Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Thursday saw a lot of good things from the Dallas Cowboys This year, the Cowboys can be thankful for the finite nature of losing streaks. Just a few days ago, they pulled off a chaotic win over the Commanders on the road to snap a five-game losing streak. Then, on a short week to play their classic Thanksgiving game, the Cowboys snapped their home losing streak, beating the Giants 27-20 for their first win at AT&T Stadium since December 30 of last year. They did so with a healthy helping of Rico Dowdle, along with some inspired defensive play. The Cowboys got the ball to start the game and started moving the ball quickly. Two big pass plays to KaVontae Turpin and CeeDee Lamb helped flip the field, but an incomplete pass on third down brought up a field goal, which Brandon Aubrey made with ease. Then it was the Giants’ turn, and a chance for Drew Lock to make his first start of the year after Tommy DeVito was injured in his first start of the year this past week. New York got off to a hot start, successfully converting a fourth-and-short before Lock ripped off a huge 29-yard scramble that was initially ruled a touchdown. Replay confirmed he had stepped out just one yard short, but the Giants ran in for the score on the next play to go up 7-3. The Cowboys took the field again looking to respond, but a face mask penalty on the offense backed them up to second and 21. Cooper Rush handed it off to Dowdle on a draw, and the running back surged forward through several broken tackles to rack up 22 yards and the first down. He followed it up with a 13-yard run that lit the offense on fire. Before long, Dallas was in field goal range again, and they drilled a field goal after the first of several drops from CeeDee Lamb came on third down. Following the field goal, Aubrey kicked off the ball and Dallas forced a fumble on the return. New York managed to recover it, but then turned it over anyway on the first play of the drive in spectacular fashion: WHAT A PLAY BY OVERSHOWN. : #NYGvsDAL on FOX : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/o9hC8Zduzw — NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2024 DeMarvion Overshown batted a pass, caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown. It got the Dallas defense fired up, and they played lights out for the rest of the first half. The Giants would net just nine yards on their next four drives, getting a field goal in there solely because of a punt return that started the drive off at the Dallas 29. New York finally got the ball moving in the two-minute drill right before halftime, but they didn’t score any points and went into the break trailing 13-10. The Giants got the ball to start the third quarter, but they turned it over after just three plays. Eric Kendricks punched the ball out when Lock tried to scramble past him, and Carl Lawson fell on it. The Cowboys offense took over just 38 yards away from points, and a screen pass to Turpin on third down set them up in goal-to-go. On second and goal, Rush rolled out on a play action bootleg before turning upfield to run in for the score. As he went down short of the endzone, the ball came out and was recovered by a defender in the endzone. However, replay showed that Rush was down by contact prior to the fumble, giving them the ball back. On the next play, Rush hit Brandin Cooks – in his first game back from injury since Week 4 – for a touchdown to go up 20-10. The Dallas defense forced a three-and-out on the next drive, giving the ball back to their offense again. After moving the chains a couple of times, Rush hit Jalen Tolbert on a deep shot down the sideline that picked up 36 yards and flipped the field. A few plays later, Dowdle powered in for a touchdown to put Dallas up 27-10. The Giants went on to score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys had already transitioned into a run-heavy approach to grind out the clock. By the time New York cut it down to a one-score game, there were just over two minutes left and Dallas was able to move the chains and take a knee to celebrate the win. Dowdle had another big game, breaking triple digits for the first time this year with 112 rushing yards on 22 carries. He had four different runs of 10+ yards and broke multiple tackles throughout the game, stabilizing the offense even as Lamb missed the last few drives of the game with an apparent injury. The defense took another big step forward despite missing Trevon Diggs for the second straight game. Josh Butler, who had a career game last week, left early with a scary looking knee injury, but Lock still had very few places to go with the football. He was sacked six times and turned it over twice, while the Giants running backs averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. This now moves the Cowboys up to 5-7 on the year and gives them their first winning streak since the beginning of October, when they followed up a win over the Giants by beating the Steelers. Their next game will come at home on Monday Night Football against the currently 4-7 Bengals before traveling to face the 3-8 Panthers, which opens up the conversation of Dallas perhaps going on a run despite seemingly being out of the hunt entirely just a few weeks ago. It’s still too early to tell if the momentum will continue, but for the first time in a very, very long time, the vibes in Dallas are actually good again.
Micah Parsons reveals DeMarcus Lawrence may return for next Dallas Cowboys game
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images DeMarcus Lawrence could be back for the next Dallas Cowboys game. The Dallas Cowboys have won two games in a row, and while they are “only” 5-7 through Thanksgiving, they are technically alive in the NFC playoff picture. Determining how “alive” the Cowboys are is clearly a matter of personal opinion, but in an objective sense the Cowboys have mathematical life left with regards to making their playoffs. If they continue to win games then obviously all things become more possible. Up next for Dallas, after a long rest following their Thanksgiving win, will be a Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Speaking after the team’s win over the New York Giants, Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons revealed that DeMarcus Lawrence may be back for it. Cowboys DE Micah Parsons said that the defense might be getting DE DeMarcus Lawrence back before the team’s next game against the Bengals. He’s been out since week four with a foot injury. — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 29, 2024 The last game that Lawrence appeared in was the first Dallas matchup against the Giants all the way back in Week 4. In the time since, the Cowboys have obviously struggled, but as of late the defense has found itself a bit and the play of DeMarvion Overshown is a clear reason for that, plus the return of Parsons from his injury. Having a group of Parsons, Overshown and DeMarcus Lawrence manning the front seven could go a long way towards pulling off the incredibly long shot of making the playoffs. At the very least it could provide a swan song of sorts for Lawrence as it is very possible that this is his last season with the team. We will see if he does, in fact, wind up returning for Cincinnati.
Shifting the Overshown window: a major takeaway in Cowboys 27-20 win
Shifting the Overshown window: a major takeaway in Cowboys 27-20 win reidhanson The Overton Window is known as the shifting spectrum of government policies that are deemed acceptable by the masses. What seemed crazy one year ago might now seem perfectly fine today. It’s achieved by changing circumstances and/or desensitization to the public. DeMarvion Overshown has produced his own shifting window. When the Texas product was first drafted by the Cowboys in 2023, he was player without a clear and obvious position. At 6-foot-2, 220-pounds, he played a safety-linebacker hybrid role in college and projected to play something similar in the NFL. After missing his rookie season to a season-ending injury, Overshown has been used largely as a linebacker in 2024. Yet day by day, he’s seen more and more opportunities to showcase the special talents other linebackers don’t possess. In the Cowboys’ 27-20 win over New York on Thanksgiving, Overshown has successfully normalized an abnormal role on the Dallas defense. As the best weapon not named “Micah Parsons,” Overshown is an elite weapon blitzing up the middle, playing in the box, dropping into coverage, and playing off the edge. He’s become the player a defensive coordinator schemes for. He’s become a player offensive coordinators scheme against. 12 weeks ago, using Overshown as a regular pass rusher seemed like an absurd thought. A player built for the secondary didn’t have much business playing on the line of scrimmage. But Mike Zimmer’s infamous double A-gap blitz provided him a perfect opportunity to showcase his skills. He did that and more this season, logging 17 pressures and five sacks prior to Week 13. He trails only Parsons in the sack department this season and added another pressure, interception and touchdown to the ledger on Thursday. It’s no longer a crazy proposition to use Overshown as a regular pass rusher, be it from the edge or up the middle. The Overshown window has shifted where the absurd have quietly become the expected. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys injuries: Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton reveals he has high ankle sprain
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images Cowboys rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton reportedly has a high ankle sprain. The Dallas Cowboys have been ravaged by injuries this season and despite the fact that they won on Thanksgiving Day against the New York Giants, the game proved to be the same in that regard. During the contest Juanyeh Thomas and Josh Butler left the game and rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton also got banged up. After the game concluded, Guyton spoke to members of the local media and revealed that he has a high ankle sprain. Tyler Guyton said he’s got a high ankle sprain. — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 29, 2024 Guyton has been a bit touch and go as a rookie and during last week’s win against the Washington Commanders the Cowboys even rotated him around with Asim Richards. Recent-ish history has seen rookie offensive linemen thrive for the Cowboys, and while there is certainly no shame in not being an All-Pro as a rookie left tackle, Guyton’s season has been more hot and cold instead of sustained excellence. A high ankle sprain is not ideal and will likely cost him some time. The Cowboys have until Monday night of Week 14 before they play another game so we have a bit of a ways to go before they have to fully figure out a plan, assuming Guyton does in fact have to be sidelined. Chuma Edoga took over at tackle for Guyton in the game after the injury.
Dallas Cowboys up on New York Giants at halftime of Thanksgiving Day game
Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Here is everything you. need to know about what happens during Thursday’s Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants game. 2nd Quarter The quarter began with Dallas holding the ball and they matriculated down the field rather easily just like their opening possession. Unfortunately, similar to their first time holding the ball, they stalled a bit in the endzone. Thankfully, Brandon Aubrey came through and Dallas picked up three more points although obviously still trailed. In the process of getting to the next Giants possession the Cowboys saw Juanyeh Thomas get hurt and carted off. We are certainly rooting for the best for him. When New York did finally take over Drew Lock tried to execute a normal pass and then DeMarvion Overshown happened. He had a tip, caught the interception and ran it all the way back for a touchdown all by himself. DEMARVION OVERSHOWN!!!! (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/6AaLJcC0uW — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) November 28, 2024 The Giants wound up punting back to the Cowboys on their next possession which set up an opportunity to really break the game open. In fact, when Dallas began with the ball the FOX broadcast noted that their six-point lead was the largest that they have had in any game at home this season. It has been a lean year. That would not be the case though as a brutal drop by CeeDee Lamb left Dallas facing a 4th and 1… which they failed by way of a handoff to Hunter Luepke. New York wound up punting right back anyway so there was no harm done, but the punt ultimately put Dallas at their own 1-yard line which made matters difficult. They returned the punt favor. With the punt coming from deep in Dallas’ territory the Giants began their next drive at the Cowboys’ 29-yard line; however, they are still the Giants and did not do much with the ball. Given the field position though they were able to capitalize on it for a field goal and some points. It will shock you to learn that the cowboys punted once more… the second quarter was not exactly exciting. But! The Giants punted right back! Again! You are never going to believe this, but the Cowboys punted once more in the final minutes. Unfortunately on the next Giants possession Cowboys cornerback Josh Butler went down with what appeared to be a non-contact injury. He was helped to the locker room shortly before halftime. The Giants failed to score points and it was officially intermission. 1st Quarter The New York Giants won the toss and deferred to the second half. Cooper Rush was told to enter the Thanksgiving Day buffet line first and did not hesitate. While the Cowboys’ opening drive was partly kept alive thanks to a Kayvon Thibodeaux offsides penalty it featured a lot of good things. Rush looked as comfortable as he did against Washington, Rico Dowdle got involved and KaVontae Turpin got a nice touch that he turned into a 16-yard gain. All told Dallas finished it off with a Brandon Aubrey field goal to take the game’s first lead. As the Giants were in the middle of their first offensive possession, the FOX broadcast discussed that New York had not had a lead at any point in a game since Week 6. They even showed a graphic that noted how New York was last in the NFL in that sense. One play after a Drew Lock 30-yard rush that was originally called a touchdown itself and was later ruled not to be one… the Giants took the lead over the Cowboys. DREW LOCK. 30-YARD RUSHING TD. : #NYGvsDAL on FOX : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Kk6JWCWJh6 — NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2024 The first quarter ended with Dallas in the middle of the third possession of the game. It was an interesting start in that sense what with each team taking so much time off the clock when they first held the ball. Sometimes games go like that. Follow Blogging The Boys Everywhere Follow Blogging The Boys on X (formerly Twitter) Follow Blogging The Boys on Instagram Follow Blogging The Boys on Facebook Subscribe to the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel Notable Recent News Coming off of a win provided some legitimate energy and vibes for the Cowboys in a way that was really absent for a good stretch. Things touched such a ceiling of positivity that Jerry Jones even addressed the idea of a potential extension for Mike McCarthy during a radio interview this week. Injury Updates On Wednesday it was reported that Brandin Cooks was being activated off of injured reserve. He will make his full return today against New York. On the other side of that coin both Caelen Carson and Asim Richards were placed on injured reserve. NFL News Relevant To The Cowboys Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones wound up signing with the Minnesota Vikings. Other than that, the Cowboys are obviously one of the first games of Week 13 so dominoes have yet to truly fall. Up Next For The Cowboys It has been a tough stretch for the Cowboys as they have gone from a Monday night game against Houston to a road game at Washington to this Thanksgiving Day matchup against New York. Thankfully, no pun intended, they will have a bit of a break before returning to our lives on Monday Night Football as the final game of Week 14 when they host the Cincinnati Bengals.
Blocking improving but Cowboys RBs must take things to another level
Blocking improving but Cowboys RBs must take things to another level reidhanson The Cowboys are starting to see some return on their investment. Over the offseason they invested heavily in their offensive line, dedicating their first-round and a third-round pick to the unit. After some significant growing pains melding the new pieces into the machine, the unit is starting to show some signs of life in the run game. Even with the constant shuffling of personnel along the line, Dallas ranks eighth in run block win rate. While Zack Martin is the only individual high performer of the group, the unit as a whole has been producing solid results. In a single point failure area like run blocking, team success is paramount. It only takes one error for the entire play to be blown up. A study conducted by Pro Football Focus concluded a running play in which all blockers received positive grades produces a 60.2 percent success rate while a block with one or more negative grades offers just a 25.7 percent success rate. It carries over in EPA as well, with a positively graded blocking effort producing a +0.27 EPA compared to -0.27 EPA for a run block with one or more negative scores. Shockingly, the Cowboys are currently in the NFL’s top tier in perfect run block rates in 2024. Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle have both been given solid opportunities for positive gains even if the results of the run haven’t shown it. While running games are largely a byproduct of the blocking, at some point it falls on the running back himself to really push it over the goal line (so to speak). Explosive plays in particular are an area in which the Cowboys RBs are struggling. Creating holes and delivering positive gains often falls on the offensive line, but it’s the RB himself who’s largely responsible for making players miss at the second level. Per Sumer Sports, Dowdle’s explosive run rate is 6.3 percent while Elliott’s is just 1.7 percent. For reference, Saquon Barkley is at 11.7 percent and Derrick Henry is at 11.8 percent. It’s a significant difference but Cowboys fans can take solace in the fact the difference between Dowdle and Elliott is far greater than the distance between Barkey/Henry and Dowdle. Based on a side-by-side statistical comparison it’s clear the Cowboys made the right move giving Dowdle the top spot and pushing Elliott into a supporting role. Dowdle hasn’t just shown he’s the best of the bunch in Dallas but that he’s a legit NFL starter. When Dowdle is getting the ball, the Cowboys are producing at a top 10 success rate (filtered for those with 70+ carries). Nontraditional ball carriers in Dallas are also producing at high clip. Hunter Luepke (66.7%), KaVontae Turpin (40.0%) and CeeDee Lamb (38.5) are posting decent success rates behind this Cowboys offensive line as well. The Cowboys haven’t fixed their issues with run blocking, but they are clearly moving in the right direction and better than what some want to credit them for. What this offense needs now is some extra juice from the ball carriers themselves and some more assistance from downfield blockers like receivers and tight ends. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys vs Giants inactives: Trevon Diggs, Zack Martin out
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Trevon Diggs, Zack Martin and Jake Ferguson are all OUT for the Cowboys. It’s Thanksgiving, and the Cowboys are less than two hours away from kicking off their annual Turkey Day game, this time hoping to get their first home win of the year against the Giants. Both teams are pretty banged up coming in on a short week, and now we have a clearer picture of who will be playing. Two big names are Jake Ferguson and Zack Martin, both of whom were out last week as well. Ferguson is still dealing with a concussion he sustained against the Texans, while Martin has both ankle and shoulder injuries. Notably, Tyler Smith is back in action this week after missing last week’s game. Trevon Diggs was listed as questionable heading into today after missing last week with a knee injury, but after testing things out before the game he will not be suiting up. This would have been the first time all year we’ve seen Diggs play alongside DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis at the same time, but the Cowboys will have to wait at least another week. Other Cowboys on the inactive list are Marshawn Kneeland, Deuce Vaughn, Ryan Flournoy, and Andrew Booth. The Cowboys had elevated Booth from the practice squad for this game alongside fellow cornerback Kemon Hall, but Booth will be inactive. As for the Giants, their biggest inactive is Tommy DeVito. The second-year quarterback made his first start of the year this past Sunday after the Giants cut Daniel Jones, but he left with an injury and will not be suiting up today. That leaves Drew Lock to make his first start since December of last year with the Seahawks, although DeVito will apparently be the Giants’ emergency third quarterback.
Cowboys vs Giants: 3 bold predictions for Thursday’s matchup
Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Here are our bold predictions for today’s Thanksgiving Day matchup. After a much-needed win in Washington, the Dallas Cowboys are back at it on Thursday afternoon as they host the division-rival New York Giants. Before the two teams square off on Turkey Day, here are three bold predictions for the matchup. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 1) Cowboys’ pass rush causes havoc, recording five sacks One thing the Cowboys did very well against the Commanders last week was rush the passer. Against one of the most mobile quarterbacks in all of football, Jayden Daniels, Dallas recorded 21 total pressures, 11 quarterback hurries, and four sacks. It’s been a night and day difference from the Cowboys rushing the passer since Micah Parsons returned. His presence has made some of Dallas’ other pass-rushers perform better, and this week their defense gets a very favorable matchup. While it’s still up in the air if Dallas will face veteran Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito this week, neither quarterback is close to as mobile as Daniels. The Cowboys’ pass rush could cause them big-time problems for either quarterback. Last week against the Buccaneers, the Giants’ offensive line really struggled allowing 25 total pressures, 16 quarterback hurries, and five sacks. This week will be more of the same as New York’s offensive line struggles once again. Led by Micah Parsons, Dallas’ defense records a total of five sacks, putting consistent pressure on the Giants’ signal-caller. Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images 2) CeeDee Lamb continues his dominance against the Giants, recording 125+ receiving yards and scoring two touchdowns Ever since he entered the league in 2020, CeeDee Lamb has been a thorn in the Giants’ side. Five seasons into his NFL career, New York still hasn’t figured out a way to slow down the talented wideout. In nine career games against the Giants, Lamb has gone over 75 receiving yards seven times, catching a total of 59 passes for 820 yards and five touchdowns. The last time the two teams met on Thanksgiving back in 2022, Lamb had a huge day, catching 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. The Giants’ inability to slow down opposing teams’ top wide receivers bodes well for Lamb and the Cowboys in this game. The four receivers below have faced the Giants this season, with all four catching all but one of their targets throughout the game. Mike Evans – 5 catches 68 yards (5 targets) George Pickens – 4 catches, 74 yards (5 targets) A.J. Brown – 5 catches, 89 yards 1 TD (6 targets) Ja’Marr Chase – 5 catches, 72 yards (6 targets) CeeDee Lamb, the most targeted receiver in the NFL, should be able to take advantage of this on Thanksgiving Day. The All-Pro wideout has one of his best days of the season, recording 125+ receiving yards and two touchdowns, continuing his dominance over Dallas’ division rival. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images 3) KaVontae Turpin returns another kick for a touchdown KaVontae Turpin made the play of the day last Sunday in Dallas’ win over Washington. The 28-year-old returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown, recording a top speed of 21.35 mph and showing off one of the nastiest spin moves in NFL history. KaVontae Turpin goes 99 yards for the TD : #DALvsWAS on FOX : https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/IiHNVZAnt5 — NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024 Turpin has been very aggressive all year returning kicks. You’d think with his other-worldly speed teams would be wary of giving him a chance, but so far this season that has not been the case. Turpin leads the league with 762 kick return yards and an average of 36.3 Y/Ret. This week, lightning will strike twice as Turpin once again makes a highlight-reel-worthy play. Late in the third quarter, Turpin returns a kick and takes it all the way again, giving Dallas a double-digit lead that holds for the rest of the game.
Is Jake Ferguson playing today? Injury news update for Cowboys tight end
Is Jake Ferguson playing today? Injury news update for Cowboys tight end K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys cannot seem to get out from under the injury bug. The club, already down their franchise quarterback Dak Prescott for the remainder of the year, has struggled to get their downfield targets involved. CeeDee Lamb was just coming out of his early season funk when Prescott was lost in Week 9. He wasn’t getting much help. Brandin Cooks had just nine catches through four games when he was placed on IR with a knee injury. He’ll return to the lineup in Week 13 against New York, but how much will he be able to contribute? The scheme has been unable to make Kavontae Turpin a serious inclusion in the offense more often than not. The development of third-year wideout Jalen Tolbert, second-year man Jalen Brooks or rookie Ryan Flournoy has been slow. The one guy who was established, TE Jake Ferguson, seems to have regressed from his Pro Bowl 2023. And a concussion suffered in Week 11 will force Ferguson to miss his second consecutive game when the Cowboys take on the Giants Thanksgiving afternoon. The third-year man out of Wisconsin caught 71 targets for 761 yards and scored five touchdowns in 2023. He’s failed to reach the end zone so far in 2024, disappointing fantasy owners left and right. In his wake, Dallas will tun to second-year, second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker, along with 2024 UDFA Brevyn Spann-Ford. Schoonmaker had his finest game as a pro Monday after Ferguson was lost; he’d been relegated to afterthought with Spann-Ford usurping his snaps. The team has also added Princeton Fant to the roster, signed from their own practice squad. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys fans still aren’t convinced, majority want them to tank the season
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Cowboys fans still want to tank despite recent win Good vibes, right? The Dallas Cowboys pulled off a shocker and beat the Washington Commanders in their recent game. So Cowboys fans are felling pretty good. Well, as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend. Dallas moved to 4-7 on the season, and while they are a huge longshot for a playoff run, they are technically still alive as the ‘mathematically eliminated’ tag has not been applied yet. On top of that, they have a stretch of winnable games as they play the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all four teams are below .500 at the moment. So that’s the positive news. The negative? They are still dealing with plenty of injuries. They are in a big deficit with a 4-7 record. They still will be playing with a backup quarterback. And they would be among the weakest playoff teams around if they even made it that far. With all that, is it even worth it for them to go on some kind of winning streak at this point in the season? Or is tanking the year and going for a high draft pick the best option? We wanted to know that answer, so we asked the fans. But first, let’s check on fan confidence after the win over the Commanders. It has ticked up just a bit to 9% confidence. Next, we wanted to know from NFL fans who they thought would cover the FanDuel odds that have the Cowboys as 3.5-point favorites. A huge majority of fans think Dallas will cover. Finally, we answer the ‘tank or not tank’ question. Cowboys fans say tank!
