Updates: CeeDee expecting to play on MNF :: The Mothership
Although he sat out Thursday’s practice with a nagging shoulder AC sprain, Lamb plans on suiting up Monday night when the Bengals come to town. (He worked through a similar injury while at Oklahoma.) The current mini-bye break, he says, has helped him work himself back into game-ready condition. “I have my range of motion and I have my strength back.” Lamb said.
Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson: Logs full practice Thursday :: CBS Sports
The tight end practiced in full on Thursday, the first time he’s done so since his Week 11 concussion. It’s unknown if he’s gotten full clearance from an independent neurologist to play this week, but he appears to be trending in that direction.
Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery :: Cowboys Wire
Martin injured his right ankle in Week 11 and had hoped to return to action this Monday night versus Cincinnati. But when the rehab didn’t go as expected, he and the team made the decision to opt for surgery that will end his 2024 season. He will end up missing 16 games over the past five years.
Zack Martin emotional, candid about injury and future with the Cowboys, NFL :: The Mothership
Martin is not ready to talk about whether or not he’ll come back for a 12th NFL season, electing to look no further than the ankle surgery he has scheduled for next week. “This is not the time to have those discussions, and this is kind of all I’ll say about that,” he said Thursday. “It’s a tough situation and the most important thing on my mind is getting healthy, and then having those conversations down the road. First and foremost, I want to get healthy and maybe those conversations are a little bit easier… We’ll see what the future holds.”
‘A lightning rod’: Brock Hoffman has been a difference on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line :: All DLLS
Martin’s fill-in for the past two games- and likely replacement moving forward- brings a mile-wide nasty streak to the offensive line that tends to frequently draw retaliation from opponents. “I’m always going to toe that line,” Hoffman explained. At least one of his Cowboys teammates finds it contagious. “It’s kind of a mindset,” Tyler Smith said. “You can’t mess with us. We can mess with you, but you can’t mess with us.”
Just how good has Zack Martin been? :: Bobby Belt
Who’s NFL MVP? Here’s why Cowboys’ Micah Parsons believes it’s Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow :: Dallas Morning News
Parsons, for one, isn’t letting Cincinnati’s lackluster 4-8 record lull him into thinking Monday night’s game won’t be a major problem for the Cowboys defense. “If Joe Burrow record is the opposite, he’ll be the leading runner for MVP,” Parsons said. “I still think he should be the MVP. I mean, he’s leading in passing yards, passing touchdowns. The year he’s having, like Joe Burrow at LSU. I think that’s what a healthy Joe Burrow looks like.” Parsons called the Bengals “the greatest challenge of them all outside the Eagles.”
Bengals lose second starter to injured reserve before Week 14 :: Bengals Wire
Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson had a surgical cleanup on his knee Thursday, a move that will take him out of the Week 14 lineup. He’s been a key cog in the Bengals defense this season. The team will also be leaning on a new kicker- Cade York- when they visit Arlington on Monday night; Evan McPherson has been placed on injured reserve.
Cowboys stopped gatekeeping this UDFA, now he’s among NFL’s best workhorses :: Cowboys Wire
Once considered just an injury-plagued practice-squadder who seemed unable to take on a bellcow role, Rico Dowdle is now looking like the top dog in Dallas, even if it took the club most of the season to start feeding him like it. He took 83% of the backfield’s workload in Week 13 and is logging explosive runs at a clip better than Bijan Robinson and Aaron Jones. Now coming off his best yardage total and highest attempt total of the season, Dowdle will face some of the league’s worst run defenses in the season’s home stretch.
Cowboys nominate Zack Martin for 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award :: Cowboys Wire
Martin was chosen for his tireless work with the Salvation Army, the National Medal of Honor Museum, and local outreach efforts with first responders and families in need, as well as his outstanding play on the field. The winner of the league’s most prestigious individual honor will be announced Feb. 6.
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Latest first-round predictions entering Week 14 :: The 33rd Team
With the projected 13th overall pick, the Cowboys take Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in this mock exercise. He may be the best pure first-round fit possible for Dallas. He’s the ideal complement to CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, offering a huge catch radius, terrific quickness and agility for his 6-foot-5 size, and post-catch creativity.
Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy :: Cowboys Wire
Football is a young man’s game. At least that’s the principle the Joneses have founded their entire team-building philosophy on. Rookie contracts make up a large and critical portion of the Cowboys roster, with the team giving nearly 10,000 snaps to its players on years one though four. That’s third-most in the league through 13 weeks this season. In snap-weighted age, however, they rank 22nd, with older veteran contributors like Martin, Brandin Cooks, Eric Kendricks, and DeMarcus Lawrence skewing the numbers significantly in 2024.
