What Went Wrong This Season for the Dallas Cowboys?
It was a challenging year for Dallas Cowboys fans.
After an exciting regular-season opener that also served as the NFL season opener, expectations were high for the Cowboys entering the 2025 NFL season.
Instead, Dallas finished outside the NFL playoff picture. So what went wrong with the Dallas Cowboys?
1) The Post-Week 13 Skid
The Cowboys were 6-4-1 entering their Week 14 matchup against the Detroit Lions. After losing that game 44-30, Dallas began a 1-5 slide to close out the 2025 regular season.
Week 14 featured a Lions team that had struggled for much of the year, followed by an inconsistent Minnesota Vikings squad in Week 15. Dallas dropped that contest 34-26, marking its second straight loss.
The Cowboys then faced the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16. The Chargers went on to earn the second wild-card berth in the AFC, and Dallas fell 34-17. The Cowboys responded in Week 17 with a 30-23 win over the Washington Commanders in a back-and-forth matchup.
In the regular-season finale, Dallas lost 34-17 to division rival Mike Kafka and the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, officially closing the door on its playoff hopes.
2) Injuries
Injuries were a defining factor throughout the Cowboys’ 2025 season. The absence of CeeDee Lamb was the most discussed blow to the offense, though wide receiver George Pickens stepped up during the All-Pro’s time away from the lineup.
Before Lamb was injured in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, Dallas opened the season 1-1. After the loss to Chicago, the Cowboys went 1-1-1 over the next three games, leaving them at 2-3-1 through the first seven weeks of the season.
Despite Lamb’s return, injuries continued to mount late in the year. Cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a knee injury that sidelined him, while offensive linemen Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe saw their playing time significantly reduced because of lingering injuries.
Injuries also exposed weaknesses on defense. Free-agent acquisition Jadeveon Clowney dealt with an upper-body injury that limited his practice participation in mid-November. In contrast, defensive tackle Solomon Thomas was limited by a calf injury during the same stretch. Those absences strained an already thin defensive front.
With multiple injuries on both sides of the ball, Dallas lacked the depth needed to win close games late in the season.
3) Defense
Ultimately, the Cowboys’ defense was not good enough.
Whether the struggles stemmed from injuries, scheme issues, or roster imbalance, the results were clear on the field. Dallas failed to adequately address the void left by the Micah Parsons trade. While Parsons was not solely responsible for the defense’s success in 2024, he was its most impactful player.
Without him, and without a suitable replacement, the Cowboys struggled to generate consistent pressure and stops throughout the season.
Dallas allowed 377 yards per game, ranking 30th in the NFL in total defense. The Cowboys surrendered 6,409 total yards, according to ESPN. Without Diggs in the secondary, Dallas allowed an NFL-worst 251.5 passing yards per game. The Cowboys surrendered 6,409 total yards, according to ESPN. Exposed by the absence of Diggs, Dallas allowed an NFL-worst 251.5 passing yards per game.
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Categorized:Cowboys