The Dallas Cowboys failed to meet high expectations in Week 1, suffering a massively disappointing 28-20 loss to the New York Giants.
Dallas’ defense was the biggest disappointment, as it looked too much like the 2025 unit after allowing 394 yards. They were gashed on the ground, allowing 165 yards in the loss.
The Cowboys’ offense was even more disappointing, posting 244 total yards and showing no running game. After the game, though, there was someone to blame for the loss who needs to be fixed quickly.
Dallas Cowboys Have the Reason They Lost to the Giants
A visibly frustrated Brian Schottenheimer spoke with the media after the disappointing loss. The Cowboys head coach called out his young players for not playing to the standard they needed to.
“You know, one other thing, not an excuse, guys. We did not play well. But you got young players. And young player closes and Jaxson Dart boots and gets outside. We don’t push three different times to the [expletive] flat route. Excuse my language. You know, like, those are gonna happen. And we have to coach the young players better, but when you play young players, it’s part of the deal. And they need to learn quickly.”
While rookie first-round pick Caleb Downs got some praise for his debut in the NFL, the same couldn’t be said for the rest. There weren’t really any other standout performances on any unit of the roster.
Cowboys Have Some Work to Do After Week 1 Loss
Offensively, the Cowboys got off to too slow a start, and by the end of the game, they were playing catch-up. They did score two touchdowns on their two lone drives in the second half.
The problem was the defense that just couldn’t stop the run. They lost the time of possession to the Giants, 36:40 to 23:20. New York controlled the clock for most of the game.
Dallas hoped some of their young players would step up and help. Downs looked good, but that’s about it.
The team has clear work to do, and it’s still a work in progress. They will need time to gel, with half the starters from this year not even on the team in Week 1 of 2025.
It’s too early in the season to hit the panic button, but they need to show improvement quickly. The Cowboys can’t have another performance like that where both the offense and defense disappoint.
Dallas’ next few games will tell a lot about where this team is at. If they lose like that again, there could be some coaches and players on the hot seat very quickly.
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Assigns Blame After Frustrating Loss to Giants