What happened: Dan Orlovsky graded Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb A-plus for the opening month. He still placed Dallas as a fringe playoff team one month into the 2026 regular season.

Why it matters: The assessment measures Dallas against San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles in the NFC pecking order. That gap leaves Dallas with little margin as the postseason race takes shape.

What to watch: Dallas now needs its passing production to translate into separation in the NFC standings.