Most people associated with the Dallas Cowboys would like to forget their 28-20 loss to the New York Giants in their Week 1 primetime showdown.
It was a long game set up by poor showings on offense and defense. Dallas allowed nearly 400 total yards on defense, let the Giants have the ball for over 36 minutes, and failed to run the ball efficiently.
The Cowboys now face some major questions entering a critical Week 2 showdown against the Washington Commanders. Before they take the field for that game, though, the Cowboys got a warning they didn’t need to hear right now.
Dallas Cowboys Warned Before Week 2 Commanders Showdown
FOX Sports NFL writer Ralph Vacchiano shared his Week 2 power rankings. Vacchiano did not go easy on the Cowboys, dropping them from 17 to 22 with a warning.
“It’s bad enough that all that work they did to fix their defense didn’t work. But if their vaunted offense is really as mediocre as it looked on Sunday night, this could be a painfully long season in Dallas.”
Last season, the Cowboys’ offense was in the top five in total yards. In the Giants game, they had only 244 yards, with 69 on the ground.
Cowboys Must Get Things Straightened Out in Week 2
The Cowboys’ offense cannot look like that again for the rest of the season if they have any hopes of the postseason. With Dak Prescott, George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, Javonte Williams, and Jake Ferguson, they have no excuse for how they looked.
This is essentially the same lineup that played for the Cowboys last year. Dallas has the pieces in place to be a great unit, but they must get off to faster starts and establish the run game.
As for the defense, that is a work in progress and could be for the first month of the season. More than half the lineup is new, with a new play caller at the helm.
Because of the growing pains the defense is going through, the offense needs to be at the top of its game more than ever. They will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting, as they did in 2025.
Their Week 2 showdown with the Washington Commanders will be a good place to bounce back and get things on track. Starting 0-2 with this defense could be the kiss of death for Dallas. The offense needs to come back strong and ready to get this season back on track for the Cowboys.
Cowboys Receive Brutal Warning After ‘Mediocre’ Loss to Giants