The final whistle blew at MetLife Stadium on January 4, 2026, and just like that, the Dallas Cowboys' season went quiet. Not with a bang. Definitely not with a playoff trophy. Honestly, it felt more like a long, exhausted sigh. If you’re looking for the Dallas Cowboys football score from that regular-season finale, it was a 34-17 loss to the New York Giants.
It was a weird ending to an even weirder year.
You’ve got a team that somehow beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving in front of 60 million people, but then turned around and let the Giants—who weren't exactly world-beaters—put up 34 points on them to close the door. Dallas finished the 2025 campaign with a record of 7-9-1. Yes, a tie. Because of course this season needed a tie to make it more confusing.
The Scoreboard Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Looking at a box score is easy. Seeing the "L" next to a 34-17 scoreline is simple. But if you actually watched the Schottenheimer era kick off this year, you know the vibe was just... off.
Brian Schottenheimer took the reins as head coach, and the offense actually put up some massive numbers. Dallas finished the season with the second-best total yardage in the entire league. Think about that. They moved the ball better than almost everyone, yet they couldn't even manage a winning record.
Why? Because the defense was, frankly, a disaster.
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They were ranked dead last in points allowed. 32nd out of 32. It’s hard to win football games when you’re giving up 30 points a night. The Week 18 game against the Giants was a perfect microcosm of this. Joe Milton III, the rookie quarterback, got the start because Dak Prescott sat out with the season already lost, and while Milton showed flashes, the defense just folded.
That Wild November Run
For a minute there, we all thought they were back. You remember November, right? It was probably the most emotional month of football in Dallas history.
The team lost Marshawn Kneeland on November 5. It was devastating. He had just scored a touchdown against the Cardinals two days prior. Most teams would have spiraled, but somehow, they rallied. They went on a three-game winning streak that included:
- A massive 33-16 win over the Raiders.
- A 21-point comeback to stun the Eagles 24-21.
- That 31-28 thriller against the Chiefs on Thanksgiving.
The Eagles game was peak Cowboys drama. They were down 21-0 at halftime. AT&T Stadium felt like a funeral home. Then George Pickens—who Jerry Jones somehow snagged in a trade from Pittsburgh—started mossing defenders. Brandon Aubrey, who remains the most reliable human being on the planet, nailed a 42-yarder as time expired to seal it.
The Dallas Cowboys football score in that game is the one fans will actually remember from 2025. It showed what this team could have been if they weren't so inconsistent.
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Why the Defense Crumbled
It’s easy to blame the coaching, but losing Micah Parsons in a trade for Kenny Clark was a move that basically set the fan base on fire. Jerry Jones wanted to beef up the interior defensive line, so he brought in Clark and later Quinnen Williams.
On paper? It looked like a brick wall.
In reality? The pass rush vanished.
Without Parsons flying off the edge, opposing quarterbacks had all day to eat. We saw it in Week 14 against the Lions (a 44-30 blowout) and again in Week 16 when Justin Herbert wasn't sacked a single time. Not once.
Key Stats from the 2025 Season
If you're a numbers person, the final 2025 season stats look like a video game where someone forgot to play defense:
- Total Record: 7-9-1
- Points For: 471 (7th in NFL)
- Points Against: 511 (32nd in NFL)
- Dak Prescott: 4,552 passing yards, 30 TDs, 10 INTs
- Javonte Williams: 1,201 rushing yards, 11 TDs
- George Pickens: Pro Bowl selection after a monster second half of the season
Dak actually played well. He was healthy for all 17 games, which was the big question mark after that 2024 hamstring issue. He threw for over 4,500 yards and kept them in games they had no business being in. But you can’t ask a QB to score 35 every week just to have a chance.
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The Playoff Picture (Or Lack Thereof)
The Cowboys were officially eliminated before they even stepped on the field for their Week 16 game against the Chargers. The Eagles clinching the division and the wild card race getting crowded in the NFC West (those teams are a juggernaut right now) meant Dallas was watching the postseason from the couch for the second straight year.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that has the most-watched regular-season game in history. People love to watch the Cowboys, whether they’re winning or falling apart.
What’s Next for the Cowboys?
The 2026 offseason is officially here. The "Schotty" experiment is only one year in, but the pressure is already at a boiling point. You can't have the #2 offense and the #32 defense and expect to keep your job in Dallas for long.
If you’re tracking the Dallas Cowboys football score moving forward, the focus shifts to the draft and free agency. They need edge rushers. They need a secondary that doesn't give up 250 yards to J.J. McCarthy.
Basically, they need to figure out how to stop someone.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the Senior Bowl: With the 2025 season over, look at the defensive line prospects. Dallas needs someone who can actually pressure a quarterback.
- Monitor the Salary Cap: With Quinnen Williams and George Pickens on the roster, the cap is getting tight. Watch for veteran cuts in February.
- Check the 2026 Schedule: While the exact dates aren't out, we know the opponents. Expect another heavy dose of prime-time games because, win or lose, the ratings don't lie.
The 2025 season was a rollercoaster that ended in a ditch. But hey, that's Cowboys football. There's always next September.