The 3 Cowboys Silver Linings No One Is Talking About Right Now

The Dallas Cowboys lost their Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants, and there are plenty of reasons for concern. The defense struggled. The offense had mistakes. The Cowboys left opportunities on the field. But Mauricio Rodriguez believes Cowboys fans should not completely panic yet. There were three major positives from the Week 1 loss that could help Dallas win games throughout the 2026 season. The first positive came from a surprising place: the defense. No, Mauricio is not ignoring the fact that the Cowboys struggled to stop the Giants. Dallas had major issues defending the run, containing Jackson Dart and consistently getting off the field. However, one thing stood out. The Cowboys forced four fumbles. Caleb Downs, Quinnen Williams, Jalen Thompson, Kobe Durant and Donovan Ezeiruaku all contributed to plays that knocked the football loose. Dallas did not recover most of those fumbles, but Mauricio believes consistently creating those opportunities can eventually lead to more takeaways. The second positive was Tyler Guyton. Entering the season, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Cowboys offensive line was whether Guyton could take the next step at left tackle. Against the Giants, Guyton delivered one of the most encouraging performances of his young career. He faced elite pass rushers including Brian Burns and Abdul Carter and held up extremely well in pass protection. Mauricio believes Guyton also showed why Dallas was so intrigued by his physical traits as a run blocker. If Tyler Guyton can consistently play at this level, it could completely change how the Cowboys handle their offensive line issues — especially with Terrence Steele continuing to struggle at right tackle. The third positive was Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense. The offense was not perfect. There were penalties, dropped passes and Dak's interception was a costly mistake. But Mauricio believes Dak actually played a strong overall game. If George Pickens catches two early passes, Dallas likely has a different offensive rhythm. Dak also finished among the NFL leaders in quarterback efficiency metrics despite the loss. The bigger takeaway is that the Cowboys offense looks capable of being one of the best units in football. The defense needs to improve, but Dallas still has legitimate reasons for optimism after Week 1. Mauricio Rodriguez breaks down the three biggest silver linings from the Cowboys' loss to the Giants and why they could matter throughout the 2026 season. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Dallas for daily Cowboys news, analysis, reactions and coverage throughout the 2026 NFL season. 0:00 Cowboys fans should not panic 0:42 Positive No. 1: The defense forced turnovers 2:30 Why fumble recoveries will come 3:20 Positive No. 2: Tyler Guyton breakout? 4:40 Guyton vs. Brian Burns and Abdul Carter 5:50 Why Guyton changes the offense 6:20 Positive No. 3: Dak Prescott was good 7:30 Why the offense remains elite 8:20 Final thoughts #DallasCowboys #Cowboys #CowboysNation #NFL #DakPrescott Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=atozsports.com Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games ✭ For more Cowboys coverage be sure to follow here: https://atozsports.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys-news/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AtoZDallas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsdallas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtoZSportsDallas TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsdallas