Like last season, the Dallas Cowboys are one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL in 2026.
After hearing from Brian Schottenheimer, Christian Parker, Klayton Adams, and most of the key players this week, it seems like there is a lot of reflecting going on inside The Star currently. With the decimated Indianapolis Colts coming up this week in the noon window, the Cowboys are desperate for a win, not only for their playoff hopes, but for the locker room sanity.
Frustrations boiling over as Cowboys’ offensive inconsistencies persist: ‘We stop ourselves’ – Calvin Watkins, The Dallas Morning News
The Cowboys locker room is clearly
frustrated with what’s going on. While the talking point this week has been “execution”, the Cowboys coaching staff needs to hold up their end of the bargain as well on the offensive side of the football.
Over the last three weeks, the Cowboys have converted 38.5%, 61.4% and 37.5% on third-down plays. The ups and downs of their season are attributed to execution.
“It’s hard to say we’re pressing,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “But, yeah, when you’ve got the talent we’ve got, when you’ve got the expectation, the standards that we have for ourselves and you go three-and-out or you don’t score a touchdown, yeah, that’s frustrating and you’ve got to make sure that you don’t allow that to continue to bleed because then that bleeds into guys making [mistakes] or not doing the details the right way because they want the big play rather than just sticking to it.”
Cowboys offense looking to find their fastball vs. Colts – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys lack of identify on offense points directly to their head coach and play-caller. Each week they seem to bounce back and forth from a run-first team to a pass-heavy team. That lack of consistency may be a big reason the team has been so inconsistent so far this season.
While the numbers and league rankings for the Cowboys may be in the upper part of the league, Dallas still feels as though they haven’t played their best as offense through eight games in 2026.
For Pro Bowl WR CeeDee Lamb, part of the core issue is staring back at the offense in the mirror.
“We stop ourselves,” Lamb said. “That sh** is frustrating. It’s annoying. I hate it. And then ultimately, we end up losing.”
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland Gets Blunt Assessment From Christian Parker – Randy Gurzi, SI.com
Christian Parker gives a brutally honest and correct assessment on cornerback DaRon Bland ahead of week nine. The Cowboys need a lot more out of Bland and Parker if they want to turn things around on defense during the second-half.
That’s why defensive coordinator Christian Parker recently said he and Bland have discussed the need for improvement from the fifth-year defensive back.
“We need more from him. He knows that, we’ve had some good talks about that. I think he’s battling. The frustrating thing for him and for us has been he’s been close and contesting. Now, it’s about the final piece of just finishing those plays,” Parker said via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “We just got to get back to making that consistent.”
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Cowboys at Colts: Matchups to watch in Week 9 – Brian Martin, Blogging the Boys
Here are matchups the Cowboys need to win on Sunday in order to pull out a win against the 2-6 Colts. Which matchup will you be most focused on?
Quinnen Williams got off to somewhat of a slow start this season, but recently has been playing at an elite level. He was dominant last week against the Cardinals, registering two QB sacks in what was unfortunately a losing performance.
We expect much of the same Sunday afternoon against the Colts. The head-to-head matchup with rookie Jalen Farmer, a fourth-round pick this year, is one No. 92 should dominate. Look for him to make multiple plays behind the line of scrimmage this week in both the run and pass defense.
Latest NFL trade intel provides clarity ahead of the Dallas Cowboys’ matchup versus the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9
The Cowboys have had some embarrassing losses so far this season. A loss to this 2-6 Colts team who is pretty much in full-on sell mode would likely take the cake for the worst on of the season.
Indianapolis is a team in selling mode. The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard earlier in the season, and they have since traded away a couple of All-Pros; defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and guard Quenton Nelson.
Rumors have persisted about the Colts moving the likes of Taylor and Downs, among others. It wasn’t clear whether those players would be on the roster for Sunday’s matchup. Based on Schultz’s report, it sounds like they will be involved.
Cowboys Trade Deadline: 5 Players Dallas Should Consider Moving – Mauricio Rascon, Last Word on Sports
It’s still undecided if the Cowboys should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. One thing they should not do is just sit pat. Here are five players the Cowboys could move if they do elect to sell.
4. T.J. Bass Could Turn Depth Into Draft Capital
He signed a one-year, $5.76 million restricted free-agent tender in March. Dallas retained an experienced guard without securing his services beyond this season.
A team seeking immediate offensive line help could value him more than a team using him primarily as depth. If Dallas does not expect to bring him back, that difference creates an opportunity.
A fifth-round selection would be a sensible opening proposal. A sixth could still deserve consideration, depending on the Cowboys’ confidence in their remaining reserves.
