One Dallas Cowboys win over the lowly Philadelphia Eagles was not enough to get folks believing in Brian Schottenheimer's team again. But a humiliating home loss at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals has proven to be enough to put Schottenheimer on the hot seat, if he wasn't already.
Ultimately, it matters what the standings say, not the media or the power rankings, because records get you into the playoffs, not narratives. That said, nobody is wrong to be writing off this Cowboys team in its current state, even in an NFC East that would be facing relegation in the Premier League.
And it is important to continually take a pulse of how Dallas is viewed by the more casual observer or the unbiased spectator. Sometimes, as fans, we get too into the weeds and we are too close to see the entire picture. So, let's take a look at where things stand with the lens zoomed out a bit.
Dallas Cowboys tumble yet again in post-Week 8 power rankings
FanSided - Jason La Canfora
Current - 27
Last Week - 23
"They are really a joke. But, again, the division will throw them a lifeline. Brian Schottenheimer is not going to be back next season. This team has had too many ridiculous meltdowns in special situations for him not to pay, like in Brazil and blowing this late lead to Minshew."
Our take: Harsh, but not entirely unfair. It is brutal to see the Cowboys in the same tier as teams like the Dolphins, Titans and Jets, but again, not unfair. And hopefully, La Canfora is right that Schotty is not back next year, even if the NFC East gives way to Dallas. This is not a good football team.
Current - 23
Last Week - 20
"Best in-season trade acquisition ever: Package in 1989 RB Herschel Walker deal
"Regardless of whether the credit for the trade goes to Jerry Jones or Jimmy Johnson, it altered the Cowboys' trajectory into becoming a three-time Super Bowl champion. They were 0-5 when they traded Walker, ending the 1989 season at 1-15. It wasn't the five players the Cowboys received from Minnesota that were important, but rather the conditional draft choices that would come if players Dallas acquired were cut the next offseason. Ultimately, the trade landed them Emmitt Smith, Kevin Smith and Darren Woodson, and gave them flexibility to make other moves. Without the trade of Walker, the Cowboys of the 1990s probably never would have existed."-- Todd Archer
Our take: I am not entirely clear on why ESPN chose to analyze the best in-season trades for every team instead of, you know, talking about the power rankings. But I digress. 23 feels quite kind after the week that the Cowboys had, especially because the Cardinals are at 24. But we'll take a win.
NFL.com - Nick Shook
Current - 24
Last Week - 22
"Remember when that guy in the AT&T Stadium bowels described a Cowboys loss as “embarrassing” a few weeks ago? Well, that individual would have been spot on again on Sunday. Dallas disintegrated against the Cardinals, blowing a 17-3 lead and surrendering 467 yards to Arizona. It's a loss that feels too devastating to have occurred in Week 8. It’s where the Cowboys are right now, though: They pin their hopes on their passing game, haven’t improved enough defensively and can only hope the running game produces. That’s simply not a winning formula."
Our take: Shook at least had the sense to flip-flop the Cowboys and Cardinals after what he correctly described as an embarrassing loss. And he is also right that what they have is not a winning formula, but I wish he were correct about Dallas pinning its hopes on the passing game.
Fox Sports - Ralph Vacchiano
Current - 23
Last Week - 22
"The Cowboys were up 17-3 with a little more than a quarter to go and they ended up losing 33-30 in overtime. They gave up 337 yards in the 23-plus minutes that Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew was in the game. I mean, is defensive coordinator Christian Parker trying to get fired? His defense is a mess. And look, it might not be great for anyone, but there are some good pieces and way too much talent for things to be as bad as they are. This defense is killing the Cowboys. Again. And it’s probably too late to save them. Somebody tell Jerry Jones to do something."
Our take: Again, No. 23 feels generous, but it is probably fair not to overreact too much to one week, as deflating as Sunday's loss to Arizona was. Vacchiano is right that the defense is killing the Cowboys, but Parker won't be fired. And not enough blame is being directed at the offense.
The Athletic - Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
Current - 22
Last Week - 18
"The Cowboys owner said after the game, one in which Dallas blew a 24-10 lead in the final 11 minutes, that he doesn’t expect to make a head coaching change during the season, but he didn’t rule out doing something. 'This is something we will take a good hard look at,' Jones said. 'That was a total team effort out there for us. We have to be, for our fans, better than that.' Dallas has lost three of its last four."
Our take: Remarkably, Dallas stayed at No. 22, ahead of teams like the Falcons and Texans. As it pertains to Jerry Jones, the Cowboys simply have to do something, but that doesn't necessarily mean a big trade at the deadline, as most have come to expect from Jerry. He needs to sell.
Sports Illustrated - Conor Orr
Current - 21
Last Week - 19
"TEASER: Stay tuned to the social accounts of MMQB podcast co-hosts Albert Breer and myself for my uber-creative solution to fixing the Cowboys defense. I think I can make it work."
Our take: Did Orr watch the Cowboys on Sunday? How he has them two spots ahead of the Cardinals and three ahead of the Ravens is a bit mind-boggling. But if you want to tune in to his podcast about how to fix the defense, feel free! I'd be interested to see if he has answers that Parker doesn't.
Current - 22
Last Week - 21
"Sunday's home loss to Arizona dealt another significant blow to the Cowboys' playoff hopes.
"Dallas had a 14-point lead in the third quarter and again in the fourth. However, its defense, which is again one of the worst in the NFL, had no answers after Arizona made a quarterback change. The Cardinals scored touchdowns while the Cowboys settled for field goals down the stretch, and the result was a demoralizing overtime loss at home.
"Franchise owner Jerry Jones told reporters after the game that he won't make a coaching change during the season. If something significant doesn't change soon, though, he will be evaluating a third straight losing season."
Our take: Maybe I'm being too reactionary, but I'm not sure how the Cowboys didn't drop dramatically in most of these rankings. Power rankings are all about momentum and the present, after all. And Dallas has no momentum, as they've lost three of the last four.
Average Rank - 23.1
Average Rank Last Week - 20.7
Change - -2.4
Highest Rank - 21 (Sports Illustrated)
Lowest Rank - 27 (FanSided)
Biggest Change - -4 (FanSided, The Athletic)
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