The Dallas Cowboys went bust in their opener against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, laying a prime-time egg that raises the question if the defense is going to be any better this season.
As such, any list of individual losers from that game is going to start with the coaches, who didn’t seem to have Dallas very well prepared to face second-year Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. The list of winners is short, but it does include one of the reasons the Cowboys had such hope entering this year.
Here is how Dallas goes about rebounding from an opening face plant.
Dallas Cowboys' winners and losers
The losers always outnumber the winners when a team falls short on the scoreboard and so it was on a report card issued by USA Today’s Dallas Cowboys wire.
It’s losers were coach
Brian Schottenheimer for Dallas’ all-around awfulness, defensive coordinator Christian Parker (ditto), George Pickens for a key second-quarter drop and Dak Prescott for the interception he threw shortly after. The winners were rookie Caleb Downs, who had a strip-sack (which the Giants recovered) and Javonte Williams (72 combined yards; finding winners may not have been easy).
As for Downs, Ben Grimaldi writes: “There weren’t many big plays by the defense, but the rookie safety had one of the few highlights for the unit. Late in the second quarter, Downs came on a blitz, sacking Jaxson Dart with a crushing hit, causing a fumble.
”Unfortunately, the Giants recovered the ball, but it was a big play from Downs, who got his first career sack and forced fumble in the same play.”
Downs wasn’t as impressed with himself.
"I mean, at the end of the day, in football it always just comes down to who does their job better," Downs told DallasCowboys.com. "We've got to do our jobs better as a defense and as a team. We get that fixed, and we'll be good."
Dallas Cowboys injury update: Davis, Overshown status unknown
Cowboys safety Malik Hooker and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown both left the Sunday, Sept. 13, night game against the New York Giants, but neither will be out overly long.
Hooker has a fractured elbow and while he’s having surgery, Schottenheimer gave a “two-week window” for his return.
Overshown has a hamstring strain that Schottenheimer said will be one to two weeks.
This came after Cowboys COO Stephen Jones (Jerry’s son) went on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and gave a more vague timeline.
Jones said: “D-Mo is just we’ll see the severity, and we’ll see how that thing feels and we’ll know more in terms of his availability or if he is not available, how long that is going to be.”
At any rate, for the next game or two, Overshown’s place in the starting lineup will be taken by rookie Jaishawn Barham.
Cowboys offered ’pennies on the dollar’ for Maxx Crosby
Back in the summer, one of the hot topics was the saga of Las Vegas edge rusher Maxx Crosby, widely rumored to be on the trade block and, in fact, traded to the Baltimore Ravens before they backed out, saying Crosby failed a physical.
ESPN insider Ian Rappoport revisited that in an article, saying that the Rams ended up being the most serious suitor. That pursuit ended when Crosby told them he wasn’t interested in a trade, leading the Rams to go after Myles Garrett (who is now injured).
Rappoport wrote: “Sources said several teams came to the Raiders hoping to do a trade, but nothing even came remotely close because teams wanted ‘pennies on the dollars,’ according to one source.
”In other words, those interested teams hoped Las Vegas was trying to dump Crosby for a cheap price, which was a nonstarter.
”Other teams such as the Eagles, Cowboys, and 49ers were monitoring and interested.”
What time do the Dallas Cowboys play on Sunday?
The Cowboys return to action on Sunday, Sept. 20, when they host the Washington Commanders. The 2:25 MT/3:25 CT kick will be televised on FOX.
Dallas Cowboys schedule
Week 1 Sun, Sept. 13 at New York Giants 28, Dallas Cowboys 20
Week 2 Sun, Sept. 20 vs. Washington Commanders 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, FOX
Week 3 Sun, Sept 27 vs. Baltimore Ravens (at Rio) 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, CBS
Week 4 Sun, Oct 4 at Houston Texans 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 5 Thu, Oct 8 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT, Amazon Prime Video
Week 6 Sun, Oct 18 at Green Bay Packers 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m. CT, NBC
Week 7 Mon, Oct 26 at Philadelphia Eagles 6:15 PM MT/7:15 CT ESPN
Week 8 Sun, Nov 1 vs. Arizona Cardinals 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 9 Sun, Nov 8 at Indianapolis Colts 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 10 Sun, Nov 15 vs. San Francisco 49ers 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m., FOX
Week 11 Sun, Nov 22 vs. Tennessee Titans 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 12 Thu, Nov 26 vs. Philadelphia Eagles 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT, FOX
Week 13 Mon, Dec 7 at Seattle Seahawks 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT ESPN
Week 14 BYE
Week 15 Sun, Dec 20 at Los Angeles Rams 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, CBS
Week 16 Sun, Dec 27 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m., NBC
Week 17 Sun, Jan 3 vs. New York Giants 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 18 Sun, Jan 10 at Washington Commanders TBD
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Here are the Dallas Cowboys winners, losers in season-opening defeat
