The Dallas Cowboys are still feeling the effects of what was a wildly disappointing 28-20 loss to the New York Giants in Week 1.
Dallas’ defense stole the show in the worst way possible after allowing 394 total yards in the game. The front seven had a rough time stopping the Giants from running the football, allowing 165 yards in the loss.
Not everything was completely bad about the Cowboys’ defense, though, as first-round pick Caleb Downs shined in his debut. That doesn’t mean Downs was happy about what happened on Sunday night.
Caleb Downs Got Blunt After Dallas Cowboys’ Week 1 Loss
After the game, Downs talked to reporters in his first NFL contest. While he got praised for his play, he wasn’t happy with how his defense played.
“We gotta do our jobs better as a defense and as a team. It’s always frustrating as a defense when you can’t get off the field. We didn’t do that at a high level today.”
“We gotta do our jobs better as a defense and as a team. It’s always frustrating as a defense when you can’t get off the field. We didn’t do that at a high level today.”
Downs finished the game with 8 tackles, one sack, and one quarterback hit. He was tied for third on the team in tackles in the loss.
The Cowboys selected Downs in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Dallas traded up in the draft to select Downs and make him a Day 1 starter.
Caleb Downs Gives Cowboys Fans Every Reason to Be Optimistic
Expectations were high for Downs when the Cowboys selected him in the draft, and he lived up to them early on. It wasn’t a perfect game for the defensive back, but he showed flashes of what he can do.
Putting him in the box to blitz on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was the right move to make. Downs’ versatility was on full display throughout the game. He did a bit of everything in run support and pass coverage.
The Cowboys are looking at Downs to be similar to how the Baltimore Ravens use safety Kyle Hamilton. They want to move Downs around since he brings so much to the table.
While this defense clearly has a long way to go, Downs is not that far off. There are some small consistency things he needs to work on. That can be developed and worked on throughout the season.
It appears as though Downs is well ahead of where the rest of the Cowboys’ defense is. That’s a positive sign that Dallas has something special in him.
The Cowboys now have to move on from the loss and focus on Week 2 at home against the Washington Commanders. Downs will be featured more often in that game and could be the spark this defense needs to get back on track.
Caleb Downs Didn’t Hold Back After Cowboys’ Disastrous Week 1 Loss