The Dallas Cowboys finished 2025 at 8-9, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Time to do a full autopsy.
Offense: Dak Prescott posted a 94.2 passer rating per Pro Football Reference, which sounds fine until you realize the offense ranked 19th in EPA per play (source: rbsdm.com). The issue was not Dak individually but a scheme that generated the 5th-fewest explosive plays in the NFL. CeeDee Lamb had 1,087 yards but his yards per route run dropped from 2.41 to 1.98 year over year per PFF.
Defense: Micah Parsons remained dominant with 13.5 sacks, but the secondary was exploited consistently. Dallas allowed the 7th-most passing yards per game at 243.1 (source: Pro Football Reference). The lack of a true safety net over the top was apparent in every game against a competent passing attack.
Coaching: Play-calling was conservative in critical moments. On 3rd-and-long situations, the Cowboys called runs or screens at a rate 15% higher than the league average per ESPN Stats and Info. That is not a recipe for converting.
What comes next:
- Offensive line investment is mandatory. The interior got Dak hit on 28% of dropbacks per PFF.
- Safety and cornerback depth must be addressed in the draft.
- A new offensive coordinator could unlock this roster.
Sources:
- Pro Football Reference — team and player stats
- PFF — grades and advanced metrics
- ESPN Stats and Info — situational data
- rbsdm.com — EPA analysis