By PML Insider Staff
Ten games into the 2025 PML season, the Dallas Cowboys sit at 6–4, a record that blends flashes of promise with stretches of frustration. Led by Head Coach Cody Hirsch, the Cowboys are now at their pivot point — the moment in the season where potential must become performance and excuses must become execution.
Coach Hirsch didn’t sugarcoat the situation:
“We can be a playoff team… but only if we stop giving games away.”
The bye week arrives not as a rest, but as a moment of transformation. A chance to reset the standard. A chance to decide what kind of team Dallas wants to be when January arrives.
This is the full state of the Cowboys entering the bye — now with the voices of the team captains echoing Hirsch’s message.
I. A Complicated 6–4: A Team Close to Greatness, But Not Close Enough Yet
Dallas has shown everything it needs to be a legitimate playoff contender:
- Dominant defensive stretches
- Explosive offensive drives
- High-end talent across the roster
- A culture built around accountability and discipline
But under Coach Hirsch, the Cowboys are holding themselves to a higher standard — one that recognizes the reality of their inconsistencies.
Hirsch put it bluntly:
“We’re not far off. We’re close. But close isn’t good enough in this league.”
The Cowboys know they should be better than 6–4. And the bye week is their opportunity to fix what’s holding them back.
II. Hirsch’s Offense: Elite Potential, Costly Mistakes, and a Clear Mandate
Joe Milton III: The Big-Arm Captain Taking Accountability Into the Bye
Coach Hirsch has entrusted the offense to Joe Milton III, whose physical ability gives Dallas a ceiling most teams can’t match. But the turnovers — especially in the red zone — have cost the Cowboys key games.
Milton stepped to the podium after the final game before the bye and delivered the type of leadership Hirsch demands:
“Coach Hirsch is right. We’re good enough to beat anybody, but we’ve gotta stop hurting ourselves. And that starts with me. I’ve got to take care of the football, take the easy plays, and keep us ahead of the sticks.”
Milton isn’t running from the responsibility — he’s embracing it.
He added:
“We know what kind of team we can be. After the bye, you’re gonna see our best football.”
Those words resonated across the locker room.
The Pass Catchers: A Dangerous Trio That Wants More Consistency
CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Jonathan Mingo make up one of the strongest WR groups in the PML.
Lamb, one of the team’s captains, spoke candidly:
“Look, we’ve got weapons everywhere. Joe’s got the arm. Pickens is a beast. Mingo’s steady. The line is ballin’.
We just gotta finish. That’s it. Finish drives. Finish games.”
Lamb then delivered the quote that players said summed up the whole season:
“We’re too good to be 6–4. Time to play like the team we know we are.”
The message from the offense is clear: the pieces are there, the execution must follow.
III. The Great Wall of Dallas: A Hirsch-Built Foundation
Under Coach Hirsch, the trenches have become a priority — and the results show:
- Kadyn Proctor has been elite in his transition to RT
- Tyler Smith continues to play at an All-Pro level
- Tyler Booker has become the emotional edge of the line
Hirsch’s vision for a physical, imposing offensive line is coming together. Now the second half of the season is about cohesion, discipline, and protecting the football.
IV. The Defense: The Brightest Spot of the Hirsch Era So Far
While the offense has been inconsistent, the defense has been steadily improving.
Matayo Uiagalelei: The Rookie Captain Who Sets the Tone
Few rookies become captains. Even fewer become emotional leaders. Matayo has become both.
When asked about the team entering the bye, Matayo didn’t hesitate:
“Coach Hirsch challenged us early in the year to be the heartbeat of this team. I think you’re seeing that now. We’re young, we’re fast, and we’re hungry.”
He added:
“Six-and-four isn’t good enough for who we are. We know that. We’re tightening everything up — the rush lanes, the communication, the energy.
We’re hunting the rest of the year.”
Matayo’s emergence as a vocal leader reflects the defensive identity Hirsch wants: aggressive, urgent, and unrelenting.
Dontay Corleone — Hirsch’s Anchor in the Middle
Corleone has been everything Coach Hirsch hoped for: powerful, disruptive, and immovable against double teams.
He enables the linebackers. He distorts protections. He changes the geometry of the line.
DeMarvion Overshown — The Heart of the Defense
Overshown, freshly extended, is Hirsch’s on-field general:
- Range
- Speed
- Confidence
- Leadership
Hirsch has repeatedly said:
“DeMarvion sets the tone for us.”
That tone has only grown louder as the season has progressed.
Jaquan Brisker — The Catalyst Hirsh Wanted
Brisker’s arrival changed everything:
- Two Defensive Player of the Week awards
- Timely turnovers
- Pure, infectious energy
Coach Hirsch fought hard to bring him in — and he’s been proven right every week.
The Corner Trio: Emerson Jr., Bland, Terrell Jr.
Dallas now boasts a secondary that can win in man, disrupt timing, and bait quarterbacks into bad throws.
This group is young, athletic, and tailor-made for the aggressive defense Coach Hirsch wants to build.
V. Coach Hirsch’s Message: “Discipline is the Difference.”
In the final team meeting before the bye, Head Coach Cody Hirsch outlined his expectations:
- Fewer turnovers
- Fewer penalties
- More physicality
- Better communication
- Better situational execution
Players recited the same phrase walking off the practice field:
“Discipline is the difference.”
Hirsch has crafted a culture where accountability isn’t optional — it’s expected.
VI. The Road Ahead: Hirsch’s Blueprint for a Playoff Push
At 6–4, Dallas controls its destiny — but the margin is razor thin.
Here’s what the Cowboys must tighten up after the bye:
1. Eliminate red-zone turnovers
This alone may swing two or three games.
2. Maintain offensive balance
Let the line impose its will.
Let the run game complement Milton’s arm.
3. Lean into the young pass rush
Matayo + Corleone + Donovan + Kneeland = problems for every offense.
4. Win situational football
Third downs, two-minute drills, and late-game drives must improve.
5. Play four quarters
No more slow starts. No more late collapses.
VII. Unified Leadership — Hirsch and His Captains Are Aligned
What stood out most heading into the bye was the unity between Coach Hirsch and his captains.
Milton took accountability.
Matayo set the defensive tone.
Lamb demanded elite play from the offense.
This is Coach Cody Hirsch’s team — and they believe in the standard he’s setting.
The message is unanimous:
Tighten up. Finish strong. Take over the second half of the season.
VIII. Hirsch’s Final Word: “The Season Starts Now.”
Coach Hirsch summed up Dallas’ second half perfectly:
“We’ve got the roster. We’ve got the defense. We’ve got the talent.
We just need to play our style of football for four quarters.
If we do that, we’re not just a playoff team — we’re a dangerous playoff team.”
The bye week is the reset.
The second half is the proving ground.
The goal is still right in front of them.
With Hirsch at the helm and the captains locked in, Dallas isn’t just looking to make the playoffs…
They’re looking to make noise once they get there.
