Downs: Cowboys' Historic Week 1 Defense 'Very Fixable' — SkimNews
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- The Cowboys' defense posted the worst defensive EPA per drive of any Week 1 team, ranking 574th out of 576 defensive performances since the start of 2025, per TruMedia.
- Dallas fell 28-20 to the Giants, with New York converting 82% of third downs — the Giants' best single-game rate since 1978.
- Rookie Caleb Downs (11th overall pick) delivered a standout debut with 7 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble, deployed in a hybrid safety/nickel/dime role mirroring how Matt Patricia used him at Ohio State.
- Downs attributed the issues to 'first-game execution' rather than Parker's play-calling, telling CBS Sports: 'Everything that we made mistakes on is very fixable.'
- Coach Brian Schottenheimer pinned the breakdowns to communication failures — including a red-zone play where Devin Singletary went unaccounted for — and flagged upcoming tests against Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson.
- P.J. Locke will start at deep safety for the injured Malik Hooker (forearm fracture), freeing Downs to operate closer to the line of scrimmage as a blitzer and run defender.
- Schottenheimer stood by Parker after Monday staff meetings, saying he has 'no question Christian Parker is the right guy for this job' heading into Week 2 against Washington.
Why it matters: With 46.2% of last year's defensive personnel gone and a 34-year-old first-time coordinator in Parker, the Cowboys have a one-week window to validate Downs' 'very fixable' diagnosis — facing Jayden Daniels and the Commanders next before Lamar Jackson arrives two weeks later.
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