Cowboys Stumble Early, Rankings Drop | Dallas Cowboys News

The Dallas Cowboys’ shaky start to the 2026 season took a major hit with an ugly 28-20 loss to the New York Giants, sparking a dramatic drop across NFL power rankings. Their revamped defense, once a source of hope, faltered badly, surrendering control and struggling to generate possession—holding the ball just over 23 minutes. Rookie safety Caleb Downs shined for the Giants with seven tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, while Cowboys’ stars Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb couldn’t find consistency. Rankings plummeted: NFL.com dropped them from 8th to 17th, Bleacher Report questioned if the new defense mirrored last year’s woes, and DAZN, SI, and The Athletic all slid them down. The Giants capitalized, climbing six spots. With 16 games left, the Cowboys face Washington next—another 0-1 team—offering a chance to turn things around before the season truly heats up. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Sources:https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/nfl_power_rankings_shake_up_after_week_1_cowboys_rank_revealed/s1_17815_44310680 More coverage & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/20a555918c5f5461 Report issues to [email protected].