The Dallas Cowboys are basically the biggest paradox in American professional sports. If you've ever found yourself asking what's the score with the Cowboys, you aren't just asking about a number on a Jumbotron; you’re asking about the existential dread of a fan base that watches 12-win seasons turn into January dust. Every single year.
It's frustrating.
They are the most valuable sports franchise on the planet, yet they haven't touched an NFC Championship game since the mid-90s. Jerry Jones calls himself a "risk-taker," but then he sits on his hands during free agency while the rest of the NFC East gets better. Honestly, the "score" isn't great right now if you're looking for stability. We are currently staring at a lame-duck coaching staff, a quarterback entering the final year of a massive deal with zero leverage for the team, and a defense that just lost its mastermind to a division rival.
The Financial Gridlock with Dak and CeeDee
Look at the books. That’s where the real score is kept in the modern NFL. Dak Prescott is currently carrying a cap hit that makes most general managers wake up in a cold sweat. Because of the way his previous contract was structured, the Cowboys have almost no choice but to pay him or watch him walk for nothing next year. It’s a stalemate.
Dak has all the leverage.
Then you’ve got CeeDee Lamb. He’s arguably the best receiver in the league not named Justin Jefferson, and he knows his worth. While other teams are aggressively locking up their stars, the Cowboys have historically waited until the very last second, often driving the price up on themselves in the process. It's a weird strategy. You'd think a billionaire would want to save a few bucks by signing guys early, but Jerry seems to love the drama of a training camp holdout.
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The "all-in" comment from earlier this year has become a meme. Fans expected a spree of high-profile signings to fix the run defense or bolster the offensive line. Instead, we got Eric Kendricks and a bunch of "wait and see." If the score is measured in off-season wins, Dallas is losing by three touchdowns.
Mike McCarthy's Hot Seat is Actually On Fire
Let’s talk about the coaching situation because it’s genuinely bizarre. Mike McCarthy is entering the final year of his contract. Usually, in the NFL, you don't let a coach enter a "lame-duck" year because it undermines their authority in the locker room.
Jerry Jones doesn't care about "usually."
He's essentially told McCarthy: "Win a Super Bowl or find a new job." That creates a high-pressure environment that can either lead to a focused, gritty run or a total locker room collapse the moment things go sideways in October. And don't forget, Dan Quinn is gone. He’s in Washington now. Taking Mike Zimmer as the new defensive coordinator is an interesting "retro" move, but Zimmer’s old-school, hard-nosed approach is a massive departure from Quinn’s player-friendly vibe.
How does Micah Parsons react to a coach who is known for being a bit of a grouch? Micah is a generational talent, but he's also someone who thrives on a certain kind of energy. If Zimmer and Parsons don't click, that defense—which has been the backbone of the team's regular-season success—could take a massive step back.
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The Playoff Ghost that Won't Leave
People always want to know what's the score with the Cowboys when it comes to the postseason. The stat is painful: 3-5 in the playoffs since 2014. That’s the reality.
Last year's loss to Green Bay was a different kind of hurt. It wasn't just a loss; it was a non-competitive embarrassment at home. In front of everyone. Jordan Love looked like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers combined, and the Dallas secondary looked like they’d never seen a crossing route before. That game changed the narrative from "Dallas is a contender" to "Dallas is a paper tiger."
To fix the score, they have to prove they can win when the grass is crispy and the air is cold. They’ve proven they can beat up on the Giants and the Commanders in October. Cool. Who cares? If they can't stop the run against a physical team like San Francisco or Detroit in January, nothing else matters.
The Roster Holes Nobody Wants to Admit
We need to be honest about the offensive line. Tyron Smith is gone. He was the anchor, even if he was made of glass the last few seasons. Replacing a Hall of Fame-caliber left tackle isn't something you just do with a mid-round draft pick and some "grit."
- Tyler Guyton is a project. He’s got the size, sure, but he’s raw.
- The center position is a question mark.
- The run game? It's basically Ezekiel Elliott's homecoming tour.
Zeke is back, which is a great story for jersey sales, but is he the 1,000-yard back he was in 2016? No. Not even close. He's a short-yardage specialist at this point. Relying on him and Rico Dowdle to carry the load behind a transitioning offensive line feels like a recipe for a lot of 3rd-and-longs.
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If Dak is forced to throw 50 times a game because the run game is non-existent, the defense is going to tee off on him. We’ve seen this movie before. It usually ends with a deflected pass and an interception in the fourth quarter.
Why the NFC East is Suddenly Terrifying
The Eagles didn't just sit around. They went out and got Saquon Barkley. Think about that. The best player on the Giants—the guy who gave the Cowboys fits even with a bad offensive line—is now running behind one of the best lines in football.
The score within the division is tightening. Washington has a new identity with Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn. They aren't the "free win" they used to be. Even the Giants are making moves to get more explosive. For the first time in a while, the Cowboys don't look like the clear-cut favorites to take the East. They look like a team that could easily slip to a wild card spot, or worse, miss out entirely if a few injuries hit.
Actionable Steps for the Season Ahead
If you’re a fan trying to keep track of the "score" this season, keep your eyes on these specific metrics rather than just the win-loss column early on:
- Watch the First 15 Defensive Snaps: Under Mike Zimmer, the Cowboys need to show they can stop the run early. If they are giving up 5 yards a carry to middling backs in September, the season is in trouble.
- Monitor the Red Zone Efficiency: Last year, Dallas settled for too many field goals. With a weaker offensive line, Dak needs to be more clinical in tight spaces.
- The "Micah" Factor: Look at where Micah Parsons is lining up. If Zimmer has him stagnant at end every play, his impact might be neutralized. He needs to be a chess piece.
- Contract News: If a Dak extension doesn't happen by the start of the season, expect the media circus to be a massive distraction. Tune it out if you can, but recognize it affects the locker room.
The Dallas Cowboys remain the most fascinating soap opera in sports. The score isn't final yet, but the clock is ticking louder than it has in decades. This is a "prove it" year for everyone from the front office down to the water boy.
If the Cowboys want to change the score, they have to stop playing like a luxury brand and start playing like a football team that actually wants to win a trophy. Until then, the score remains: Talent 10, Execution 0.