Worrying common theme starts surging for Cowboys in latest round of NFL power rankings

It's no secret the Dallas Cowboys might be in big trouble as they sit at 2-2 with a tough upcoming slate of three games in which they're likely to be considered underdogs for. They're already 2.5-point underdogs against the Pittsburgh Steelers the upcoming Sunday Night Football. 

They're also down DeMarcus Lawrence for at least four games as he's reportedly being placed on Injured Reserve and his absence could run even longer than that. Meanwhile, it's looking like Micah Parsons will miss at least the upcoming Steelers game and who knows if he'll play before the bye week at all. 

Add to that some mighty struggles on offense and some scary performances defending the run and it's only fair to wonder: How good are the 2024 Cowboys, really? If you take a look around the latest power rankings in the NFL world, a common theme is starting to emerge and it's a worrying one for Dallas: They're dropping and in most, they're the third NFC East team being listed behind the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles. Let's take a closer look.

NFL.com: 17th

This is a pretty low spot to be in for a team that came into the season as a top NFC contender. The Commanders are 7th on this one with the Eagles sitting at 13th. 

"The run defense made a statement against the Giants, and it's nice to know that essentially your fifth-string cornerback can come up with the game-clinching interception, but the Cowboys can't keep living this highwire life every game, especially without the benefit of a difference-making ground attack," writes Eric Edholm. "Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb can rally this team, but it's going to be some heavy lifting these next two weeks before the bye."

ESPN: 15th

This one also ranks the Commanders in the top 10 at 10th and the Eagles are the second NFC East squad (13th).

"Just because the Giants ran for only 26 yards on 24 carries doesn't mean the Cowboys' run defense is fixed," writes Todd Archer. "It will take multiple weeks for the Cowboys to clear up the issues that resulted in 464 rushing yards allowed to New Orleans and Baltimore."

CBS Sports: 13th

Peter Prisco does have the Eagles (16th) below the Cowboys on this one, but the Commanders (8th) still lead the way.

"At 2-2, they still don't look right and now they have major injuries on defense. If Micah Parsons is out for any length of time, they are in big trouble. " writes Prisco. 

Yahoo! Sports: 15th

This one has the Eagles at 9th and Commanders at 12th, with the Cowboys looking up from within the league's Top 15 teams.

"The Cowboys didn’t look good in their Week 4 victory vs. the Giants," writes Frank Schwab. "Nobody should panic — the Eagles don’t look great either and the Commanders’ defense still is an issue — but both sides of the ball need to get better.