Coaches weren’t the only people the Washington franchise took, they also signed away some of the Cowboys’ talent. On offense, center Tyler Biadasz signed with the Commanders, while pass rushers Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler also defected. Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene also went with Quinn to the dark side. To stick the knife in further, Fowler is near the lead in the NFL in sacks with 8.5, Armstrong has chipped in with three, and Biadasz is playing as one of the top centers in the league. Even an old face showed up with the Commanders, wide receiver Noah Brown. That’s a hefty number of coaches and quality depth that left to go to a rival, and Jones must hate seeing the Commanders becoming the ‘Cowboys of the East.’
Cowboys vs Commanders: Dan Quinn instilled a culture of effort and discipline
Amber Searls-Imagn Images What do you think Sunday will look like when the Cowboys face off against Dan Quinn? The Dallas Cowboys travel to play the Washington Commanders in Week 12, an NFC East clash. To prepare for the game we reached out to sister site, Hogs Haven, for some knowledge on the enemy. Blogging The Boys: Obviously Dan Quinn has done a great job taking over the Commanders. What are some of the specific things he’s done to turn things around? Hogs Haven: First and foremost, he seems to be a very positive, high energy person who everyone wants to work for. Quite a few free agents in the offseason said they wanted to come here specifically to work with Dan Quinn, since he has a reputation for being a great person to work with. In addition, several of the defensive free agents said they wanted to play in his defensive scheme because they thought it could really highlight their abilities. The thing is, players at all position groups said that, from safety (Jeremy Chinn) to LB (Frankie Luvu) to DL (Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler), which to me indicates it’s just a really good defensive scheme. He’s instilled a culture of effort and discipline and the team has consistently played with high effort (like this play where a WR runs 40 yards down the field to block for his RB and thus is in place to recover his fumble) and very good discipline (tied for 7th fewest penalties per game). Quinn has primarily operated as a CEO, leaving his coordinators to actively manage their sides of the ball, but all sides of the ball seem well coached and our offense and defense are performing much better than most people would expect looking at the roster on paper. The team is functioning as a whole much better than the sum of its parts, which I credit to good coaching. BTB: Give us everything we need to know about Jayden Daniels. HH: Based on the first 9 games, I would have said he’s a cerebral QB with pinpoint accuracy on most throws, excellent throwing mechanics, and an advanced ability to recognize the defensive alignment, call protections, and process quickly what is happening around him on the field. In addition to that, he has an excellent sense for pressure and the athleticism to scramble to evade pressure and buy more time to throw or simply make a big gain himself with his legs. I think the biggest thing that makes him stand out from other rookie QBs is his maturity though. In many ways, he acts like an NFL veteran. He’s one of the first players to the facility every day, studies film and practices constantly, stays calm under pressure in games, and quietly commands the locker room. However, he has struggled in the last two games and come down to Earth a bit, which I’ll talk about in answering the next question. BTB: Things seemed to have stalled over the past couple of games for the team. What is going on there and is it something you guys are worried about? HH: I think it’s a combination of factors. The biggest factor is that the last two teams we faced were the Steelers and Eagles and they have the best defenses we have faced all season (ranked 2nd and 6th in the NFL in scoring allowed respectively so far this season). Honestly, it’s possible that the quality of those defenses is 95% of the explanation. In addition to that, though, Jayden Daniels sustained a rib injury in week 7 against the Panthers and hasn’t quite looked like the same player since. His throws have been less accurate, leading to a much lower completion rate (he had a 70% or higher completion rate in 4 out of 6 games before the injury, he has been below 70% completion rate in every game since the injury). Jayden also hasn’t been able to scramble as effectively, which was a big part of his game. In weeks 1-6, Jayden averaged 54 rushing yards per game, whereas in weeks 8-11, he averaged 28 yards per game. Scrambling was a big part of his game and an important way for him to convert on 3rd and 4th down when his receivers weren’t open, so not being able to scramble as effectively combined with the reduced accuracy and completion rate is really hurting our ability to sustain drives. I think another part of it is that teams seem to finally have figured out the best way to play him, which is to treat him like Lamar Jackson: rush 4, use a QB spy, and drop the rest back into zone coverage. That defensive playstyle is also leading to fewer scrambling yards and limiting Jaydens options to extend plays. OC Kliff Kingsbury is also notorious for having offenses that start hot and stall midway through the season, so there is that possibility, though watching the games I think Jayden is the biggest factor. Washington fans are really tuned into this matchup with the Cowboys to get clarity on what exactly Jayden’s problems are. We are hoping that with 10 days to rest since our last game, Jayden will have healed enough for the rib injury to be less of a factor. So long as the OL can keep Jayden clean, the Cowboys pass defense also doesn’t seem as imposing as that of the Steelers and Eagles. If Jayden looks like the old Jayden Daniels, then a lot of these issues may have been overblown. If he continues to struggle though, it could be a sign the injury is more significant, defenses have successfully adapted to him, or he’s hit a rookie wall and needs an offseason to develop. BTB: Who are some of the players who have taken steps forward this year, or who among rookies (besides Jayden Daniels) and free agents have stood out? HH: Other than Jayden Daniels, the rookie who has stood out the
Cowboys news: DaRon Bland not concerned about rust once Cowboys clear him for 2024 debut
Brad Mills-Imagn Images The latest headlines surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. DaRon Bland not concerned about rust once Cowboys clear him for 2024 debut – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com DaRon could be making his way on to the football field this Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Assuming Bland is medically cleared to take the field against the Washington Commanders in Week 12, it will mark a total of 315 days from when he last played — on Jan. 14 against the Green Bay Packers in last season’s playoffs — or a total of 319 days if he’s held out until the matchup against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. Either way, he says he has zero concerns about being rusty, and it would likely help that, for the first time as a starter, he’d take the field with both Trevon Diggs and Jourdan Lewis. “Yeah, definitely, shoot — just putting the helmet back on felt good,” said Bland. Some might find it difficult to locate fuel in a season wherein the team has fallen to 3-7, and especially when, physically, your body has prevented you from taking to the field and trying to help prevent that spiral. Bland is far from mentally checked out though, and he has zero interest in being shut down for the remaining seven games. The Cowboys’ tough transition from Quinn to Zimmer as DC – Todd Archer, ESPN It will be difficult to evaluate Mike Zimmer’s impact in 2024 as injuries have made it difficult to implement a solid defensive scheme. Injuries might be viewed as excuses, but they are also valid reasons. “I do think when you’re down to your fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth defensive linemen, and you’re down to your fourth, fifth, whatever corner situation, I think that’s going to make a difference,” Zimmer said. “If we had all those players healthy and playing, then I think it would be different in a lot of ways.” Zimmer has changed his plans, adjusting his fronts, coming up with different personnel packages and turning more to blitzing as the season has gone on. “Losing our guy, our pass rushing guy [Parsons] and a couple of our other guys, you got to create other different things,” linebacker DeMarvion Overshown said. “I’m sure this is something he cooked up before the injuries, where now it’s, ‘OK, now we’re filling in pieces,’ and you can’t really just throw everything that you been doing at training camp at somebody that just got here a week or two ago. So he has definitely been dealing with stuff, but I definitely can see here he’s getting comfortable with his guys on the field. He’s able to dial it up and trust that we’re going to get the job done.” But there have been times where Zimmer has schemed up a free rusher on the opposing quarterback only to see the defender miss a sack. Two weeks ago against the Eagles, Overshown missed a sack of Jalen Hurts, who threw a touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert. Last week, safety Donovan Wilson missed a sack after being unblocked. “I mean, when you get free runners, you like to get them home,” Zimmer said. Six reasons why Cowboys season is a disaster: Injuries, CeeDee Lamb’s holdout, more – Jon Machota, The Athletic There are plenty of reasons why this season for the Dallas Cowboys has gone south. They didn’t do enough in the offseason When other teams filled roster holes through free agency and trades in March and April, the Cowboys did very little. Their March consisted of signing veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks to a one-year, $3 million contract. There were no trades like a year ago when they moved fifth-round picks for proven veterans like cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. In August, they traded for CB Andrew Booth and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and signed DT Linval Joseph and running back Dalvin Cook. Their two biggest misses were not upgrading more at running back (more on that later) and not doing more at defensive tackle. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is used to working in a draft-and-develop program from his time in Green Bay. But it’s clear there were not enough gaps filled in the offseason. “It’s hard to do it every year because you’ve got the whole financial realm over here that’s critical to the process of putting together a roster,” McCarthy said earlier this month. “You try to make sure through veteran free agency you have spots full or at least you know you can go play a game today if you had to in April. And then you’re not drafting for need. You try to stay away from drafting for need. But some years it’s not practical. Have been there even in a draft-and-develop program for 13 years. We said we were BPA, best player available, all the time, but there were times we were not. So that happens. “I personally as a head coach … when you’re signing veterans in camp and you’re doing things at the end, I think that’s a pretty big challenge. Because that’s happened more this year that I haven’t been exposed to as much. If you can have everybody here in April, when that draft’s over and you line up and you’ve got that 90-man roster, if you can get to work on continuity and consistency, I think that’s a huge factor in the start of your season.” Micah Parsons on Cowboys’ growth and learning to lead – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com Despite the 3-7 record, Micah Parsons says there are positives to grow from for this 2024 defense. “I know we’re growing; I know some of these young who didn’t get the opportunities, they’re getting better,” Parsons said. “Let’s look at the film, let’s break it down. Of course young guys are still going to make mistakes, that’s what learning is.” Parsons has played in Dallas’ last two games against the Eagles and Texans, both of which were one-score games at halftime. Now,
Cowboys Headlines: Lamb misses practice, Micah apologizes for comments, McCarthy’s house for sale
Updates: Lamb misses Thursday’s practice :: The Mothership Link After being limited Wednesday, Lamb sat out Thursday’s session with a back and foot issue. Other notable Cowboys who did not practice include Zack Martin, Tyler Smith, and Jake Ferguson. DaRon Bland not concerned about rust once Cowboys clear him for 2024 debut :: The Mothership Link Bland has practiced in full twice this week, but he’s not yet a lock to make his season debut on Sunday. “Yeah, it’s responding better,” he said of his surgically repaired foot. “I definitely feel more confident on it.” He explained it wasn’t a true setback that delayed his return to the field, just a matter of being comfortable going full speed and pushing the foot to its limits. He’s hoping to start alongside Trevon Diggs and Jourdan Lewis; it would mark the first time the trio has ever started a game together. Mike McCarthy not using this elite weapon more is unjustifiable Cowboys crime :: Cowboys Wire Link Despite blazing speed and electrifying skills with the ball in his hands, KaVontae Turpin still plays just a gadget role in the Cowboys offense. The routine slant route he housed in Week 10’s loss showed what he can do when given the chance, but he’s been largely misused and underutilized to an unforgivable degree. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2025, meaning Dallas may even lose him to a team that understands what a weapon he is. Cowboys’ Micah Parsons apologizes for Mike McCarthy comment :: ESPN Link Parsons spoke with reporters for the first time since his comments after the Eagles loss and took the opportunity to apologize for remarks that seemed to criticize his head coach. “Obviously, no disrespect to [Mike McCarthy’s] career and what he’s made for himself as one of the most winningest coaches,” he said. “I could have done better. I was angry and I just didn’t finish, and I wasn’t as thoughtful as I usually am. I didn’t think people would take that context the way it was. That’s on me.” How did Mike Zimmer challenge Micah Parsons during Cowboys’ five-game slide? :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link The defensive coordinator is pushing Parsons to be a better leader, the edge rusher explained: “And I love that stuff, because you know it bothers me when I feel like a coach is upset at me. He gave me a challenge, and I’m going to live up to that challenge.” Parsons didn’t elaborate on the specifics of Zimmer’s challenge, but he promises he’ll live up to it over the next seven games. 27 Cowboys free agents and whether or not they should be brought back :: Cowboys Wire Link Some hard decisions are coming. Zack Martin- if he wants to keep playing- deserves a chance to suit up for a genuine contender. DeMarcus Lawrence seems likely to be wooed by Dan Quinn in Washington. Contributors like Ezekiel Elliott, Brandin Cooks, and Bryan Anger could be on the way out. But several of this year’s Cowboys are worth re-signing, like Turpin, Jourdan Lewis, Eric Kendricks, and Chauncey Golston, among others. Dak Prescott says it’s painful watching Cowboys struggle without him: ‘Probably been as tough of a season as I’ve ever had’ :: NFL.com Link Prescott admits that “a couple of tears came down” following the team’s loss to Houston. “This is going to hurt. It’s going to suck at times,” he said. “You just have to understand this is one of the moments that it does. I don’t want anything right now other than to let it suck.” Prescott says the year has been a roller coaster of emotion for him (he became a father, he got engaged, he saw his season end early due to his hamstring injury) and has him “riding a wave I’m constantly preaching about not riding.” He vows he’ll be “faster, stronger, and better than I ever have” when he returns to action. Potential reason why Jerry Jones might not want this Cowboy to see the field :: Cowboys Wire Link At this point in a lost season, many fans are ready to turn the offense over to Trey Lance. He was not impressive during the preseason, but if he could show enough over the final seven games to get another team interested, the Cowboys could turn him into a compensatory draft pick. But what if Jones thinks Lance is a late bloomer and are purposely burying him on the depth chart to keep his price down so the team can continue to develop him on the cheap? Dallas Cowboys are facing a scenario not seen in nearly 25 years :: The Landry Hat Link The Cowboys have mostly owned their storied division rivalry in recent years, but the tables have turned in 2024 as Dallas and Washington prepare to square off for the 129th time. For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, the Cowboys are double-digit underdogs, with the Commanders 10.5-point favorites. (The silver lining? The last time it happened- in 2000- Dallas pulled off the upset… and with a backup quarterback then, too.) Jerry Jones sings high praise for potential Cowboys head coaching candidate :: Cowboys Wire Link Jones had rave reviews for the offensive coordinator the Cowboys will face this weekend. Kliff Kingsbury has a reputation for unconventional play designs and his work developing young quarterbacks. A Texas native, his could be a name worth watching if there is a change in Dallas after the season ends. Deion Sanders lands top QB recruit, downplays departure talk :: Sportico Link Coach Prime said earlier in the week that he had “a kickstand down” in Boulder, claiming no interest in leaving the Buffaloes for a possible NFL job. It seems he really meant it. Colorado landed five-star prep quarterback Julian Lewis, ESPN’s No.2-ranked prospect who decommitted from USC over the weekend. Lewis could replace Sanders’s son Shedeur, a Heisman candidate and likely top-10 pick in next spring’s draft. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy puts one
Thursday Night Football odds, pick and live discussion: Steelers at Browns
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Who wins tonight… Pittsburgh or Cleveland? The Pittsburgh Steelers play the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football. FanDuel has the Steelers as 3.5-point favorites over the Browns. Final score prediction: Steelers 20 – Browns 13. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.
Mike McCarthy not using this elite weapon more is unjustifiable Cowboys crime
Mike McCarthy not using this elite weapon more is unjustifiable Cowboys crime reidhanson For almost three years, return specialist KaVontae Turpin has made the Cowboys return game one of the most feared in the NFL. The former USFL MVP demanded respect from the start in Dallas, earning Pro Bowl honors as a rookie and seeing an ever-expanding role on offense along the way. While Turpin’s workload on Mike McCarthy’s offense has seen year-to-year growth, it’s still a generally niche role. Through 11 weeks in 2024, Turpin has just five rushing attempts and 31 targets downfield. He’s on pace for a career season on offense but it’s considerably less than what many in the media and fan circles envisioned for the former TCU receiver. Turpin has largely been stuck in a supportive and gadget role over the years. Despite the blatant need for speed and playmaking ability on offense, McCarthy has struggled to get Turpin involved. The 28-year-old hasn’t made things easy for his coach, dropping some key passes and running some undisciplined routes, but one can argue it’s not Turpin’s job to fit McCarthy’s roles but rather McCarthy’s job to find the right roles for Turpin. Such a statement may sound like semantics or even blame shifting but the reality is Turpin is just 5-foot-9, 153-pounds soaking wet and stretched out. He’s not the plug-and-play WR McCarthy has been trying to make him be. For the better part of the season Turpin’s results on the field have been fairly underwhelming. Until, of course, he was used in a way that leaned on his strengths over the past week. Turpin’s ability to be a gamebreaker was on full display against Houston when he took a routine slant route to the house for 64 yards. He showed off his ability to separate, create in space and take a short pass the distance in the blink of an eye. According to Seth Walder at ESPN, Turpin’s slant route for six points was just the second slant Turpin has run all season. It’s an inexcusable situation from an offensive coach who naturally leans on slant routes to a near preposterous degree. Rather than using Turpin on pick routes, screens and slants, the Cowboys have been running their diminutive dynamo downfield where his size and experience are understandably exposed. Over the past 2+ seasons in Dallas, Turpin has been misused and underutilized to an unforgivable degree. An argument could be made his actual number of touches is near maxed out given his build and that McCarthy was simply preserving him as a return man. But with speed and game breaking ability such as Turpin’s, he doesn’t even need the ball in his hands to be impactful. Motioning him behind the line at the snap and dragging him shallow across the formation after the snap is a great way to spread defenses horizontally, opening space on passing routes and widening rushing lanes on runs. It’s also worth pointing out no one has any idea where that usage rate maxes out at since it’s yet to be found. Turpin has played in 43 of a possible 44 regular season games since coming to Dallas. He’s been extremely durable even in the high impact life of a return man. A restricted free agent in 2025, Turpin may be somewhere else in the near future. There stands a very real chance his best years as an offensive weapon are ahead of him if his next coach is more willing to feature him in ways that play to his strength. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys vs Commanders: 2 players Dallas should use more moving forward
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The focus throughout the rest of this season has to be on 2025 and beyond. Change has been a constant for the 2024 Dallas Cowboys. Poor player performance and numerous injuries on both sides of the ball have caused Dallas to mix things up on a consistent basis this season. As the Cowboys play out their final seven games of the regular season, more changes are to be expected as Dallas shifts their focus from winning this year to the future. With that in mind, we take a look at two players the Cowboys should use more moving forward. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 1) WR Kavontae Turpin It’s been tough sledding for the Cowboys offense this season. Things have gotten even worse since Dak Prescott’s injury, and recently Dallas has looked like one of the worst offensive units in all of football. Dallas moved the ball a bit better in Monday’s loss to the Texans, but they still struggled to find a good offensive balance and take care of the football. There weren’t many positives on offense, but one good thing to come out of the game was KaVontae Turpin making Dallas’ best offensive play in weeks. With Dallas down 14-0 at the start of the second quarter, Turpin scored Dallas’ second-longest offensive touchdown of the season, taking a quick slant pass 64 yards for a touchdown. TURPIN SPEEDS FOR 64. TD, COWBOYS! : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/58pkIaiCvb — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 During his touchdown reception, Turpin reached a top speed of 22.36 mph, the fastest speed by any ball carrier in the NFL this season. Fastest ball carrier this season: KaVontae Turpin (22.36 mph) (via @NextGenStats) pic.twitter.com/MzTkeEHrpO — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 In the coming weeks, the Cowboys need to give Turpin more opportunities on offense to see if he can make an impact as a wide receiver. The 28-year-old is a restricted free agent at season’s end and with all the holes elsewhere on Dallas’ roster, it may be hard to pay the price it would cost to retain him if you only believe he’s capable of being a kick/punt returner and a fifth or sixth option at receiver. Turpin showed that he was capable of using his game-changing speed on offense. Now it’s up to the Cowboys to find creative ways to use his best asset more consistently. Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images 2) CB/S Israel Mukuamu With starting slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis out on Monday night, the Cowboys turned to 24-year-old Israel Mukuamu to take his place. During his time in Dallas, Mukuamu has been a bit of a Swiss army knife player on defense, but Monday was a big opportunity for him to show he’s capable of contributing in a bigger way. While Mukuamu did get beat badly by Texans’ wideout Nico Collins once, he showed some positive signs throughout the game. One of Mukuamu’s best traits is his ability to use his 6’4 frame to get physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage, and he showed that on Monday. Got beat badly by Nico Collins once, but I thought Israel Mukuamu performed admirably in the slot for most of the game. Loved his physicality at the LOS to disrupt WRs’ route off the snap. He had a snafu or two in run defense but also filled pretty well throughout the game. I… pic.twitter.com/kt665gb2Jq — John Owning (@JohnOwning) November 19, 2024 On the night Mukuamu allowed three receptions for 52 yards with 33 of those coming on the long reception by Collins. Mukuamu’s 38 defensive snaps were the most he has played this season and it may be a sign of things to come moving forward. While Jourdan Lewis has been outstanding this season, it’s hard to envision him being back with the Cowboys after this season. Dallas has so many holes on their roster and with the way Lewis has played this year, it’s almost a guarantee some team will offer him more years and money than the Cowboys are willing and able to. If that is the case, Dallas will need to sign or elevate someone from their current roster to become their starting slot cornerback. While Mukuamu is also a free agent to be, he is significantly younger and Dallas could likely retain him for half of what it would cost to bring Lewis back. In the Cowboys’ final seven games of the season, they’ll need to see if Israel Mukuamu is a legitimate option as their starting slot corner next year.
Week 12 rooting guide for Cowboys fans
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Cowboys fans may not have be getting much from their own team, but there’s plenty to root for from others. Not much went the Cowboys’ way last week. Their own game aside, few of the other results helped improve Dallas’ position for the 2025 NFL Draft. Hopefully, the Week 12 games offer more assistance to our long-sighted goal. There were a few close calls from last week’s rooting guide. The Jets and Bears both lost by only one point to the Colts and Packers, respectively. A win by New York would’ve put them slightly above the Cowboys in winning percentage, which of course means below Dallas in terms of the draft. Here’s a loose look at the current 2025 draft order, based on just overall records: Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) Cleveland Browns (2-8) Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) New York Giants (2-8) Tennessee Titans (2-8) New York Jets (3-8) New England Patriots (3-8) Carolina Panthers (3-7) Dallas Cowboys (3-7) Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) New Orleans Saints (4-7) Chicago Bears (4-6) Miami Dolphins (4-6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) We’re doing it, guys! With another loss and other results last week, Dallas moved into a tie with Carolina for the eighth spot in the draft. Things will likely shift between now and when the Cowboys and Panthers meet in Week 15, but that game is suddenly becoming one of the most important on Dallas’ remaining schedule given potential draft implications. As for Week 12, it’s pretty straightforward in terms of how matchups benefit the Cowboys. Almost every game features winning teams against losing ones; playoff hopefuls versus 2025 draft hopefuls. If you’re rooting for Dallas to get the best draft pick possible in April, then here’s what you want to see happen. Giants over Buccaneers While being the worst team in the NFC East won’t feel good, the pain would be partially mitigated by having a higher pick than New York. But even with the G-Men dumping QB Daniel Jones and seemingly intent on tanking, Tampa has been so shaky this year. Tommy DeVito won three games as a starter last season and the change-up could give the Giants a short-term boost, especially at home. Rams over Eagles Seeing Philly lose is always fun and especially when it also benefits Dallas. Los Angeles is 5-5 and probably not a threat to the Cowboys’ draft pick, but better they keep their momentum and stay out of our hair. Patriots over Dolphins While both are losing teams, New England is more likely to stay that way and is currently ahead of Dallas in the draft order. Miami will probably edge closer to .500 by the end of the year now that Tua Tagovailoa is back, which will make them a non-factor for the Cowboys. Browns over SteelersBears over VikingsPanthers over ChiefsTitans over TexansRaiders over Broncos These are all easy picks; four teams Dallas needs to move ahead of in the draft order and one (Chicago) that isn’t far behind. You won’t see many, if any, of these games go our way. But if just a few do, Dallas could be in the mix for a top-five draft pick by the end of Sunday.
Jerry Jones sings high praise for potential Cowboys head coaching candidate
Jerry Jones sings high praise for potential Cowboys head coaching candidate angeltorres Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy may not survive the season, but even if he isn’t fired, his contract runs out shortly after the season’s conclusion. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson sits atop the wish list of many NFL franchises, and is a popular name amongst fans and media on social media. There’s been no word on if Dallas would be interested in his services but on his weekly radio interview with 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praised this week’s opponent’s opponent’s contender for head coaching gigs, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Related: Week 12 Mike McCarthy Replacement Rankings Jones’ comments didn’t end there. Kingsbury, the former Cardinals head coach, was fired in Arizona after going 28-37-1 in four seasons. After taking some time, he landed in Southern California coaching quarterback, and the eventual 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams at USC. Kingsbury, a San Antonio native, began his coaching career in Houston. He was selected in the sixth round by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots back in the 2003 NFL draft. Kingsbury would eventually become the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M University before taking the head coaching job at Texas Tech University. A return to Texas to coach the Cowboys may be atop his wish list and Dallas fans will get a first hand look this weekend at what could be in the near future. Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and Aggies Wire!
3 things we have learned about the Cowboys entering Week 12
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images What are the most important things you want the Cowboys to be considering as the season continues to go on? The Dallas Cowboys continued their dismal season on Monday when they lost to the Houston Texans, their fifth consecutive defeat. That leaves the team at 3-7 for the year, and all but assures that there won’t be a fourth straight playoff appearance, especially with quarterback Dak Prescott gone until 2025. No matter what aspect you look at when it comes to the Cowboys, they’re a bad football team. They can’t stop the run, they can’t run it on offense, the offensive line is a mess, and they’re extremely undisciplined. However, there’s still seven more games for the Cowboys to play, and as frustrating as it is, the team has to grind it’s way through the rest of season and get to the offseason activities. Until then, let’s look at three things that we have learned about the Cowboys as they prepare for an NFC East battle with the Washington Commanders. Dallas needs to seriously consider putting DaRon Bland on season-ending injured reserve Bland had a season for the ages in 2023 by leading the NFL in interceptions (nine) and setting the record for touchdown returns with five. Unfortunately, he suffered a stress fracture in his foot that sidelined him for the first two months of the year. He was set to return a few weeks ago, but he had a setback in his recovery. With the Cowboys at 3-7 and little to no chance of making the playoffs, the team needs to think about shutting Bland down for the year. There’s no need to risk further injury in what has become a lost season for the Cowboys. The best thing is to let him heal up and come back ready for 2025. Cowboys should think about moving on from Terence Steele Steele was one of the better right tackles in the league in 2022. His ascension took a hit at the end of that season when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL. Despite this, the Cowboys signed him to a five-year extension before the 2023 season. He played all 17 games a year ago, but it was clear that he was still trying to get back to form. In 2024, Steele has struggled mightily. He’s getting beat with speed and power, and if a guy has any kind of a pass rush plan against Steele, they can make him look completely lost. The Cowboys should look at some of their alternatives at tackle, like Asim Richards, and see what they have for 2025 and beyond. Juanyeh Thomas needs to play more Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker have been solid for the most part over the last few years. However, especially when it comes to Wilson, that play has dwindled this season. Wilson has been a huge liability in coverage, and he has missed 18% of his tackles, which is the second-highest of his career. Thomas has shown that when he gets opportunities, he can be a playmaker. He’s very disciplined in coverage, and he can help against the run. Dallas has little to no hope of making the postseason, and Thomas is a player that they should highly consider bringing back in 2025. They should give him more snaps now to see what they have for the foreseeable future.
