2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 3-5
Cowboys defense
Every snap the Cowboys defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.13 EPA a play allowed, 31st of 32, and 0.18 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (32nd).
- How they playThey blitz on 26% of dropbacks, the 23rd-most in the league, and get pressure on 19%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.23 EPA a dropback, 30th, softest intermediate middle (+1.55 a throw).
- Who hurt themTyler Allgeier (ARI): 191 yards and +11.7 EPA on 16 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Colts, whose offense ranks 30th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.13 | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.23 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.01 | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 46% | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Yards per play | 6.1 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Yards per carry | 5.1 | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 53% | 31st of 32 | 5th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.1% | 26th of 32 | 22nd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 19% | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 14% | 20th of 32 | 39th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.0% | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 69% | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.61 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 0.8 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.18 | 32nd of 32 | 2nd |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Cowboys. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 0 of 8 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The offenses they have faced average -0.05 a play elsewhere, the 31st-toughest schedule of offenses.
at NYGL 20-28+0.37usual -0.05
vs WASW 37-20+0.07usual -0.03
vs BALL 31-34+0.13usual +0.01
at HOUW 34-30+0.24usual 0.00
vs TBL 16-24+0.16usual -0.13
at GBL 13-23+0.03usual 0.00
at PHIW 38-21-0.01usual -0.14
vs ARIL 30-33+0.05usual -0.03Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is intermediate middle: +1.55 EPA a throw against a league +0.59. The lockdown zone is deep left, +0.07 a throw (league +0.34). Completions against them run 4.0 points over expected, 27th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 5.1 yards a carry against them, 31st of 32. The leak is outside right: 6.1 a carry and +0.42 EPA (league 4.6, +0.00).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 18.619th | 164.126th | +0.4427th-toughest | 23.85th-most29.77th-most35.67th-most |
| Tight ends | 7.114th | 53.416th | +0.3423rd-toughest | 8.116th-fewest10.915th-fewest13.716th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 5.315th | 26.610th | +0.1321st-toughest | 22.23rd-most24.35th-most26.56th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 20.23rd-most20.23rd-most20.23rd-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Allgeier | ARI | 16 | 191 | 2 | +11.7 |
| Isaiah Likely | NYG | 8 | 78 | 2 | +11.0 |
| Nico Collins | HOU | 8 | 118 | 2 | +9.4 |
| Zay Flowers | BAL | 7 | 104 | +8.3 | |
| Bucky Irving | TB | 24 | 175 | 2 | +7.6 |
| Michael Wilson | ARI | 16 | 128 | 1 | +7.2 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Third downs go the offense's way: even third-and-short (1 to 3) converts at 63% (league 61%). They are stingiest in games they trail by 9+ (-0.11 a play, league +0.03) and weakest in 3rd down (+0.30, league -0.04).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 225 | +0.08 | +0.02 | +0.07 |
| 2nd down | 171 | +0.14 | +0.00 | +0.14 |
| 3rd down | 103 | +0.30 | -0.04 | +0.33 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 32 | 63% | 61% | +2 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 34 | 65% | 44% | +21 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 37 | 35% | 27% | +9 pts |
| Red zone | 98 | +0.20 | +0.03 | +0.17 |
| Two-minute drill | 68 | +0.09 | 0.00 | +0.09 |
| When they lead | 245 | +0.20 | +0.01 | +0.19 |
| One-score game | 350 | +0.12 | -0.01 | +0.13 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 57 | -0.11 | +0.03 | -0.14 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 26% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 74% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.09 EPA when they blitz and +0.34 when they do not.
They put 6.6 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 6%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.7 a carry; into eight or more, 0.1.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 10 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.21 EPA against them on 25% of throws; screens -0.40.
37 defensive penalties for 305 yards, 23 of them first downs, the 32nd-fewest. They miss 8% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 13th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Donovan Ezeiruaku leads the pass rush with 11 pressures and 2.5 sacks on 67% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6Donovan EzeiruakuLB | 67% | 11 | 2.5 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 1 |
| 92Quinnen WilliamsDT | 66% | 7 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 28 | 1 |
| 97Kenny ClarkNT | 66% | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 19 | |
| 7Rashan GaryLB | 66% | 11 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 18 | |
| 91Otito OgbonniaDT | 44% | 5 | 2 | 2 | 23 | ||
| 57Malachi LawrenceLB | 40% | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | |
| 99LT OvertonDT | 29% | 1 | 8 | ||||
| 40Von MillerOLB | 22% | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
| 93Elijah GarciaDE | 15% | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11 | |
| 90Jonathan BullardDE | 12% | 2 | 0.5 | 2 | 3 |
Jaishawn Barham plays 59% of the snaps with 35 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55Jaishawn BarhamLB | 59% | 35 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 96.5 | 6 | |
| 50Shemar JamesLB | 55% | 28 | 10 | 93.5 | 1 | |||
| 53Dee WintersLB | 46% | 34 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 88.2 | 2 | |
| 0DeMarvion OvershownLB | 26% | 20 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 87.9 | 2 | |
| 41James HoustonLB | 6% | 6 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 45Justin BarronLB | 4% | 7 | 3 | 67.3 | ||||
| 59Tyrus WheatLB | 4% | 2 |
Shavon Revel Jr. is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 74.1 passer rating on 20 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26DaRon BlandCB | 97% | 33 | 23 of 33 | 305 | 3 | 108.2 | 6 | |
| 13Caleb DownsSAF | 93% | 19 | 17 of 19 | 173 | 1 | 113.8 | 1 | |
| 24Malik HookerFS | 46% | 11 | 7 of 11 | 100 | 89.9 | 3 | ||
| 14Markquese BellSAF | 40% | 10 | 8 of 10 | 128 | 1 | 113.9 | 1 | |
| 34Jalen ThompsonDB | 30% | 4 | 3 of 4 | 32 | 93.2 | |||
| 28Shavon Revel Jr.CB | 29% | 20 | 12 of 20 | 142 | 74.1 | 1 | ||
| 2Cobie DurantCB | 28% | 5 | 1 of 5 | 18 | 48.8 | 2 | ||
| 25Joey Porter Jr.CB | 27% | 9 | 2 of 9 | 10 | 44.2 | 3 | ||
| 23Ameer SpeedCB | 24% | 8 | 3 of 8 | 31 | 1 | 81.8 | 2 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.