We’re not even halfway through the season, but the Dallas Cowboys’ hopes of making a postseason run already appear to be fading. Their 23-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 6 exposed several vulnerabilities in a team that has spent over $200 million on its active roster.
The offense, defense, and special teams all struggled, failing to shift momentum when it mattered most.
Although quarterback Dak Prescott’s final stat line wasn’t entirely disastrous, former NFL players were unhappy with the team’s performance, particularly its fourth-quarter mistakes and the lack of rhythm in the passing game.
Ex-NFL Players Vent Frustration Over Cowboys’ Humiliating Loss
The Cowboys were shut down in the first half before finding the end zone later in the game. Trailing 13-0, they tried to mount a second-half comeback, but inconsistency continued to plague the team.
Prescott threw two costly interceptions, stalling potential scoring drives and giving the Packers favorable field position.
What’s even more concerning was that the Cowboys’ defense allowed Jordan Love and the Packers to convert 11 of 18 third-down attempts, leaving the unit exhausted.
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Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho was visibly frustrated during the latest episode of the “Speakeasy” podcast.
“Defense, bad eye control. Defense, bad technique. Defense, bad energy. Defense, bad execution. What is the offense good at? What is the defense good at? What are special teams good at? Nothing’s exciting. Nothing’s exhilarating. Nothing even looks competent,” he ranted.
He continued, “If you’re Jerry Jones, and you’re looking at the defense, the defense is bad at everything. They’re literally bad at everything. Can’t really stop the run, even though today they did a decent job stopping the run… Whatever you want from the Cowboys, they’ll give it to you. They’ll give it to you. Anything you want. Just come in and take it. So to me, you got to blow the whole thing up. It’s embarrassing.”
Former defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko struck a similar tone, taking aim at the entire team, sharing his reaction in a lengthy post, calling the entire act “pathetic.”
“Schottenheimer is a fraud; he’s a friend to these guys rather than a grown man who’ll keep guys accountable. $200 million in contracts on the defensive line alone and your sack leader is Caleb Downs. Guys are celebrating first downs while down 16 in the 4th quarter,” Fehoko added.
“They hired a defensive coordinator who wears Cartier glasses with studs in his ear. Their talent evaluator front office guru is outdated. You got Ceedee smiling, hugging opposing team DBs in the 4th quarter. This [expletive] is pathetic.”
“Very bad,” former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant wrote in response to a post by former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel.
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Meanwhile, veteran running back LeSean McCoy wrote, “All these years I finally know what it feels like to be a Cowboys fan for the last 30+ years …a weird FEELING.”
Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton also shared an extensive reaction to the game, offering his analysis on the “4th & 1” podcast.
“The defense is straight hogwash. But the thing that makes the defense so bad is they haven’t created consistent quarterback pressure,” Newton said, dissecting Dallas’ laundry list of issues.
Following the loss, the Cowboys fell to 2-4 on the season and currently sit at No. 21 in PFN’s NFL Team Impact Rankings.
Next up, they’ll play the Jalen Hurts-less Philadelphia Eagles on the road at Lincoln Financial Field. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday, October 26, 2026.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.