It might seem hyperbolic to say that the Dallas Cowboys are facing a must-win game on Sunday against the New York Giants. After all, it’s just the second week of the season.
However, the Giants are nowhere near the toughest opponent on the schedule in 2025.
A loss to New York would be a bad omen for the rest of the year, not to mention that the Cowboys would be 0-2 going back on the road to Chicago on Sept. 21st.
With the Green Bay Packers, and Micah Parsons, returning to AT&T Stadium the following week. Dallas must be no worse than 2-2 after the Packers game.
Just how bad would an 0-2 start, or worse, be?
Poor Start History
Since the 1990 season, a total of 288 teams have started a season by losing the first two games. Only 35 of those teams have gone on to make the playoffs.
Only 19 won their division and just these three teams have won the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start.
- 1993 Dallas Cowboys
- 2001 New England Patriots
- 2007 New York Giants
The Cowboys that year were missing Emmitt Smith those first two games. They were the defending Super Bowl champions, and they played like it after Smith returned.
Since 2021, despite the NFL expanding the number of playoff teams to 14 the year before, 30 (out of 128) teams have started 0-2. Only five of them made the playoffs.
What about teams that start 0–3, you ask?
Since 1990, 165 teams have started the year with three losses. Just four of them made the playoffs.
Only two managed to win their division.
None of them made the Super Bowl.
The Pressure Is On
Aside from the 1993 season, which has something of an asterisk because of the Smith contract situation, the Cowboys have had seven other seasons begin with two straight losses.
The 1960, 1962, 1963, 1989, 2000, 2001, and 2010 seasons all started 0-2 for Dallas. Four of those (1960, 1963, 1989, and 2001) began with three straight losses.
In all seven cases, the Cowboys failed to make the playoffs.
In addition to extending their streak of starting the year at 1-1 or better to 15 straight seasons, the Cowboys clearly don’t want to tempt fate with an 0-2 start. Or even worse.
Being 0-2, and possibly looking ahead to Green Bay, is the perfect recipe for turning the Bears game into a trap game and an 0-3 start.
That would all but ensure the Dallas Cowboys will miss the playoffs for a second-straight year.
And that makes Sunday’s game a must-win contest.
