The Cowboys entered the 2026 season with plenty of optimism surrounding a defense that had been heavily rebuilt during the offseason.
One game later, that optimism has taken a hit. Dallas opened the season with a 28- 20 loss to the New York Giants, leaving the Cowboys 0- 1 heading into Week 2.
The loss has already triggered movement in the latest NFL power rankings Week 1 cycle. While one game is not enough to settle what this Cowboys team will become, several major outlets have reacted to what they saw from Dallas, particularly a defense that struggled to get stops and allowed the Giants to control the game.
Cowboys fall to No. 19 in NFL power rankings
DAZN has the Cowboys at No. 19 in its latest NFL power rankings, dropping Dallas two spots from No. 17.
What's New
Sports Illustrated dropped Dallas from No. 14 to No. 19, citing the defense’s poor EPA per drive against the Giants.
ESPN was considerably less aggressive, moving the Cowboys from No. 16 to No. 15. The outlet highlighted Downs’ debut as a positive from an otherwise disappointing night.
The Athletic moved Dallas from No. 15 to No. 20, focusing on the Cowboys’ inability to sustain possession. Dallas had the ball for only 23 minutes and 20 seconds while the Giants ran 16 more plays.
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NFL.com made one of the biggest adjustments, dropping the Cowboys from No. 8 to No. 17. Nick Shook wrote that the offseason optimism surrounding Dallas’ defense quickly faded after the game against the Giants.
Bleacher Report also dropped Dallas from No. 14 to No. 18, questioning whether the revamped defense looked too similar to last year’s struggling unit.
The Cowboys are now behind the Giants, who climbed six spots to No. 17 after beating Dallas. Many reports highlighted rookie safety Caleb Downs, who recorded seven tackles, a sack (first in his NFL journey), and a forced fumble in his NFL debut.
However, the ranking also highlighted problems on both sides of the ball, noting that the Cowboys’ offense struggled against New York despite featuring Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, andGeorge Pickens.
Dallas is one of 16 teams at 0-1 after the opening weekend. But DAZN is not the only outlet moving the Cowboys down after Week 1.
NFL power rankings after week 1
- Buffalo Bills (BUF)
- Seattle Seahawks (SEA)
- Baltimore Ravens (BAL)
- Los Angeles Rams (LAR)
- San Francisco 49ers (SF)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (JAX)
- Kansas City Chiefs (KC)
- Philadelphia Eagles (PHI)
- Detroit Lions (DET)
- Chicago Bears (CHI)
- New England Patriots (NE)
- Cincinnati Bengals (CIN)
- Houston Texans (HOU)
- New York Giants (NYG)
- Denver Broncos (DEN)
- Dallas Cowboys (DAL)
- Minnesota Vikings (MIN)
- Green Bay Packers (GB)
- Los Angeles Chargers (LAC)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (TB)
- Washington Commanders (WSH)
- New Orleans Saints (NO)
- Indianapolis Colts (IND)
- Las Vegas Raiders (LV)
- Carolina Panthers (CAR)
- New York Jets (NYJ)
- Arizona Cardinals (ARI)
- Atlanta Falcons (ATL)
- Cleveland Browns (CLE)
- Tennessee Titans (TEN)
- Miami Dolphins (MIA)The
Cowboys now face Washington at 0 and 1
The Cowboys will have little time to dwell on their opening loss. Dallas returns to action against the Washington Commanders in Week 2, with both teams entering the matchup at 0-1.
For Dallas, the game provides the next piece of evidence about whether the Week 1 defensive collapse was an isolated performance or a sign of deeper problems.
The latest NFL power rankings’ placement of the Cowboys reflects what happened in Week 1, but they still have 16 regular-season games left to change the conversation.
As the league turns toward Week 2, the NFL power rankings will surely shift once again. The Dallas Cowboys sit at No. 16 and have a clear chance to climb with a stronger all-around performance.
At the top, the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and Los Angeles Rams will try to protect their spots against hungry challengers.
Every snap, every turnover, and every close finish will shape the next edition of the NFL power rankings. With so much football still ahead, the only certainty is that more movement is coming.
