Always Average Cowboys

With yet another embarrassing loss, mediocre Dallas Cowboys are right on schedule

Dallas Cowboys fans are stunned and irate after witnessing yet another crushing loss by their favorite NFL team. I, however, don't understand the confusion that people have about this team letting the game slip away.

This is a team that has a 122-118 record during the past 15 years. It has been 8-8 for two straight seasons, and the record for this season sits at 7-7. The Cowboys are the poster child for a .500 team. Yet fans are still amazed that the team loses so much. Have you never heard Einstein's definition of insanity?

Sure, Dallas should have won the Packers game, and they should have beaten Detroit. Yet no one expected the Cowboys to sweep the season series with the New York Giants for the first time in a decade, so in reality, Dallas is right on schedule.

Although Dallas has a few Hall of Fame-caliber players, the full roster is sub-par. The result is a perfectly average team.

Perhaps fans are upset because they see names like Tony Romo, Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware represented in the Pro-Bowl on a regular basis. They see Dez Bryant being mentioned in the same breath as some of the most talented receivers in the league. A team with this many household names should be better than .500, right?

Sadly, football is not like the NBA, where one big star can change the fortunes of a team for a decade. A franchise quarterback like Peyton Manning might be able to elevate a team from terrible to respectable, but winning playoff games takes a team-building effort at every position.

Jerry Jones is unparalleled at promoting his players, which gives people an inflated impression of talent. For example, the Cowboys gave up two high draft picks to move up and grab defensive back Morris Claiborne in the 2012 draft. They did this because Jones proclaimed that Claiborne was the most talented defensive back to come to the NFL in more than two decades.

It's now been almost two seasons, and Claiborne appears to be going the wrong way in his development into a superstar. Even if he were to make massive strides as a defender this season, Claiborne can only play one position.

This sums up the inherent flaw with the Jerry Jones' Cowboys. Although there are some Hall of Fame-caliber players on the team (mostly aging stars drafted by Bill Parcells), the roster is made up of 53 men. Too many of them are below par in terms of both talent and production. Add it all up, and the result is a perfectly average team.

Jones can fire Jason Garrett after this season; he can get rid of Monte Kiffin and Bill Callahan. But that won't change the fortunes of this team for very long. To make the Cowboys Super Bowl contenders again, Jones needs to change his entire philosophy of gathering talent, both for coaching and playing.

Until he does, Cowboys fans should prepare themselves for more .500 football. It's a premise that the fans can feel perfectly average about.

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Touchdown

Dallas Cowboys go all-in on nachos for 2026 food lineup at AT&T Stadium

Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

Peri Peri, Texas BBQ, and Butter Chicken Doritos Loaded nachos are among the new concession items for the 2026 Dallas Cowboys season.

Every Dallas Cowboys season brings something new on the concessions front, and for the 2026 season the team has gone all-in on nachos, offering multiple new takes on the favorite stadium fare.

In a September 16 release, the Cowboys announced all the new menu items for the season, in advance of the team's home opener against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, September 20 at AT&T Stadium.

The new nacho lineup will feature international flavors on an array of Doritos Loaded and Tostitos Nachos options, including:

Peri Peri Chicken Doritos Loaded — House-made peri peri chicken with peri cheese sauce, pico de gallo, drizzled with garlic perinaise sauce.
Texas BBQ Doritos Loaded — House-smoked beef brisket with nacho cheese sauce, barbecue sauce, sweet and spicy pickles, coleslaw and green onion.
Butter Chicken Doritos Loaded —House-made butter chicken in butter sauce with raita vegetable mix (tomato, red onion, cucumber and cilantro), drizzled with spiced yogurt.
Tostitos Peri Peri Chicken Nachos — Tostitos tortilla chips topped with house-made peri peri chicken, peri cheese sauce, garlic perinaise sauce and fresh pico de gallo.
Tostitos Island Jerk Nachos — Thick-cut Tostitos tortilla chips topped with house made jerk chicken, fresh mango salsa, cilantro and lime crema.

The Doritos Loaded Nachos will be available at Doritos Loaded Carts at Upper 50 Yard Lines, Sections 412 and 442, while the Tostitos Nachos will be available at Tostitos Cantina at Section 423.

Fans who attended FIFA World Cup matches in Arlington already got a taste of the new nachos, which were developed by Frito-Lay and the Legends Global at AT&T Stadium Food & Beverage team.

Two other new non-nacho items for the 2026 Cowboys season include:

Kraft BBQ DCQ — A hoagie bun stuffed with a grilled jalapeño cheese sausage, famous Cowboys mac n cheese, chopped brisket, and Kraft BBQ sauce, topped with jalapeños. Available at Sections 412 and 442 Smokehouse Stands and Upper Bent Buckle Locations at Sections 410 and 444.
Kraft Buffalo Aioli Chicken Sandwich — Crispy chicken breast with fresh lettuce and tomato on a seeded bun dressed with Kraft Buffalo Aioli. Available at all four Crisp stands at Sections 218, 243, 409, and 439.

$Kraft\u00ae Buffalo Aioli Chicken Sandwich at AT&T Stadium$ The new Kraft Buffalo Aioli Chicken Sandwich.Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

But don't worry: Just because the Cowboys are bringing new items doesn't mean they're getting rid of fan favorites from past seasons.

Fans will still be able to enjoy unique items like Tyson Cowboys Star Nuggets, Cowboys Cheesesteak, The Lineman Burrito, The Rowdy Dog, and Dessert Nachos, among others.

And if you're lucky enough to get to sit in a suite, AT&T Stadium will now offer a variety of vegan options for those ticketholders.

Choices include vegan burgers, brat sausage, barbecue meatless meatballs, meatless chicken nuggets, dessert bars, cookies, Buffalo cauliflower bites, and more.

Meatless chicken nuggets at AT&T Stadium for Dallas Cowboys Suite ticketholders will be able to enjoy new vegan items, including the Meatless Chicken Nuggets.Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

On the non-vegan side, other new suite items include Caribbean Spiced Jerk Chicken, Chicken Empanadas, Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie, Cream Filled Scones, Buffalo Ranch Corn Nuts, and more.

To help fans find the new foods and other locations, the team is also unveiling AT&T Stadium Wayfinding, a web-based navigation tool that can be used either in the Dallas Cowboys app or any of four designated AT&T kiosks on the East and West Platforms. The platform connects fans to the most efficient routes to their seats, as well as the the nearest concessions and restrooms.

The Cowboys will also continue to host their Celebrity Chef series, featuring local restaurant chefs bringing their special signature creations to a concession stand in the Main Clubs at AT&T Stadium during every home game.

Another home opener tradition features the First and Second Place winning teams of the annual Taste of the Cowboys Youth Challenge cooking for fans. Mesquite High School and Duncanville High School will cook for fans at the stadium on September 20.

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