On August 16, the Dallas Cowboys were destroyed in the preseason by the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 31-13. Although it is only preseason, it is never a great sign for the regular season when you are dominated at home against an opposing team, something that was the case for the Cowboys.After the game ended, NFL analyst Colin Cowherd went on a rant about how the first game of the season could be ugly for the Cowboys this year. Citing how various top players, including Micah Parsons, may not be playing in Week 1, Cowherd made clear that the first game of the 2025 season against the Philadelphia Eagles could be a tough start to the campaign."So the Cowboys got dusted again at home. This time it's Baltimore... Dallas' defense is bad, they're opening against Philadelphia on NBC, 32 million viewers... If the Cowboys are bad, it's going to get ugly fast. Everyone is going to be talking about it and Micah [Parsons] is not going to be playing, he's unhappy... This is not panic button, this is doomsday clock" Cowherd said.In their other game of the preseason this year, the Cowboys lost to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 31-21. While that score on August 9 was not too lopsided in favor of the opposition, Dallas still gave up over 30 points on defense.Dallas Cowboys Week 1 previewAt the current time, Dallas has still not been able to reach an agreement with star defensive player Micah Parsons on a new contract. A few weeks ago now, Parsons shocked the football world by requesting a trade from the Cowboys due to the ongoing contractual dispute.Without Parsons featuring on the defense, 2025 could once again be a difficult season in Dallas. Since entering the league, Parsons has been one of the best and most consistent defensive players, finishing each season with impressive tackle, sack, and turnover numbers.Although preseason is not the right time to judge whether a team will be good or bad that year, there are clear warning signs in Dallas that this season could be concerning if the defense is not sorted out. 31 points against in two straight preseason games is unquestionably something that needs to be addressed soon, given that the reigning Super Bowl Champions are the Cowboys first test of the 2025 regular season.