Dallas Cowboys can be ‘whatever we want to be’ as recent win streak revitalizes season – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News
Dallas is arguably the hottest team in the NFL, and their confidence is unwavering.
FRISCO — It was a month ago when the Cowboys were 3-5-1 and looking at a top 15 draft pick.
A series of events that included a loss to Arizona, a daring trade at the deadline, the tragic loss of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland and the return of several injured players have brought this team together.
The Cowboys are in the midst of a season-high three-game win streak, the first such stretch since 2023. With five games remaining in the regular season, the team is in the playoff conversation.
However, early season losses make reaching the postseason difficult.
How can one put what’s happened with this team into proper context, given where it stood nearly a month ago?
“The consistency is what you’re noticing,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said in a Friday conference call. “When you look back and try to figure out why that is, again it’s a little bit like we just stayed to the process. We trusted the process and we’ve continued to coach to the details and try to get communication better on defense and continue to work on pass protection and fundamentals and things like that. That’s the biggest thing I would say, we’ve always had confidence, we’re never going to lack for confidence.”
[…]
“We can be whatever we want to be,” quarterback Dak Prescott said after the Thanksgiving Day win over the Chiefs. “Everything’s in front of us. I just was telling the offense that when we’re in those kneel-downs at the end of the [Chiefs] game. But it’s not going to happen next Thursday. It’s going to happen Sunday [at practice] when we get in the building. It’s just taking it one day at a time, putting everything in, understanding that we win during the week with our preparation and that we just get to come out here and play the game that we love and playing it free.”
Jerry Jones drops game-changing Trevon Diggs news after Cowboys’ massive win – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat
The former All-Pro is set to return in Week 14 barring a setback.
The Dallas Cowboys are playing their best football in nearly two seasons after winning games against last year’s Super Bowl participants, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, in a span of four days to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Tony Romo thinks the Cowboys can “run the table” to close out the season, while former Dallas cornerback Stephon Gilmore believes they will “win the Super Bowl” if they make the playoffs. While the schedule lightens up some over the final five weeks, they’ll need all hands on deck.
Well, what better time to welcome Trevon Diggs back to the mix? Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Friday that he expects Diggs to be on the field next Thursday against the Detroit Lions.
Cowboys might get Trevon Diggs back for Week 14 clash vs. the Lions
Diggs will need to have his practice window opened for that to happen. The Cowboys will return to practice on Sunday, likely in a walkthrough capacity, to begin their Lions prep.
As for why Diggs wasn’t activated to play the Chiefs, Brian Schottenheimer cited a short week last week. The Cowboys faced the Eagles last Sunday before a quick turnaround on Thanksgiving. They technically have a “full week” ahead of facing Detroit, and Diggs wanted to play against Kansas City, per Jones.
The Cowboys’ offense is great, but their defense is why playoff talk is intensifying – Jon Machota, The Athletic
The defensive turnaround in Dallas has been stellar since acquiring Quinnen Williams.
When the Cowboys’ schedule was released in May, a three-game stretch stood out above all else. Week 12 vs. the Eagles, Week 13 vs. the Chiefs and Week 14 at the Detroit Lions. A month ago, it looked like Dallas would be fortunate to win one. Now, the Cowboys have an excellent chance to win all three and keep their playoff window cracked open.
Prescott, Lamb and Pickens deserve plenty of credit. The offense continues to be one of the league’s best. But the defense was the story of Thursday and the past three games.
“I think you guys know what we’re capable of on offense,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “I think the defense, again, has just taken so many strides over the last couple of weeks. When I watch our defense play, man, I see violence, I see passion, I see everybody running to the football.”
The trade for star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and the return of injured linebacker DeMarvion Overshown during the bye week have been the two biggest catalysts.
Williams continued to wreck everything in the middle, finishing with a team-high six quarterback pressures, one quarterback hit and four tackles. Overshown was moving well on the second level, tying for the team lead with six tackles.
“I thought DeMarvion Overshown was outstanding and I thought he was everywhere, man,” Schottenheimer said. “I think it’s contagious and they feed off one another, and that’s a really good football team, a really good offense. They’ve got weapons everywhere, the quarterback, what can you say about him? But again, we’re playing with a bunch of confidence. Why? Because we’re executing and we’re having fun and we’re trying to honor not just Marshawn Kneeland.
Optimistic DaRon Bland injury update provided by Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer – Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated
This is great news for the Cowboys secondary.
Injuries have plagued the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary for the past few seasons, and that has once again been the case during the team’s 2025-26 NFL campaign.
All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland missed 10 games last season due to a stress fracture in his foot and missed action earlier this year with another foot injury. So on Thanksgiving, when Bland briefly left the field, favoring his foot, fans were ready to ring the alarm bells.
However, it looks like Bland avoided any major issue.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke to the media on Friday afternoon and was asked about Bland’s status. Schottenheimer did not appear concerned about Bland’s status for Week 14 against the Detroit Lions, and gave an optimism answer.
“The foot is fine,” Coach Schotty said on Friday.
Schottenheimer revealed Bland was dealing with some foot soreness, “but the Cowboys don’t have any concern about his availability for Week 14 vs. the Lions,” per Patrik Walker of the team’s official website.
Cowboys RB Malik Davis earned his opportunity, and made the most of it vs. Chiefs – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News
The Cowboys win over the Chiefs was extra special for Malik Davis.
ARLINGTON — When it came to running back Malik Davis, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer didn’t let recent events affect his memory. Davis had the longest touchdown run the franchise has had in over three years on Thursday when he scored from 43 yards out in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Schottenheimer was proud of Davis and complimentary of the work he put in to get that opportunity. That pride was also bolstered by the fact that the Cowboys moved on from Davis this offseason, after he spent three years bouncing back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster.
“Literally, when we cut him in April, it was the right thing to do,” Schottenheimer said. “It really was. We were comfortable. Will [McClay] and I sat him down and we talked to him and we explained to him why.”
Schottenheimer didn’t get into the details of what Davis needed to improve on, but it’s evident that there has been improvement since the Cowboys cut him.
Davis has had quite the rise for the Cowboys this season. The Cowboys re-signed him initially out of necessity. Rookie running back Jaydon Blue and veteran Miles Sanders both had injuries in training camp, forcing the Cowboys to add a running back from a depth perspective. The Cowboys then turned to Davis out of familiarity.
An unfamiliar moment happened, however, when Davis arrived in Oxnard for camp on Aug. 8. Schottenheimer said he knew from the moment he hugged Davis — a fellow Florida Gator — again that he noticed something was different.
“He realized this is a fleeting dream if you don’t attack it right every day,” Schottenheimer said of Davis. “He’s always worked hard. He’s always been a talented runner, but the maturity and the work ethic and just absolute desire that he shows to want to be a successful, very good NFL football player has been on display from the get-go.”
See More:
