NFL power rankings: Experts marvel at struggles of Dallas Cowboys’ defense
The Dallas Cowboys’ up-and-down season continued with the team’s 44-24 drubbing at the hands of the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The Cowboys’ record now stands at 3-4-1, and the team has yet to win back-to-back games all season.
How did pundits react on various NFL power ranking lists?
Todd Archer, ESPN
Nobody could have predicted [running back Javonte] Williams would be on pace for a 1,345-yard, 17-touchdown season when the Cowboys signed him to a one-year deal. Yet, here he is. Williams has shown the ability to break some long runs and pick up the dirty yards. How he holds up over the course of the season with the usage he has so far (on track for a career-high 264 carries) will be of interest. But if teams want to play their safeties deep to defend wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, then the Cowboys will continue to feed Williams.
Ranking: No. 18 (Prev. No. 16)
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk
It’s hard to win games with a defense that can’t defend.
Ranking: No. 20 (Prev. No. 19)
Eric Edholm, NFL.com
The Cowboys came out trying to play man defense against the Broncos, and it resulted in an interception ... followed by four TDs in the next five possessions. They were down three important members of the secondary, rolled the dice and it bit them. That was tough, but seeing the offense fail to rise up to the challenge against Denver’s defense was disappointing — and revealing. The Cowboys have lacked that same juice on the road that they’ve shown at home, and this was just as tough a game as the Week 3 loss to the Bears was. Dak Prescott probably had his worst outing of the season, not taking enough advantage of Patrick Surtain II missing the second half. Dallas could have won back-to-back games but left looking like a team that can’t count on its offense bailing out the defense on a weekly basis.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The defense is horrible right now, and that led to the offense pressing in the loss to the Broncos. The question is whether they make moves before the trade deadline.
Ranking: No. 21 (Prev. No. 18)
Diante Lee, The Ringer
Dallas’s offense has been so good over the past month that we haven’t had much time to reflect on the fact that the Cowboys are trotting out one of the league’s worst defenses every week.
But after Dallas took a 44-point lashing from Denver, I could hear the groans echoing all the way from the plains in Texas. The Cowboys can’t get pressure on quarterbacks, can’t stop the run, and can’t catch a break with the injuries to the secondary. The offense is fighting hard in most games, but this team just doesn’t have the defensive horses to make the most of an excellent year from quarterback Dak Prescott.
Ranking: No. 15 (Prev. No. 15)
Josh Kendall and Chad Graff, The Athletic
Pity the poor people who are keeping statistics at Cowboys games — because there are a bunch of them. Thanks to Dak Prescott, Dallas is scoring 30.75 points per game (second in the league), and thanks to a terrible defense, it is giving up 31.3 points per game (31st). Cowboys games have featured 496 points and 6,310 yards this season. Both of those numbers lead the league.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports
The Broncos’ offense had been mostly stuck before Sunday when it scored six touchdowns. The Cowboys’ defense is atrocious. Cornerback Trevon Diggs went on injured reserve, with questions about his future with the team. A trade, even two, isn’t saving this defense.
Ranking: No. 17 (Prev. No. 15)
Staff, Bleacher Report
Dak Prescott played as well or better than any quarterback in the NFL through the first seven weeks of play. By Week 8, he sat on the bench watching his team finish the contest against the Broncos.
Prescott threw two poor interceptions when facing the elite defense. The second was particularly devastating since it occurred in the red zone. Denver did a job on the Cowboys offense, and Prescott looked out of sorts. The run game never got going. The offensive line surrendered a combined 10 sacks/quarterback hits.
Ranking: No. 21 (Prev. No. 20)
Nate Davis, USA Today
Remember when Jerry Jones cited an emphasis on stopping the run as a reason to move on from DE Micah Parsons and reconfigure this defense? Seems to be going great, Dallas surrendering nearly 168 rushing yards per game over the past five weeks.
Ranking: No. 19 (Prev. No. 17)
Ralph Vacchiano, Fox Sports
I know Jerry Jones thinks he was right with the way he built this defense around the absence of Micah Parsons. But use your eyes. He was clearly wrong.
Ranking: No. 19 (Prev. No. 17)
