EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Dallas Cowboys spent much of the offseason trying to fix a defense that simply wasn't good enough a year ago.
One game into the new season, there's still plenty of work to do.
The Cowboys opened 2026 with a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, unable to slow Jaxson Dart and a Giants offense that controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes.
Dallas had its chances. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on both of their second-half possessions and were still within one score with more than five minutes left.
They just never got the ball back.
New York ran out the final 5:16 to finish off the win and send Dallas home 0-1.
Giants set the tone
New York made things difficult from the start.
The Giants marched 83 yards on their opening possession, with Cam Skattebo finishing the drive with a touchdown run to put Dallas in an early 7-0 hole.
The Cowboys eventually settled in and tied the game in the second quarter when Dak Prescott found CeeDee Lamb for a two-yard touchdown.
For a moment, it looked like Dallas might take control.
Quinnen Williams forced a Tyrone Tracy fumble and Shavon Revel recovered, giving the Cowboys a chance to grab their first lead.
Instead, one mistake changed the feel of the game.
Prescott rolled away from pressure and tried to throw the ball out of bounds, but Giants safety Jevón Holland intercepted the pass. New York took advantage, quickly moving down the field before Dart found Isaiah Likely alone in the end zone.
Just like that, Dallas went into halftime trailing 14-7.
Dallas couldn't get off the field
The biggest problem wasn't that the Cowboys couldn't score in the second half.
It was that they barely had the football.
New York opened the third quarter with another long drive, going 74 yards in 12 plays before Dart connected with Likely for his second touchdown of the night.
Dallas answered.
Prescott put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive of his own, and Javonte Williams punched it in from a yard out to make it 21-14.
But every time the Cowboys gave themselves some hope, the Giants had an answer.
New York followed with yet another extended drive, and Dart's nine-yard touchdown pass to Devin Singletary pushed the lead back to 14.
The Cowboys weren't finished.
Prescott found Williams for a 17-yard touchdown with 5:16 remaining, giving Dallas one last chance to make things interesting. Williams was flagged for taunting after the score, however, turning the extra point into a much longer attempt.
Brandon Aubrey missed it.
Dallas trailed 28-20.
And that was the last time the Cowboys offense saw the field.
“We got to look in the mirror as a defense," Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said. "We have the guys on this defensive unit to be accountable and to get better.”
A frustrating start for the defense
Dart looked comfortable for most of the night, throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns while also hurting Dallas with his legs.
The Giants finished with 394 yards of offense, including 165 rushing yards. They didn't need many explosive plays. Instead, New York kept putting together long drives, moving the chains and keeping Prescott on the sideline.
That may be the most concerning part of the loss.
Dallas changed defensive coordinators, adjusted its scheme and reworked parts of the roster after last season. Week 1 was supposed to offer the first glimpse of what all those changes might look like.
Instead, the Cowboys struggled with some familiar problems.
They had trouble stopping the run. They left receivers open. And when they desperately needed to get the Giants off the field late, they couldn't do it.
Prescott finished with 175 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Williams scored twice, once rushing and once receiving, while Lamb caught Dallas' other touchdown.
There were encouraging moments offensively, especially in the second half.
But the Cowboys didn't have enough of them — mostly because they didn't have the football enough.
It's only Week 1. There is plenty of season left for a new-look defense to grow into what Dallas hopes it can become.
Sunday night was simply a reminder that the transformation isn't going to happen overnight.
The Cowboys are 0-1, and after watching New York run out the final five minutes without giving Prescott another opportunity, Dallas already knows where the work needs to begin.
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