FRISCO, Texas -- For all of the issues surrounding the Dallas Cowboys' defense in 2026 -- and there are many -- there is a more perplexing reason why they are 3-5: a star-laden offense that returned every starter from a unit that was among the NFL's best in 2025.
The points per game remain about the same (27.4 in 2026; 27.7 in 2025) and some areas are actually better this season (third-down rate, red zone offense), but the offense is putting up 50 less yards per game (391.9 to 342). The running game is off by 31 yards (125.6 to 94.1). The passing output has dipped from 266.3 yards per game to 247.9.
Pass plays of 20 yards or more are down from 3.3 per game to 2.6. Runs of 10 yards or more are down from 2.7 per game to 1.8.
In the first eight games last year, receiver George Pickens had 43 catches for 685 yards and six touchdowns. In the first eight this year, he has 39 for 533 yards and two scores. Tight end Jake Ferguson had 51 receptions for 334 yards and six scores in the first eight games of 2025. He has 17 for 115 yards and three touchdowns this year, and he is now battling an ankle injury.
On his way to 1,200 rushing yards in 2025, Javonte Williams had more than 75 rushing yards in five of his first eight games. He has two such games in the first eight this year, although he has matched the eight rushing touchdowns from that stretch in 2025.
Quarterback Dak Prescott had a completion percentage of 65.5% or better in six of the first eight games last season. This year, it's three of eight.
During the summer, Prescott talked about an offense that would be GOTI, an acronym for Greatest Offense There Is. He was asked Thursday if the Cowboys have found an offensive identity. He paused for a few seconds.
"Yeah, sure," he said. "I mean, is it one we're proud of? I don't know. We'll be better, I can promise you."
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, owner and general manager Jerry Jones used the word "rebuild" when talking about the defense with first-time coordinator Christian Parker and a changeover in personnel through free agency and the draft.
"We had a letdown there in the game Sunday," Jones told the team's flagship station in reference to last week's 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. "The plan is dependent upon that offense carrying us when we have weakness in the defense as we evolve going forward."
The Cowboys have scored at least 30 points five times, but when they have been needed most -- at the end of the Baltimore Ravens loss in Rio de Janeiro in Week 3, in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Cardinals, for largely the entirety of the losses to the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- they have not had answers.
"It's hard to say we're pressing, but yeah, when you've got the talent we've got, when you've got the expectation, the standards that we have for ourselves and you go three-and-out or you don't score a touchdown, yeah, that's frustrating and you've got to make sure that you don't allow that to continue to bleed," Prescott said. "Because then that bleeds into guys making [missed assignments] or not doing the details the right way because they want the big play rather than just sticking to it."
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was even more succinct.
"We stop ourselves," Lamb said. "That s--- is frustrating. It's annoying. I hate it. Then, ultimately, we end up losing."
The Cowboys offense has become more stagnant than it was a year ago.
At coach Brian Schottenheimer's introductory news conference, he said he is a big believer in cut splits, shifts and motions "to distort things." In 2025, the Cowboys ranked 11th in motion (66.5%) and 15th in motion at the snap (35%). This season, the Cowboys are 30th in motion (56.4%) and last in motion at the snap (24.8%), according to ESPN Research.
"We certainly have them in," Schottenheimer said. "Without having the list in front of me, we believe in moving and shifting and motioning and things like that."
Schottenheimer mentioned playing from behind as a reason why the motion numbers have dipped because they needed to play faster.
The Cowboys were down two scores in the fourth quarter of three games: New York Giants, Buccaneers and Packers. Against the Ravens, they faced an 11-point deficit in the third quarter but scored in less than two minutes. Against the Houston Texans, they trailed 16-6 at halftime and scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half.
"And then sometimes, you do cloud the picture [with motions and shifts]," Schottenheimer said.
The lack of big plays has been alarming, although Schottenheimer mentioned the Cowboys' ability to draw pass interference penalties. According to ESPN Research, the Cowboys are tied for second by drawing nine pass interference penalties, accounting for 139 yards, which is second most to Green Bay's 152.
Getting Pickens more involved is a point Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams acknowledge, but in four of the past five games, the receiver hasn't had a first-quarter catch. In the first half of three games, he has one or no catches.
"I think a little bit of it [is] unlucky, a little bit of it [is] we got to design stuff that forces the issue to him," Adams said. "And then sometimes when we do, we got to make more happen with it than just an incompletion or a three- or four-yard gain. The goal is to score a touchdown regardless of who you're getting the ball to, but he's definitely somebody that we would love to have get the ball to and get going early. "
Schottenheimer has said teams have played a lot of "shell coverage" to limit the explosive plays, but how does that explain the struggle to run the ball? The Cowboys are averaging 94.1 yards, 25th in the league.
The Cowboys were without their best lineman, left guard Tyler Smith, for the first four weeks, but in three of the four games since his return, the Cowboys have averaged less than four yards per carry.
"The biggest thing that's disappointing for us is the run game, especially with the dudes in our room," center Cooper Beebe said.
The blitz has hurt the Cowboys, too. In three of the past four games (Tampa Bay, Green Bay and Arizona), the Cowboys have not had answers. Prescott was sacked a season-high four times by the Cardinals and was under duress against the Packers and Buccaneers.
On the season, the Cowboys have two touchdowns against the blitz.
"There's opportunity in it when people do it to us, and we haven't taken advantage of that," Adams said. "And that's kind of been my message to the team is, whether it's a passing down or a run down, if we can inflict pain, it's probably not coming back -- and we obviously just haven't done that consistently enough."
Nine games remain to get it right, starting Sunday against the 2-6 Indianapolis Colts (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
"I don't really like continuing to talk about this week in week out as if I got it figured out, and then we go out there and do what we do," Lamb said. "So we just got to go out there and play ball."