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DaRon Bland ‘can’t wait’ for debut of Cowboys’ CB hydra with Diggs, Lewis – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
CB DaRon Bland is nearing his 2024 debut as he prepares to return from injury.
Bland suffered a stress fracture in his foot just ahead of the season that was surgically repaired and, as such, landed him on injured reserve and cost him a minimum of four games. The issue presented itself as soreness in the foot that turned out to be much more after tests were conducted, and Bland says it’s not something that happened on any given play.
“It just happened over time,” he said.
His practice window was opened on Wednesday, allowing the Cowboys until Oct. 30 before they have to make a decision on his status but, by all accounts, there’s a more than solid chance he could take the field against the Lions.
It doesn’t sound as if he’s dealing with much rust, but Bland was quick to point out that rust is inevitable when you’re away from the game for more than a month.
“I mean, of course there’s some rust,” he said. “I’ve been gone for a long while, so I’ve got a little bit of rust to knock off, so it’ll be good to come back when I come back.”
Will that be against the Lions, definitively?
Bland was coy with his answer, being sure to not overstep the words of head coach Mike McCarthy in that the Cowboys were going to “take it a day at a time”.
“I feel pretty good, but as far as coming back, time will tell,” he said with a smile, then reflecting on how tough it was to be sidelined while watching the Cowboys’ scratch and claw their way to a 3-2 record heading into Week 6.
Keys to a Dallas Cowboys victory over the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium – Abraham Nudelstejer, Dallas Morning News
The Cowboys will need to have success in these areas in order to have a greater chance of winning against the Lions this weekend.
Ultimate test for defense
The Cowboys’ hopes for a win depend mainly on what the defense can do to contain the explosive Lions offense. Led by Jared Goff, Detroit has the third-best offense in the NFL, averaging 397 total yards per game on 245.8 passing and 151.3 rushing. The Lions score an average of 26 points per game. The Dallas defense has allowed 329.4 yards per game. Even more concerning is that the Dallas defense has allowed an average of 444 yards in the two games it has played at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys’ defense allows 7.7 yards per play when playing at home, which is the worst average in the NFL.
The top four defensive ends on the team’s depth chart to open training camp — Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland — won’t be available for this matchup.
“The biggest thing is obviously losing four good players in one spot,’’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said to Dallas Morning News Cowboys insider David Moore. “You try to figure out what these guys can do best, how they can fit in, how they can work.’’
Calling Tolbert’s number
Answering touchdown for a touchdown will be a near-impossible mission if the Cowboys don’t find another route to push the ball down the field other than CeeDee Lamb. Jalen Tolbert must step up to take advantage of a questionable Lions secondary. Tolbert has been targeted 29 times by Dak Prescott. He has caught 20 passes (two touchdowns) for 247 yards and an average of 12.4 yards per catch.
Detroit ranks 21st in the league in total defense, allowing an average of 349 yards per game. Their pass defense is particularly vulnerable, with 258.3 yards allowed per game. It will be tough for Dallas to hurt Detroit on the ground, as the Lions allow an average of 90.8 yards, the fourth-best in the NFL. The involvement of tight end Jake Ferguson will be vital for the Cowboys to keep up with the Lions. Ferguson is the third-leading receiver on the Dallas team, with an average of 10.4 yards per reception and three touchdowns.
The Cowboys’ run game showed signs of life — they need Rico Dowdle to keep building – Saad Yousuf, The Athletic
Rico Dowdle is ready to build off of his successful running game last week.
“What was cool for us was that when we had to run the ball in the second half, we were able to do that,” Schottenheimer said. “That’s a sign that there’s progress. We’re feeling better about the combinations, the running game. Kudos to Rico, he ran really, really hard. Just some big plays throughout.”
That’s what the Cowboys need from their running game. It’s not about the gaudy stats; it’s about being able to run the ball when they need to. That could be in short-yardage situations. It could be in the red zone. It could be in the four-minute offense, trying to milk the clock at the end of the game.
The Cowboys’ offense is predicated on the passing game being the main character but the running game has to at least be on stage.
The game against the Steelers showed that Dowdle may be the guy to shoulder that load. Elliott hardly got on the field. When he did, his burst was nonexistent and his chemistry with Prescott has been mysteriously off this season in the passing game. Vaughn was inactive. Hunter Luepke is a solid situational runner but more of a utility player.
Though not perfect, Dowdle showed signs of something that can be built upon — he showed progress.
“Rico has always run hot,” Schottenheimer said. “He sees where he wants to go and he wants to get there in a hurry. The problem with that is when you’re trying tie in the seven or eight other guys involved in the blocking scheme, they’ve got targets and aiming points. … When you get there too fast, the blocks don’t set up.”
Reviewing 2024 preseason predictions for all 32 NFL teams – Seth Walder, ESPN
Seth Walder of ESPN is adjusting his bold prediction for the Cowboys this season.
Original prediction: OLB Micah Parsons will break the single-season sack record (22.5).
Why we’re throwing it out: Parsons has just one sack this season, missed Week 5 due to an ankle sprain and has a 19% pass rush win rate at edge rusher, ranking 19th out of 50 qualifiers at the position. It’s not happening, at least not in 2024.
New bold prediction: WR KaVontae Turpin will end the season with at least 500 receiving yards. Turpin doesn’t play much — he has run only 45 routes — but he has an impressive 2.3 yards per route. And with Brandin Cooks (knee) on injured reserve and looking like a player in decline — Cooks has only a 37 open score in our Receiver Scores — the door is open for Turpin to make an impact.
Hot Seat Check for Struggling NFL Head Coaches After Robert Saleh Firing – Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report
Coach Mike McCarthy’s job isn’t as hot as it could be heading into Week 6 of the regular season.
Why He’s on the Hot Seat
It’s an unfortunate reality that any talk of hot seats is going to include Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys are doing just fine right now. They have some offensive things to figure out with Brandin Cooks out of the lineup, but as Fowler noted, McCarthy’s problem hasn’t been winning in the regular season. However, it’s well-known that McCarthy did not have his contract extended ahead of this season.
As long as the Cowboys continue to win, McCarthy won’t be a main attraction on the coaching carousel. It’s the playoffs that he has to worry about.
How He Can Get off the Hot Seat
Given Jerry Jones’ history as an owner and McCarthy’s struggles to get this team over the postseason hump, it might take a deep run in the playoffs. The Cowboys have finished 12-5 in each of the past three seasons, but they’ve only won one playoff game since McCarthy took over as head coach.
If Jones is honest with himself, this is possibly the least talented roster the Cowboys have had under McCarthy’s watch. The backfield is still a question mark, they are missing defensive contributors who left in the offseason and Cooks’ injury has hurt an already thin receiver corps. If McCarthy can’t at least get this group to the playoffs, he could be the scapegoat.
Hot Seat Meter: 3/10
There’s going to continue to be talk about the possibility of McCarthy getting fired, but it won’t become really loud until playoff time.
Dak spreading the love to his playmakers, Cowboys reaping the benefits – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
Dak Prescott has been spreading the ball around to many different pass-catchers this season, and it helps to keep the playbook open.
The rapport between quarterbacks and receivers takes time and reps to develop, especially when that rhythm needs to sync with Prescott and so many different players. The countless hours put in leading up to the season are invaluable for every reception, even if the result is just one catch for 10 yards like Jalen Brooks recorded against Pittsburgh.
“That just really goes back to the offseason, OTAs and then obviously training camp, just being together with each other for so long and building that trust throughout those times.” Brooks said.
For KaVontae Turpin, who had a career-high four receptions for 50 yards against the Steelers, it’s about trying to make Prescott’s life easier as a quarterback and earning his trust throughout the course of the season.
“[Dak] trusting us and just giving us the ball, everybody over here is a playmaker,” Turpin said. “Everybody over here is trying to make a play, everybody is trying to be a playmaker and just be open for him.”
With Cooks out, Jalen Tolbert was one of, if not the biggest of those playmakers against Pittsburgh last week when the Cowboys needed him the most. Now he’s just another piece of the Cowboys’ offensive puzzle that opposing defenses have to account for.
“It’s special to be able to have a team where you have that many weapons because it’s hard to harp in on one,” Tolbert said. “I think that’s a strength in our team and a strength in the guys that we have in our offense.”
