The Cowboys' 6-34 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was the final nail in the coffin for this season. Realistically speaking, this team is not going to the playoffs. A few more losses will take this team out of playoff contention this season, and put a stamp on the dumpster fire that has been the 2024-25 campaign.
I won't overlook that the defense looked great in the first half. But no matter what the defense did for them, Cooper Rush and the offense could not capitalize on anything. The second half was when things got bad. The Cowboys were completely shut out in the second half, turning the ball over three times in the process. The second half started with a 14-6 Eagles lead, but two Jalen Hurts-led touchdown drives and two field goals put the game to bed.
That game ended any hope the Cowboys had of going on some kind of magical, Nick Foles-like run in the playoffs with Cooper Rush. This team has proven that they are one of, if not the worst team in the NFL, and it's time to look into the future and think about how this team can be turned around (spoiler alert: it might not take that long).
Atop the checklist for the Cowboys right now should be a change at head coach and defensive coordinator. The criticism around Mike McCarthy's time with the Cowboys has always been that he has a history of guiding talented, Super Bowl-contending teams to disappointing playoff exits. This time around, he has taken a team that, although weaker than previous years, is still capable of making the playoffs and turned them into arguably the worst team in the NFL. Mike McCarthy's tenure in Dallas has been full of self-inflicted wounds on offense and an inability to stop the run on defense. Those are not characteristics of a championship-level team. Meanwhile, a run defense that was consistently bad under Dan Quinn has become statistically the second-worst run defense in the NFL under Mike Zimmer. If they want to build a Championship team, the Cowboys front office needs to let go of both McCarthy and Zimmer before next season.
Although Bill Belichick rumors continue to circulate, Lions OC Ben Johnson would be Dallas' best option as head coach. Johnson is a fearless, dynamic play-caller who has guided Detroit to the 7th most yards per game and 2nd most points per game in the NFL thus far this season. Additionally, the Cowboys have a lot of extremely athletic players like Kavonte Turpin who struggle to get open, and I think Johnson's scheme would help guys like Turpin get the ball and bring firepower to this offense. If hired, the Cowboys should give Johnson permission to replace both offensive and defensive coordinators with coaches of his choosing. It's time to start over in Dallas, and it starts with the league's best offensive coordinator a shot to be the head coach of the Cowboys.
The next move the Cowboys need to make this offseason involves the NFL draft. If Dallas winds up with a top 3 pick in this year's draft (which they very well could), I believe it would be in their best interest to trade back. As much as the idea of drafting Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter is exciting, I believe the best move Dallas can make is to select Boise St RB Ashton Jeanty within the top 10. The Cowboys should look to trade back a few picks to remain in the top 10 while securing a late 2nd or early 3rd round pick. By doing this, the Cowboys could come away with yet another impact player while still getting the guy they need in the first round. Given the hype around Travis Hunter, plenty of teams should be interested.
Finally, the Cowboys have one more hole they need to fill in free agency: wide receiver. Assuming they don't draft one (which they shouldn't, especially not in the first round), former Las Vegas Raider Hunter Renfrow is now a free agent and the former 1,000-yard receiver will likely be available for a minimum deal. Although he has dealt with injuries as of late, Renfrow is a reliable pass catcher who is worth taking a chance on. The Cowboys have been criticized for their route running, so signing a guy who is known for his route-running ability seems like a no-brainer.
To answer the question I posed at the start, what's next for the Cowboys is to start looking ahead to the future. This team is likely not going to the playoffs and is not making any kind of magical Super Bowl run. The Cowboys need to start looking to the future and looking for ways to rebuild this broken football team. Changes need to be made because this current squad is not going anywhere.
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