The Dallas Cowboys offense just suffered its second- and fifth-worst EPA per play outings since 2025, and it is a massive problem. This is shocking, especially with star left guard Tyler Smith back on the field for those games. It looks like the Cowboys were straight-up out-coached in back-to-back matchups, leaving their high-powered attack sputtering when it needs to be firing.
Packers’ Defense Put Prescott in a Pretzel
New Packers DC Jonathon Gannon had the Cowboys’ pass game in a pretzel, man! He was breaking protection rules and disguising coverages like crazy. Seriously, if you look at the film, what those players showed pre-snap versus where they rotated, dropped, or blitzed from was just wild. Prescott had six plays end in an interception or throw away, his most in a single game since 2025. That’s a huge red flag. This Packers defense is doing similar things to what Vikings DC Brian Flores was pulling last year, creating pre-snap chaos at the highest level.
The Cowboys just didn’t have a plan to make the Packers pay by hitting those intermediate and deep shots to their wide receivers. And you know what happened? The Packers’ elite safeties kept making plays within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage, totally shutting it down. That red zone interception? It was a post-snap rotation where Evan Williams bailed from a blitz look and dropped into a deep safety role, reading the coverage perfectly. As Yahoo’s Football 301 Nate Tice pointed out, this “4 weak pressure” that stresses the running back side has been giving Dallas trouble specifically. Sure, CeeDee Lamb slipped for another interception, and a bad Dak game was still 18th percentile EPA per play, so it’s not like the whole offense is broken. But they absolutely need to get more deep shots off if they want to get back to their potential.
Cowboys’ Offensive Flaws Run Deeper Than One Game
Beyond the coaching issue, the Cowboys have two unchangeable flaws on offense that go all the way back to 2025. First, targets to running backs, fullbacks, and tight ends are averaging just 6.8 yards per reception, which is dead last in the league at 32nd. Their EPA per target is only +0.07, ranking 27th. Guys like Jake Ferguson and Javonte Williams offer next to nothing after the catch, and they’ve had some ill-timed drops. Basically, if the ball isn’t going to a wide receiver, it’s pretty much a dead play because they lack receiving depth at those positions.
Secondly, running back carries are only reaching 10+ yards 9.8% of the time, putting them 28th in the league. Williams is a trusted short-yardage option, with a top-five success rate on those runs, but getting any explosive plays on the ground is a rarity. That includes Dak Prescott scrambling too. With those two major issues, Prescott and that wide receiver trio have to be nearly perfect just to keep a top-five offense going. To their credit, they’ve done that more times than not since the George Pickens trade, but these recent performances are a stark reminder of their vulnerabilities. On the bright side, for all you fantasy heads, George Pickens is looking like a great buy-low candidate. He’s only WR23 per game through Week 6, but he’s WR13 in expected points, and we know that Dak to Pickens connection is one of the better ones out there.
Brown’s Rough Return from Ankle Sprain
Shifting gears a bit, A.J. Brown just had the worst game of his career coming back from that high-ankle sprain. The drops were brutal, and they went viral, even extending into the “hands team” section during onside kick prevention. You hate to see it from a talent like that.
The Cowboys have some big matchups coming up against the Eagles, Cardinals, Colts, 49ers, and Titans. They really need to figure out how to counter that defensive chaos and start hitting deep shots, or this rough patch could turn into something much bigger for their season. They’ve got to find some answers, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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