The defense of the Dallas Cowboys was exposed once again on Sunday. Dallas got blown out 44-24 by Denver in a game where their explosive offense just could not keep up. Now many around the organization, including the team owner, are thinking about making a trade to try and address their ailing defense.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones delivered a puzzling take about a potential defensive trade after Sunday's brutal loss.
“If I saw a proposition for us to help this team, no matter what this score was today, then I would look at it on the merits of helping the team,” Jones said. “I would completely look at the merits for both next week or the weeks after [and the longer term]. No, today would not affect a decision on trading for a player.”
Dallas is rumored to be sniffing around the trade market for defensive help. Sunday's comments seem to reinforce that idea.
Jones kept talking and his explanation made less and less sense as he went on.
“I don't know what's realistic,” Jones said. “Could one better player — if we didn't pay too big a price to have a better player on defense to possibly help? I'm not trying to be cute, but that's why you'd go get him because you think that you could go help your defense. Are we one player away on defense? I think we're not. I think we're more than that away, but what we're closer to than it looks, in my mind, is executing better on defense.”
At the very least, this explains why Dallas was comfortable trading away Micah Parsons instead of extending him.
Cowboys' defense could not stop Broncos in Week 8 blowout
Dallas has played terrible defense for the entire 2025 season so far.
The Cowboys entered Sunday's game ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed per game and 30th in points allowed per game, per ESPN. They did not perform any better against the Broncos.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was clearly not happy with his defense after the game.
“When you look at it, I'm not just going to start with the defense,” Schottenheimer said. “I don't think any of us coached and played well enough.”
Schottenheimer does not believe the Cowboys lack the players to play competent defense. Instead, he seems to blame coaching and effort for Sunday's loss.
“At the end of the day, I think we have good enough players,” Schottenheimer said. “I think we did not play well tonight.”
Dallas needs to figure out whatever is causing their defensive woes and get it fixed ASAP.
Next up for the Cowboys is a Week 9 matchup against the Cardinals.
