No one wants to be guilty of a Week 1 overreaction. But following the Cowboys' thoroughly disappointing showing in their season-opening loss, there was bound to be an appropriate response. Poring over the Week 2 power rankings from the major outlets, the only real question is: how far did the Cowboys fall?
The answer, perhaps like the panic level right about now for those in Cowboys Nation, varies greatly. Some organizations bumped Dallas down just a spot or two, while others plunged them into an altogether lesser tier of teams.
The consensus, though, is that the Cowboys, until they can prove otherwise, remain a middle-of-the-pack squad (or just slightly below-average). And that makes what they do now worth keeping a close eye on. It's hard to
say that a Week 2 contest is a must-win affair, but if the Cowboys get off to an 0-2 start with a gauntlet of games against the Ravens, Texans, Buccaneers, Packers, and Eagles on deck, it could get dire in Dallas very quickly.
Here's where the big outlets ranked Dallas for Week 2 and what they had to say about the Cowboys' MetLife meltdown.
ESPN: No. 16, ▼1
"Considering how poorly the defense played, it's strange to give this to Downs, but the 11th pick in this year's draft had a productive debut. And there wasn't an offensive player who fits in this category. Downs finished with seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. He played 61 of 69 snaps, splitting time between safety and the slot. With Malik Hooker suffering a fractured forearm Sunday, though, the Cowboys might have to alter Downs' alignment somewhat, even if he is a valuable slot defender."
NFL.com: No. 17, ▼9
"The offseason optimism regarding Dallas' defense quickly faded on Sunday night. The Cowboys were bullied by the Giants’ bruising offense and didn't get the one stop they needed most in a one-score loss. It's only one week, but the 'Boys already need to reflect on their shortcomings and work to quickly fix them, or else they'll inspire the same criticisms that followed them to a 7-9-1 finish last season."
The Athletic: No. 20, ▼5
"The Cowboys had the ball for just 23:20 of game time. The Giants totally dominated the game flow, keeping the ball out of the hands of Dak Prescott and what’s supposed to be a powerful offense, and running 16 more plays than Dallas. Unless the Cowboys can run it better (Javonte Williams finished with 41 rushing yards on 12 carries), they’re going to be susceptible to nights like Sunday."
CBS Sports: No. 17, ▼12
"The idea that the defense would be improved sure didn't show in the loss to the Giants. They blew a lot of assignments in that one."
PFF: No. 18, ▼2
"Christian Parker’s debut as defensive coordinator wasn’t up to expectation, as the Cowboys allowed 0.337 EPA per play and endured multiple big plays with communication issues. However, Dallas’ offense remained impressive with a 64.7% success rate on a strong evening from Dak Prescott (77.6 PFF passing grade). Whether or not Parker’s group can grow from a tough start will influence Dallas’ season trajectory."
Yahoo Sports: No. 16, ▼9
"No team had a better EPA on offense than the Giants in Week 1 — which means no team had a worse EPA on defense than the Cowboys. Maybe team owner Jerry Jones was right to be 'nervous' before kickoff Sunday night. Maybe everyone was too quick to assume that the Dallas' exhaustive defensive issues from a season ago were fixed. Despite new personnel and a new coordinator, the same communication issues that led to blown coverages showed up again in the loss to New York. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones took a measured view of the wreckage, telling 105.3 The Fan (via The Athletic's Jon Machota): 'Felt really good and still do about our football team. We just probably had a little unrealistic expectations in terms of what we could do, especially on the defensive side of the ball with all the new faces and a brand new coordinator.' Indeed, nobody should completely overreact to Week 1. But after a horrendous performance in the season opener, the Cowboys' defense now has to show evidence, starting Week 2 vs. the Commanders, it's any better than it was last season."
Bleacher Report: No. 18, ▼4
"The Dallas Cowboys spent big bucks and early picks on overhauling arguably the NFL's worst defense in the offseason. Yeah, um. About that. Is there a return policy? Because the new Dallas defense looked a lot like the old Dallas defense Sunday night in New York. The New York Giants ran the ball right at Dallas to the tune of 165 yards on the ground. Jaxson Dart's passer rating was 134.2. The Giants had 11 third down attempts in the game and converted nine of them. The Dallas offense possessed the ball all of twice (scoring touchdowns both times) in the second half because the defense just could not get off the field. New York had the ball for 36:40. We've seen this movie before—last year. And now this week's home date with the Commanders carries sizable stakes."
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Power Rankings Roundup: Cowboys slide as many as 12 spots after disappointing Week 1
