Jerry Jones made strides this offseason to fix the Dallas Cowboys' atrocious defense in 2025. But now, fans are realizing something they've known since last season. They don't have to be the 1985 Chicago Bears. Heck, they don't even have to be in the middle of the pack. Christian Parker's defense can afford to be on the south side of the pack and still be an amazing football team.
Cowboys film analyst Voch Lombardi, who's known for Cowboys analysis all year round, said something Cowboys fans will absolutely agree with. Lombardi did a deep dive into the 18th-best defense in the NFL last season, and if the Cowboys can be around there, they can be a serious contender.
"Last year, the Ravens were 18th (in defense), giving up 23.4 PPG. Dallas gave up 30.1. Doesn’t sound massive until you add context: Baltimore allowed 41 TDs. Dallas allowed 59. That’s a 108-point difference before you even count FGs. The crazy part? The Cowboys lost their 9 games by a combined 111 points."
The Cowboys don't have to be a mid-tier defense in 2026 to be a Super Bowl contender
Lombardi is 100 percent on it. Cowboys fans were anticipating a big splash before the trade deadline last season, and they got Quinnen Williams. Still an amazing win for Jones, but fans were expecting a trade to fix their awful pass rush. Names like Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby were floated around a while, but Williams was the result.
A trade for Hendrickson or Crosby would've been a game-changer for Dallas, and such a move definitely would've made them an instant contender if Jones had pulled the trigger on that end.
There's no doubt Williams was an immediate impact, and he did all he could, but it's going to be nice to see him for a full season rather than play hero ball to try and make the playoffs. In case you missed it, the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs. Largely, because the pass rush didn't put enough pressure on the quarterback. The secondary couldn't cover either, but long story short, everything went wrong.
They have plenty of ammo now with new pass rushers Rashan Gary and rookie Malachi Lawrence, and hopefully will get more from future second-year man Donovan Ezeiruaku and Williams playing a full season. It's at least a great starting base to get up to the No. 18 defense in the league.
Oh, and of course, the Cowboys got possibly the best player in the draft, All-American safety Caleb Downs, who can cover in man, zone and blitz quarterbacks. First-year defensive coordinator Parker should get the most out of him to at least escape being ranked in the last tier of defenses.
Cowboys fans have known that the defense doesn't have to be the best or even average. They can afford to be below average and still be a contender. Assuming George Pickens plays on the tag next season and brings the same effort as in 2025, the Cowboys offense will be a well-oiled machine.
If the Ravens can be the team they can be with the 18th-best defense, who knows how far the Cowboys can go, assuming they bring the same high-powered offense.
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