The Dallas Cowboys got off to a brutal start to the 2026 NFL season with an ugly 28-20 loss to the New York Giants on the road on Sunday evening. Neither side of the ball played particularly well for the Cowboys, who entered this season with legit Super Bowl expectations from some after seemingly revamping their defense this offseason.

Users on social media were quick to point out just how disappointed they were with the new-look Cowboys after the loss.

“They are running out of ‘fell for it again' merch at the Cowboys team store,” noted Kevin Clark of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.

Indeed, this isn't the first time that the Cowboys have been hyped significantly coming into a season, only to lay an egg during their first game of the campaign. Some of the hype may be due to the team's high profile as “America's Team,” although there were legitimate reasons to take the Cowboys seriously this year, as Dak Prescott and the offense were elite throughout last season, and the defense was retooled over the offseason, led by the re-signing of Quinnen Williams, drafting of Caleb Downs, and other key moves.

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Prescott had a lackluster game on Sunday night, as did wide receiver George Pickens, who recorded multiple ugly drops at MetLife Stadium. Meanwhile, the defense got off to a decent start but couldn't find a way to get off the field in the second half, at one point giving up heavy chunks of yardage on four straight plays, with the Giants running the same offensive set each time.

Of course, it's too early to make any bold proclamations about the Cowboys' season after one game. After all, the eventual AFC Champion New England Patriots lost their first game of the year last season to the Las Vegas Raiders, who went on to have the worst record in the league.

But still. Not ideal.