Defense implodes, offense falters, gifting Giants a win and the Cowboys a higher draft pick in a season-ending debacle.
Before Sunday’s season finale at New York, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about the job security of the dismal failure that is defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
“I’m just saying that we really can get down to business as it should be,” Jones said of the mountain of work waiting to be tackled by Dallas. “And it will start first thing in the morning.”
After this embarrassing 34-17 loss to the hapless Giants, I’m not sure why Jones needs to wait even half-a-day to recognize the obvious: Under his guidance, Jerry's always-ballyhooed Cowboys aren't even good enough to be mediocre.
First-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s Cowboys finish the 2025 season with a 7-9-1 record, which is both a blemish and a blessing.
Dallas’ defense - the NFL’s worst - gave up gigantic numbers to a Giants team that came in with a 3-13 record. Outside of veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (with three energy-fueled sacks), Eberflus’ unit seemed incapable of tackling, incapable of coverage, and incapable of thinking.
The blessing? Dallas improved its position in the 2026 NFL Draft, with a possible jump from the No. 14 slot to the No. 11 slot.
Additionally, as Dallas was revealed to have embraced “Organic Tanking,” rookie running backs Jaydon Blue (16 carries for 64 electric yards and a TD) and Phil Mafah (five powerful carries and two receptions for 29 yards and a TD were allowed to play.
And so was young backup QB Joe Milton (7 of 13 for 73 yards and an interception), who worked the entire second half after Dak Prescott was allowed the start - a badge of honor for him as he started all 17 games this year to 4,552 total passing yards, with 30 TD passes to 10 interceptions.
The loss ends Dak’s personal streak of 14 wins over the Giants and it ends Dallas’ nine-straight-wins dominance of New York as well.
But big-picture? The game wasn’t “meaningless” to Cowboys players fighting for new contracts and/or future roster spots. And it isn’t “meaningless” in another way, as it exposed just how overhyped this Dallas team is.
And it needn’t take until tomorrow morning for Jerry Jones to see that.