There were questions after the Cowboys' trainwreck against Tampa Bay in Week 5. But it could have been an anomaly; any given Thursday and all that.
Those questions would seem to have been answered pretty definitively, though, in Week 6 against the Packers, and they have revealed an ugly truth about this iteration of the team and put the writing on the wall in big, bold type for the 2026 season.
The Cowboys are bad, and the likelihood of some dramatic improvement coming yet this season seems far-fetched at best.
Look at almost any defensive category you want- points allowed, yards allowed, rushing yards against, opposing QB rating, third-down stop rate, red zone defense, sacks, takeaways, missed tackles, time of possession, expected points contributed...
it's all horrific. There are some marquee names returning from injury, but bringing in Mike Pettine as a film consultant/coordinator whisperer six weeks into the season is way too little, way too late.
And forget about winning shootouts, because now the high-octane offense suddenly can't get out of first gear. Two straight weeks scoring under 17 points against very shaky defenses is not what Cowboys fans were promised from this returning cast of playmakers. Dak Prescott has looked tentative and inaccurate, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens have become oddly inconsistent, and Javonte Williams has been practically forgotten about. But it's Brian Schottenheimer who is receiving the bulk of the blame, with his Ted Lasso-esque coaching style starting to wear extremely thin as questions are being raised about his play-calling tendencies and game management... and even whether he may have already lost the locker room.
No, the news out of The Star is not good, and the latest power rankings reflect that. Dallas has fallen into the 20s in the eyes of nearly every major outlet, and is dangerously close to the 30s according to a couple of them. Thankfully, five of the next six outings are against other teams in the same tier, so movement is still possible.
But based on the past two games, there's no guarantee that movement will be upward. Here's what several of the major outlets had to say about the Cowboys heading into Week 7.
ESPN: No. 20, ▼5
"The Cowboys' running game is off to its worst start -- 456 yards in six games -- since 1989, the year before Emmitt Smith showed up. Six different running backs have more total rushing yards than the Cowboys. Javonte Williams has seven rushing touchdowns, but the inconsistency and lack of attempts are killing the offense. Coordinator Klayton Adams said last week the Cowboys are being forced to play with one arm tied behind their back because they can't run it well enough. That has impacted the passing game, too. Quarterback Dak Prescott was under duress on 21 of his 41 second-half pass attempts against Green Bay, averaging only 4.8 yards per attempt."
NFL.com: No. 26, ▼8
"I’ve lost all faith in the Cowboys. Their offense was their lone strength and has devolved into a mess of an operation. Their quarterback isn’t adjusting to a consistently messy post-snap picture, and Dallas’ chances of victory have evaporated. We already knew this defense was a problem, but the offense’s regression has escalated this situation from general concern to something bordering on catastrophe. It’s a shame too, because the NFC East has never been more winnable. As of now, I don’t think it’ll be the Cowboys finishing on top."
The Athletic: No. 22, ▼2
"The only people associated with the Cowboys who are happy at the moment are Lamb’s fantasy managers. He’s ninth in scoring (21.9 ppg) and third in the league in receiving yards (577). He was targeted 18 times Sunday night and finished with nine catches for 70 yards."
CBS Sports: No. 19, ▼2
"The offense is suddenly having some issues, which I didn't see coming. But in their bad division, there is still time to turn it around, starting this week at Philadelphia."
Yahoo Sports: No. 21, ▼1
"Nobody questioned the Cowboys' offense. Through four games Dallas averaged 30.5 points per game and was third in the NFL in EPA per play, trailing only San Francisco and Buffalo. Then, over the last two games, its offense has disappeared against Tampa Bay and Green Bay, neither of which has a great defense. The Cowboys are averaging 14.5 points over their last two games and slipped to 19th in EPA per play. Their defense isn't good enough to overcome that. The running game is a problem. Dallas has just 98 rushing yards total over the last two games, it has reached 100 yards in a game just once and rank 31st in rushing yards per game. It's also accurate that the Cowboys looked completely unprepared for a blitz-heavy approach from the Packers, and that could be a coaching issue. Perhaps getting the run game going will dissuade future opponents from blitzing on most downs."
USA Today: No. 26, ▼2
"'GOTI,' aka, Greatest Offense There Is? It's nice to have goals. Not always wise to publicly reveal them."
SI.com: No. 21, ▼2
"The Jerry Jones referendum on hiring Brian Schottenheimer as head coach has been delayed long enough. Lose multiple times against the Eagles, Cardinals and Colts over the next three weeks and we might be talking about must-see Jones press conferences on a weekly basis from here on out."
Bleacher Report: No. 22, ▼5
"It was bad enough when the Dallas Cowboys' defense wasn't working. Now, the same can be said about the squad's previously potent offense. Against the Green Bay Packers, Dallas produced one explosive play in the passing game and none within the run game. Considering how much talent is found on that side of the ball, that level of performance is unacceptable, particularly when Dallas needs to play well offensively each week to counteract the team's defensive struggles. It's the second straight week an opponent held Dallas to 16 or fewer points after scoring 30 or more in three straight. Fortunately, the schedule turns in Dallas' favor. The Philadelphia Eagles will still be without quarterback Jalen Hurts next Monday. The Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts follow and they both own losing records. Considering the state of the NFC East, the Cowboys aren't out of the mix even with their performance as of late."
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Power Rankings Roundup: Cowboys fall into 20s, flirting with 30s after Week 6 flop
