The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Carolina Panthers 30-27 in Week 6 of the NFL regular season, dropping to 2-3-1 on the year.
Dallas now sits third in the NFC East and 13th in the overall NFC playoff picture, with the team desperately needing to find rhythm to stay in postseason contention.
This back-and-forth loss marks another disappointment for a Dallas team still searching for consistency, with many of the same issues plaguing it a third of the way through the season.
The Cowboys Have The Worst Defense in the NFL
Dallas once again allowed 30 points against one of the league’s weakest offenses, with this unit now ranking near the bottom of the NFL in two key defensive categories.
Entering Monday Night Football, the Cowboys rank last in yards allowed per game (411.7) and second to last in points allowed per game (30.7).
Notably, both figures would rank among the worst in NFL history.
Dallas’s 411.7 yards per game allowed would be the 13th worst ever, while 30.7 points allowed per game would rank 15th worst if maintained for the full season.
The biggest concern: this defense offers almost no resistance at any level.
The team has struggled to stop the run and continues to allow big plays to wide receivers left wide open across the field.
Simply put, there’s nothing this defensive unit does well.
To make matters worse, there are few reinforcements on the horizon.
Although linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is expected to return this season, he’ll likely need several weeks to ramp up before taking a full snap count.
Dallas currently has healthy cornerbacks, defensive ends, defensive tackles, and safeties, meaning roster turnover is unlikely to fix the issue.
Realistically, the only significant change that could come would be moving on from defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus — but finding a competent replacement midseason is always difficult.
Moving forward, Dallas will have to hope that players step up and defensive play-calling improves to give this team a chance in meaningful games.
Dak Prescott MVP Campaign Going To Waste
The Cowboys’ defensive collapse has completely overshadowed one of this season’s most impressive stories: Dak Prescott’s MVP-caliber performance.
Currently, Prescott ranks second in the NFL with 1,617 passing yards, leads the league with 13 passing touchdowns, and has completed 71.6% of his passes.
He has thrown just three interceptions while leading one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses — second in scoring at 29.7 points per game.
Over the last three games, Prescott has totaled 817 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and zero interceptions, with a 127.4 passer rating.
Despite those numbers, the Cowboys have gone just 1-1-1 in that stretch.
The problem: MVP campaigns require wins.
Last season, Joe Burrow led the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns on 70.6% passing and only nine interceptions — yet finished fourth in MVP voting as the Bengals ended 9-8.
Looking ahead, Prescott could post similar numbers, but if Dallas continues to lose, he’ll likely remain out of serious MVP discussions.
To stay in the hunt, the Cowboys need at least a 10-7 finish to reach the playoffs as a wild card — but even that might not be enough if other quarterbacks post similar stats for winning teams.