The Dallas Cowboys have started the 2025 regular season on the wrong foot, with a mediocre 2-3-1 record, good enough for third place in the NFC East.
This Sunday, “America’s Team” will face a major challenge when they face Division rivals Washington Commanders, who are themselves trying to improve above .500 (they are currently 3-3).
Recent trends have made one thing clear: if the Cowboys want to win, their offense has to light up the scoreboard. That will be the case again this week, especially when facing nickel coverage, which has given them trouble in the past.
The Cowboys are broken beyond repair
Even if the 2025 regular season is barely starting, the Dallas Cowboys are viewed as a team beyond repair according to former NFL player and current analyst Bucky Brooks. On his opinion, the problem began when the Texas franchise shipped off their perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher Micah Parsons for draft picks and veteran nose tackle Kenny Clark.
“They didn’t just make a roster move – they blew up Matt Eberflus‘ defensive blueprint for 2025. The veteran coordinator’s Tampa 2 system thrives on a dominant four-man rush and airtight coverage behind it, but without Micah Parsons wreaking havoc off the edge, that foundation has started to crumble,” Brooks wrote.
Now, Eberflus is left patching together pressure with a mix of high-motor defenders and situational rushers – and it’s not working. The Cowboys’ defense has plummeted to last in total yards allowed (411.7), last in passing yards per game (269.5), and last in passer rating allowed (116.9), while giving up the second-most points per game (30.7) in the league. Simply put, offenses are doing whatever they want.
Talent gap hits Cowboys
It’s not just bad luck – it’s a talent gap. Without a true difference-maker on the line, Dallas‘ defenders are constantly outmatched. Blitzing more aggressively could help, but with linebackers and defensive backs struggling in coverage, Eberflus‘ options are painfully limited.
In a league packed with elite quarterbacks and explosive receiving corps, scheming around a thin roster is an impossible task. For now, Eberflus has to hope his overmatched defense can execute flawlessly – because without star power, strategy only goes so far.
The silver lining? The NFC East has been an unstable division, as any team that’s part of it – the Cowboys, the New York Giants, the Washington Commanders, and the Philadelphia Eagles – can win it on any given year, so Dallas still has hope to make a good season and try to make it to the playoffs.
