Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Everything from the Cowboys on Sunday was ugly… except for a handful of things. Show of hands, how many of you changed the channel or turned off the TV before the Dallas Cowboys game was over Sunday afternoon? Don’t worry, no one blames you. Sitting through that 34-6 embarrassment at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles was extremely difficult to do, and sadly enough, there will be more games ahead just like it. There’s no denying it now. The Dallas Cowboys are simply one of the worst teams in the league with Dak Prescott more than likely done for the season with a hamstring injury that will require surgery. There is very little to get excited about now except for maybe a few individual players worth keeping an eye on for the future. Despite all of the bad and ugly in this Week 10 matchup, there was a little bit of good hidden in there if you looked closely enough. You had to be paying particularly close attention to see any positives, but we assure you they were there. THE GOOD – DeMarvion Overshown and Micah Parsons It’s difficult to tell who had the better game, so we’re going to say the good from this Week 10 matchup against the Eagles was a tie between DeMarvion Overshown and Micah Parsons. It was really good to see No. 11 back in uniform and dominate as the pass rusher we’ve known him to be. His first game back in action resulted in his first multi-sack (two) game this season. Not to be outdone though, Overshown also netted two QB sacks Sunday afternoon as well as double digit tackles (11). These two make Dallas worth watching. THE BAD – Losing the turnover battle It’s hard to remember the Cowboys had two takeaways of their own Sunday afternoon against Philadelphia. That’s because they turned the ball over five times themselves, obliterating anything positive that happened on the offensive and defensive side of the ball in this Week 10 matchup. These turnovers are just further proof of how far this team has fallen and what we can expect from them the rest of the season. There’s no way this team will be competitive if they continue to lose the turnover battle each week. THE UGLY – QB Cooper Rush With Dak Prescott sidelined for this Week 10 matchup against the Eagles, Cooper Rush was promoted into the starting role. While he has proven he’s capable of winning games stepping in as an injury fill-in, Sunday afternoon was not one of his better performances as a starter. In fact, it was pretty deplorable. He completed only 13 of 23 passes for 45 yards and was part of the cause of Dallas losing the turnover battle with Philadelphia. His play Sunday is further proof there’s no reason not to start Trey Lance for the rest of the season.
20 candidates to replace Mike McCarthy as Cowboys head coach
The Dallas Cowboys still have eight games remaining on their 2024 schedule, but by and large, this thing is over. Now sitting with a 3-6 record, the club has lost four games in a row and Sunday’s woeful defeat at the hands of rival Philadelphia put an exclamation point of how bad things have gotten. The offense turned in their worst performance since 2002, failing to reach 150 yards of offense for the first time in two decades. The defense got a boost from their best players, but they could not stem the tide after being asked over and over again to go out without much rest thanks to turnovers (five) and three-and-outs. The mood has been grim. A coaching staff full of lame ducks cannot fight the current, and every uttered word is now viewed as a shot or at minimum a slight to someone else. It will only get worse from here on out as the Cowboys play out the stretch of the 2024 season. Head coach Mike McCarthy will not earn a new contract and will be cleaning out his office in early January. That will likely set off an intriguing search that if the front office is worth anything (debatable at this point), they are already doing the leg work to form a list of candidates. We’ll do similar work, putting together a watch list of potential replacements; checking in periodically throughout the rest of the regular season. Honorable Mentions: Dan Pritchard, Cincinnati Bengals OC Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks OC Adam Stenovich, Green Bay Packers OC Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers, DC Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers, DC Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos, DC Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints, OC Lincon Riley, USC, HC University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; rGeorgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart reacts after the 2023 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports The best collegiate head coach since Nick Saban.. he likely makes way too much ($13 million per year) coaching at his alma mater to move, but there’s no process that is sane without at least kicking the tires on the possibility. Minnesota VIkings DC Brian Flores Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches from the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Will Flores get another shot at a head coach gig? He was dumped by the Dolphins in their owner’s “I’m rich I can do what I want” attempt to lure Sean Payton and Tom Brady to South Beach. The revelation about trying to have a coach to tank games may have pulled the curtain back on the innerworkings of the league, but it likely didn’t do Flores much favor. What has though, is the job he’s done righting the ship in Minnesota with their defense. Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith Nov 2, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith at press conference at the PSD Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Grabbing from a fruitful tree is always a wise idea, and snatching Smith from under Mike McDaniel as part of the Kyle Shanahan limb system seems like a wise call. Dallas rarely uses motion at the snap and isn’t particularly good at it; and that’s literally the forte of Smith. Doesn’t currently have play-calling duties though, which could be seen as a knock. Former NFL head coach Mike Vrabel Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel reacts to a Titans penalty against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Vrabel was fired by owner Amy Adams Strunk Monday after having two losing seasons back-to-back. Vrabel is a defensive-minded head coach who was able to achieve strong levels of success in Tennessee with a veteran QB who wasn’t well regarded (Ryan Tannehill) prior to their time together. Known as a disciplinarian, pairing him with Dak Prescott would require finding the next big thing as offensive coordinator. Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick Sep 30, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports For better or worse, the clubhouse leader. Belichick is a huge Prescott fan, Jerry Jones is a huge supporter of retreads and it would be interesting to see if given a competent front office… oh wait. Lions DC Aaron Glenn Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches practice during OTAs at Detroit Lions headquarters and practice facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Glenn obviously has ties to Dallas, playing two of his 15 seasons with the organization, but the growth of the Lions’ defense under his tutelage has been impressive on its own. In 2020 they ranked 32nd in defensive DVOA. Since Glenn joined they moved to 29th, 27th, 13th and ranked 4th going into Week 7’s action. He’s consistently being highlighted by their players as a phenomenal leader of men. Comanders OC Kliff Kingsbury Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images It appears that Kingsbury’s time away after the disaster in Arizona has done him a ton of good. The offense he’s put together in DC for rookie Jayden Daniels is quite impressive and a stark contrast to what he was doing with Kyler Murray in the desert. That transformation should lead to him having a second opportunity not always afforded. Colorado HC Deion Sanders Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders (right) talks with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports After great success at Jackson State
Cowboys vs Eagles stock report: DeMarvion Overshown up, Ezekiel Elliott down
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Our stock report following Sunday’s Cowboys loss is out and DeMarvion Overshown is one of the bright spots across this season as a whole. The Dallas Cowboys were humiliated yet again on Sunday. While the opponents were in name and title the Philadelphia Eagles, the true culprit was really who it has been for a long time now – themselves. Consider that we are passing the midpoint of November this week and that the Cowboys have yet to even win a game at home this season. Consider beyond that how the Cowboy have not scored a touchdown in their own building since September 22nd. Seriously. We have reached a dark place on this Cowboys season, and while there are many things that are responsible for that, there are also some flickering lights that will hopefully be pieces of a better future. This is our stock report following Sunday’s loss with a few ups and mostly downs. Stock Up: DeMarvion Overshown When it is all said and mercifully done, this season will probably be remembered as the one where DeMarvion Overshown fully evolved into the next great Dallas Cowboys linebacker. Overshown was fully unleashed in this game because of the presence of Micah Parsons (more on him in a moment) and seems to move at a different speed than anyone else. OVERSHOWN SACK (via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/xXYTHPGaEP — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) November 10, 2024 Overshown is a star and he was partly unlocked to a different degree because of Parsons. Aside from Overshown’s own insane athleticism, the takeaway from the front office should be that surrounding good players with other good ones is a rising tide that lifts all boats. Going at this and expecting him to carry things in 2025 and beyond would be repeating the same mistakes. Stock Up: Micah Parsons Welcome back. My goodness. MICAH!!!!!!!! (via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/KRWLBMDG9O — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) November 10, 2024 It is unreal how Parsons can impact a game just by lining up in it. He was an absolute wrecking ball on Sunday and for a little while had some people thinking that the Cowboys might be able to actually pull this thing off. I’ll repeat the necessary takeaway from Overshown, give Parsons all of the help that can possibly be found. When there are this many sharks in the water the results have the potential to be incredible. Oh yea, pay Micah, too. Stock Up: Trevon Diggs It has been a bit of a tough season back for Trevon Diggs, but he showed us on Sunday that he still has the potential to be a superstar. This interception was a work of art. TREVON DIGGS INT (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/C7I9o1jiBs — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) November 10, 2024 It has been said many times that Diggs played wide receiver and we have seen that his ball-tracking skills are among the best in the NFL. Couple that with the necessary speed and agility to cut passes off and you occasionally have one of these. Stock Down: Ezekiel Elliott There are no nice ways to put it anymore. This is an unmitigated disaster. In his first game since returning from having national headlines surround him being inactive (think about how silly that is), Ezekiel Elliott was turned to by the Cowboys in the redzone after Rico Dowdle had been doing a great job. Since everything is destined to blow up in Dallas’ face this season, of course Zeke fumbled. As if that were not bad enough, the Cowboys were able to miraculously get the ball back right away thanks to Micah Parsons. They literally took over on the same spot on the field in which Elliott fumbled, the Philadelphia six-yard line, and handed the ball off to Zeke! On the first play! The literal first one after the fumble! The man calling the game for CBS once famously said within the Cowboys’ team facility, potentially with a tour happening nearby, that football was a meritocracy. This is certainly not the case right now as the Cowboys are continuing to give Elliott carries despite overwhelming evidence that doing so is a bad idea. Oh and the very next play CeeDee Lamb lost a would-be touchdown in the sun… because of course. Stock Down: Cooper Rush This is a tough thing because anyone who was expecting something serious from Cooper Rush was doing so against all odds. We noted many times throughout the week that circumstances involving his start were very different for the Cowboys than they were in 2022 when he was called upon for five games. Consider that Rush did not complete a single pass beyond 10 yards down the field in this game. He was 0-for-6 on such attempts. It was, as predicted to be, quite bad. Stock Down: Caelen Carson It is never a good thing when you become someone who the other team is picking on and that seemed to happen in this game for young Caelen Carson. In many ways the situation exemplifies part of what is so wrong with this team. Caelen Carson should not be expected to completely lock down A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith as he is learning how to play the NFL game. Relying on a rookie to do something so improbable is a fool’s errand. That particular mistake is not on Carson. Stock Down: Mazi Smith Like with Ezekiel Elliott, we are way, way past the point of being able to offer even constructive criticism at this point in time. Smith’s second season is not yet complete and jumping to a conclusion at this point feels dramatic, but there is so much to suggest that he cannot be a proper player for this team. Smith is a relative non-factor at stopping the run and generating pressure. It is a tough scene. Stock Down: Donovan Wilson Once upon a time Donovan Wilson’s ability to run downhill and hit people was working out to the tune of great success almost play
Cowboys not up for second half fight once again, blown out at home 34-6 vs. Eagles
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The 2024 Dallas Cowboys will go into mid-November still searching for a home win, and following Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to fall to 3-6, a touchdown on home turf for the first time in eight quarters. In a week six loss to the Lions that was likely Dak Prescott’s final home game of the season, the Cowboys were handed the worst ever loss under Jerry Jones’ ownership 47-9, only managing three field goals. Here in week ten with Cooper Rush making his first start of the season, the Cowboys kicked two first half field goals and were shutout in the second half. It’s all gone from bad to worse for the third place team in the division right now. As if it wasn’t bad enough the Cowboys chose to enter the season with Mike McCarthy very publicly being on the final year of his contract, the issues that come with the HC’s “lame duck” status are being made infinitely worse by how anemic an offense McCarthy calls the plays for has looked. All of it is vastly beyond the excuse that the Cowboys are without Prescott, who beat the Browns, Giants, and Steelers earlier in the year with a combined five touchdowns in these wins, but also eight interceptions across eight games. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Cowboys welcomed an Eagles team into AT&T Stadium on Sunday that has made a living off of letting lesser teams hang around deep into the fourth quarter this year. An Eagles team that was 0-3 under Nick Sirianni in Arlington, and had not won on the road at their NFC East rival since November of 2017. The Cowboys made good on keeping this game close in the first half as they’ve done for much of the season, but were again outclassed for the entire closing 30 minutes, allowing Philadelphia to comfortably leave no doubt they are out to win the division now at 7-2. Once again it was a fatal sequence that started with the offense failing to possess the ball at all that led to the Eagles building an insurmountable lead. By taking their first two-score lead on a third quarter Johnny Wilson touchdown working against Jourdan Lewis in coverage, the Eagles were on their way to ensuring the Cowboys would trail by at least 20 in all of their home games this season. Wilson’s touchdown came after the Cowboys went three and out with their first possession of the half, and a Jalen Hurts touchdown to cap off an 83-yard drive following the next Cowboys three and out was checkmate at 28-6. The Eagles added two field goals, both off of Cowboys fumbles, in the fourth quarter just to further the embarrassment and match the winning margin from that previous 2017 meeting when they won 37-9. The Cowboys kicked three first half field goals in that game, but just two in this most recent forgettable chapter of what should be a fierce NFC East rivalry. Six points (although via a touchdown and missed Dan Bailey PAT, not two field goals) would be enough for the Cowboys to beat the Eagles later in that 2017 season when they won the season finale in Philadelphia 6-0 on a fourth quarter Brice Butler score. This current Cowboys team has shown no capabilities of winning a similar rockfight by leaning that hard on Mike Zimmer’s defense, which did welcome back Micah Parsons and did their best to stand tall for large stretches of the game. The offense is just so uncompetitive at the moment, with the head coach having to be the face of it sans a starting QB, for this team to be taken seriously in almost any of their remaining eight games. The Cowboys did some things well in this game, but they were all greatly overshadowed by mistakes that have not been corrected at all since the season began. This team has a nonexistent path to win games right now, and a frighteningly predictable one to lose a lot more before this lost season actually concludes. Let’s get to a few further notes on how the Cowboys dropped to 0-4 at home, before their next opportunity to get off the hook comes in week 11 on a Monday night versus the Texans. At least they won’t be battling the sun in that game. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images All season long, the difference in the Cowboys defense when able to play aggressive and downhill as opposed to on their heels has been extremely noticeable. In the first half, the Cowboys found ways to do this in neutral situations against an Eagles offense that presents one of the best challenges in these spots across the entire NFL. With the rushing threat of both Saquon Barkley or Jalen Hurts available on every single play along with the Eagles’ top-end receivers, creating negative plays against Philly does not come easy. Dallas got to Hurts for five sacks in the first half, more than they’ve had in all but one entire game this season, got a red zone takeaway with Trevon Diggs’ endzone interception, and recovered a fumble all in the first two quarters. The fact the Cowboys’ own offense was only able to score points after one of these takeaways was devastating, giving away a possession of their own with Ezekiel Elliott’s fumble at the six-yard line. The fumble ended a 13 play drive that gained 63 yards for the Cowboys, their fifth drive of what would turn out to be 13 on the afternoon. Finishing with 146 total yards, the 83 yards the Cowboys gained across 12 other drives was all the Eagles needed to keep this game in hand. The Cowboys were hardly good enough in this game to put any game pressure on a team that’s shown they’re not the best at handling it this season. This is a team that lacks preparation, focus, and discipline as they committed five penalties with four of them giving the
Report: Cowboys LB gets encouraging update on Sunday’s knee injury
Report: Cowboys LB gets encouraging update on Sunday’s knee injury Todd Brock Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown looked like he was playing at a different speed than the other 21 men on the field Sunday at AT&T Stadium. The second-year prospect out of Texas, playing in just his ninth game as a pro after losing his entire rookie season to a knee injury, finished the Cowboys’ 34-6 loss as the team’s leading tackler, adding two sacks, two QB hits, and two tackles for loss in what was one of the few bright spots on the day for the silver and blue. It was all the more disheartening, then, to see the 24-year-old down on the turf in the third quarter of the Week 10 contest, requiring attention after a routine play in which he appeared to not even take a hit. Overshown was able to return to the game after getting checked out by medical personnel and told the media afterward, “I’m great [physically]. I’ll be ready to go next week.” Monday brought more good news for the former third-round draft pick. NFL insider Ian Rapoport cites a source who explains that Overshown is dealing with a case of bursitis in his right knee. (He tore the ACL in his left knee last August.) Per Rapoport, X-rays on the knee were negative, and he appears to have avoided a significant injury. https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1856010235196166365/ Knee bursitis is a condition in which one or more small fluid-filled sacs near the joint become inflamed. While painful and possibly limiting in terms of movement, “treatment and rehab” from the Cowboys staff is the likely course of action. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] It is not known if the injury will affect Overshown’s practice schedule for the week or his availability for next Monday night’s game versus the Houston Texans. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Dallas Cowboys 2024 depth chart: Updated starters & backups
Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images We break down the Dallas Cowboys depth chart with weekly updates about starters and backups during the 2024 NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys current depth chart for the 2024 season is listed below. The team updates the starters and backups each week due to injuries and players getting promoted or demoted in playing time. Week 10 Cowboys depth chart update The Cowboys acquired wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and a seventh round pick from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a fourth round pick. Mingo will be a backup on their wide receiver depth chart. The team released cornerback Andrew Booth to make room for Mingo. Jerry Jones announced during a radio appearance that it’s likely the team will place quarterback Dak Prescott on injured reserve. The team had not placed him on IR as of Wednesday night, but a report came out suggesting Prescott could miss more than the minimum four games required for IR. Game result: The Cowboys welcomed Micah Parsons back into the lineup. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown suffered a non-contact injury in the second half. He thinks he’ll be OK, but word will come on Monday as to where things stand. Ahead of the game, the team placed Dak Prescott on IR and started Cooper Rush in his place. Trey Lance replaced Rush in the lineup late in the game and it’s unclear what’s next at the QB position for the Cowboys the rest of this season. Prescott is expected to get season-ending surgery on his hamstring. Which starters are on the Cowboys injured reserve list? QB Dak PrescottWR Brandin CooksDE DeMarcus LawrenceCB DaRon Bland 2024 Dallas Cowboys offensive depth chart 2024 Dallas Cowboys defensive depth chart 2024 Dallas Cowboys special teams depth chart Week 8 Cowboys depth chart update The team was without running back Rico Dowdle, edge rusher Micah Parsons, and cornerback Caelen Carson in Week 8. Dowdle came down with an illness prior to the game and was a last minute scratch. Ezekiel Elliott got the starting nod in his place and finished with 28 of 62 offensive snaps. Dalvin Cook was promoted from the practice squad and played in 17 offensive snaps. Parsons did not practice all week due to his ankle injury and remains sidelined. Carson got in three full practices, but he remains sidelined due to his shoulder injury. Week 9 Cowboys depth chart update Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury during the Cowboys Week 9 loss to the Falcons. Cooper Rush replaced him in the fourth quarter. Prescott’s status for Week 10 is unclear coming out of the game. Micah Parsons did not practice all week due to his ankle injury and remains sidelined. Trevon Diggs did not practice all week, but was able to play on Sunday. The team disciplined running back Ezekiel Elliott, resulting in him not traveling for the game. Rico Dowdle got the bulk of the workload, with Dalvin Cook getting seven offensive snaps as the backup.
Cowboys news: Dallas continues downward slide, losing to division-rival 34-6
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. Cowboys turn it over 5 times, lose to Eagles 34-6- Shane Taylor, Inside The Star It keeps getting worse for Dallas. The Cowboys defense played awesome in the first half, even forcing two turnovers. That is the reason they had a chance in this game. Cooper Rush did enough on offense to make sure they didn’t lose the game, until that wasn’t good enough. That tied for the highest sack total in a first half of any regular season game in the last 25 years (since 2000, multiple times). The last time the Cowboys had five sacks in a first half was in 2015 against New England (10/11). Rush had 36 passing yards in the first half. The offense is still not good under Mike McCarthy this season. Mike Zimmer defense had one bad drive to end the half giving up 80 plus yards to end the half that ended in a touchdown. Eagles took a 14-6 lead into the locker room. Dallas had a chance to score from the 6 yard line and couldn’t gain a single yard. Rush missed a wide open Lamb in the end zone. Ezekiel Elliott also fumbled the ball into the end zone that costed them posts, yet he was in on the next drive. This coaching staff is not holding anyone accountable and it showing week after week. That was the last time the game felt close. They turned it over FIVE times. Abysmal, atrocious Cowboys offense give worst showing since 2002, fall 34-6 to Eagles- K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire The 2024 Dallas Cowboys have reached historical lows. The Dallas Cowboys defense did what they could. For one half, they made efforts to keep the game close. They stopped Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, allowing him just 24 yards through two quarters. They harassed Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts, sacking him five times and forcing him to commit two turnovers, including his first interception since September. But ineptitude found it’s level for the Cowboys’ offense. Playing in their first of likely nine games without quarterback Dak Prescott, it became immediately apparent just how much suffering he had been masking. The Cowboys’ offense managed just 36 passing yards in 17 attempts in the first half. Along with an egregious fumble into the end zone by Ezekiel Elliott, they were fortunate to be down just 14-6 at the break. Then the wheels fell off in the second half en route to a 34-6 drubbing. Dallas ended up with just 146 yards on offense, their lowest total since 2002. They gave the ball away five times. The defeat drops the Cowboys to 3-6 on the year with another home loss at AT&T Stadium. That’s the scene of next week’s crime, too, when the in-state rival Houston Texans come on the heels of this loss to the Cowboys’ chief division rival. 3 Dallas Cowboys who should be benched or fired after another disgraceful loss to Eagles – Mark Powell, FanSided Changes need to be made, now. 2. It’s time to bench Cooper Rush for Trey Lance, Dallas Trey Lance didn’t show much in his brief action on Sunday against the Eagles, as he threw an interception and completed just four-of-six passes for 21 yards. However, it’s time for the Cowboys to see what they have in Lance on the field rather than storing him in the cupboard in case of emergency. Cooper Rush is a known commodity – a fine backup, mind you – but nothing more. Lance is a former top-5 pick who has flashed some potential, albeit limited to the preseason. Just last week after practice, Lance told reporters he was eager for an opportunity to start. “I’d love the opportunity to get on the field any way I can, if that’s what Coach thinks is best. … I feel like I’m in a real good spot right now,” Lance said. When asked how high his confidence level is in the Cowboys offense, Lance replied “as high as it can get.” Gamebreakers: Cowboys who tried to pluck Eagles – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com It wasn’t all bad. DeMarvion Overshown, LB With every passing week, Overshown continues to turn up the volume on what’s becoming a breakout season for the former third-round pick. He flew out of the gates in his NFL debut in Week 1 and, in Week 10 against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, he graduated to demon time. Overshown racked up nine tackles and two sacks … before halftime … nearly adding a third sack that was narrowly eluded by Hurts to end the first half with an Eagles’ touchdown. It was a coming out party for Overshown, whose future is bright enough to scorch your corneas. Micah Parsons, EDGE You probably couldn’t tell by looking at what he did against the Eagles, but Parsons hadn’t played a down of football since September. That didn’t stop the all-world edge rusher from making his presence felt when Philadelphia flew into town, though. Parsons took Hurts down for two sacks over the first two quarters and one of them forced a fumble that was recovered by Marist Liufau on the Eagles’ six yard line, acting as a delete button for Ezekiel Elliott’s lost red zone fumble on the previous play. Starved for a win, and for some game action, the lion was hunting. Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown leaves game following non-contact injury- Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated Hopefully not another problem injury. Sunday’s game has been a tough one to watch as the Dallas Cowboys are struggling to slow down the Philadelphia Eagles. As if the one-sided contest wasn’t enough to deal with, Dallas just lost one of the few players who have been playing well. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who has two sacks against Philly, suffered a non-contact knee injury in the second half. It’s too early to know what the injury is, but the initial feeling was ominous. Especially the way the entire team huddled around him. The good
Good, Bad, Ugly: Historically bad air attack, turnover fiasco, misspelled legend punctuate Cowboys’ Week 10 disaster
The Cowboys were a perfect 8-0 at home last season and had a 16-game win steak at AT&T Stadium heading into January’s playoff date hosting Green Bay. Since then, though, they’ve not just lost five consecutive home games, they’ve gotten humiliated every single time. With Sunday’s 34-6 face plant at the hands of the Eagles, Dallas has now trailed by 20 or more points during each of the five straight home losses. That’s the first time that’s ever happened to an NFL team. It’s no surprise, then, that there was a whole lot of “bad” and “ugly” in the Week 10 contest and very little “good.” With Dak Prescott on the sideline, the Cowboys offense was positively putrid, and not even Micah Parsons’s return from a high-ankle sprain could pull the Dallas defense out of the dumps. From pointless play calls to a big batch of turnovers, bad tackling, horrible passing, another late-afternoon battle with the sun, and even an inexcusable spelling error, there’s a long list of things that went very wrong for the Cowboys on Sunday. Here’s our look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Birds’ beatdown. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Bad: Historically bad passing numbers Forty-nine passing yards. For the entire game. On 29 attempts. An average of 1.5 yards per pass play. Only two receptions that went for double digits (and both, just 10 yards). For all the confidence the Cowboys coaches and teammates said they had in Cooper Rush, the veteran backup did absolutely nothing to prove a shred of it was deserved. Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, the team’s 49 passing yards were the fewest for the Cowboys since 2001. And according to The 33rd Team, the performance ranks in the worst 1% of all the NFL’s passing games ever. Ugly: Turnovers become comedy of errors Rush’s dropped snap in the first quarter that put the Eagles in the red zone. Ezekiel Elliott’s goal-line fumble, his first career red zone turnover. Trey Lance’s egregious interception. Take your pick; each of the Cowboys’ five giveaways was atrocious, but none was more ridiculous than Rush’s fumble at the end of the third quarter. Right tackle Terence Steele was in position to recover, but instead of falling on the ball, the 310-pounder inexplicably tried to scoop it and run. In the process, he denied fullback Hunter Luepke a shot at it, and both ultimately watched the ball skitter away to Philadelphia linebacker Zack Baun. A close second: Jake Ferguson’s fourth-quarter fumble, which squandered a one-handed grab… and then, to everyone’s horror, nearly took out the legs of an already-injured Dak Prescott, who was standing way too close on the sideline. The Cowboys’ minus-10 turnover differential is among the NFL’s worst, and they seem to be finding new ways to add to it. Good: Overshown offering hope for pass rush’s future The second-year linebacker out of Texas is more than making up for his lost rookie season. Overshown has been the lone bright spot on the Dallas defense this year and is providing a tantalizing preview of what the pass-rush unit could be. Overshown looked like he alone was playing on turbo mode for most of the game, racking up two sacks, two QB hits, and two TFLs, and leading the team in tackles… all despite leaving the contest midway through the third quarter. He reported from the locker room afterward that he’s fine and will be “ready to go next week.” Micah Parsons is a bone fide beast, but Overshown could be making a push for the title of most impactful player on the Cowboys defense. Bad: Another mid-game meltdown When Elliott fumbled at the goal line in the second quarter to unceremoniously end a 13-play, 63-yard drive, he fumbled away more than what was to be a go-ahead Cowboys touchdown. The proverbial bottom fell out of the Dallas offense from that moment on. A subsequent Philly fumble set up Rush & Co. on the six-yard-line, but they managed just one yard on three plays and had to settle for a field goal. After that, Dallas turned in three straight three-and-outs, then three straight possessions that ended in a very quick turnover. From the moment of Elliott’s fumble to the start of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys were particularly inept: five possessions, 16 plays run, zero first downs made, three three-and-outs, five total yards gained. Ugly: Renewed debate over curtains The unique east-west orientation of AT&T Stadium is a well-covered topic within Cowboys Nation. And on Sunday, the late-afternoon setting sun pouring in through the massive glass doors and walls was once again a deciding factor in a game. While it appeared that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had the sun in his eyes on a few passes, it was painfully obvious that the blinding glare was directly responsible for CeeDee Lamb being unable to haul in a touchdown pass just before halftime. Owner Jerry Jones has bristled before when asked about using the facility’s curtains (which do exist) during games; he has always waved off the suggestion without so much as a second thought. Put it in the same bucket as fan tours through the locker room, helicopters landing on the practice field, and an interview-happy owner who insists on also playing general manager: it’s just one of the many quirks of playing for the Cowboys that may make the job more difficult… but will never change. Good: Diggs shows vintage form on early INT Diggs has had an up-and-down season. When he wasn’t coming under fire for lashing out at a reporter in a postgame exchange or dealing with uncertainty over a calf tear, his numbers have been down. After a Week 1 pick in Cleveland, Diggs hadn’t had an interception since. But on the first play of Sunday’s second quarter, the 26-year-old made an acrobatic play to steal an end-zone target away from Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert. It was reminiscent of the moves Diggs was making on a near-weekly basis in 2021, when
10 thoughts on the Cowboys 34-6 loss to the Eagles
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Everything about Sunday was terrible. The Dallas Cowboys extended their losing streak to four games with a 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In the team’s first game without Dak Prescott, there wasn’t a lot of optimism in this one, but we were at least hoping for a better showing than we got. Here are 10 thoughts on yet another disappointing Sunday performance by the Cowboys. 1. Career game from Overshown There haven’t been a lot of things to like with the Cowboys’ defense this season, but one of the lone bright spots is the play of second-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. After red-shirting last year with a knee injury, Overshown has impressed this season. Against the Eagles, the young defensive star was all over the place. He finished the game with 11 tackles and two sacks. Sadly, Overshown exited the game in the second half with a non-contact injury. The extent of his injury is unknown but he thinks he will be okay. 2. Goal line blunder Dallas had a chance to take the lead late in the first half when they put together a 13-play, 77-yard drive. Unfortunately, they fell a few yards short when Ezekiel Elliott fumbled the ball at the three-yard line that rolled into the end zone and was recovered by Eagles’ corner Cooper DeJean. That’s just been par for the course for this Cowboys team. Whenever it looks like something good is about to happen, something bad happens instead. 3. Welcome back, Micah No sooner did the Cowboys give the ball away when the Eagles gave it right back. On the second play of the ensuing possession, Micah Parsons snuck inside and made a beeline right for Hurts. Not only did he get to Hurts, but he got his hands on the football, knocking it away. Marist Liufau jumped on the ball at the Eagles’ six-yard line. Just like that, the Cowboys were back in business. 4. Goal line ineptitude, part II Even when the offense is gift-wrapped a perfect scoring opportunity, the Cowboy’s offense just isn’t capable of capitalizing. With first-and-goal at the six after the Parsons’ sack/fumble, the Cowboys’ offense went nowhere. After another Zeke run, an incomplete Cooper Rush pass, and a Rico Dowdle two-yard loss, the Cowboys were forced to settle for another Brandon Aubrey field goal. 5. Diggs continues to own Hurts The Eagles were trying to jump to a two-score lead early in the second quarter when Trevon Diggs had other plans. The Cowboys’ corner played opossum and baited a throw over the middle intended for tight end Dallas Goedert, but Diggs jumped in front of the pass to spoil the Eagles’ plan. It’s the third time in his career that he’s intercepted Jalen Hurts and the fifth time he’s had an interception against the Eagles. 6. Picking on Carson It’s nine games in and we are all still waiting for the return of All-Pro corner DaRon Bland. In his absence, the Cowboys have thrown an assortment of corners to help cover the outside. First Andrew Booth, then Amani Oruwariye. Each of them had their struggles. Last week, the rookie Caelen Carson returned to action, which is an upgrade from the other two, but still a weak spot on the defense. The Eagles attacked the rookie early and often. Many times, Carson never got his head turned around to make a play on the ball and he gave up some big plays. 7. Slopfest Ball protection was not a thing in this one as the Cowboys turned the ball over five times. Four of them were lost from fumbles and one was an interception. It started to get ugly as some of these turnovers were tough to watch. Cooper Rush mishandled a shotgun snap early in the game and Terence Steele tried to pick up a fumble later in the game. It was embarrassing. After not turning the ball over five times in a game since 2012, the Cowboys have not turned the ball over five times in back-to-back home games. 8. We had a Lance sighting It didn’t take much of Cooper Rush to quickly remind ourselves why Prescott is so important. A Rush-led offense was pretty much what you’d expect. There was an abundance of checkdowns and when he did take deep shots, the passes were underthrown. With nothing materializing on offense, fans were eagerly awaiting Trey Lance’s official regular-season debut, and sure enough, we got it. Lance first came in on a couple of designed runs, but then later returned for good. He finished the game 4/6 for 21 yards and an interception. He added another 17 yards on the ground. 9. Silencing the Lamb With no viable quarterback play, the Cowboys star wide receiver was completely taken out of the game. CeeDee Lamb finished the game with six catches for 26 yards, the lowest yardage total since Week 11 in 2021 when he exited the game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a head injury. The Cowboys only had 49 passing yards in this one, their lowest output since the 2001 season. That’s a long time. 10. Nothing to write home about The Cowboys remain winless at home this season, losing all four contests at AT&T Stadium. It’s such a weird thing considering the team went a perfect 8-0 at home in the regular season last year. Not only are they losing, but they continue to put up stinkers in front of the home crowd. In all four of their home games this season, they have trailed by at least 22 points at some point in the game.
4 Takeaways: Wasting turnovers among reasons Cowboys took 34-6 thrashing
The Dallas Cowboys were never supposed to be in this game, and they weren’t. Their Week 10 matchup against the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles was a tale of two opposite moving franchises. Dallas, losers of their last three games, have been besieged by injuries in 2024. Poor performance, dated play-calling, and criminal roster building combined for the perfect storm. For as low as the Cowboys were entering Week 10, Philadelphia was high. The Eagles, winners of their last five, have been thriving behind Kellen Moore and Saquan Barkley. The run-first offense has been a model of consistency in 2024 and when things break down, they just ask Jalen Hurts to tuck and run. On Sunday afternoon the Eagles ran for 187 yards on the ground. Barkley was generally kept in check much of the day, only posting 66 yards off 14 carries but Hurts made up for his modesty, posting 56 rushing yards and two touchdowns himself with a 0.77 EPA/rush (which led both teams). The Cowboys were largely stuck in neutral offensively. Not only did they commit five turnovers but starting quarterback Cooper Rush passed for just 45 yards on Sunday. That was not a typo. 45 yards. Hurts wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire through the air either. Even though the Cowboys were committed to stopping the run and offering up huge opportunities in their secondary, Hurts struggled to hit his targets. His 202 passing yards blew Rush out of the water, but it was hardly a passing day to brag about. Losing by the score of 34-6, Dallas has seemingly lost all hope of earning a postseason bid. They entered the week with just a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs, Week 10 was the nail in the coffin. Nasty turnovers, different results Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The tale of the first half was sloppy play inside the 20s for both teams. Ezekiel Elliott fumbled the ball into the end zone for an EPA value of -6.4 and Rush fumbled a snap back inside his own 20 for an EPA value of -6.1. Hurts added sloppy play of his own, throwing an interception to Trevon Diggs in the end zone for a -6.1 EPA. He was later strip-sacked by Micah Parsons inside his own 20 for another turnover worth 6.1 EPA in the Cowboys’ direction. The primary difference between each enormous mistake is the Eagles were able to capitalize on the errors while Dallas just wasted their opportunities. Conservative passing, predictable results Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (2) defends a pass against Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images It wasn’t surprising to see Mike McCarthy take a conservative approach with Rush starting at QB. Dallas’ suspect-at-best pass protection and their receiver corps’ season-long struggle with separation turned the Cowboys offense into a dink-and-dunk passing attack. McCarthy took some shots downfield but typically avoided them on late downs and other obvious passing situations. On first watch, Rush’s passes beyond the sticks only resulted in a 25 percent completion percentage. Dallas finished 3 for 14 on third downs with just four of their 11 total first downs coming through the air in Week 10. Micah Parsons movement Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) rushes the passer in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Mike Zimmer has always been willing to move his top pass rusher around to create opportunities, but in Week 10 the stage was set for a more focused approach. The Eagles were once again starting Fred Johnson at left tackle, providing a prime opportunity for Parsons to feast. Unfortunately, it looked like business as usual for Parsons with him logging more snaps on the left side of the defense and less snaps on the right against the replacement LT, Johnson. Parsons still posted a successful afternoon, tallying two sacks, but if he would have focused on playing primarily right edge, he probably could have had more. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Liufau stock up, Kendricks stock down ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 10: Marist Liufau #35 and DeMarvion Overshown #13 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrate a fumble recovery during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Linebacker Eric Kendricks has been a valuable player for Dallas in 2024. He’s provided veteran leadership and on-field accountability to a very undisciplined Cowboys defense. But Father Time is undefeated and playing in the open field and in coverage is not something Kendricks does well anymore. Marist Liufau, on the other hand, specializes in those facets of the game. The rookie linebacker flies to the ball, and though he makes mistakes, he offers an exciting future for the Cowboys LB corps. The time for snaps to swing in Liufau’s favor is now. Kendricks still has to play, but in situations likely to be passes, Zimmer should look to his rookie more often. Related articles . Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images