The Dallas Cowboys' 2026 season got off the ground on Sunday night, but quickly came crashing back down to earth. The club was unable to get off the field, allowing the Giants to convert 9 of their first 10 third-down plays, with the 11th being a kneel down... yikes.
To make matters worse, there were two different sequences in the contest where Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy just spammed a play call and Dallas never was able to adjust to it. The Giants scored a touchdown with three wide open pass plays to the deep right at the end of the first half, and three RB flat passes to seal the game in the fourth. Hopefully, young DC Christian Parker will be able to build on the lessons, but he'll need players who are accountable to do so.
In that
mindset, here's a look at the Top 5 defensive grades from the contest, according to Pro Football Focus' early evaluations (grades will be amended later in the week). Also, a look at the Bottom 5 grades. Only players who saw 20 of the 69 total defensive snaps (nice) will be considered. That eliminates safety Malik Hooker, rookie DT LT Overton, and veteran edge rushers Von Miller and James Houston.
5) CB Cobie Durant: 63.3 out of 100
Typically in PFF's grading scale, anything between 60 and 70 is an average performance, 70-79 is a good game, 80-89 is a great game and 90 or above is elite. To have a player in the top five at only 63.3 is saying this wasn't the best of team performances.
Durant had a 68.1 coverage grade, giving up just one reception for 18 yards on three direct targets.
4) DB Caleb Downs: 66.0
Downs ad just a 55.8 coverage grade, but his overall score was boosted by his strip-sack on a blitz from the slot, perfectly timed and with a ton of force. That gave him a 81.1 pass rush grade on two of those kinds of snaps.
3) DT Quinnen Williams: 78.3
The Cowboys didn't do much to stop the run on the evening, allowing the Giants running backs 111 yards and giving up 165 overall (Jaxson Dart just escaped containment again as we typed this. Williams though, with had a forced fumble on his way to a 87.6 run defense grade on 27 of those snaps. That was his only tackle though, and he missed another.
Quinnen Williams causing havoc
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2) DT Otito Ogbonnia 83.2
One of the least heralded offseason additions, Ogbonnia played well with a QB hurry and three tackles on the game. He graded out 76.2 in run defene, 70.6 in takling and 72.4 in pass rush.
1) Edge: Donovan Ezeiruaku: 86.8
The Cowboys' best defender, per PFF, on the evening was their second-year edge player, but it was for setting it more than rushing the passer. Eze's rush grade was just 65.7, though he recorded a QB hit and a hurry, that's hardly enough for the team's premiere edge player. However he graded out "well"elite" for his four drops into coverage, 92.3, and turned in a 74.5 in run defense and notched 7 tackles without a whiff.
Bottom 5 Cowboys defenders from Week 1
- DT Jonathan Bullard: 33.4 overall grade | 30.8 run defense, 67.4 tackling, 59.0 pass rush
- Edge Malachi Lawrence: 34.8 overall | 37.2 run defense, 26.4 tackling, 64.5 pass rush, 41.7 coverage
- LB DeMarvion Overshown: 41.9 overall | 63.7 Run D, 28.3 tackling, 64.0 pass rush, 38.5 coverage
- LB Dee Winters: 42.1 overall | 38.3 Run D, 39.8 tackling, 51.5 coverage
- Safety PJ Locke: 50.8 overall | 51.2 Run D, 31.9 tackling, 57.1 coverage
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Top 5, Bottom 5 Cowboys defensive grades from Wk 1 loss: LBs need work
