NFL power rankings: Cowboys slide after latest loss — but that was before trades
The Dallas Cowboys have had busy trade deadline day, making moves for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson to improve their defense as they try to overcome a 3-5-1 start to the season.
Where do pundits place the team in the NFL power rankings hierarchy after its latest loss, 27-17 to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday?
Todd Archer, ESPN
The Cowboys can’t begin to think about the playoffs until they win consecutive games. But the best way to make the postseason would likely be winning the NFC East — and that would require help. The Eagles play the Packers and Lions in the next two weeks. Let’s say they lose both. At 3-5-1, the Cowboys are in must-win territory, starting Nov. 17 at the Raiders, which would set up the rematch of the season opener at AT&T Stadium with the Eagles.
Ranking: No. 21 (Prev. No. 18)
Ralph Vacchiano, Fox Sports
We knew their defense was terrible, but if their offense is going to play like they did Monday night, they’ve got deeper problems than anyone realized.
Ranking: No. 22 (Prev. No. 19)
Staff, Bleacher Report
The Dallas Cowboys have lost consecutive games by double-digit margins, averaging 20.5 points in those outings. While on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM NFL Radio (h/t The Athletic’s Jon Machota), Dallas owner Jerry Jones hinted the team will make a trade to address its “shortcomings.” One player won’t turn this club into a contender, though, and the Cowboys should look within to fix some of their issues. They have turned the ball over five times over the last two weeks.
Nate Davis, USA Today
What a 24 hours for owner Jerry Jones. He saw his team get wiped by the Cardinals in front of a national audience on Monday night, then decided to start infusing talent into a 3-5-1 squad that’s currently in 11th place overall in the NFC. The big move was acquiring Pro Bowl DT Quinnen Williams from the Jets in a move that’s going to deplete the draft war chest Jones had loaded following this summer’s infamous export of DE Micah Parsons.
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic
The hard truth for the Cowboys is that they’re wasting a really good season from the offense (Monday night notwithstanding) because of their poor defense. If only they had entered the season with arguably the best defensive player in the league.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com
Dak Prescott and the offense never really found a rhythm against Arizona until late on Monday night, and they were ultimately buried by Javonte Williams’ fumble, one of five Dallas turnovers (if you count the two fourth-down stops) on the night. Brian Schottenheimer opted to go for it — down 17 points early in the fourth quarter — instead of kicking a field goal, with Next Gen Stats calling it a toss-up play, slightly favoring going for it (by 0.4%).
Ranking: No. 23 (Prev. No. 22)
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports
The Cowboys can’t be buyers at the trade deadline, right? It would be tough in an ideal situation to get back in the NFC playoff race, and the Cowboys’ defense probably isn’t good enough to lead a long winning streak. But would the Cowboys be sellers?
Ranking: No. 23 (Prev. No. 17)
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The defense is so bad that it’s starting to impact the offense. There is no need to make any blockbuster trades to try and fix that defense. It’s beyond repair.
Ranking: No. 25 (Prev. No. 21)
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk
At least Jerry Jones has his $100 billion natural-gas thing.
Diante Lee, The Ringer
This season is turning into a dark comedy because Jerry Jones can’t help but say things that torture Cowboys fans. On Monday, he said Dallas had acquired someone who “will address some of the things that have been [Dallas’] shortcomings,” but he wouldn’t say who the player is or what position he plays. Unless it’s a player as singularly impactful as Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett, Jones’s bluster is unwarranted — and hasn’t that been the truth in Dallas for the past two decades?
Ranking: No. 21 (Prev. No. 15)
