EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Cowboys came here in quest of 2025 season consolation prizes, knowing the playoffs have been out of the question for a number of weeks.
First, to avoid consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2000-02.
Next, to finish with the best division record in NFC East games.
Next, to beat the New York Giants for the 10th straight time and 17th in the last 18 games.
Next, to keep Dak Prescott's record clean from his first losing season in a year he completed and give him a chance of holding on to the NFL lead in passing yards.
Next, to maybe create some momentum heading into the 2026 season by finishing with two consecutive victories, heading home with a better taste in their mouths.
But in a season of ups and downs, disappointments and stumbling over so, so many hurdles, some emotionally charged, they would not return home from this final attempt of the season with even a measly Kewpie doll to show for it.
New York Giants 34, Cowboys 17.
Sorry, Frank, the Cowboys couldn't "make it" here Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Even when facing a division rival who was coming in with a 3-13 record and trying to win consecutive games for the first time since the 2023 season after having previously lost nine straight. Really, the Cowboys were not even close.
Same song, last verse, a refrain all too common.
Porous defense.
Red-zone and goal-to-go problems.
Problems on every corner.
Can't stop the run.
One inordinate play changing the entire complexion of the game.
And this time not even their football savior Dak Prescott, in his half of the game, could save them. He would have needed more time, more assists. And even though trailing 16-10 at halftime, the Cowboys stuck to their plan, playing backup quarterback Joe Milton in the second half. And as could have been predicted after not really having taken any snaps of substance all season, this did not turn out well, save a couple of runs.
"I'm disappointed, yeah, of course, absolutely. Definitely disappointed we didn't win the game," Brian Schottenheimer said, knowing now his head coaching debut will be scarred with a losing record.
Yep, that consolation goal of finishing 8-8-1 was not met, now stained with 7-9-1. That goal of finishing 5-1 in the NFC East was not attained, finishing 4-2. That goal of closing out the disappointing season on a two -game winning streak went down the drain, now having to feel the sting of losing four of the final five games after finally pulling themselves up to 6-5-1.
How come?
Well, we can start with the defense. The Cowboys gave up at least 30 points in nine games this season, and the Giants' 34 raised their opponents' season total to 511. That's yards, not some special three-digit phone shortcut. That comes to 30.1 points a game. That is the most points the Cowboys have given up in their 66-season history, no matter if it has been a 12-game season, a 14, a 16 and now a 17-game season.
No matter if it was the inaugural 1960 season of 0-11-1 or the franchise-worst 1-15 in Jimmy Johnson's first year or 3-13 in Tom Landry's final season or any of those 5-11 seasons from 2000-02. This also means the Cowboys will have given up the most points of any team this season, the Jets the only other club to reach the 500 level (503). That bad.
And when it comes to yards – against a Giants team having averaged 330 yards a game after 16 outings – the Cowboys gave up 380 to the erstwhile three-win team. Then the Giants' 161 yards rushing became the 12th time in 17 games the Cowboys gave up more than 100 and the sixth time allowing more than 150.
When considering all this, might be a minor miracle the Cowboys even won seven games and tied one.
Then on offense, their red-zone failures continued to mount. In this one, the Cowboys only scored touchdowns on two of four trips, and that includes kicking a field goal when first-and-goal from the 4-yard line and scoring zero points when reaching first-and-10 at the 11, turning the ball over on downs at the 3.
Then, two turnovers, Dak and center Cooper Beebe fumbling away a snap and Milton getting picked off on a terribly thrown ball.
And then there is the yards: Gaining a season-low 286. Total. And just 165 in the first half with Dak in charge. And not that this is egregious considering the 30-degree temperatures, but Mr. Automatic Brandon Aubrey missed from 58 yards out, those footballs pretty hard in the cold temps.
Not much went right.
Although there were a couple of consolation prizes.
Veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney played with his hair on fire. Get this: He finished with six tackles, three sacks, four tackles for losses, three QB hits, one pass defensed and a forced-and-recovered fumble. Those three sacks raised his team-leading total to 8½ and prevented the Cowboys' sack leader from finishing with no more than six sacks, the franchise single-season fewest since sacks became an official NFL stat in 1982. Only appearing in 13 games and starting six, Clowney did so despite playing just less than 40 percent of the defensive snaps after being signed to the active roster. Problem being, though, the rest of the team contributed just one sack of rookie QB Jaxson Dart, who threw for 230 yards and one Mahome-ian-like 29-yard touchdown, scrambling out of the pocket to shuffle a pass sidearm to Daniel Bellinger at the last second.
"Incredible, incredible," was all Schottenheimer needed to say of Clowney's performance, worthy of somehow trying to re-sign the 12-year veteran. The first pick in the 2014 draft by Houston, Clowney has turned into a mercenary of sorts, playing for six different teams over the past seven years.
Then there this day was rookie Jaydon Blue, how was starting his first NFL game thanks to Javonte Williams and Malik Davis both being placed on IR before the game. He finished with 11 carries for 76 yards and a 14-yard touchdown run, the first of his NFL career, in the first half alone. Even rookie Phil Mafah was activated to the 53-man roster off season-long IR to contribute with his first NFL touchdown (1-yard run), getting five carries for 18 yards.
And once again, with the Cowboys pulling CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens after the after the first half, Ryan Flournoy led the team with five catches for 68 yards, giving him 20 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns in his last four games played. And rookie linebacker Shemar James led the team with 13 tackles, a half-sack and one QB hit against the Giants.
Other than that, there really wasn't much to write home about this final performance of the season, and look, one the Cowboys were taking seriously preparing for during the week. That is until the Cowboys waved the white flag offensively at the start of the second half when giving Milton those final 26 snaps.
So now the hardest part of all. Time to clean up the season. Player exit interviews on Monday and Tuesday. Then those same with the assistant coaches. Then figuring out which players need cleanup surgeries. And before you know it, the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February, the March 11 start to the league year and the NFL draft April 23-25.
Oh, and for all of those wishing for the Cowboys to tank these past two games to improve their first-round draft position, how about this? The Cowboys' own first-round choice was hovering around 14 to start the game. The loss dropping them to just seven wins bumped them up a couple of spots to No. 12.
"Yeah, it's frustrating," Dak said of how the season turned out. "Tired of it? I've got to deal with it. Sure, tired, right? But it's up to me to control. That's why I said this year is as frustrating as anything. There are a number of times being up here talking to you guys saying I need to fix this, get better at this, to have a season where it wasn't on my play. I can't say I should have fixed that, or I should have fixed that.
"I take accountability, don't get me wrong, in so many ways. The leader I am, I'm frustrated, always trying to figure out what could I have done better, whether it was conversations here, talking to this guy there, whatever it may be. I still put some of it on myself. Unfortunately, we just didn't get it done."
No, they didn't, and for now the pain of 7-9-1 will linger, the Cowboys unable to at least achieve those ulterior motives to win this final game, to "make it" in New York, New York. Right, Frank?
