Despite ranking sixth in pressure rate, the 2025 Dallas Cowboys struggled mightily in pass defense, finishing 31st in defensive passer rating at 109.6. Even more concerning was the fact that, despite ranking sixth in pressure rate, the Cowboys allowed opponents to complete an alarmingly high 86% of their short passes—282 of 327. That number, more than sacks or pressure rate, defines the collapse of a unit that could not stop the ball, regardless of how much pressure it generated on the quarterback.
What the numbers reveal
When the Cowboys did manage to pressure opposing quarterbacks, the result was often predictable. The average cushion on those short passes was between 7 to 10 yards, meaning the defense had failed to create tight coverage. This left the quarterback with open options—always. If the plan was to force turnovers or force the quarterback into mistakes, it simply wasn’t working, because the defense was never in a position to force the quarterback into a difficult throw.
Opposing quarterbacks targeted the middle of the field 46% of the time, with most of those completions coming in space that Dallas linebackers and safeties simply failed to contest. That number is even worse when considering Dallas faced Jalen Hurts twice—twice a quarterback who rarely targets the middle of the field. If Hurts, a quarterback known for avoiding that area, could find success there, it only highlights how poor the coverage was in the middle of the field.
A problem past the yellow line
The real issue extended beyond the short passes and middle-of-the-field breakdowns. Five of the six quadrants beyond 10 yards downfield showed a defensive passer rating of 110 or worse. That means Dallas's secondary could not stop the ball in the red zone, in the end zone, or on deep routes. A unit meant to create pressure was instead being burned repeatedly once the ball was thrown past the 20-yard line. The Cowboys were effectively the perfect complement for a Rex Grossman-style play, where a quarterback could take what the defense gave him rather than force the issue.
The difference between official NFL stats and Pro Football Focus's metrics is stark. Traditional box scores put Dallas at 109.6 defensive passer rating. PFF’s more targeted metrics, excluding throwaways and overthrows, showed a 121.5 rating. That 12-point gap represents the missed coverage and unassigned targets Dallas could not control. While the official stats are useful, the PFF version paints a clearer picture of how poorly the defense played when it actually had opportunities to make a play. For example, the PFF metrics exclude specific types of throws, like throwaways or spikes, where no defender was actually covering a receiver. Similarly, clear overthrows that landed in completely open zones were often omitted if no defender was in a position to realistically make a play on the ball.
Why the pressure didn't matter
Dallas was third in sacks in 2024. It was still 28th in defensive passer rating. That trend continued in 2025. The problem wasn’t the rush. The problem was what happened after the quarterback let the ball go. Even when the defense managed to pressure the quarterback, communication breaks, blown coverages, and a lack of tight zone defense meant even the best pressure could not force a turnover. Opponents simply had space to work with. Even in a short passing game, Dallas was too far behind the line of scrimmage to stop the ball.
The numbers show that the Cowboys’ pass defense struggles were not simply a result of a lack of sacks or a poor pass rush. It was a systemic issue across the entire secondary, with problems in coverage, communication, and positioning. The defense had the ability to generate pressure but lacked the discipline and coverage skills to stop the ball once it was thrown. That inability to close the gaps and make the contested catches allowed opponents to move the ball with relative ease, even against a defense that was able to pressure the quarterback at a top-tier rate.