Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons are in some pretty rare historical places after Sunday. The Dallas Cowboys took care of business on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers and in the process improved to 6-8 on the season. There have been accolades for Rico Dowdle who put forth another impressive game running the ball for America’s Team. Big-time things like Dowdle excelling get touched on by the broadcast, but there are often details about what the Cowboys are accomplishing that take a little bit more digging to uncover. This is where the wonderful tools from Stathead and Pro Football Reference come into play. They allow us to sift and sort through both franchise and league history to see and measure what the Cowboys are doing against all of time. Here are this week’s findings. What Rico Dowdle is doing currently is very special Rico Dowdle had quite the day against Carolina. It was the third game in a row in which he set a career high from a rushing yardage standpoint. That alone is an absurd statement. What was particularly impressive about Dowdle’s work though was that he averaged six yards per carry while carrying the ball for over 145 yards. He is just the 10th player in franchise history to do this in the 21st century, and the first since Ezekiel Elliott on the night where Zeke hurdled at Philadelphia back in 2018. We are past the point of Dowdle having normal or nice numbers from a running back. This is elite production. This 4-game stretch specifically has been incredible from Dowdle While Dowdle has had over 100 yards in each of his last three games, it was the one before the run started where things started to really click for him. We are talking about the win at Washington. Since then Dowdle has had 84 carries for 478 yards. Surprisingly, he only has a single touchdown to show for all of that work. As far as the yardage is concerned though, Dowdle is the first Cowboys running back to have 475+ rushing yards in a four-game span since Zeke did it in 2017. Again, we are seeing some incredible production from him ever since the Cowboys began to feed him more. The last defensive coordinator to oversee that kind of domination, amazingly, was Mike Zimmer On the other side of the ball, Mike Zimmer’s group was absolutely dominant against the Panthers. Across the day as a whole the Cowboys defense had four takeaways and recorded six sacks. No NFL defense had reached both of those marks in a single game all season prior to Dallas doing it. The Cowboys actually did it on almost the one-year anniversary of the latest occurrence which was the Miami Dolphins a year ago. Amazingly, the last instance of Dallas reaching these defensive thresholds in a game came over 20 years ago back during the 2004 season. This means that Mike Zimmer’s group did it for the first time since another Mike Zimmer group did it. Mike Zimmer is mirroring his first stint with the Cowboys in an impressive way In registering at least one takeaway the Cowboys stretched their streak of doing so to seven consecutive games. They never reached this mark in a single season under Dan Quinn, for what it’s worth. That is not a slight against Quinn by any means, just a note in how difficult it is to do. 2024 is the 25th season since the turn of the century and the Cowboys have had a streak of seven games with a turnover on 13 different occasions now. To the point of Zimmer finding his own fountain of youth within the Cowboys, the first five instances of it happening this century were all under his watch! Micah Parsons had another game with multiple sacks On Sunday, Micah Parsons got to Bryce Young on two different occasions which made it a multi-sack day for him. Those have become quite common for Parsons throughout his career to this point. It was actually the 14th game in which Parsons has had at least two sacks which is tied for the fourth-most through the first four years of a player’s career in NFL history. With three games left to go it is possible for Parsons to tie or even pass J.J. Watt’s production through his first four seasons. Micah Parsons is on the verge of some impressive history thanks to those two sacks On the subject of Parsons, his two sacks gave him 8.5 on the season which means he has 1.5 to go in order to reach double digits. Should he get there then he will have had double-digit sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons, truly impressive and unbelievable stuff. Only four players in NFL history have had double-digit sacks in each of their first four seasons as you can see. They are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. CeeDee Lamb is continuing his impressive form in his fifth NFL season Back to the offense for a final moment, CeeDee Lamb had an impressive outing to say the least. He completely dominated the first half and was a big reason for all of the success at that point. Ultimately Lamb crossed the 100-yard mark in the game and did so for the 22nd time in his career (counting the postseason). He is now one of 19 players in NFL history to have 22 games with 100 yards receiving through his first five NFL seasons. If it is not obvious, Lamb has the most 100-yard games through the first five seasons of a player’s career with the Dallas Cowboys specifically.
Did the Cowboys O-line improve or are they just facing poorer defenses?
Did the Cowboys O-line improve or are they just facing poorer defenses? reidhanson After weeks of struggles, the Cowboys offensive line seems to finally be putting things together. The beaten and bruised, mismatched and mangled unit appears to be playing their best ball of the season and it’s no coincidence it’s resulted a fair degree of team success along the way. Through weeks 1-11, the Dallas rushing attack ranked in 17th success rate (39 percent) and 25th in EPA/play (-0.136). In the four weeks that followed they have been fourth in success rate (46.3 percent) and 13th in EPA/play (-0.069). It marks a significant improvement and explains why the Cowboys have gone 3-1 behind a quarterback who ranks just 25th in EPA/dropback + CPOE composite score (measures impact and accuracy). The question at hand is has the Cowboys offensive line finally worked things out with their run blocking or is this just a result of playing poorer competition? Over the past four weeks the Cowboys have played the Commanders, Giants, Bengals and Panthers with the combined record of 20-36, likely explaining Dallas’ 3-1 record during that stretch. The run defense rankings of these teams were similarly poor, ranking 25th, 24th, 30th, and 31st respectively in EPA/rush and 21st, 28th, 30th and 32nd respectively in rushing success rate against. It’s also worth considering the number of adjustments the Cowboys have made to their line throughout the season. Tyler Guyton has been in and out of the lineup. Before landing on IR, Asim Richards and Zack Martin were in and out as well. Brock Hoffman has split time between guard and center. T.J. Bass has bounced from left guard to right guard and Chuma Edoga has made some spot starts along the way. Overall, there have been 11 different combinations of linemen in Dallas. Of the five that started on Sunday, only two were starters in Week 1 and there’s a good chance only one, Tyler Smith at LG, will be at his same starting position in 2025*. So, it isn’t like the Cowboys suddenly found the perfect combination. *Note: this assumes the possibility Martin moves on, Terence Steele is cut, Cooper Beebe starts at center, Guyton starts at LT and Hoffman replaces Martin at RG in 2025. For as much fun as it’s been seeing the Cowboys thrive running the ball these last four weeks, it’s no coincidence it has lined up perfectly with the decline in quality of opponents faced. The Cowboys offensive line and Rico Dowdle still deserve credit, but the credit comes with an asterisk at this point. Related article [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
3 key 2025 free agents stood out in Cowboys’ win over Panthers
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images There are some important free agents to be on the Cowboys roster. The Dallas Cowboys’ 30-14 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers had plenty of contributors. Three of the biggest were RB Rico Dowdle, DT Osa Odighizuwa, and CB Jourdan Lewis, all of whom will be free agents in 2025. Their performances remind us that if Dallas wants to progress from this year’s struggles, it can’t take a passive approach to another offseason. Rico Dowdle In what’s suddenly become a weekly trend for him, Dowdle set a new career high with 149 rushing yards. Finally getting treated like a true starter in Dallas, and enjoying a series of bad opposing defenses, Dowdle is becoming a hot topic ahead of his first offseason as an unrestricted free agent. And with nobody else on the RB depth chart worthy of replacing him next year, it forces the Cowboys back into deciding how much they want to invest in the position. Dowdle should feel a sense of loyalty to Dallas after years of their sticking with him through multiple major injuries. But turning 27 in June, Dowdle could hardly be blamed for looking elsewhere if the Cowboys aren’t willing to offer him market value. This offseason is probably his one shot at a multi-million dollar NFL contract, hoping some teams focus on his current production and relatively low mileage instead of his age. Osa Odighizuwa A more traditional free agent will be Osa Odighizuwa, who’s closing out his original rookie deal with a strong fourth season. Dallas’ top DT, who sometimes goes unnoticed in the dirty work of the trenches, was very visible on Sunday. With a sack and multiple other hits and pressures on Panthers QB Bryce Young, Odighizuwa played a noticeably huge part in disrupting Carolina’s offense. Like at RB, there’s no in-house replacement for Odighizuwa if he departs next March. Mazi Smith is the other starting DT and Dallas is hoping he’ll make a big third-year leap. But beyond him are aged veterans like Linval Joseph and Carlos Watkins who can’t be expected to fill the spot and keep the defense solvent. Odighizuwa should have a strong market. He can play inside in a 4-3 or potentially play DE for a 3-4 team. Just this past Sunday we saw him lining up on the edge in a creative package with Micah Parsons. He’s been consistently effective throughout his career and is standing out now under Mike Zimmer. If the Cowboys are going to stick to a draft-focused philosophy for team building, allowing too many of their homegrown talents to leave after four years isn’t sustainable. Jourdan Lewis While older than the last two guys we’ve discussed, Jourdan Lewis is still getting it done as a play-making slot corner. The eight-year veteran deflected the pass that became an Eric Kendricks interception and had a sack later in the game. Lewis has consistently been able to make an impact and brings a lot of toughness for a smaller guy. Lewis turns 30 next August and that will likely affect interest in his services. In the modern pass-happy NFL, your third corner is essentially a starter and plays way more snaps than your third linebacker. So while you have to be concerned about age with that, you have to keep that balanced with ability and performance. From what we’ve seen this year, Lewis still has plenty to offer. The Cowboys do have more assets to work with at CB than other positions. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are still here and prospects Caelen Carson and Josh Butler are under contract. But with three of those guys currently injured, and Diggs’ status for 2025 now a point of controversy, Dallas may want to hedge its bet with a reliable guy like Lewis. There was a time when we could easily predict players like these getting new deals from the Cowboys, but the days of Jerry Jones’ dogged loyalty to his players seem to be over. As Stephen Jones and other voices become more influential in how the team is run, we’re seeing the shift to a more financially conservative and cap-cautious approach. But if the front office learns one lesson from 2024, hopefully it’s that that you get what you pay for. They didn’t invest in the present and have a losing team to show for it.
Cowboys news: Micah Parsons lays out the reasons they are not going to tank the last games
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images All the Dallas Cowboys news that’s fit to print Micah Parsons lays out powerful reason to keep playing winning football despite Cowboys’ low playoff chances – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Micah Parsons has been the most vocal leader of the anti-tank team in Dallas, and after a two-sack game against the Panthers this message was clear. For Micah Parsons, who picked up two sacks and two tackles for loss on Sunday’s 30-14 win over the Carolina Panthers, there are even more reasons to be all in, even if they don’t necessarily have to do with the Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs. “We’re not going to give up, as long as I’m part of this unit, as long as we believe in each other, at the end of the day I can look to my left and know I can count on them,” Parsons told reporters postgame. “We’re fighting for each other. There’s a lot of guys fighting for new contracts, guys fighting to take care of their families, so there’s still a lot of football to be played. You don’t want to put anything bad on film or things like that. We’re fighting for each other at this point.” For fans, it’s easy to get caught up in playoff chances and even draft positioning when things aren’t going great. But for players, every game matters. That’s why tanking isn’t a thing in the NFL. These are grown men fighting for their livelihood week in and week out. And even for stars like Parsons, whose future appears to be more than safe with a looming contract extension, fighting for teammates is highly important. Parsons says that’s enough to be motivated on gameday, calling it a “special feeling” to fight for the locker room. “At the end of the day, the record is the record, the game is the game,” the Cowboys superstar said. “We’re going to lose some, we’re going to win some, but it’s a special feeling when you can fight for each other.” Underrated Cowboys star prices himself out of Dallas with latest dominant game – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat Osa Odighizuwa is putting together a very productive season, and it’s come in a contract year. Osa Odighizuwa might be too expensive for the Cowboys to re-sign Odighizuwa has been one of the most dominant interior defenders in the NFL this season. That continued on Sunday to the tune of six pressures, one sack, three quarterback hits, four defensive stops and a career-high 91.6 pass-rush grade, via Pro Football Focus. Only Chiefs superstar Chris Jones (66) and Broncos standout Zach Allen (56) have more pressures this season than Odighizuwa (51) this year, per PFF (subscription required). The former third-round pick also ranks second in QB hits, third in pressure rate and top 10 in hurries. No defensive player in football has more QB hits than Odighizuwa’s 16 over the last seven weeks. That list includes Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and Defensive Player of the Year favorite T.J. Watt, who might just be the three best defenders in the league. There’s been a lot of talk about the Cowboys signing the best defensive tackle in free agency this offseason. Make no mistake about it: That player is Odighizuwa. Unfortunately, Stephen Jones has already announced Dallas’ intention to tighten its budget this spring. Report: Cowboys could be without CB Trevon Diggs for quite some time – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire The Cowboys secondary has played well without Trevon Diggs for long stretches this season, but the thought of starting 2025 without him is a very tough pill to swallow. Diggs will undergo surgery to repair his left knee after suffering an injury in the team’s Week 14 loss to Cincinnati, the Cowboys announced over the weekend. The issue is reportedly with his articular cartilage, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and apparently separate from the knee ailment that kept him out of Weeks 12 and 13. “This is something that occurred during the [Week 14] game,” head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed in his postgame press conference after the team’s 30-14 win over the Panthers. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones elaborated on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan on Monday, saying he did not expect Diggs to be ready for training camp next summer and adding, “but I think his timeline will be right at the start of the season.” Diggs had played every defensive snap of the Monday night meeting with the Bengals and then consulted with the Cowboys’ medical staff during the week. After missing multiple practices and some testing, the decision was made to keep Diggs home from the trip to Charlotte and proceed with plans for surgery. “He was having to play with fluid in his knee. He was out there doing everything he can because he wants to play, he wants to compete, he wants to contribute,” Jones said of the 26-year-old Diggs. “It’s certainly a very legitimate injury that’s gonna take him some time to recover from. We got a vision that we can get him ready to do next year.” In his Monday post to X, Rapoport put the recovery time at “up to eight months.” Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence won’t return this week – Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk Veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is running out of time to play again this season. Lawrence, who has not played since Week 4, will not return this week. “I don’t see DeMarcus being available this week,” head coach Mike McCarthy said, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. “He wasn’t part of the conversation.” The Cowboys have only three games remaining, and almost out of playoff contention, it makes no sense to bring back Lawrence, who becomes a free agent in March. He is recovering from a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that was expected to keep him out 4-8 weeks.
Cowboys Headlines: Parsons addresses trade rumor; updates on Lawrence, Diggs; UDFAs carrying team
Updates: D-Law’s status; Lawson’s best? :: The Mothership Link Mike McCarthy says DeMarcus Lawrence is unlikely to suit up for Week 16; his 21-day practice window hasn’t even been activated yet. It remains undetermined if he’ll be medically cleared to play again this season at all. Carl Lawson, meanwhile, has stepped up in the D-line rotation. Mike Zimmer called Lawson’s effort in Sunday’s win “his best game he’s played.” Four takeaways and 6 sacks: Cowboys defense ‘set the tone’ in stifling Panthers :: The Athletic Link In a decisive third quarter, Carolina had one single rushing yard and minus-six passing yards for a net total of minus-five yards. During that same 15 minutes, the Cowboys extended their 10-7 halftime lead to 24-7. Six sacks and four takeaways with a rotating cast of players in new roles only speaks to the unit’s overall improvement. Parsons hopes this upswing will carry over to 2025: “You know how much better of a team we’ll be if we say, ‘Damn, we went 9-8 and we missed 10 starters and we playing this good?’” Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons responds to latest trade rumors: ‘No hard feelings’ :: USA Today Link Stephen Jones hinted over the weekend that the team’s annual financial balancing act could leave Parsons, due an extension this coming offseason, the odd man out. The edge rusher explained that he didn’t take the comments as any sort of message. “There are no hard feelings in this business, whether I’m here or anywhere else,” Parsons said. “Obviously I’ve stated that I wanted to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side.” Underrated Cowboys star prices himself out of Dallas with latest dominant game :: The Landry Hat Link Osa Odighizuwa has been on fire this season. Luckily for him, it’s also a contract season. One of the most dominant interior defenders in the league this year, Odighizuwa is set to hit free agency in the spring and may have already locked up a massive payday for himself. Only Chiefs superstar Chris Jones (66) and Broncos standout Zach Allen (56) have more pressures this season than Odighizuwa (51) this year. The former third-round pick also ranks second in QB hits, third in pressure rate, and top 10 in hurries. If the frugal Cowboys want to sign the best D-tackle in free agency this offseason, they don’t have to look far; he’s already in their locker room. Report: Cowboys could be without CB Trevon Diggs for quite some time :: Cowboys Wire Link Stephen Jones said Diggs is dealing with “a very legitimate injury that’s gonna take him some time to recover from.” He thinks the cornerback could be be ready by Week 1 next fall, but one insider reports that Diggs “could possibly miss most of next season.” The team may have had some issues with how Diggs attacked his 2023 rehab, per Clarence Hill Jr. Now Diggs is looking at another stint of “up to eight months.” No updates on Lewis, Bass injuries :: Tommy Yarrish Cowboys’ Rico Dowdle: ‘Definitely can get’ 1,000 yards after 3rd straight triple-digit outing :: Cowboys Wire Link One of the best backs in the league over the past three weeks, Dowdle is now just 120 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season. He and his O-lineman teammates are confident they can get there, maybe even this week. But Tampa Bay may have something to say; no team has hit triple digits against them since Week 9. How one touchdown play sums up the Dallas Cowboys’ late season success :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link The Cowboys love the “next man up” mentality. On their third-quarter touchdown pass play to Jalen Tolbert, there were an incredible seven of them in the offensive lineup. Cooper Rush, Rico Dowdle, Brock Hoffman, T.J. Bass, Terence Steele, Hunter Luepke, and Brevyn Spann-Ford all joined the team as undrafted free agents. Now they’re, in large part, helping to carry the team. “When you got guys that are hungry and didn’t get all of the glitz and glamour coming into the league,” Hoffman said, “guys that are undrafted have to fight every day.” Cowboys-Panthers postgame analysis :: Cowboys Wire Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey given chance to make NFL history with 70-yard FG vs. Panthers :: CBS Sports Link Aubrey got the chance to break the NFL record with a 70-yard field goal try in Charlotte. The kick sailed very wide left, but that’s not to say Aubrey doesn’t have 70 in him. After all, the kick came on the road, outdoors, and in cold temperatures with a wind to contend with. Cowboys’ Mike Zimmer: Travis Hunter’s two-way versatility a ‘good problem to have’ in NFL :: Dallas Mornig News Link Zimmer knows Coach Prime and his ex-Jackson State players well, including Hunter. The Cowboys likely won’t have a shot at the Heisman winner, who’s projected by most to go No. 1 overall in the draft, but the defensive coordinator says the team who selects Hunter “might get two players at one (spot)… So you waste one draft pick and get two players.” Jerry Jones is our Bum Steer of the Year! :: Texas Monthly Link The magazine’s so-called “highest dishonor” of the year goes to the Cowboys owner, thanks to a long list of lowlights, including the team’s epic playoff collapse against Green Bay, his refusal to spend money on staff and players, his verbal temper tantrum over local radio comments, his constant public undermining of coaches, and his ridiculous comments and overall stance on the sun glare at AT&T Stadium. (Jones was co-winnner of the award back in 2010, too.)
Winners and Losers: Dowdle delivers, defense dominates as Dallas isn’t done
Winner: Rico Dowdle Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) runs out of a tackle by Carolina Panthers linebacker Claudin Cherelus (53) during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle continued his hot streak against the Panthers, rushing 25 times for 149 yards, both season highs. A week after averaging a staggering 7.3 yards per carry, the lead back turned in another strong day, gashing Carolina for six yards a touch. That marks three straight games in which the RB has run for over 100 yards and the first time for Dallas since Ezekiel Elliott did so in weeks six through eight back in the 2019 season. In fact, Elliott accomplished the feat three times in his career, doing it once in 2017, 2018, and 2019. A free agent at year’s end, Dowdle should have plenty of suitors. The 26-year-old runner comes with five years of experience and only 273 carries in the NFL. Dowdle can match Elliott’s only four-game 100-yard streak against Tampa Bay. Elliott accomplished that in Weeks 3 through 6 during his rookie season and never did it in five straight games. Dowdle could eclipse that feat before the season ends. Loser: Late-clock pass defense OXNARD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 8: Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer of the Dallas Cowboys paces the sideline during a joint practice with Los Angeles Rams at Cowboys training camp on August 8, 2024 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) With under 31 seconds remaining before halftime, Dallas held a comfortable 10-0 lead when Bryce Young found receiver Jalen Coker, who had gotten behind the defense, for an 83-yard touchdown pass. Carolina went into halftime down 10-7 and ready to receive the opening kickoff after stealing the momentum heading into the break. The touchdown was reminiscent of the play against Washington where Commanders QB Jayden Daniels hit receiver Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard TD with 21 seconds remaining, pulling Washington within one. Luckily for the Cowboys, Washington kicker Austin Seibert missed the game-tying PAT. Just as fortunate, the Carolina game was just at the midway point and the Cowboys pulled away early, making it a footnote but one that now has occurred to Dallas twice this season. Winner: CeeDee Lamb Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) scores a touchdown as Carolina Panthers safety Jordan Fuller (20) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb entered the game needing 27 receiving yards to become the second wideout in team history to record four straight 1,00-yard seasons. With 9:01 remaining in the second quarter, Lamb nearly tripled what he needed, gaining 70 yards through the air at that point. He would finish the day catching nine passes for 116 yards or half of all aerial production for the Cowboys. Lamb would also add a 14-yard touchdown, giving him 37 for his career and one away from tying former Dallas wideout Terrell Owens for ninth on the Cowboys’ all-time receiving TD list. In a season where Dallas has created more questions than answers, Lamb proved he is worth every penny of his mega contract extension no matter who is throwing him the football. With 480 receptions, Lamb is within striking distance of Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, who sits in fifth place in team history with 486 catches. Lamb has averaged 6.7 receptions a game, meaning he could also catch (no pun intended) the original number 88 in Cowboys Hall of Fame receiver Drew Pearson, who finished his Dallas career hauling in 489 passes. Winner, stud, put him on the list as he is him. Loser: Wideouts not named CeeDee Lamb Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks (83) catches a touchdown pass as Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods (25) and cornerback Michael Jackson (2) defend in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Against a weak Cincinnati pass defense that ranks among the league’s worst in a few categories, Cowboys receivers not named CeeDee Lamb caught 2 passes for 19 yards in a game Dallas needed to keep pace to make the playoffs. Against Carolina, more of the same continued as the receivers behind Lamb continued to stay largely invisible. The highlight reels will show receivers Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks in the end zone as both caught touchdown passes, yet those were their only receptions of the day. The Cowboys receiving group behind Lamb combined for five catches for 62 yards. Veteran wideout Brandin Cooks had the majority of that production with 3 receptions for 34 yards, a little more than half of the total yards produced by the group. With Dallas looking unlikely to spend in free agency, fans should get to know the wide receivers eligible for the upcoming 2025 NFL draft. Winner: Marist Liufau CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 15: Marist Liufau #35 of the Dallas Cowboys tackles Chuba Hubbard #30 of the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau did his best DeMarvion Overshown impression filling in for the injured star and making the most of his opportunity. The rookie third-round pick forced a first-quarter fumble on Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, keeping the Panthers from at least attempting a field goal. On a second-quarter outside run, the referee almost blew his whistle immediately after Liufau hit the ball carrier so fast that both players’ momentum stopped, forcing the play dead early. Liufau finished the day leading the team with six tackles. His numbers won’t pop off the screen, but it was important in giving the some confidence to the young linebacker (and the team as well, after suffering such a big loss). With Overshown
Monday Night Football odds, pick and live discussion: Bears at Vikings, Falcons at Raiders
Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images Who wins tonight… Chicago or Minnesota? Atlanta or Las Vegas? The Chicago Bears play the Minnesota Vikings, and the Atlanta Falcons take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football. FanDuel has the Vikings as 7-point favorites over the Bears, while the Falcons are 5.5-point favorites over the Raiders. Final score predictions: Vikings 30 – Bears 17, Falcons 24 – Raiders 16. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.
Cowboys at Panthers day after thoughts: Marist Liufau is a great sign for the future of the defense
Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys won on Sunday and we have some thoughts about it all one day later. The Dallas Cowboys are winners of three of their last four. When this sentence is true in the month of December, then you are generally talking about a very good football team. Obviously that is not the case in our current moment as the Cowboys are a month away from having only 2025 to look forward to (in all likelihood). Multiple things can be true at same time though, and while this season is just about ready to be put on the shelf and never talked about again, the way that the team is currently playing is objectively impressive. This is all the more true when we consider how they got here. Following their loss to the Houston Texans the Cowboys were 3-7 and on the verge of some truly diabolical records. Since then they stuck their foot in the ground and beat a Washington Commanders team that has impressed even more ever since, took care of business against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day, arguably should have beaten the Cincinnati Bengals and thoroughly dominated a Carolina Panthers team that had been playing really well as of late. Given the state of the Cowboys, the idea that Carolina was putting it together will be lost all of a sudden and people will likely dismiss it as “just the Panthers.” Make no mistake about it though, the Cowboys dismantled the Panthers outside of a horrible two-play sequence near the end of the first half. Here are our thoughts on the game and where the Cowboys stand after it with one day’s worth of thought and reflection. Marist Liufau will be an important part of next season’s defense It remains devastating that DeMarvion Overshown is all but officially lost for the 2025 season. He was really emerging as a star and being without him will hurt this group. Those circumstances have made it difficult to feel good about anything else. But understanding that we are having a different and separate conversation, the opportunity that has opened for Marist Liufau is one that is being capitalized on. Liufau came in against the Bengals and made an immediate impact. He continued that solid form on Sunday at Carolina with a forced fumble on the first defensive possession that Dallas was a part of. All game long he was a force within the middle of the group. It seems fair to say that the Cowboys found a legitimate player at the end of last year’s third round, one who they are going to need to depend on for some time. Thankfully he appears ready for the challenge. Rico Dowdle’s performance is informative for the future in many ways There is no question that Rico Dowdle is running incredibly well for the Cowboys right now. He should absolutely be celebrated and applauded. We are about a month away from NFL draft conversations kicking off in earnest and there are plenty of Cowboys fans who want to see the team draft Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty was incredible and will probably have some special moments in the College Football Playoff that justify the hype, but I feel like Biff Tannen in that something about all of this feels very familiar. In the lost season of 2015 the Cowboys proved that they could, for all intents and purposes, plug anyone behind their offensive line and produce a viable performance. Darren McFadden wasn’t the featured back until that season was already well lost and still finished with 1,000 yards. You would think that such a performance would have convinced Dallas that they could have found another way to improve at the running back spot without spending the fourth overall pick on the position. The Cowboys will obviously not be picking that high, but again, doesn’t this feel somewhat similar? We know that the Cowboys are going to ignore free agency based on who they have been for over a decade now which means that their first-round pick (wherever it lands) is the most premium resource that they will spend over the offseason. Devoting it to Jeanty, as talented as he is, feels like a luxury this team can’t afford, especially when they are seeing what someone like Rico Dowdle is doing at the moment. To add to the point, McFadden did what he did behind the peak version of the offensive line we all knew and loved, Dowdle is doing it behind a makeshift group. This is a very important lesson that the Cowboys need to show they have learned. There is a very legitimate need for another reliable wide receiver In the stock report for this week it was noted that the Cowboys have gone into two different seasons with a high level of dependence on Jalen Tolbert. Neither has panned out. This is unfortunate, and while there are examples to prove every point, the overwhelming likelihood is that Tolbert is not going to turn into a proper running-mate for CeeDee Lamb. That is something that has to be acted on. For too long now the Cowboys have depended on their star wide receiver to lift them up individually, whether that be CeeDee Lamb or Amari Cooper before him. There was a brief moment in spurts of the 2021 season where we got to see them together, but injuries and what not impacted seeing the duo operating together with one another. There are a number of needs on this roster and we can debate the order that we want to put them in, but in today’s NFL you absolutely need a legitimate threat as your “second” wide receiver. So much is made about getting help for Dak Prescott, and while this is residually accomplishing that, CeeDee Lamb needs help. Hopefully the Cowboys have learned this lesson along with the many others that we have challenged them to take away
Report: Cowboys could be without CB Trevon Diggs for quite some time
Report: Cowboys could be without CB Trevon Diggs for quite some time Todd Brock Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has seen his season end early for the second year in a row due to a knee injury. And although the team is hopeful that it won’t impact his 2025 season, the two-time Pro Bowler could be cutting it close, and that’s the best-case scenario. Diggs will undergo surgery to repair his left knee after suffering an injury in the team’s Week 14 loss to Cincinnati, the Cowboys announced over the weekend. The issue is reportedly with his articular cartilage, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and apparently separate from the knee ailment that kept him out of Weeks 12 and 13. “This is something that occurred during the [Week 14] game,” head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed in his postgame press conference after the team’s 30-14 win over the Panthers. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones elaborated on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan on Monday, saying he did not expect Diggs to be ready for training camp next summer and adding, “but I think his timeline will be right at the start of the season.” Diggs had played every defensive snap of the Monday night meeting with the Bengals and then consulted with the Cowboys’ medical staff during the week. After missing multiple practices and some testing, the decision was made to keep Diggs home from the trip to Charlotte and proceed with plans for surgery. “He was having to play with fluid in his knee. He was out there doing everything he can because he wants to play, he wants to compete, he wants to contribute,” Jones said of the 26-year-old Diggs. “It’s certainly a very legitimate injury that’s gonna take him some time to recover from. We got a vision that we can get him ready to do next year.” In his Monday post to X, Rapoport put the recovery time at “up to eight months.” But not everyone is ready to automatically pencil Diggs in for Week 1 next fall. The former second-round draft pick missed most of the 2024 season with an ACL tear in his right knee. Though he was able to be in the starting lineup for that season opener, there are rumblings now that the organization was dissatisfied with the way he approached the rehab stint. “This is a serious knee injury,” explained longtime insider Clarence Hill Jr. of AllCity DLLS. “He could possibly miss most of next season.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Given the financial ramifications of his $97 million contract extension signed in July of 2023 and the return on that investment the team is getting on the field, expect Diggs’s status to be a major storyline for the coming offseason. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys come alive on offense, capitalize on turnovers to beat Panthers for 6th win
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys upset the Carolina Panthers to earn their sixth win of the season on Sunday. This is a real sentence and thing that happened. The Panthers had not been the favorites to win any game over their last 34 tries, but oddsmakers had them slated to defend home field and snap a four-game losing streak against a Cowboys team that came in winners of two of their last three. The lone loss was on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals and came on a botched punt block recovery, all but ending already distant playoff hopes for the Cowboys. Understandably, their motivation to continue playing hard to close out a lost season defined by equal parts ineptitude and injuries has come into question. Dallas answered this question with one of their most complete performances of the season to win 30-14. Mike McCarthy’s team is now 6-8 with three games remaining, and momentum is building towards the fifth-year head coach returning on a new contract. Every performance like this one for a Cowboys team still sitting in third place of the division they won a year ago helps justify letting McCarthy see through the roster getting healthier and Dak Prescott back in the starting lineup at QB. There is still the question of where any resemblance of consistency has been for a team that’s still won just once at home all year. With the Panthers stuck on three wins since Week 10, the combined record of the teams the Cowboys have beat this season is 24-32. The Steelers account for close to half of the wins here as a current 10-4 division leader under Russell Wilson, who did not start the Sunday night game against the Cowboys. What the Cowboys did earn with their early kickoff win at the Panthers, one that FOX analyst Greg Olsen called “gym class” at one point in a penalty-filled second half, is another chance to bring some intrigue to their last primetime game of the season. Similar to the Cowboys hosting the Bengals as a meeting of two losing teams last Monday night but still bringing in record ratings, the Cowboys now have a quality win going into a matchup with a Buccaneers team that’s won four in a row. Tampa Bay is making a surge towards the playoffs, most recently dropping 40 points on a Chargers defense who’s previous high was 30 to the Ravens this season. The matchup of their Baker Mayfield-led offense going up against a Mike Zimmer defense that just had two interceptions, six sacks, and two fumble recoveries against the Panthers will quietly be one of the better ones around the league in Week 16 for Sunday Night Football. Zimmer’s defense had the benefit of playing from ahead in the win at Carolina, with the Cowboys offense getting better as the game went on. They found easy completions for Cooper Rush, ran the ball for a season high 211 yards (surpassing last week’s high of 156), and converted 6 of 12 third-down attempts to control the game. The Bryce Young-led Panthers offense had no answers. Micah Parsons, Osa Odighizuwa, Carl Lawson, and Mazi Smith all set the tone up front for Dallas by beating blocks and getting in the backfield. Even though this group is still missing a Pro Bowl player in DeMarcus Lawrence, they showed a lot against a Panthers team that’s struggled on the offensive line for multiple seasons now. Improved offensive line play in protection of Young had been a huge reason why the Panthers came into this game playing much better football despite close losses, but the Cowboys defensive line proved too much for them. Dallas’ own offensive line had much more of a say in winning up front in this game, with another patchwork group still paving the way for Rico Dowdle to have a career day and giving Rush time to read the field. Though not technically eliminated from the playoff picture yet, the Cowboys are still very much in the mode of evaluating what they have for 2025 at this point in the year, and saw a lot to like in all three phases against the Panthers to earn a bounce-back win. Let’s get to a few other notes on the action that saw Dallas jump ahead 10-0 in the first half and never look back, leading by as much as 20 in the fourth quarter. Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images The Cowboys did their best to show why they were betting underdogs to a three-win team early on this game, forced to punt on their first two possessions including the first of the game. A big second-down play down the middle to CeeDee Lamb was negated by an illegal formation penalty, and Dallas did the predictable thing of force-feeding Lamb the ball again on a screen on second and even longer to bring up their first third-down try of the afternoon. Rush was sacked on a corner blitz, and the Cowboys quickly punted. The Panthers held the ball for 13 plays on the ensuing drive, their longest of the game, and got into the red zone, looking to quickly seize momentum and take the lead. The Cowboys have plenty of replacement level players taking the field on defense on a weekly basis right now, and the Panthers found last week’s scapegoat in Amani Oruwariye quickly to keep the drive alive. Oruwariye also had an offsides penalty lining up in the neutral zone in press coverage. The Panthers also picked on Marist Liufau in coverage, who is much more of a downhill linebacker against the run than one able to stick with backs or receivers in man coverage. Luckily for Dallas, a Panthers team that came in with the sixth-worst turnover differential in the NFL would give them one early as their promising opening drive came up empty. After impressively spinning away from Micah Parsons on a scramble, Young was hit by Liufau and coughed
