# Cowboys Week 1: who rose, who sank

> A 28-20 loss to the Giants exposed a hyped defense, a leaky offensive line, and a rookie safety worth watching.
- Title: Cowboys Week 1: who rose, who sank · Dallas Cowboys On SI
- Summary: A 28-20 loss to the Giants exposed a hyped defense, a leaky offensive line, and a rookie safety worth watching. Dallas has individual bright spots in…
- Keywords: nfl, cowboys, week 1, defense, offensive line, sports, Week, rose, sank, Dallas Cowboys On SI
- Source: Dallas Cowboys On SI — https://si.com/nfl/cowboys/onsi/dallas-cowboys-week-1-stock-report-christian-parker-falling-caleb-downs-rising
- Published: 2026-09-14T15:45:00+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: nfl, cowboys, week 1, defense, offensive line, sports
## A bad night in New Jersey
Dallas opened the season with a 28-20 loss to the Giants on Sunday night. Almost nothing went right on either side of the ball.

> Things could not have gone much worse for the Dallas Cowboys
## The hype did not show up
After an offseason of buzz about the defense, Week 1 looked like the same unit as last year. The offense had its own problems, starting in the trenches.
## Rising: Donovan Ezeiruaku
Ezeiruaku managed only two pressures, but that tied for the team lead per PFF. He turned them into half a sack and two QB hits.
## Best grade on the team
He also led Dallas with 10 tackles, one for a loss, and added three run stops. His 86.6 PFF defensive grade topped the roster.
## Falling: Christian Parker
Parker's debut as a play-caller flopped. The soft zone got shredded by the Giants' passing game, and he rarely sent extra rushers on a night with no natural pressure.

> Are we sure Matt Eberflus isn't the defensive coordinator still?
## No adjustments came
The Giants ran a dump-off fest in the fourth quarter and walked into a touchdown that swung the game. Nothing changed on the Dallas sideline.

> The lack of adjustments ... was maddening to watch.
## Broken in every phase
No pass rush, no resistance against the run, sloppy coverage and worse tackling. The old communication breakdowns resurfaced too.

> the hype was most definitely not real
## Rising: Caleb Downs
The rookie safety put up eight tackles, third-most on the team, plus a pressure, a sack and a QB hit. He looked comfortable blitzing.
## Targeted twice, barely burned
Downs gave up both passes thrown his way, including a touchdown, but the two catches went for a combined seven yards.
## Not just a slot guy
Camp and preseason suggested Downs might be stuck inside. He played 88% of snaps and lined up at both safety and in the slot.
## Hooker's absence opens a door
With Malik Hooker out for an extended stretch, Downs gets an even bigger role. He is already near the ceiling of usage.
## Falling: T.J. Bass
The fourth-year guard allowed a team-high three pressures. His 54.1 run-blocking grade was the worst on the line and his 53.2 pass-block grade the second worst.
## Steele and Guyton struggled too
Terence Steele yielded one pressure but graded a dismal 45.2 in pass protection, worst among starters. Guyton run-blocked at 84.8 and pass-blocked at 52.2.
## The pressure count is disputed
PFF charted six pressures allowed by the line. ESPN's Todd Archer noted Dak Prescott was pressured on 10 of 19 first-half dropbacks.
## Prescott cracked under it
Facing that heat, Prescott completed just 3 of 9 for 29 yards with an interception. The clean-pocket version of him never appeared.
## Nowhere to run
Javonte Williams found no space behind that line. Dallas finished with 69 rushing yards at 3.8 per carry.
## Rising: Cobie Durant
Durant was the best Cowboys corner in coverage with a 73.4 PFF grade. He allowed one catch on three targets for 18 yards and a 54.9 passer rating.
## Falling: DeMarvion Overshown
A second-half hamstring injury pulled him out, an alarming turn given his history. Before that he allowed all four targets for 38 yards and graded dead last on the team at 29.4.
## Falling: DaRon Bland
Bland was the weakest of the top three corners, giving up four catches, 38 yards and a touchdown on five targets for a 137.9 passer rating. Shavon Revel may start taking his snaps.
## Key takeaway

Dallas has individual bright spots in Ezeiruaku, Downs, and Durant, but the defensive scheme and the offensive line are the problems that decide the season.