FRISCO, Texas – Now comes the litmus test.

Like, just who are these Dallas Cowboys a skosh short of 30 percent into this 2025 season, what’s been sort of a wild rollercoaster ride so far.

We’ve seen an encouraging 24-20 loss in Philadelphia to the defending Super Bowl champs, who, uh, sure aren’t playing like potential Super Bowl back-to-backers.

Had an exhausting but win nevertheless over the New York Giants, having to go into overtime to beat currently a 2-4 NFC East foe. One who sent tremors through the NFL Thursday night with that shocking 34-17 pounding of those now 4-2 Eagles, inspired by two energetic rookies.

Turned in an unforeseen clunker in Chicago, falling to the now 2-2 Bears at Soldier Field, 31-14, an outlier for the NFL’s now No. 1 total offense and No. 4 scoring offense.

Rebounded as heavy underdogs against the Green Bay Packers, scoring an impressive 40 points, but the defense – now ranked 32nd in total yards and 31st in points per game – floundered in an encouraging but disappointing 40-40 tie with a now 2-1-1 team.

And then this, the Cowboys dispatching the winless New York Jets in impressive fashion, 37-22, to sort of even out their record at 2-2-1. That was maybe their best defensive effort since the season opener, holding their first opponent to less than 31 points in the past four games, giving hope a chance.

So now here comes the 2-3 Carolina Panthers on the road, the NFC South member coming off a 5-12 season in 2024 but having won both home games so far this season, shutting out Atlanta, 30-0, and coming back to beat Miami, 27-24.

Now what Cowboys? Watch ya got?

Is this offensive renaissance sustainable, once again still without two of their top three wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin, out for sure until next week against the Commanders? Can this resurgent offensive line, last Sunday starting four backup linemen but playing well enough to still put up 37 points and 416 total yards, hang in there with half those missing starters returning, Tyler Smith and Tyler Guyton?

See, the key in this unpredictable NFL – see the Eagles’ two-game losing streak, having given up 55 points in those losses and scoring a mere 17 in each – is consistency, the supreme element to surviving a 17-game NFL grind. The Cowboys’ current loss-win-loss-tie-win trend won’t getcha anywhere.

And the Cowboys have not won more than two consecutive games – four times – since a five-game winning streak back in 2023 when they finished 12-5 for a third consecutive season.

It’s time, that is, if they have designs on helping to make sure no NFC East winner, i.e. the Eagles, does not repeat as division champs once again since Philadelphia did so from 2001-04. That’s 22 seasons ago. Now, the Giants did their part Thursday night behind impressive performances from rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and rookie running back Cam Skattebo. Both turned the televised postgame show into a rollicking good time, the 220-pound back-flipping running back joining analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick in a “take-it-off” shirt celebration by ripping his blue T-shirt off, too.

If five games are enough evidence, offensively the Cowboys have the tools to deal with any defense, averaging 407 yards per game and 30.2 points. And think about it, the Cowboys came up one possession short of defeating the Eagles in the season opener. Wouldn’t that have been something because if they had scored when gaining the ball with 3:02 left and not fizzled out at their own 45-yard line, Philadelphia would be sitting here at 3-3 right now with the Cowboys at least a potential 3-1-1.

Or up 40-37 in overtime against the Packers, if that final Green Bay overtime possession had expired one dang second earlier, the Cowboys would be sitting here at 3-2. And nothing would have been finer heading to Carolina for that noon kick at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sunday.

In Cowboys Offense We Trust.

Now that defense, giving up a totally unreasonable 412 yards per game along with 30.8 points, is of utmost concern. Over 17 games, that would factor into inauspicious opponent franchise records of 7,000 yards and 512 points for the season.

That certainly won’t get it.

But the performance against the still winless Jets somewhat gives hope for improvement. While the Cowboys still gave up 378 yards and a troubling 144 rushing, they at least held the Jets to a season-low 22 points.

As defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said, “I know we took a step, a step in the right direction.”

Well, they did. Yielding the 378 yards to the Jets sure beats the 506 the Giants put on them or the 489 the Packers did, though both overtime games. And while sacking Jets quarterback Justin Fields five times, a welcomed season high since they only had five sacks in four games, three of those against the Giants. Hope does spring forward.

The other welcomed sight?

Limiting explosive pass plays of at least 20 yards. In the first four games, opponents scorched the Cowboys for 17 pass plays of at least 20 yards, including one 65-yarder, three more for at least 50 yards and three more of at least 40 yards. Against the Jets – and who knows, this might be just the Jets – only one, that being a game-high 25-yard completion.

Much better, Eberflus attributing that to an improved pass rush, the five sacks and 14 QB pressures, along with the ability to play their top two cornerbacks, DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, for a season high number of snaps. Oh, and also trusting their corners, along with Reddy Steward and Kaiir Elam, in increased man coverage instead of so much of what seemed to be confusing zone coverage.

But as if playing that State Fair of Texas game of Whac-A-Mole, after smashing down one ugly head another pops up: Stopping the run. The Jets ran for 144 yards, seven of those plays for at least 10 yards, and that included two for at least 20. That on the heels of giving up 164 yards rushing the previous week to the Packers, including five runs for at least 13 yards, one a 25-yarder.

And now enter the Panthers and Cowboys’ former running back Rico Dowdle, who went off for career-highs of 206 yards rushing and 234 total yards from scrimmage last week. You know darn well the Panthers will go to school on how the Jets ran right over this defense in this NFL of copycats.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for our defense in the run game … and the pass,” Eberflus appropriately said.

But know this: Prior to Dowdle’s 206-yard day, Carolina was averaging just 109 yards rushing a game, if no more than that acceptable.

Conversely, if Rico wants the Cowboys to “buckle up,” well then back atchya Panthers. Better “buckle up” for Javonte Williams, his 447 yards rushing is third in the NFL, and his five rushing touchdowns are tied for second, one behind the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor. And, well, shhhhh, the Cowboys just might spring rookie Jaydon Blue on them, too, now having lost the injured Miles Sanders for the season.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge for us,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, “and we’ll have to play well to win.”

Can’t wait for the test results.