The Dallas Cowboys week one defensive performance did not feel at all like the “graduation” Christian Parker said it should be, and now young players and veterans alike will have to get back in the classroom and learn quickly before another NFC East battle against the Washington Commanders.
Quinnen Williams was vocal after the loss about the accountability this defense will have to get better, but they will also be spending this week sorting out who can fill in for Malik Hooker and DeMarvion Overshown
who were injured against the Giants.
Schottenheimer: Cowboys’ young defenders ‘need to learn quickly’ after Giants’ lesson – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire
It was trial by fire for a ton of new faces in the Cowboys defensive lineup, and frankly one they were not ready for.
Schottenheimer acknowledged the inexperience as part of the reason for such breakdowns.
“Not an excuse, guys: we did not play well, but you’ve got young players,” he said. “A young player closes and Jaxson Dart boots and gets outside. We don’t push three different times to the [expletive] flat route, excuse my language. Those are going to happen, and we have to coach the young players better. But when you play young players, it’s part of the deal. And they need to learn quickly.”
Quinnen Williams: We really need to be critical to get better – Josh Alper, Pro Football Talk
The Cowboys got pushed around in the trenches, and Quinnen Williams is taking accountability.
“I think we definitely gotta be critical [of ourselves] in our approach, when we get to [preparing for Week 2]. And it’s a great week to learn, and to get things better,” Williams said, via the team’s website. “The guys we got in our locker room, especially on defense, are unbelievable when it comes down to taking constructive criticism and accountability, first of all, and let’s move,” he said. “We had a lot of mental errors, a lot of busts today, and just really need to be critical with that going into this week; and focus on getting better.”
Malik Hooker, DeMarvion Overshown to miss a couple weeks with injuries – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
The Dallas defense comes out of Week 1 with major concerns at linebacker and safety after losing starters to injury at both positions.
After saying following Dallas’ 28-20 loss to New York that initial tests showed a fractured forearm for Malik Hooker, Schottenheimer confirmed Hooker did in fact suffer a fracture in his forearm. He will have surgery on Tuesday.
“It sounds like it’s one that doesn’t require as long a period of time [to recover]. So we’re hoping it’s a two week window.” Schottenheimer said.
As for Overshown, Schottenheimer said Sunday night he wasn’t sure the extent of his hamstring injury. That ended up being a strain, and Schottenheimer said it could be “one to two weeks as well” to recover from.
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3 Cowboys Week 1 Takeaways: We Got Eberflused on Defense – Cody Warren, Inside The Star
Cowboys fans are left wondering when the defense will ever look and feel any different at 0-1 for the second straight year.
Dallas changed coordinators, but Sunday night wasn’t any different than last season under Matt Eberflus. No pressure, broken coverage, and mistake after mistake.
Jaxson Dart dissected the defense, found his tight end, Isaiah Likely, so many times it felt like he was the only receiver on the field. On top of that, Dallas couldn’t keep Dart in the pocket. I felt like Dart could’ve had 10 yards running anytime he wanted.
The Dallas Cowboys’ defense showed way too many flaws in Week 1, but there’s a worrisome one that’s close to unfixable – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
The Cowboys need another big time pass rusher in the worst way.
In 20 plays rushing the passer with four players only, the Cowboys recorded two QB pressures, according to NextGen Stats.
It was their lowest pressure rate since 2021. When the Cowboys did blitz, the Giants usually had the right answer. Whether it was Dart taking off himself or him finding an open target down the field.
Tyler Guyton a bright spot in Cowboys’ demoralizing loss – Matthew Holleran, Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys were able to trust Tyler Guyton on an island for a lot of snaps at left tackle, as his improvement is encouraging.
While facing off against star pass rusher Brian Burns, the 25-year-old tackle allowed no pressures across 20 pass-blocking matchups. On the night as a whole, Guyton allowed just two pressures in his 36 total pass blocks in the game, a very solid mark going up against a talented Giants’ pass rush.
This performance is even more impressive when you consider that Guyton did not have his usual running mate, All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith, lining up next to him every play.
Daily discussion question: How much have your expectations been lowered moving forward?
