Dallas Cowboys’ 2025 Season Arrives at Disappointing End in 34-17 Loss at Giants

The Dallas Cowboys’ 2025 season got off to a confusing and frustrating beginning, starting on Aug. 28 when they traded superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys had offered Parsons a five-year, $202.5 million extension. The Packers ended up agreeing with Parsons at four years and $188 million. 

The Cowboys lost Week 1 at the hated Philadelphia Eagles by a 24-20 score, the culprit being star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s drops late on the team’s final drive. In Week 2 at home, the team defeated the New York Giants at home in overtime, 40-37. Dak Prescott threw for 361 yards. The defense gave up 450 and three touchdowns to veteran Russell Wilson. 

In Week 3 at Chicago, the Cowboys gave up 31 to the Bears. Caleb Williams threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns. In Week 4 at home on Sunday Night Football against the Packers, the team tied Green Bay 40-40. Jordan Love threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Week 5 saw a 37-22 win at the New York Jets, but in Week 6 the defense allowed three touchdowns to the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young. Surrendered to Denver Broncos’ quarterback Bo Nix in Week 8 were 247 yards and four touchdowns. Two touchdowns and 261 yards were given up to Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Monday Night Football in Week 9. 

The team’s bye week came in Week 10, and the arrival of superstar defensive tackle Quinnen Williams via trade with the Jets rejuvenated the whole group and the team reeled off three consecutive victories - 33-16 on Monday Night at the Las Vegas Raiders, and back-to-back against both Super Bowl teams from a season ago, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. At 6-5-1, things were looking optimistic for the Cowboys, but three consecutive losses - 44-30, 34-26, and 34-17 against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Los Angeles Chargers - brought the team back to earth.  A 30-23 Christmas Day victory at the Washington Commanders preceded Sunday afternoon’s 34-17 loss at the Giants. 

Prescott played the first half in the finale, completing 7-of-11 passes for 70 yards, while Joe Milton played the last 30 minutes, completing 7-of-13 passes for 73 yards and an interception. Rookie running back Jaydon Blue, who had carried just 22 times going into Sunday and last played on Oct. 26 against the Broncos, ran 16 times for 64 yards with a touchdown. Fellow rookie back Phil Mafah, in his only action of the season, ran five times for 18 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Flournoy led the receiving corps with 68 yards on five catches, capping an impressive season in which he emerged as the team’s bonafide No. 3 receiver - 40 catches, 475 yards, and four touchdowns. He had two breakout games this season - six catches for 114 yards against the Jets, and nine catches for 115 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. 

The story of Sunday though was veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who registered a career-high for sacks in a game with three. The 32-year-old (he will be 33 on Feb. 14) finished 2025 with 8.5 sacks in thirteen games. Clowney was signed on Sept. 15 to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million, and emerged throughout the season as the defense’s most potent pass rusher. It would serve the team well if they could retain his services going forward. 

The 2025 Cowboys were a complete oxymoron, with an offense that was among the best in the league but a defense that was at the bottom. 

The offense averaged the second-most yards per game at 391.9, with 266.3 through the air. Prescott finished third in the NFL in passing yards with 4,552, playing all but the second half of Week 18’s finale. Javonte Williams finished ninth in the league in rushing with 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. George Pickens emerged as one of the NFL’s top wideouts, with the uber-talented 24-year-old finishing third in receiving yards (1,429), eighth in receptions with 93, and tied for fourth in touchdowns with nine. Prescott was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl, Pickens his first, and left guard/tackle Tyler Smith his third consecutive. 

Quinnen Williams was voted to his fourth straight Pro Bowl, anchoring a defense that was otherwise putrid in 2025. The unit finished 30th in yards per game allowed at 377.0, last in pass defense (251.5), 23rd in run defense (125.5), and last in points given up per game (30.1). One of the bright spots was a stretch between the Raider and Eagle matchups where the unit allowed just 3.0 yards per carry from both Ashton Jeanty and Saquon Barkley. 

Too few feathers were visible on the Cowboy D’s wide-brimmed ball cap in 2025 though, as despite the standout play of Williams, Clowney, DeMarvion Overshown (when healthy), and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, there were too many holes on that side of the ball. Kenneth Murray, Logan Wilson, and Jack Sanborn need replacing at linebacker, Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker could be replaced at safety, and cornerback needs a makeover, especially with DaRon Bland having had recent surgery on his broken foot and rookie second round draft pick Shavon Revel having struggled. In the rookie Revel’s defense though, he was injured for the majority of the season and started five of just seven games played. Maturation pains are part of the process. 

As this team looks to 2026 and beyond, many questions linger as the offseason for the Cowboys begins. Does embattled defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus get dismissed? Does Pickens get franchise tagged, or extended long term? Is Javonte Williams brought back after his career season on a bargain $3.5 million deal? Does the veteran standout Clowney return? 

Many questions yet to be answered but ones that will be answered soon enough. Perhaps the NFL’s most visible franchise missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Disappointment for the fans in Big D. 

Let’s see what the offseason brings. On to 2026.