The Dallas Cowboys improved to 1-1 on the season when they notched an impressive 37-20 home win over the rival Washington Commanders (0-2) on Sunday afternoon.
Following that victory, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones offered an interesting line that left some members of the NFL community wondering if he has a big move in mind that he’d like to make before the trade deadline arrives on Nov. 10.
Was Jerry Jones feeling dangerous after the Cowboys’ win?
“Nothing more dangerous than an old man with money,” Jones told a group of reporters, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Y’all hear? That’s my quote of the day.”
Throughout the offseason, Jones signed off on numerous roster additions that were intended to bolster a defense that often let the Dallas offense down during the 2025 season. In August, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott made it known that “this is as urgent as I’ve ever felt Jerry” regarding the club’s pursuit of a trip to the Super Bowl.
Dallas hasn’t played in an NFC Championship Game since the NFC East club won the Super Bowl in January 1996.
Cowboys defense already getting better?
Following the Cowboys’ 28-20 loss to the rival New York Giants on Sept. 13, Jones acknowledged that he wasn’t thrilled about the supposed communication breakdowns his defense endured at MetLife Stadium. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Jones said after Sunday’s win that “we’re better than we’ve been the last two years on defense.”
Second-year Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer also praised how his team bounced back after the loss to the Giants.
“Overall, I thought the communication was better,” Schottenheimer said about how the Dallas defense played against Washington. “There’s certainly things to clean up. We certainly did a poor job of containing [Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels], but he can do that. He does that to a lot of people. That’s really where the rush yards got away.”
Against the Cowboys, Daniels rushed for 69 yards before he suffered a dislocated left elbow late in the game’s first half.
“…We got some things to improve on third down,” Schottenheimer continued. “I thought we really rushed the passer well. I don’t know what the pressure numbers were. I know we didn’t get any sacks, but (Daniels) and [Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota] were both moved off the spot quite a bit. So, I felt good about that. But there’s always things to clean up. We certainly have not arrived. We got a lot of work to do.”
Some have linked the Cowboys with unsettled Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but the Steelers reportedly don’t want to trade him. While star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders continues to be the subject of trade rumors, there’s no indication the 2-0 Raiders will move him this fall.
Meanwhile, a Cowboys team that could use help in its secondary and as it pertains to pursuing quarterbacks will next face the 1-1 Baltimore Ravens in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on Sept. 27. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Dallas as a three-point underdog for that game.
