Week 4's come-from-behind win in Houston had a predictably positive effect on the Cowboys' standing in the eyes of league experts, but there is healthy difference of opinion as to whether Sunday's 34-30 victory revealed Dallas to be contenders or reflected just a temporary bump in what one outlet is already calling "another rollercoaster season."
Everyone agrees the offense is firing on nearly all cylinders, with the downturn in George Pickens's numbers starting to become a noticeable trend. Dak Prescott looks like he could work his way into the MVP conversation, CeeDee Lamb is playing like a man possessed, and the imminent return of All-Pro guard Tyler Smith can only mean improvement for the unit as a whole.
The defense, however, is still holding
the team back. The names have changed (and the salaries have certainly increased) over last season's group, but every week is still a case of too many yards, too many big plays, too many points allowed. Letting the winless Texans roll up 30 points and almost 400 yards won't cut it; it's time for some of the marquee names on that side of the ball to start actually playing like stars.
But a win is a win, and Sunday's boosted the Cowboys by as much as eight spots in some sets of power rankings, and into the top 10 in others. Here's where the major outlets slotted Dallas, and what they had to say about the current state of the star.
ESPN: No. 12, ▲3
"The Cowboys' offense can score on anyone (at least 31 points in three of four games). Their defense is still a work in progress (at least 20 points allowed in all four games). Special teams has also had issues (two blocked field goals and poor end-of-game management against Baltimore). In other words, this start looks a lot like the up-and-down ride from 2025, when they went 7-9-1. Early in the season, winning in any manner is what matters most as long as there is improvement. With their next games versus winless Tampa Bay and struggling Green Bay, the Cowboys need to show some progress."
NFL.com: No. 8, ▲3
"The 'D' in Dallas stands for dichotomy. The 2026 Cowboys boast an incredibly explosive offense capable of carrying them to wins, but also must overcome their leaky defense. On Sunday, they managed to do so in thrilling fashion, scoring a final-minute touchdown to take down the Texans and win the battle of the Lone Star State. The 'Boys are moving up this week because of how they impressed me with their mettle amid adversity -- although I'm still highly concerned about their defensive liabilities."
The Athletic: No. 14, ▲3
"The defense can’t be this bad, can it? Everyone knew the Cowboys offense was going to be their strength this season, and 17(!) catches from CeeDee Lamb helped illustrate that. But it’s not a great sign that they gave up 30 points and almost 400 yards to the Houston Texans."
CBS Sports: No. 12, ▲4
"That was a big-time victory on the road at Houston. The Cowboys offense lit up a good Texans defense, which shows they can play with anybody."
Yahoo Sports: No. 12, ▲4
"CeeDee Lamb had a game for the ages Sunday. He had 17 catches, and only six times in NFL history has a player had more. Lamb had 189 yards, making him the only Cowboy to have 17 catches and 170 yards in a game. He also caught the game-winning touchdown against the Texans with 40 seconds left. Dallas still has a big defensive problem. The Cowboys are 31st in EPA allowed per play and there's a big gap between them and the Bills at No. 30. But the offense has mostly been as good as expected. And with the rest of the issues around the NFC East, Dallas is looking like the best team in the division."
SI.com: No. 11, ▲8
"Through the first four weeks of the season, the Dallas Cowboys are scoring about as many points per drive as the 2007 Patriots—arguably the best team of the last 25 years. If Joey Porter Jr. changes the dynamic of this defense in any way, the Cowboys’ Super Bowl hype is back on."
USA Today: No. 18, ▲4
After a strong debut Sunday, CB Joey Porter Jr. might be making the case he's the ex-Steeler this team should re-sign given the significant drop in WR George Pickens' production."
Bleacher Report: No. 16, ▲1
"It certainly feels like it's going to be another rollercoaster season for the Dallas Cowboys. Their retooled defense hasn't looked much different from last year's unit, but the Cowboys offense again looks like an elite unit. A week after bad defense and poor clock management led to a last-second loss, Dallas mounted its own late fourth-quarter comeback. The good news is that blowing it against the Ravens in Brazil didn't break the Cowboys. The better news is that there's still time for Dallas' defense to grow into at least an average unit, which may be all the Cowboys need to make a run at the postseason. The defense should get a chance to gain some confidence next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their undrafted rookie quarterback."
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Week 5 Power Rankings roundup: Cowboys climb but have yet to prove they're contenders
