Scott Galvin-Imagn Images Your latest Cowboys injury news. The Dallas Cowboys head into their final preparations for their big game against the Baltimore Ravens. This weekend presents the Cowboys with a few intriguing storylines. First, Dak Prescott gets a head-to-head matchup with reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. Prescott was odds-on favorite for the award for much of last season until Jackson swooped in late last season to claim his second MVP trophy. With a win, Prescott and the Cowboys can get retroactive satisfaction and send the Ravens to a dismal 0-3 hole to begin 2024. Also, the Ravens and Cowboys have played six times, with the Cowboys’ lone win in the series coming in 2016 during Prescott’s and Ezekiel Elliott’s rookie season. Before the big game, here’s the latest injury update for both teams. #Cowboys–#Ravens injury report, with CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs both practicing fully and no game status. pic.twitter.com/MjOnMdY9Dn — Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 20, 2024 Jake Ferguson was upgraded to full participation with a knee injury and does not have an injury designation for this week’s game. Furthermore, CeeDee Lamb (ankle) and Trevon Diggs were also listed as full participants with no injury status for Sunday. After posting DNPs on Wednesday and Thursday, Mazi Smith was a limited participant on Friday. Head coach Mike McCarthy said Smith’s status for the game is “full steam ahead”, giving a positive outlook on Smith’s availability, but still is questionable to play. Wide receiver Jalen Brooks was downgraded yesterday to limited and was again limited Friday. He also is questionable. Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley practiced in full for a second consecutive day. Coach John Harbaugh has already stated that Stanley will play. Safety Kyle Hamilton took full part in today’s practice limited a back injury and is expected to play versus the Cowboys. Malaesalea Aumavae-Laulu has been ruled out for a personal reason.
5 things to watch when the Cowboys host the Ravens
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images What are you going to be paying the most attention to on Sunday? The Dallas Cowboys host the Baltimore Ravens this week and they’ll try to go up one in the win column while sending the reigning AFC North champions to the basement with an 0-3 start. In the opener, the Cowboys looked impressive, but they were helped by a Cleveland team that didn’t play so well. Last week, they played horribly and got thumped, but New Orleans might be a little better than we expected. It’s hard to know what we’ll see from this team this week, but here are five things to keep an eye on on Sunday. 1. MAKE HENRY DANCE The Cowboys’ defense is coming off a game where they allowed 190 yards on the ground as the Saints’ rushing attack marched all over them. So, it’s only natural to feel extremely worried as they turn their attention to the Ravens, the league’s top rushing team last season. A big part of that is thanks to the finesse of their quarterback, and we’ll get to that in a minute, but they added veteran back Derrick Henry this offseason. Henry’s résumé is quite impressive. He’s rushed for at least 1,500 yards in three of the last five seasons, but he’s north of 30 now and doesn’t have that same juice he once had. In his first two games with the Ravens, he’s only averaging 65 yards per game, his lowest production average since becoming a starting running back in this league. Henry is a power runner and can churn out some yards if he picks up steam and barrels north and south, but if the Cowboys can force him to work outside a bit, they should be able to limit his effectiveness. He’s not blazing around any corners. 2. SECRET AGENT 0013 Any team that faces the Ravens has to account for Lamar Jackson. Everyone knows that. He has a career average of double-digit rushing attempts per game and he usually adds another 60 yards of offense with his legs. Twice in his career, he’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season, and with 167 yards already in the books, he’s on pace for over 1,400 yards this year. He’s a problem. To combat Jackson’s elusiveness, the Cowboys must deploy their young speedy linebacker DeMarvion Overshown as a spy. Fans went nuts when Overshown rode the pine quite a bit last week against the Saints after a strong NFL debut in Cleveland, but there should be no shortage of snaps for him in this one. Expect him to lock in on his target and help keep the Raven’s athletic quarterback from taking over the game. 3. DAK ON TRACK There’s been a lot made about the Cowboys issues in the running game on both sides of the ball, but the team needs to do a better job playing to their strengths. They have a great quarterback and one of the game’s best wide receivers. They have to find a way to get these guys going. CeeDee Lamb will do CeeDee Lamb things and you’ve got to figure he’ll make big plays when provided the opportunity. So, it’s on Dak Prescott to make that happen and to work the field. The playcalling needs to be better, but Prescott needs to perform a little better. Currently, he ranks in the bottom five in the league in expected points allowed per dropback. Prescott’s better than he’s been playing and it would be nice to the team’s quarterback have a good showing on Sunday. 4. DAK CAN RUN TOO The start of the season looks eerily similar to last year when we prematurely got excited about the defense while not recognizing the offense had their issues as well. Then, a beatdown in the Bay revealed that the Cowboys have a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball. The following week against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Cowboys found themselves in a dogfight where points were hard to come by. Frustrated with the offense, Dak Prescott took matters into his own hands and broke the pocket numerous times, rushing for a season-best 40 yards. Prescott is not the rushing threat Jackson is. Not even close. But what he can do, and needs to do, is take off running when defenses are deploying too many defenders in the secondary. Rather than trying to operate in that type of congestion, Dak should pick his moments and keep the Raven’s defense honest. 5. TROUBLE ON THE EDGE Prescott scampering when he’s got a lot of real estate in front of him is good. Take those yards. Running because the pocket collapses? That’s never a good thing. The Ravens’ defense has some matchup issues on the edge with outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy. The way Oweh goes from speed to power could give the Cowboys’ rookie left tackle, Tyler Guyton fits. And Van Noy’s quickness around the corner could create some balance issues for Terence Steele. The offensive line of the Cowboys isn’t coming off a great performance and they’ll need to do a much better job protecting the edge to allow their quarterback enough time to operate. What will you be watching on Sunday?
Emmitt Smith believes Cowboys need more depth at wide receiver amidst offensive struggles
Emmitt Smith believes Cowboys need more depth at wide receiver amidst offensive struggles Madison Tenenbaum It’s only Week 3, but it’s safe to say that Cowboys fans are already worried. Fingers are pointed primarily at the defense following Sunday’s Week 2 loss versus the Saints, and rightfully so, after they allowed 44 points and nearly 200 rushing yards— awful. But we can’t let Dallas’ somewhat anemic offense, who has struggled for two straight weeks now, off the hook so easily. Sure, they put up 33 points on the Browns, the league’s #1 ranked defense in 2023, but the Cowboys got to those 33 points mostly thanks to Pro Bowl kicker Brandon Aubrey’s four made field goals, as well as a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown by KaVontae Turpin. In a recent interview with Sports Seriously, Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith did not hold back when it came to his former team’s struggles on the attacking side. “Offensively, we’ve got to get it together. The best thing we’ve got going for us right now is our special teams, and that’s kicking field goals,” Smith said. Scoring touchdowns is the ticket in this league, and field goals aren’t going to cut it. Meanwhile, Dak continues to struggle with explosive chunk plays, which could be due to the lack of depth at the wide receiver position. After CeeDee Lamb, and then TE Jake Ferguson, when healthy, there’s a huge drop-off. When asked if the Cowboys should go out and get more help at wide receiver, Smith couldn’t have been quicker to say yes. “Most definitely. No disrespect to Brandin Cooks or Jalen Tolbert, but somebody needs to emerge. It’s easier to just contain CeeDee through zones and limit his throws down the field, so someone else has to emerge as that legit go-to threat outside of CeeDee Lamb, and with Ferguson out, it’s making things really tough.” Additionally, Smith thinks that the running back depth chart leaves a lot to be desired. “They aren’t putting an emphasis or a focus on it. In the Cleveland Browns game, they went up against a very solid defensive front and we ran the ball effectively with Dowdle and Zeke— and we threw the ball effectively off of some of those runs. Unfortunately in this game against the Saints, the Saints were scoring at such a high pace, we couldn’t keep up with it, so when that happens, the run game suffers. You try to slow the game down by running the ball, but if you aren’t running effectively, that makes things even worse.” Smith is right— and It’s hard to imagine Dallas surviving this season without an immediate boost in offensive production. There are ways to resurrect it, whether that be with scheme or personnel changes (maybe it’s time to bring up Dalvin Cook from the practice squad?!), but they can’t afford to force the issue. And as of now, no one can escape the blame. The Cowboys’ offense is struggling in all phases and everyone seems responsible.
After getting embarrassed in Week 2, Cowboys’ run defense faces tough matchup in Derrick Henry
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images It feels inevitable that Derrick Henry is going to have a day on Sunday. The stink of embarrassment is still fresh in the air after the Dallas Cowboys 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints last week in Week 2. Having homefield advantage did nothing to stop the Saints rushing attack as they completely manhandled Dallas’ run defense, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and totaling 190 rushing yards last Sunday. Alvin Kamara in particular had a huge outing against the Cowboys last week. On his own he rushed for 115 total yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries and also added 65 yards receiving and one TD through the air. The way he dominated the Cowboys on the ground is probably something Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry is looking to replicate in Week 3. Henry is still one of the better running backs in the entire league right now. He may not be off to the best start of his career after joining the Baltimore Ravens this offseason via free agency, but make no mistake, he is dangerous as a runner and is probably looking forward to playing against Dallas’ suspect run defense. As things stand right now, the Dallas Cowboys are 30th in overall rushing efficiency while also allowing the fourth most yards after contact in the entire league. And this is after facing two teams without the type of QB/RB duo the Baltimore Ravens possess in Lamar Jackson and Henry. These two create a tremendous challenge for the Cowboys. At 6’2″, 247-pounds, Henry is a formidable opponent for any team in the league to try to contain. He’s strong, physical, and surprisingly nimble of for an RB his size and has proven throughout his career he’s difficult to take down when he has the ball in his hands. Mike Zimmer will need his players to be at their best to prevent him from running wild. That means staying technically sound, making tackles, and maintaining gap integrity every single down from the beginning until the final seconds take off the clock. That may be easier said than done after seeing them doing the exact opposite last week against the New Orleans Saints rushing attack. But, it’s probably the only chance they have to secure a “W”. Unfortunately, Henry isn’t the only monster who could give Dallas nightmares this week. QB Jackson presents an entirely different problem for them as both a runner and passer due to his unique dual-threat ability. He is as dangerous as they come in the league and when combined with Henry, they are sure to give the Cowboys fits in Week 3. It’s going to be really interesting to see the game plan Mike Zimmer comes up with to try to combat these two from embarrassing his defense in back-to-back weeks. If these two run wild like the Saints did last week, Dallas probably doesn’t have much chance of winning. But, if they can be contained the Cowboys will more than likely walk away with another win.
Cowboys news: Run defense has to improve for team to contend
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Your daily dose of Cowboys news is here. Run defense determined to get back on track – Kyle Youmans, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys’ defense is ready to put the Saints game in the rear view mirror. Moving on is exactly what Dallas has on the mind this week. Taking their lessons learned and applying it to the upcoming gameplan against teams like Baltimore, Detroit, and San Francisco who all finished in the top-5 for team rushing last year. Unfortunately, there’s not a ton of time to implement change because Dallas faces those three teams over the next five games. “You don’t have time. You don’t dwell on it really,” Odighizuwa said. “You watch the film, you write down the things that you got to work on, take the things that you want to improve on until the next week, and then you got to move on.” Dallas made one roster move to bring back a familiar face, signing Carlos Watkins off the Washington practice squad while moving Jordan Phillips to injured reserve. Watkins has been back in the building no more than 24 hours and the veteran has already adjusted to the mindset needed to turn the unit around. “I take pride in stopping the run.” Watkins said. “We still have to play good with our hands, eyes and feet. For the most part, just being a D-lineman, it’s things schematically that are a little different. But those three things can take you a long way playing.” Cowboys’ early season woes are predictable. Jerry Jones’ passive offseason is responsible – Saad Yousuf, The Athletic The front office handling of player acquisition in the offseason is being blamed for the Cowboys’ early struggles. The issues Sunday were known culprits. They are personnel issues that fall squarely on the front office. The Cowboys’ defensive tackle play was atrocious, to the point that Jordan Phillips, who had an awful game individually against the Saints, was curiously placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a wrist injury. Journeyman defensive tackle Carlos Watkins was brought back to Dallas off the Washington Commanders’ practice squad. Like Phillips, Watkins is a player who couldn’t crack the rotation on a bad division rival and is looked at as a potential beacon of hope for the Cowboys. Offensively, the Cowboys could not run the ball. Multiple days this week, McCarthy has already fielded questions about the readiness of Dalvin Cook. The veteran running back was signed right before the regular season and has been ramping up on the practice squad. He’s being eyed as the potential savior of the Cowboys’ running back committee. The Cowboys frequently say that player acquisition is 365 days a year. They have displayed that recently, churning the edges of the roster throughout training camp and into the early parts of the season. They traded for Phillips and signed Cook and Linval Joseph. They picked up Watkins this week. Unfortunately, the 365-day philosophy frequently excludes March and April, when there is a chance to acquire notable players who can make a substantial impact. That’s where teams address a defensive tackle void by signing Christian Wilkins instead of the revolving door of Phillips, Joseph, Watkins, and the hope that Mazi Smith drastically improves. That’s where teams sign Derrick Henry instead of bringing back Ezekiel Elliott after the draft and hoping he still has something left in the tank. CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs injury updates after missing practice – Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb missed practice this week but it shouldn’t be too concerning for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. Lamb was listed on the report with an ankle injury, while Diggs was marked with a “foot” designation. It is unclear where the injuries came from, but there is good news. According to Todd Archer of ESPN, there is “no real concern” regarding the star wide receiver and cornerback. For extra comfort, Jane Slater of the NFL Network added Lamb and Diggs “should be okay.” So let out that anxiety, Cowboy Nation. After a disastrous Week 2 performance against the New Orleans Saints, the Cowboys will need all hands on deck when they host reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium in Week 3. Science Lab: Cowboys’ fate remains haunted by the Shanahan House of Horrors – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys will eventually have to overcome Shanahan-tree offenses if they are to contend in the playoffs. Whether that’s the 49ers, the Packers or should the Rams figure out a way to get into the playoffs, as they often do, the Cowboys’ defense will probably have to pass the test. As the laws of the universe go, you will continually face the thing you fear most until you finally defeat it. And if you’re wondering how to bottle up such an offense, it’s all about stopping the running back from having their way as a receiver in space and on edge runs — the bread and butter for Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, etc. — to force the runs inside (where your defensive tackles have to win) and the game more onto the arm of the opposing quarterback so that when the pass rush is dialed up, it will actually matter and, as such, impact the game through poor throws and sacks. The best way to negate a pass rush on a passing rep is through quick tosses (see Kamara’s 57-yard touchdown for reference), as it forces the defense to begin playing on its heels and softens the middle of the trench for A and B gap runs, then getting you to overcommit to that in compensation for the first issue and, voila, it becomes time to take the top off with a deep shot or two. Delete the running back, in all ways, and you’ll delete a gargantuan chunk of a Shanahan playbook. In the playoff loss to the Niners, McCaffrey had only 57 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. Deebo Samuel, a quasi-RB,
Pressure, Prescott or Peers? What ails the Cowboys’ offense the most?
Pressure, Prescott or Peers? What ails the Cowboys’ offense the most? reidhanson The Cowboys stand an even 1-1 entering Week 3 and yet it feels like things are borderline disastrous in Big D. Coming off a 44-19 loss to the underdog Saints, the panic is understandable. The Cowboys were utterly humiliated at home for the second time in as many games there. The defense once again imploded to a Shanahan-schemed offense and the offense spit and sputtered their way into a near meaningless existence. Much has been written about the Dallas defense and their many deficiencies this season. The Cowboys’ irresponsible handling of the defensive tackle position combined with the players’ front-runner tendencies and total lack of discipline is enough to populate a novel in and of itself. Its complete ineptitude has allowed the offense to skate by in some of the scrutiny this week when really it deserves an equal share. Some may be surprised to hear that the Cowboys offense has quietly limped itself to a No. 24 ranking in 2024. The absence of a respectable running game certainly plays a part, as does the slow development of the many young Dallas receivers, but the bulk of the blame falls on the offensive line’s inability to handle pressure, and the quarterback himself. Standing just 0.001 point ahead of the hapless Giants in total EPA/play and last in the entire NFC East in EPA/dropback, the Cowboys’ vaunted passing attack has begun the new season a shell of its former self. Their struggles with pressure this season is, in many ways, to be expected. The Cowboys rebuilt two-fifths of their offensive line using 2024 draft picks. One of the picks was regarded as a project player and the other was asked to move to a position he’s never played before. Cooper Beebe, the center, has gotten off to a solid start. He’s handled the transition to the middle well and has plus potential in both phases of the game. The left tackle Tyler Guyton isn’t off to such hot start. Mike McCarthy has done a solid job of protecting Guyton as much as he can, but the rookie can’t get help all the time. Terence Steele’s struggles at right tackle haven’t helped things either, since Steele is still more liability than asset in pass protection. The combination of Guyton and Steele has understandably put Dak Prescott’s head on swivel. Prescott isn’t just getting standard pressures but he’s facing the most quick-pressures in the NFL as well. With six unblocked pressures occurring in less than 1.5 seconds, the offensive line has been suffering significant pass protection breakdowns. Prescott isn’t without blame. The NFL’s highest paid player is 21st in completion percentage above expected. For reference he was top 10 in the NFL just a season before. Some of that performance can be linked to the pressure, but even when he’s not under pressure he’s been less than his previous brilliant self. Prescott’s -0.262 EPA in overall non-pressure situations ranks 31st in the NFL; just a hair above Bryce Young. His play from inside a clean pocket (non-rollouts) isn’t much better, earning a similar ranking at the bottom of the league. Some of this can be ascribed to PTSD since pass protection breakdowns can have carryover effects. Too many pressures can make even the coolest QBs permanently skittish in the pocket. No one escapes the blame in Dallas right now. The Cowboys’ offense is struggling in all phases, and everyone seems responsible. Maybe a scheme change can fix things. Maybe a strategy change is needed. Maybe a larger sample size is all that’s needed and things will just bounce back on their own. But for anything to improve the offensive line has to handle their pressure better and Prescott simply has to play better. [affiliatewidget_smgtlocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys only win against Ravens came in Dak Prescott’s rookie season
Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images Just two games into a season that began with the Dallas Cowboys making starting QB Dak Prescott the highest paid in NFL history, the team is already realizing how dependent they’ll be on the $240 million man to cover up a laundry list of issues they’ve seen on both sides of the ball. The team is sitting at 1-1 after their first home game of 2024 went inauspiciously similar to their final one of 2023, embarrassed by an opponent that ran the ball at will against an ill-prepared defense, and then picked on a Cowboys offense forced to play a long catch up game. Things do not get much easier for the Cowboys after losing 44-19 to the Saints on Sunday, as they now welcome in a hungry Baltimore Ravens team trying to salvage their season at 0-2. There are always ways for singular losses in the NFL to feel like more than just one blemish on the record, and the Cowboys struck about every chord possible in their loss to the Saints, especially considering some of the similar challenges they’ll face against the Ravens this week. Just a week removed from Mike Zimmer’s defense being the talk of the league after a dominant performance against the Browns, the Cowboys were right back to looking undersized against the run up front, not strong enough at linebacker, and blew assignments in the secondary to allow Derek Carr to complete passes of 70, 57, and 39 yards against them. The offense looked lost when the ball wasn’t funneled to CeeDee Lamb, who made a brilliant play on his 65-yard touchdown in the second quarter to get Dallas within eight, but it was the closest they would ever get all game. This was a loss that makes it difficult to believe this Cowboys team is any different from any of the previous iterations under Mike McCarthy, and attempting to change that this week will take doing something the Cowboys have only done once in their franchise history – beat the Baltimore Ravens. The Cowboys are 1-5 against the Ravens, with the first loss coming in 2000 and most recent being December of 2020. Baltimore was, of course, the team that spoiled the final home game at the old Texas Stadium in 2008 with a 33-24 win in Week 16. A Cowboys team without much of a run game could not keep up with a Ravens team that rushed for 265 yards including a Willis McGahee 77-yard touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to pull away and Le’Ron McClain 82-yard score later in the quarter to go ahead 30-14. The Cowboys lone win against the Ravens came during a season where Prescott proved he can be the leader of this team, as it was win number nine of a miraculous 11-game win streak for Prescott as a rookie over the first 13 weeks of the season. A third straight win against the NFC North, the Cowboys took care of a winless Browns team in Week 9 then went on the road for a thrilling win at the Steelers in Week 10 (prompting the infamous Tony Romo “football is a meritocracy” speech in the aftermath), and then returned home in week 11 and handled the Ravens 27-17 to improve to 9-1 on the year. Dez Bryant scored two second half touchdowns to break a 10-10 tie and put Dallas ahead two scores. Cole Beasley caught the other Cowboys touchdown of the game as Prescott finished the day 27 of 36 for 301 yards, three scores and no turnovers. Ezekiel Elliott was a workhorse, toting the ball 25 times for 97 yards. The Ravens longest play of the game was a 27-yard completion to Mike Wallace, as the Cowboys did a good job containing Joe Flacco despite only getting home for one sack. Containing Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry out of the current Ravens backfield will be an entirely different task for the Cowboys defense. Henry will test the integrity of a Cowboys defensive line that was just exposed on the interior, and has only received worse news at the undermanned defensive tackle position since the Saints loss. Jordan Phillips is now on IR and Mazi Smith did not practice on Wednesday. Trying to stack linebackers like Damone Clark, DeMarvion Overshown, or Eric Kendricks close to the line of scrimmage to deal with the run could easily leave this defense out of position to deal with the rushing threat of Jackson, as well as TE Isaiah Likely who leads the team in receiving yards. The Cowboys looked every bit the team that needs to follow a dangerously narrow game script to victory last week, and finding a way to take the lead early and hold on in a high-scoring game is one possible path to a bounce-back win against the Ravens. Unlike against most opponents last year though, taking the lead against Baltimore likely won’t discourage them from sticking to their gameplan too much on offense, as they are still built to sustain the run game and create high percentage throws for Jackson off of it. The Cowboys offense simply hasn’t shown yet that they can put fear into teams by having the ability to score on any given possession and from anywhere on the field, but the Ravens have given up points on 11 out of the 22 defensive drives they’ve played this year while allowing a 100 yard receiver in both games. Dallas may be welcoming back Jake Ferguson just in time to make a difference alongside CeeDee Lamb and help recreate what WR Davante Adams and TE Brock Bowers were able to do against the Baltimore defense for Las Vegas in Week 2. That stunning home loss has the Ravens at 0-2 for the first time since 2015. Mike McCarthy knew the time to respond from a loss would inevitably come this season and he has his work cut out for him preparing a team
Cowboys Headlines: Disarray, disgruntled, downward-trending Dallas
Cowboys traded for DT who’s now hurt, here’s who they replaced him with :: Cowboys Wire Link: An injury along the defensive line only adds to the problems the Cowboys have on that side of the ball. The Cowboys sent a newly acquired defensive tackle to injured reserve forcing them to poach the practice squad of a division rival for reinforcements. Cowboys running backs Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle among NFL’s least efficient through Week 2 :: Blogging the Boys Link: The Dallas front office understood they needed an infusion at running back after the 2023 season yet the team inexplicably decided to neglect the position during the offseason in favor of the same retread players that have done little to nothing this decade. The Cowboys now employ some of the least efficient backs throughout the entire league. It’s time for McCarthy to make this serious change to Cowboys offense :: Cowboys Wire Link: The run game in Dallas continues to be an issue and the time may have come to embrace what the team does well. The Cowboys collection of runners hasn’t inspired much confidence which leads to an idea that could essentially supplement the run game production so desperately needed in Dallas. Mike Checks: The biggest challenge Cowboys McCarthy, Zimmer must overcome :: Cowboys Wire Link: For several seasons, Dallas has been the victim of a scheme with little to no progress on how to stop it. Both Mike’s in Dallas, McCarthy the head coach, and Zimmer the defensive coordinator, must overcome this glaring deficiency or risk adding “former” to their current titles. Rest and Recovery :: The Mothership Micah Parsons plans attack on Lamar Jackson while serving lunch at Post Malone’s Cowboys spot :: Cowboys Wire Link: Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons served lunch at Post Malone’s, Cowboys themed Canes restaurant and spoke at length about how the team plans to move on from the Saints game as well as his plan of attack on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. If Bill Belichick is NFC East bound, why not become the Dallas Cowboys’ ultimate fixer? :: Dallas Morning News Link: The NFC East may lead the league in coaches on the hot seat and the race for former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could turn into an interdivisional bidding war. If the plan is to see how head coach Mike McCarthy finished 2024 before committing to him, Dallas would be wise to begin the courting process now for Belichick. Cowboys offense just got a major injury update ahead of Ravens matchup (Update: Two All-Pros miss practice) :: A to Z Sports Link: Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson returned to practice after missing week two of the regular season due to a bone bruse on his knee. Wideout CeeDee Lamb and cornerback Trevon Diggs both missed practice Wednesday but are expected to play against Baltimore. State of the Salary Cap: Cowboys’ in position to defy tradition, splurge in 2025 :: Cowboys Wire Link: Death, taxes, and the Cowboys sitting out free agency due to salary cap restraints. Whether it is being frugal or those ill-timed vacations, fans have become accustomed to offseason inactivity. While it hasn’t always been that way, recent contract extensions may have Dallas singing a different tune come 2025. Cowboys need fresh start against Baltimore :: DLLS How have the Dallas Cowboys fared in recent years after losing efforts? :: Sports Illustrated Link: According to the critics, three straight 12-5 seasons under head coach Mike McCarthy would be a flex if the Cowboys had any postseason success. Having a 12-2 record after a loss in those years, tied for the best record with Buffalo, is the silver lining heading into week three. PFF graded each pending Cowboys free agent in Week 2 :: Cowboys Wire Link: PFF grades are out for all Cowboys players scheduled to hit free agency in 2025. Based on the results alone in this young season, the team may be better off spending resources pursuing players outside of their organization. Cowboys DT Jordan Phillips claims ignorance about wrist injury, move to IR :: Cowboys Wire Link: After being moved to injured reserve, Cowboys defesenive tackle Jordan Phillips claimed ignorance in his response to the injured list that will cause him to miss at least the next four games for Dallas. Is this the end of his Cowboys tenure?
Cowboys fans have no confidence in the franchise, don’t think they will win Week 3
Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images Cowboys fans are down pretty bad these days. Dallas Cowboys fans are down. Seriously down. They have lost all faith in the franchise, and only a small number think they will win on Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens. The absolute annihilation at the hands of the New Orleans has only served to cement the offseason of our discontent. The Cowboys are coming off two straight blowouts at home, with an excellent road performance sandwiched in between. But what may be fueling the ire of the fanbase is the problems that were on display last Sunday, and the Cowboys front office not really moving in the offseason to fix them. The Cowboys run defense got torched, and the Cowboys offensive run game has been meh at best. Jerry and Stephen Jones chose to not really address either issue in a substantive way this offseason. So we asked you earlier this week about your confidence level in the direction of the franchise. Only 14% were confident. That is amazingly low for a 1-1 team. We also asked you if the Cowboys (+1.5 FanDuel) would win on Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens. Only 27% foresee a win. Needless to say, the fanbase in general is not buying what the Cowboys are selling at the moment. Check out FanDuel for all your betting needs.
Thursday Night Football odds, pick and live discussion: Patriots at Jets
Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Who wins tonight… New England or New York? The New England Patriots visit the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. FanDuel has the Jets as 6.5-point favorites over the Patriots. We think the Jets will win, but the Patriots will cover. Jets 24 – Patriots 20. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.
