Starting slow is basically becoming a Dallas Cowboys tradition. You sit down with your wings, the game kicks off, and suddenly you’re looking at a 7-0 deficit before the first commercial break. It’s frustrating. Honestly, it’s more than frustrating—it's a statistical trend that has defined the Brian Schottenheimer era in ways that fans hate to admit.
When people search for the Dallas Cowboys 1st quarter score, they aren't just looking for a number. They're looking for why this team feels like it’s constantly playing uphill. In the 2025 season, Dallas averaged about 4.7 points in the opening frame. While that ranks them roughly 15th in the league, the context behind those points tells a much grittier story about a team that lives and dies by its opening script.
The Scripted Disaster: What Goes Wrong Early
Most NFL teams have a "script." This is a pre-planned set of 15 to 20 plays designed to test the defense and get into a rhythm. For the Cowboys, the script has been... well, a bit of a coin flip lately.
In their 2025 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, they actually bucked the trend. They came out firing. Javonte Williams, the guy they brought in to stabilize the backfield, punched in a one-yard touchdown on the very first drive. It was physical. It was fast. It felt different. But then, as the season wore on, that "fast start" energy started to fizzle. By mid-season, the opening drives were frequently stalling out, leaving Brandon Aubrey to bail the team out with long-distance field goals.
The problem isn't just the lack of points. It's the Time of Possession. In that same Eagles game, despite the early lead, the Cowboys only held the ball for about 25 minutes total. When you don't score in the first quarter, or worse, you go three-and-out, you’re putting a defense that’s already missing stars like Micah Parsons (who was traded away) back on the field far too soon.
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Why the Dallas Cowboys 1st Quarter Score Dictates the Win
There is a massive correlation between how Dallas starts and how they finish. A few years back, a deep dive into the numbers showed that the Cowboys were nearly unbeatable when they scored first—going 9-0 in one stretch—but had a losing record when they trailed after the first 15 minutes.
That hasn't changed much. In 2025, when the Dallas Cowboys 1st quarter score was 7 or higher, their win probability jumped significantly. Why? Because the current offensive scheme, an Air Coryell variation under Schottenheimer and OC Klayton Adams, relies heavily on play-action.
- The Lead-Runner Effect: When Dallas is up, Javonte Williams and Malik Davis can grind the clock.
- The Dak Factor: Dak Prescott is a different animal when he isn't forced into "hero ball" mode by a 10-point deficit.
- Defensive Pressure: Without a lead, the defense can't pin its ears back and rush the passer, which is a problem when your pressure rate is already hovering around 16.7% without heavy blitzing.
The Defensive Side of the Ball
Surprisingly, the defense actually held up its end of the bargain for a good chunk of the year. At one point, Dallas was the only team in the league that hadn't surrendered a first-quarter touchdown. They were "bend-but-don't-break" masters.
But you can only hold a dam for so long. If the offense keeps handing the ball back with a 0 on the scoreboard, eventually, the dam breaks. We saw this against the Jets, where the 1st quarter ended in a 3-3 stalemate. Dallas eventually won that game 37-22, but the slow start made the first half a lot more stressful than it needed to be.
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Breaking Down the 2025 Trends
The 2025 season was a weird one. You had George Pickens emerging as a legitimate threat, but CeeDee Lamb was dealing with a case of the "dropsies" early in games. In the season's final stretch, including a holiday win against the Vikings, the 1st quarter performance improved. They averaged 10 points in the first quarter over their final few games.
This late-season surge was largely thanks to Klayton Adams leaning into pre-snap motion. Dallas went from being one of the static teams in the league to using motion on over 42% of their plays. This "eye candy" for the defense helped Dak find Jake Ferguson and Pickens for easy early completions.
Real Talk: Is It Coaching or Execution?
Fans love to blame the coaches. "The play-calling is too predictable!" "Why are we running on first down every time?"
The truth is a mix. Schottenheimer’s motto is "winning from the line of scrimmage." That sounds great in a press conference, but in the first quarter, it often looks like slamming into a brick wall for two yards. When the Cowboys try to be "physical" without establishing a passing threat, they end up punting.
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On the flip side, player execution has been spotty. You can't blame a coach for a dropped pass on 3rd-and-4. CeeDee Lamb had a career-high four drops in the opener, and while he finished with 110 yards, those early misses killed the momentum. When the Dallas Cowboys 1st quarter score stays at zero, the pressure on every subsequent play triples.
Actionable Insights for the Next Game
If you’re watching the next Cowboys game and want to know if they’re actually going to win, don't look at the final score. Look at the first two drives.
- Check the Motion: If they aren't moving players before the snap, the offense is going to struggle. They need that confusion to create windows for Pickens and Ferguson.
- Watch the Rushing Attempts: If Javonte Williams is getting 4+ yards on his first three carries, Dallas will likely control the tempo.
- The "Aubrey" Indicator: If Brandon Aubrey is kicking a 50-yarder on the first drive, it’s a bad sign. It means the offense moved the ball but failed in the red zone—a recurring nightmare for this team.
The opening score isn't just a number on a ticker; it’s a heartbeat for the entire team. Until Dallas can consistently put up 7+ in the first 15 minutes, they’ll continue to be the "streakiest team in the NFC." They have the talent, but the urgency needs to start at the kickoff, not when they’re down by two scores in the third.
To stay ahead of the game, track the "Early Down Success Rate" (EDSR). Teams that move the chains on first and second down in the opening quarter are 60% more likely to win the game outright. For Dallas, that means fewer "obvious" run situations and more aggressive passing to the sticks before the defense can settle in.