Fresh off a 44-22 demolition of the Washington Commanders, the Dallas Cowboys arrived in Denver expecting to build momentum. Instead, they absorbed a 44-24 thrashing that exposed the same defensive frailty that has plagued their entire campaign.

Bo Nix dissected Dallas for 247 passing yards and four scores, while the Broncos’ ground game piled up 179 yards. J.K. Dobbins set the tone and R.J. Harvey punched in a pair of touchdowns. The Cowboys’ defensive unit, already the squad’s Achilles heel, offered zero resistance.

Now 3-4-1, owner Jerry Jones delivered a blunt assessment of the first half of the season.

“Well, I’m not happy with winning three ballgames at all,” Jones said. “Can we play better? Of course we can play better. We all saw the same thing out there [against Denver]. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Dallas has surrendered at least 20 points in all eight contests, 30-plus five times, and 40-plus on two occasions. Those struggles have forced the offense into perpetual catch-up mode, an equation that rarely yields victories.

With the November 4 trade cutoff looming, Jones confirmed the front office is scouring the market.

“In general, I’d say that we are looking hard at how to improve,” he said. “We’re looking hard at the deadline coming up. It’s a time for movement. If something is available there, we certainly have the ability [to make moves].”

Next up: a Monday Night Football home date with the Arizona Cardinals, followed by a bye. November then delivers the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs in succession.

For a franchise desperate to right the ship, the deadline—and the weeks beyond—represent make-or-break territory.

Losing to the Broncos was a sobering reality that the Cowboys have a lot of work to do in order to be a playoff contender. There is no question that they have some good pieces in place, but there is clearly still quite a bit missing in Dallas.