ARLINGTON, Texas -- There is a star on the nameplates atop the lockers of players who have made a Pro Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys. Eleven of them dot the roster on offense, defense and special teams.
Three more have made the NFL's all-star game while with another team.
Making a Pro Bowl isn't the same as being an All-Pro, but talent, it seems, is not the biggest issue for the Cowboys, despite their 3-5 record after a shocking 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.
"Names don't win games," quarterback Dak Prescott said. "Oh, we've got some great men in that locker room, men that do the right thing and try to come out here and give their best each and every game. We're just not getting it done. That starts with me and goes to any and every guy on this team and coaching staff. So, yeah, I mean, it's the NFL. Names change, names evolve. We've got the firepower, we've got the talent. We've got to be a better team and put it all together."
The only thing propping up the Cowboys' playoff chances at the moment is the state of the NFC East, in which the New York Giants are in first place at 4-2-1, followed by the Cowboys (3-5), Washington Commanders (2-4-1) and Philadelphia Eagles (2-6). But the Cowboys have not won back-to-back games since Weeks 11-13 last season, and even with three of their next four games coming against teams with losing records, there are no signs to suggest they can get on a roll.
Four of the Cowboys' final five games come against teams that are either leading their divisions (Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars) or had recent playoff successes (defending Super Bowl champ Seattle Seahawks, NFC Championship Game participant Los Angeles Rams).
"There's still a lot of football left," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "Character of that room is right. A lot of young players. We're going to go back to work. That's what we do. There's a lot of football left."
At some point, however, the math will no longer math.
And at some point, the Cowboys need to win successive games to be considered anything close to a playoff threat. They have done that only once since Schottenheimer took over in 2025.
The Cowboys are chasing losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were 1-4 at the time and started undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, and now the Cardinals, who lost their starting running back (Jeremiyah Love) and receiver (Kendrick Bourne) and turned to backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II in the third quarter.
"Unacceptable," said defensive tackle Kenny Clark, one of the three to make a Pro Bowl outside of Dallas. "Can't lose a game like that."
Said linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, "Tired of learning this lesson."
The Cardinals had 331 yards on offense, including 160 rushing in the second half, against a defense that includes one of the highest-paid defensive tackles, Quinnen Williams, and former Pro Bowlers Clark, Rashan Gary and DaRon Bland.
The Cowboys' offense floundered for most of the game. Six days after rushing for 204 yards in a win against the Philadelphia Eagles, they had 93, averaging 2.4 yards per carry. Prescott threw for less than 200 yards for the second time in 2026. In the season-opening loss to the Giants, the reason was a lack of chances. The Cowboys had only seven offensive possessions. Sunday was a lack of execution.
In overtime, the offense, with Pro Bowlers Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Tyler Smith, had a feeble three-and-out.
"We had a great chance right at the end to win the game and had everybody out there that can win games for us and of course didn't get it done," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.
At the midway point of the 2018 season, the Cowboys were 3-5, and lost their first game following the trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper. They went on to win seven of their last eight games to finish 10-6 and win the division, and then they won a playoff game.
Only Prescott remains from that team.
The core of the 2018 squad was around for the 13-3 finish in 2016, Prescott's rookie season.
The core of the 2026 roster, despite all of the recognizable names, has experienced 7-10 in 2024, 7-9-1 in 2025 and now a 3-5 start this season.
Prescott remembers history but knows it means little.
"At this point, talk is cheap, telling stories is cheap," Prescott said. "We've got to go write our own story. We put ourselves in this position. Thankfully we've got the pen."