dallasnews
ARLINGTON — When evaluating defensive rebuilds, this one might be the most inept in four decades, though that comparison falls short. Because what the Cowboys have assembled on defense cannot even be called a rebuild. It is, quite simply, a chaotic failure.
Facing a Tampa Bay squad that entered Thursday night's game at AT&T Stadium with an 0-4 record and starting an undrafted rookie quarterback in place of the injured Baker Mayfield, Dallas stumbled to a 24-16 loss. Against one of the league's most limited offenses, the Cowboys yielded 419 total yards and, predictably, lost the turnover battle.
This was supposed to be a golden opportunity for Dallas to exploit a team in a nearly impossible situation. Jalon Daniels, making his first NFL start last week after six years at Kansas, had shown rushing ability but limited passing prowess, throwing for 148 yards in a 17-14 home loss to Green Bay. Now the Buccaneers were traveling on a short week. Surely any genuine improvement from new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, rookie safety Caleb Downs, pass rusher Rashan Gary, and the rest of the new additions would manifest against such a vulnerable opponent.
That assumption proved false. Tampa Bay's opening touchdown drive consumed 10 minutes and 58 seconds and was far from aesthetically pleasing. It was aided significantly by three Cowboys penalties, including one that negated what would have been the first sack of Daniels. Even so, Dallas held a 10-7 lead at halftime. The game wasn't sealed, but it appeared the Cowboys were in control—until the third quarter began.
Two plays changed everything. Bucky Irving ripped off a career-long 72-yard run, weaving through would-be tacklers. Then Emeka Egbuka took an end around 14 yards. In just one minute, the Buccaneers had seized a 14-10 lead. They didn't stop there. Tampa Bay's offense continued to dismantle Dallas with a simplistic attack, despite a tendency to self-destruct. The Buccaneers committed nine offensive penalties for 60 yards, yet none of that prevented them from surging ahead 24-10.
On a third-and-21, Daniels—who had thrown only short passes all night—fired a 21-yard strike to Egbuka, with DaRon Bland giving a large cushion. On a third-and-13, Daniels threw a short slant to Egbuka, drawing a pass interference penalty on Shavon Revel Jr. The Buccaneers kept rolling, and the clock kept ticking. Revel was in the game because Joey Porter Jr., the latest supposed savior for this defense, was sidelined with the flu. His absence compounded the missing-in-action status of a secondary already without P.J. Locke and Cobie Durant—though it's not as if Mel Renfro and Everson Walls were unavailable.
Opportunity after opportunity was handed to the Dallas defense thanks to Tampa Bay's penalties, but it made no difference. In fact, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles gave Dallas its best chance to survive when he passed up a field goal at the 1-yard line. Many coaches go for touchdowns from the 1, but Tampa Bay held a 14-point lead with under nine minutes remaining. A 17-point lead would have made it a three-score game and removed all doubt. For no rational reason, Bowles chose to go for it, and Sean Tucker was stopped near the goal line.
The Cowboys offense responded with a 99-yard touchdown drive but failed on the two-point conversion. When they got the ball back, Dak Prescott threw his second interception of the night as a pass intended for tight end Jake Ferguson bounced off his hands (and perhaps his helmet) high into the air and into the arms of linebacker Alex Anzalone. Even if anyone held out hope that using all three timeouts would give Dallas one last chance, Irving burst through the line on second-and-12 for a 21-yard gain, giving him a career-best 165 rushing yards. Game over. And with it, any illusions about Dallas defensive improvement in 2026.
Certainly, the offense could have done more than score 10 points through the first three quarters. Prescott was uncharacteristically off Thursday night, at one point throwing six consecutive incompletions. Both interceptions came on passes that were poorly thrown or simply too hard. But a healthy offense will typically approach 30 points and give this team a fighting chance. The realization that this defense hasn't improved despite all the offseason subtractions—no more Matt Eberflus, no more Kenneth Murray, no more Donovan Wilson—that were supposed to yield positive results is frightening.
The road won't get easier for the 2-3 Cowboys over the final 12 weeks. Facing an undrafted rookie in his second start on a short week at home was supposed to be the easiest test. A trip to face Jordan Love and the struggling Packers won't be easier. The Eagles, scuffling on offense without the injured Saquon Barkley and with A.J. Brown now a Patriot, and losing Pro Bowl tackle Lane Johnson to retirement, won't be easier in Philadelphia. Then San Francisco comes to town in November.
What will the Cowboys' status be the next time anyone sets foot in AT&T Stadium? Will they be lingering in the NFC East race of the forgotten, or will they be so defensively inept that the next playoff game seems miles away? The answer is uncertain, but many fell for the idea that a quick fix for this defense was on the horizon. Maybe next year.
Originally reported by dallasnews.