Week 4 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Dallas Cowboys Flounder In Mediocrity

The Dallas Cowboys have some soul-searching to do this week, after a heartbreaking loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in Week 3.

Dallas had victory in their hands, but let it slip away with a brutal string of mistakes in all three phases of the game. Now, it's time for the Cowboys to dig deep to show the rest of the NFL what the team is really made of.

Following Week 3, experts around the league dropped their latest NFL Power Rankings, and after some high expectations in the preseason, including some Super Bowl chatter, the Cowboys are back on the verge of slipping into pretender territory.

Let's take a look at what the experts from around the league are saying as we say goodbye to September. Because it is the Cowboys, overreactions are expected, but the team's insistence on living in mediocrity keeps them from taking a drastic fall.

Sports Illustrated

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer reacts to a walk-off loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | REUTERS

This week's ranking: 19
Last week's ranking: 19

"We talk often about the magic dust wearing off of coaches in Year 2 and, for some of the lucky ones, in Year 3. While Brian Schottenheimer is certainly a candidate, I thought his complete and total willingness to take the blame for Dallas’s poor playcalling down the stretch was an appropriate self-own that will diffuse a season that hasn’t started according to plan."

Brian Schottenheimer received a lot of grace during his first season as an NFL head coach, but in Year 2, it's time to step up. Week 3 was a disastrous game all around for Coach Schotty, from the play calls to the clock management, so let's see how he responds this week.

Schottenheimer is taking responsibility for the Cowboys' misfortunes which is a good start, now let's see if he can dial up something special for the team's road trip this weekend.

ESPN.com

Dallas Cowboys stars George Pickens and Dak Prescott at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This week's ranking: 19
Last week's ranking: 19

"Pickens looked great in training camp, and he was the WR12 in our draft rankings. So it's surprising to see he has not scored or registered a catch for at least 20 yards. His production was better against Baltimore (seven catches, 82 yards), but the Cowboys need to get Pickens involved more. A team that lived on big plays in 2025 hasn't been as effective on them this year. Pickens is averaging just 9.6 yards per catch, and he has gone five straight games without a touchdown. -- Todd Archer"

George Pickens is itching for a breakout game, and while he was productive against the Ravens, he still needs to find the endzone. Pickens is more engaged when he is fed the ball early, so the Cowboys need to make it a point to get Pickens involved in the offense early and often against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Week 4.

The Athletic

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens catches the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This week's ranking: 17
Last week's ranking: 16

"Dak Prescott missed a wide-open George Pickens in a critical moment Sunday, but the Cowboys were ultimately undone by a bad defense and poor game management. It was a perfect microcosm of Prescott’s 11-year career: really good but not good enough to overcome everything else. Since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016, Prescott is fifth in the league in passing yards (36,719), sixth in passing touchdowns (250) and 10th in EPA per dropback (0.12). He has two playoff wins."

There is a lot of attention on the poor game management down the stretch, and it was hopefully a wake-up call for Dak Prescott. Whether it be local media or team legends, Prescott is now hearing encouragement and people telling him to take full control of the game.

If that means pretending like you don't hear a terrible play call in a crunch time situation, it is what it is. Winning is all that matters.

Bleacher Report

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This week's ranking: 17
Last week's ranking: 17

"Although it sounds like a broken record with this team, the Dallas Cowboys defense is a liability. In Rio de Janeiro, defensive coordinator Christian Parker set up his unit for failure, leaving the middle of the field open for Lamar Jackson to connect with Zay Flowers on a 27-yard completion before Tyler Loop kicked a 56-yard game-winning field goal. Dallas has allowed nearly 400 total yards in all three of its games. Parker needs to make overall and situational adjustments on his side of the ball."

Christian Parker is taking a lot of heat for the defense's slow start to the season, but the team hasn't made it easy on him. There are 8 new starters, and four starters who have missed time. Starting safety Jalen Thompson will likely be placed on IR, and starting cornerback Cobie Durant has already been hit with the designation.

We won't know how much of an impact Parker has made on the unit until it is healthy, but he needs to work some magic to get things on the right track. A perfect place to start is next week against the winless Houston Texans.

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