Jerry Jones believes Cowboys can be a playoff team in 2025: Three reasons why Dallas has work to do

CHICAGO -- The last thing almost any Dallas Cowboys fan was thinking about on Sunday during the team's 31-14 defeat to the previously 0-2 Chicago Bears was this Cowboys team making the playoffs.

Yet, when asked his thoughts on Dallas' chances to be a postseason team after the 1-2 start, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones maintained optimism. He believes this year's Cowboys can be a football team still playing in January after Week 18. 

"The Cowboys? I'm going to tell you: yes," Jones said postgame on Sunday when asked if Dallas can still be a playoff team. "It's because you saw No. 4 [Dak Prescott] out there today. You saw what I think we're capable of doing in the running game and that type of deal. Yes, I fully do. As we evolve toward the playoffs, we've got to get better defensively."

It's clear Dallas' defense isn't the turnover-generating machine through three weeks of 2025 that it was during the four years with All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons. The Cowboys generated 115 takeaways from 2021 to 2024, the second-most in the NFL behind only the Buffalo Bills' 119. Through three weeks, the only takeaway by Dallas' defense is an overtime interception of New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson in the Cowboys' 40-37 Week 2 win. That's tied for the sixth-fewest turnovers through the first three weeks of the 2025 season. Will Jones attempt to use the two extra first-round picks he picked up from the Green Bay Packers after sending them Parsons to upgrade his defense right now? He didn't rule that out. 

"Well, of course, to use that capital, you've got to have the opportunity to use it. And frankly, no matter what I had seen in these first three ball games, if I had the opportunity to really do some good with those picks, I would do it," Jones said. "And we've got them, and that's one of the advantages for, if you will, making the trade." 

However, the 1-2 start isn't causing him to have an additional sense of urgency for the season and beyond. 

"Well, not necessarily. That implies that being more urgent, I can create an opportunity to use them. That usually doesn't work that way at all," Jones said. "You've got to have something that comes your way that's really special. And if you've got the currency to do it, which in this case it would be draft picks, we'll do it."  

So will the Cowboys "do it" in terms of making the playoffs this season? Here are three areas for concern regarding that push for Jones to take note of going forward.

Dallas' Parsons-less pass rush struggling to pressure opposing QBs

Both Wilson (17-for-37, 168 yards passing in a 21-6 loss at the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (417 yards passing, three passing touchdowns and an interception with a 61.5% completion percentage through an 0-2 starts) headed into showdowns against the Cowboys defense experiencing issues. Both Wilson (450 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 30 of 41 passing) and Williams (298 yards and four touchdowns on 19 of 28 passing) had some of the best games of their careers. Wilson's 450 yards passing rank as the second-most in a game in his 14-year career while Williams experienced the first game of his two-year career without being sacked. 

"I think it's compromised with our four-man front up there today," Jones said. "We want to try and get in this defense with that four-man rush. We weren't getting there plus we weren't covering. That's a bad combination. That's what happened to us out there today."

"Yeah, it's definitely a challenge facing mobile quarterbacks. Like I said, we just got to just all come together," Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs said. "DBs have to cover better. We got to get to the quarterback. We just got to play defense. We got to play Dallas Cowboys defense that we've been playing and do what we do."

Without Parsons, Dallas isn't generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks (29.9 quarterback pressure rate, 25th in the NFL entering "Sunday Night Football" and "Monday Night Football" in Week 3). That's a stark contrast from the team's 40.2% quarterback pressure rate with Parsons on the roster from 2021-2024, a figure that was the best in the NFL in that span. That's why Dallas has struggled to play the "Dallas Cowboys defense" that helped power them to three consecutive 12-win seasons from 2021 to 2023. 

Unless 2025 second-round rookie edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku and 2024 second-round edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland make massive leaps and three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney hops in a time machine, Dallas doesn't currently have the horses on its defensive line to make a difference this year. 

CeeDee Lamb injury update: Cowboys star ruled out after injuring ankle against Bears, says he'll play Week 4

Zachary Pereles

Secondary depth not enough

A similar problem also persists in the secondary. All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland, the 2023 NFL season's interceptions leader (nine), is sidelined with another foot injury in 2025 after missing 10 games with a foot stress fracture in 2024. Diggs, who maintained his slip on Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze's 35-yard touchdown to begin the game had nothing to do with his past knee injuries, still doesn't look quite the same. 

New Cowboys starting cornerback Kaiir Elam entered Week 2 leading the NFL in the passing yards against statistic by NFL Pro insights that had Elam labeled as the league's most porous corner with 232 yards allowed in coverage entering Week 3. That figure is clearly a byproduct of a slow start, and what was described as miscommunication last week and a lack of execution between all parties involved in Dallas' secondary. With Bland out, Dallas is having to rotate in less experienced safeties and backup cornerbacks to fill the void in the slot vacated by the free agency departure of longtime veteran Jourdan Lewis to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Dallas is experiencing a Ponzi scheme-like issue where the Cowboys simply remain one cornerback short of being whole at all times. That's a huge factor in the Cowboys allowing 12 pass plays of over 20 yards since Week 2.

Cowboys passing game, outside of CeeDee Lamb, lacking consistent explosion

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was nearly speechless when asked to describe the team's offensive performance on Sunday. 

"It's hard to, honestly," Prescott said postgame. ... "I know scoring 14 points is never going to be okay. Dang sure not with this offense, this unit, the team, the players we have. Six of those were field goals, so not acceptable, not to our standard, not anywhere what we believe in and what we're capable of doing and got away, got away quick and had a chance right there to cut it back to 10 and had a turnover in the red zone. That's unacceptable."

A huge factor in the decline was All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, the team's top target, suffering an ankle sprain after being tackled awkwardly by Bears linebacker Noah Sewell on a second-and-9 run with 8:39 on the clock in the second quarter. Lamb said he wanted to return to the game, and he did for a play. However, upon not being able to move laterally to both his own and the team's standards, Dallas team doctors opted to protect Lamb from himself and shut him down for the afternoon.

The rest of the Cowboys' pass catchers weren't up to the task without No. 88. Wide receiver George Pickens, the 24-year-old downfield threat who is next in line in the pecking order, finished with 68 yards and a touchdown on five catches. A drop right off his hands created Prescott's first of two interceptions on Sunday afternoon. He also failed to separate enough in key spots while facing No. 1 receiver coverage from a Chicago secondary without top corner Jaylon Johnson and starting nickel corner Kyler Gordon. Tight end Jake Ferguson caught 13 of his team high 14 targets for 82 yards, just 6.3 yards per reception. 

Even though running back Javonte Williams averaged 7.6 yards per carry, 76 yards rushing on 10 carries, he allowed Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson to rip the football right out of his arms for a takeaway on what appeared to be a promising opening drive. Getting the run game going again in Dallas is nice, but Prescott needs to get more out of the non-Lamb pass catchers for it to truly matter. 

"I wouldn't say anything in this game is demoralizing. It's hard. It's frustrating. But I love that. That's what life's about, adversity, fighting back. Not being in the best position and trusting yourself and trusting others around you and as a team, we've got to be better in that position. We got to be better. Things get hard. I'm not going to get overwhelmed," Prescott said. "It didn't seem like we could stop them. I believe in our offense, and I don't think people can stop us. I think you can go back and look at these possessions, we stopped ourselves. Whether it be interceptions, right? Off the hands or my interception late or the fumble early. I don't know if they've done a lot to stop us. That's what's frustrating."  

Can Dallas truly expect to score 30-40 points a game like it did in Week 2 against New York? Given the personnel deficiencies on defense, they just might have to in order for the Cowboys to realize Jones' vision of being a playoff team in 2025.