It was all good just a week ago. However, when you get humiliated in your home opener, the negativity around you and your team is naturally going to follow.
Such is the case for the Dallas Cowboys, who came into Week 1 flying high and feeling good before being promptly shot down by the New Orleans Saints. As the Cowboys look to change their focus to a tough Week 3 opponent, Dallas sees itself slide down the latest Pro Football Network Power Rankings list.
Cowboys Fall Out of Top 10 of Power Rankings Following Embarrassing Loss
Dallas finished Week 1 with many agreeing that they looked to be one of the best teams in the NFC and perhaps even the entire NFL. They were locked in at No. 8 in PFN’s rankings, and things were looking good following a beatdown of the Cleveland Browns.
Fast-forward to the present day and a beatdown of their own is still fresh on the NFL world’s mind. The Cowboys slipped out of the top 10 as questions centered around their legitimacy are asked.
After Week 2, Dallas finds itself just outside the top 10 at No. 11 ahead of Week 3. It’s a three-spot drop for America’s Team, and while it’s well-earned, it’s clear that the decision-makers aren’t ready to bury them entirely.
The Cowboys are currently viewed as the seventh-best team in the NFC, which, if it holds out, would allow them to slip into a playoff spot. Admittedly, it’s too early in the season to have those types of conversations, but it’s worth mentioning since there still appears to be some belief that Dallas is a good football team.
For now, Dallas drops, with the hope that the Cowboys can do enough in Week 3 and beyond to stop the bleeding as they once again try and prove that they are as good as they believe they are.
Schedule Doesn’t Get Easier With Desperate Ravens Up Next
As Dallas heads into Week 3, there is no relief coming as they get ready to face a Baltimore Ravens team that is struggling themselves. Lamar Jackson and Co. head to Dallas 0-2 looking to finally get their first win of the season.
The combination of a quality football team and an underachieving start equals a potentially bad situation for the Cowboys.
The Ravens head to Dallas with their backs against the wall, desperation setting in, and ready to do whatever it takes to prevent a 0-3 start. That’s scary for the Cowboys, who have proven to have trouble against quality opponents, not to mention ones with supreme motivation.
Micah Parsons on his @BleacherReport podcast on the Cowboys' 44-19 loss to the Saints: "The effort was not there by all 11. … You have a standard … we didn't uphold that standard. … I'm determined to get this thing right." pic.twitter.com/auymquUq0K
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 16, 2024
The Ravens are a run-first team, and the Cowboys have trouble stopping them. Coupled with a truly unique quarterback in Jackson, who gives everybody trouble, Dallas could find itself in a buzzsaw of a Week 3 matchup.
If the Cowboys are truly different this year — and they’re as talented and resilient as they want us to believe — this is a game they have to find to win. If not, they will fall to 1-2, with more questions about their legitimacy and a further fall down the power rankings to come.