Johnson (groin), nickel corner Kyler Gordon (hamstring) and one of the backup corners Jaylon Jones (hamstring).
And can you imagine Bears backup Nahshon Wright, the former Cowboys corner traded to Minnesota last year and now with the Bears, having to man up against either Lamb or Pickens. Chances are Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will be zoning the Cowboys receivers, or as Dak pointed out what the Giants were doing late in Sunday's game, doubling Lamb and Pickens.
Hello, Turp on that 10-yard touchdown reception beating man coverage inside.
Also, if the Bears end up playing some sort of cloud coverage on the back end, step right up Javonte Williams, who has not only rushed for those 97 yards against that respectable Giants front but also has bagged three rushing touchdowns in two games. And counting Miles Sanders 4-yard jaunt into the end zone, that makes four rushing touchdowns in two games. Uh, the Cowboys had just six in all of 2024.
Woe unto defenses if the Cowboys can maintain that balance and keep Dak clean in the pocket.
As for the defense? Well, we talking the Cowboys holding the Eagles to just 24 points and quarterback Jaylon Hurts to just 152 yards passing in the opener? Or that same bunch getting roasted for 450 yards passing and 37 points by the Giants?
Said Schottenheimer, "I expect them to do a much better job."
Well then, if so, this team with this offense just might be on to something.
"So for me, it's about continuing to do what we do on offense and trust those guys, starting with Flus on down that they're going to get it right," Dak said of what could be, referencing new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus heading back to Chicago where he was relieved of his head coaching duties this past season.
"And when that happens at that point (as previously suggested), it's going to be scary."
Yep, it's early but objectively, if the Cowboys can ride this offense, this season could be screamingly thrilling.
