By admin 
In the Dallas Cowboys‘ Sunday night season-opening loss to the New York Giants, several problems ultimately led to their demise. However, arguably one of the most odious ones on the night was the Cowboys’ secondary struggles.
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To be fair, it is only Week 1, so odious might be too strong a word (for now). But the Cowboys’ secondary was essentially nonexistent for much of the night; really, the whole defense, for that matter. The Giants’ second-year quarterback, Jaxson Dart, had his way with the Cowboys’ secondary to the tune of 230 yards passing while completing 23 of the 29 passes with three passing touchdowns add zero interceptions on the night. His favorite target on the night was New York’s key offseason acquisition on offense, tight end Isaiah Likely. Likely torched the Cowboys secondary, hauling in all eight of these targets for 78 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Star wide receiver Malik Nabers pitched in with six catches for 69 yards.
On the night, Dart could do no wrong picking apart the Cowboys’ secondary. And it wasn’t like Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker didn’t come in with a play. Parker’s game plan featured two high safety zone looks, typically out of nickel. This let him drop a few more players into coverage and take advantage of rookie defensive back Caleb Downs’s versatility, which he used well with eight total tackles, four solo, and one sack on a nickel blitz. Unfortunately, with more players dropped into coverage, it allowed New York’s physical ground attack to set the tone.
The ‘Cowboys’ light front-seven box allowed Giants running back Cam Skattebo to utilize his bruiser running style, finishing the game with 18 carries for 81 yards and one touchdown. The Giants as a whole recorded 37 carries for 165 yards. New York’s ability to consistently pick up yards on the ground allowed for softer zones for Dart to pick apart.
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DaRon Bland, who made a name for himself as a ball hawk in his 2023 All-Pro breakout season, leading the NFL with nine interceptions while setting the single-season record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown with five, didn’t record a single pass breakup in the game. In fact, only Cobie Durant was credited with a pass breakup against the Giants.
Many fans feared that when fellow All-Pro Trevon Diggs was let go of late last season, the Cowboys would be down a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, whether it’s the absence of Diggs or not, that concern appears to carry weight so far. Still, it’s only Week 1, and there are 16 more games left to play. But if this porous secondary play we witnessed on Sunday is more the rule than the exception, it is going to be a long season for us Cowboy fans, and scrutiny will be well deserved.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 11:07 AM.