The Dallas Cowboys have started their 2026 NFL season with a 1-2 record despite near-flawless performances from quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. While the offense ranks seventh in scoring with 29.3 points per game, the defense is 25th, conceding 27.3 points each contest. The defensive struggles trace back to the trade of All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just before the 2025 season, after which Dallas’ defense gave up an NFL-worst average of 29.7 points per game.
Prescott and Lamb have delivered what looks like top-five production this year. Prescott is eighth in the league with a 69.5% completion rate, tied for fifth in passing touchdowns with seven, ninth in passer rating at 107.2, and fifth in expected points added per dropback at 0.28. Lamb ranks sixth in catches with 20, fourth in receiving yards at 309, and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns with three. Lamb’s output has improved markedly after a high ankle sprain limited him to just three touchdowns last season.
“He is just playing lights out. He is playing really, really confident,” Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams said of Lamb on Thursday. “I love what we're getting right now. He's been outstanding.”
The chemistry between Prescott and Lamb remains sharp after seven seasons together. Their connection has produced 20 completions from 25 targets, 309 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, resulting in an NFL-best passer rating of 157.8, just shy of a perfect 158.3. This success holds whether the defense rushes or not, with 13 targets coming against no blitz and 12 against blitzes. Adams described the duo’s nonverbal communication, explaining that Prescott can read Lamb’s subtle body language and route adjustments instantly.
“CeeDee is a hell of a player. I don't need a lot of credit for him getting open and making those guys miss,” Prescott said Thursday. “The best thing that's happened, and it'll continue to grow, is just our communication. We've played a lot of ball together, but the more that we're exactly on the same page, the harder it is for whoever and anybody that's trying to cover that guy.”
Lamb echoed the sentiment about their evolving connection. “We've been cooking,” he said. “I don't think this is our first time really connecting at this rate, but I do hope to continue and continue to build, continue to be better… Like I said in camp, I was learning a lot of things, just finding new ways of getting open.”
This season, the Cowboys have exploited defenses blitzing from the second level and playing soft zone coverage behind it. This has opened opportunities over the middle of the field for Lamb, who has been one of the NFL’s top slot receivers. Adams attributed this strategic edge to Dallas identifying how opponents defend the line of scrimmage.
Still, the offense’s excellence has not translated into wins as Dallas’ defense remains a glaring weakness. Through three games, the Cowboys have allowed 387 yards per game, the third-worst in the league. They have recorded just two sacks and no interceptions, putting them in rare company historically. According to CBS Sports Research, only the 1976 New York Jets and 2022 Arizona Cardinals have started a season with similar defensive stat lines, and neither team managed more than four wins.
To address this, Dallas made a significant trade late Wednesday night, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. The move aims to shore up a defense that has struggled since Parsons’ departure and to reverse the early-season slide before the first quarter of the campaign closes.
According to CBS.
