If you’re looking for a simple Dallas Cowboys score quarter-by-quarter recap, you’ve probably noticed something feels... off about the 2025-2026 season. Honestly, it was a mess. One week they’re dropping 40 points in a shootout, and the next they’re barely moving the chains.
They finished 7-9-1. Yes, a tie. Against the Packers of all teams.
Most people just want to know how the last game ended, so let’s get right to it. On January 4, 2026, the Cowboys walked into MetLife Stadium and basically fell apart against the Giants. It was a 34-17 loss that felt even worse than the final score suggests.
The Breakdown: Dallas Cowboys Score Quarter-by-Quarter (Week 18 vs Giants)
The season finale was weird. Dak Prescott played the first half, then they pulled him for Joe Milton III. If you were checking the live score, your phone probably felt like it was glitching.
First Quarter: Cowboys 10, Giants 6 Dallas actually started strong. They were moving the ball. Brandon Aubrey nailed a 22-yard field goal, and then Jaydon Blue punched in a 14-yard touchdown run. At this point, you’re thinking, "Okay, maybe they’ll finish with some dignity." The Giants kept it close with two field goals from Ben Sauls, but Dallas had the lead.
Second Quarter: Cowboys 0, Giants 10 This is where the wheels started coming off. The Dallas offense went totally stagnant. Zero points. Meanwhile, the Giants chipped away with another field goal before Jaxson Dart found Daniel Bellinger for a 29-yard touchdown pass right before the half. Suddenly, it’s 16-10 Giants, and the energy just evaporated from the Cowboys' sideline.
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Third Quarter: Cowboys 0, Giants 8 Total disaster. Joe Milton came in for Dak, and the rhythm was gone. The Giants capitalized, scoring on a 13-yard pass to Tyrone Tracy Jr. They even went for two and got it. By the end of the third, the Cowboys were trailing 24-10 and hadn't scored in about 30 minutes of game time.
Fourth Quarter: Cowboys 7, Giants 10 Phil Mafah finally got Dallas back in the end zone with a 1-yard plunge, making it 24-17. There was a tiny spark of hope. It didn't last. The Giants responded with a field goal and then a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Devin Singletary to put the nail in the coffin.
Final Score: 34-17.
Why the 2025 Season Felt So Different
You can't talk about the Cowboys right now without mentioning Micah Parsons. Or rather, the fact that he wasn't there. Watching him play for the Green Bay Packers this year felt like a fever dream for most of Dallas. He ended the regular season with 12.5 sacks—for the team in Wisconsin.
That trade changed the entire identity of the defense. Without that elite edge pressure, the Cowboys' secondary was left on an island way too often. It’s why you saw scores like that 44-30 loss to Detroit in Week 14.
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Dallas Cowboys Score Quarter-by-Quarter: Season Trends
Looking back at the 17 games, a pattern emerged: the Cowboys were a first-half team that forgot how to play after the halftime show.
Take the Thanksgiving game against the Chiefs. Dallas won that one 31-28. They came out swinging, put up points early, and then barely held on for dear life at the end. It was their "Super Bowl" for the year, considering they only managed one single win against a team that actually made the playoffs (that wild Week 12 comeback against the Eagles).
The tie against Green Bay in Week 4 (40-40) was probably the peak of the chaos. It was a quarter-by-quarter rollercoaster:
- Q1: Dallas leads 10-7.
- Q2: Green Bay rallies, 21-17.
- Q3: Dallas explodes for 13 points.
- Q4: Total defensive collapse leads to overtime.
It’s hard to find a game this year where they played four consistent quarters. Even Dak Prescott's stats—which were actually league-leading in yards (4,552) and completions (404)—couldn't mask the fact that they couldn't close games.
A Quick Reality Check on the Stats
Dak threw for 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. On paper? Elite. In reality? A lot of those yards came while trailing. When you're playing from behind in the fourth quarter, you're going to rack up passing yards.
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The defense allowed 511 points over the season. That’s an average of about 30 points per game. You aren't going to win many games in the NFL when your opponent starts every Sunday with a 30-point floor.
What This Means for Next Year
If you're tracking the Dallas Cowboys score quarter-by-quarter, the takeaway is clear: the roster needs more than just a "hot" quarterback. The lack of a run game—aside from occasional flashes from Jaydon Blue—put too much pressure on the passing attack.
The 2026 schedule isn't going to be any easier. They’ve got road games against the Seahawks and 49ers on the horizon.
Actionable Steps for the Offseason:
- Focus on the Red Zone: Dallas struggled to turn 20-yard gains into 7 points. Settling for Brandon Aubrey field goals is great for fantasy owners, but it's a losing strategy for a real team.
- Rebuild the Pass Rush: You can't replace Micah Parsons with one guy, but the current "committee" approach clearly failed.
- Address the Second Half Slump: The coaching staff needs to look at why their adjustments are consistently failing in the third and fourth quarters.
The stats don't lie, even if they sometimes hide how painful the games actually were to watch. Dallas has the talent to be a playoff contender, but 7-9-1 is exactly what this team earned this year.