Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images It seems really unlikely that Ben Johnson could be an option for the Dallas Cowboys. There have been a lot of rumblings in Dallas lately to suggest that Mike McCarthy receiving a contract extension after the year isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility, but the smart money is still on the Cowboys hiring a new coach in just over two months time. One of the most commonly suggested names for the theoretical vacancy in Dallas is Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. In the last two hiring cycles, Johnson has been one of the hottest names out there for his role in turning the Lions into an offensive juggernaut, and that seems likely to be the case again this year. However, on Thursday night ahead of a prime time showdown between the Packers and Johnson’s Lions, Albert Breer shared a report of what Johnson is supposedly looking for in a head coaching gig this year. .@AlbertBreer has the latest on the interest in the Lions coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/qA4ivk5MGw — NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 6, 2024 The most notable piece of Breer’s report concerned the two sets of criteria Johnson is looking for in his next team. “Number one: he’ll be looking for organizational alignment, in particular between the GM and the head coach. And then he’ll be looking for a recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong and a willingness to fix them.” To many outside spectators, this criteria would seemingly eliminate the Cowboys from contention before they even have an opening for Johnson to consider. Much of this season has been filled with sharp criticism of the way the Cowboys have handled their roster, whether it be a lackluster performance in free agency or how long they waited to extend both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, or even the decision to make McCarthy coach into the final year of his contract as a lame duck. Through all of the criticism, Jerry and Stephen Jones have refused time after time to admit any mistakes or any fault of their own. Instead, they have doubled down and insisted that the roster is built to win now and that they’ve been “all in” on winning games in 2024. Jones infamously received some backlash over a particular radio interview where he responded to a question about the shortcomings of the roster by threatening to fire the radio hosts. “Let me tell you what I’ll do about it. I will let us sit down and look at the decisions we’ve made over the last several years,” Jones said. “Now, if you think I’m interested on a damn phone call with you over a radio and sitting here and throwing all the good out with the dishwater, you have got to be smoking something over there this morning. “This is not your job. Your job isn’t to let me go over all the reasons that I did something and I’m sorry that I did it. That’s not your job. I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions.” Jones also wasn’t willing to admit his mistake in opting not to put up curtains over the windows in AT&T Stadium even after his highly-paid star receiver strongly endorsed the idea. “It’s the largest air conditioned space in the world.” Jones added. “Every venue has certain things that at certain ways and times can create an advantage. That really goes under the category of home field advantage It should be an advantage to the home team…. It has been advantage for us to know where the sun is. I don’t want to change that.” In thinking back over all the comments Jones has made throughout this trying season, not one of them seems to suggest that the owner and general manager is willing to sit down with any coaching candidate and admit that he’s made mistakes in running his team. That would seem to suggest that any dreams of Johnson coaching the Cowboys next year are just that: a fantasy.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The latest news on the Dallas Cowboys has arrived. Cowboys’ Stephen Jones: ‘Whole Team’ Endorses Mike McCarthy amid Dak Prescott Remarks – Paul Kasabian, Bleacher Report Mike McCarthy seems to still have the locker room under control. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recently and wholeheartedly endorsed head coach Mike McCarthy, whose future is uncertain as he guides his 5-7 team in the final year of his contract. When asked about Prescott’s remarks on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the “whole team” endorses McCarthy, mentioning his resume (which includes a Super Bowl XLV win) and saying that he “knows what it takes to win in this league.” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones when asked on @1053thefan about Dak Prescott endorsing Mike McCarthy to remain Cowboys head coach: “I think our whole team endorses Mike McCarthy. He’s got skins on the wall. He’s won a Super Bowl. He’s been in multiple championship games. He knows what… — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 6, 2024 McCarthy is in his fifth year as the Cowboys’ head coach. He’s led the team to the playoffs after 12-win campaigns each of the past three seasons, but that’s only resulted in one postseason victory and zero NFC Championship Game appearances. Cowboys injury report: CeeDee Lamb upgraded to limited, Tyler Guyton DNP – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys Several key players for the Cowboys are trending towards playing against the Bengals. When the Dallas Cowboys face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, the Cowboys will essentially be staring at their reflection. Both teams entered the season hoping to build on their recent successes over the past few years and were expected to compete for a divisional championship. Unfortunately, both teams have disappointed and are facing a premature end of the road for their respective seasons. Injuries have been an issue for both clubs, let’s see what the Friday injury report holds. Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb was upgraded to limited in practice today. Tyler Guyton and Nick Vigil remain DNP designations. Ja’Marr Chase was upgraded to FULL for Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/AWNj8TL3Qf — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) December 6, 2024 First, the good news: CeeDee Lamb was upgraded to a limited participant Friday after sitting out yesterday. Trevon Diggs (knee) and DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) were again limited today. Tyler Smith (ankle) and DaRon Bland (foot) were full participants for the second day in a row. As for the bad news: Tyler Guyton (ankle/knee) logged his second consecutive DNP. Juanyeh Thomas (knee) also was a DNP. The Cowboys recently sent Asim Richards to injured reserve. If Guyton doesn’t practice tomorrow, it appears that Chuma Edoga will get the start Monday at left tackle. Jake Ferguson clears concussion protocol, expected to play in Cowboys vs. Bengals – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Dallas will have a much-needed extra weapon offensively against Cincinnati with Jake Ferguson returning. FRISCO, Texas — More firepower is on the way back for the Dallas Cowboys. They were able to put down the New York Giants on Thanksgiving with the help of Brandin Cooks, his first matchup since landing on injured reserve this season, and they’re hoping Jake Ferguson can have the same, or even a bigger, impact against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Pro Bowl tight end has officially cleared concussion protocol and will take the field on Monday night to try and help extend the Cowboys’ win streak to three, after missing out on the previous two outings — both being wins against NFC East foes. Ferguson has been sidelined for a total of three games this season, the first due to a sprained MCL, but he’s now fully healthy going into the final five regular season games of 2024. 5 things to watch for in Dallas Cowboys’ Week 14 matchup against Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Trahan, WFAA The Cowboys defense, which has improved lately, will need to stay on point versus the Bengals. 1. Don’t let 4-8 fool you: Joe Burrow is still that guy Joe Burrow isn’t just a good quarterback — he’s arguably the best the Cowboys will face all season. Despite Cincinnati’s underwhelming record, Burrow has lit up the stat sheet, leading the NFL in passing yards (3,337) and touchdowns (30), with just five interceptions. Burrow’s brilliance hasn’t always translated to wins, though. The Bengals have made history — in the worst way — as the only team to lose four games in a single season when scoring 33-plus points. For Dallas, exploiting Cincinnati’s leaky defense will be crucial. Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush, who led an upset win over Burrow and the Bengals in 2022, has found his rhythm after a slow start this season. I’d like to see if head coach Mike McCarthy leans on the ground game to control the clock and help set Rush up for success. 2. Can Micah Parsons dominate on the national stage? Micah Parsons has a knack for showing up in big moments, and Monday could be another showcase for the Cowboys’ defensive superstar. The Cowboys defense is playing some of its best ball this season paving the way for back-to-back wins, and the Cowboys first home win against the Giants on Thanksgiving. But they’d better fully understand the assignment this week. You get the sense that all-everything defender Micah Parsons knows full well what he’s up against. In his media availability he said he considers Burrow his choice for top dog in the NFL. Sure, Parsons could have been pumping up his opponent. But also said this, “I’ve got to be the best player on the field.” And he’s right. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t labeling RG Zack Martin’s injury a career-ender – SportsDay Staff, Dallas Morning News The future for Zack Martin is up in the air at the moment. Is this the end for Cowboys’ surefire Hall of Famer Zack Martin? The team’s owner doesn’t think so. Jerry Jones was asked about Martin in his weekly interview on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) on Friday and Jones made it fairly

Chris Jones-Imagn Images The Cowboys injury report for Friday When the Dallas Cowboys face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, the Cowboys will essentially be staring at their reflection. Both teams entered the season hoping to build on their recent successes over the past few years and were expected to compete for a divisional championship. Unfortunately, both teams have disappointed and are facing a premature end of the road for their respective seasons. Injuries have been an issue for both clubs, let’s see what the Friday injury report holds. Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb was upgraded to limited in practice today. Tyler Guyton and Nick Vigil remain DNP designations. Ja’Marr Chase was upgraded to FULL for Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/AWNj8TL3Qf — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) December 6, 2024 First, the good news: CeeDee Lamb was upgraded to a limited participant Friday after sitting out yesterday. Trevon Diggs (knee) and DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) were again limited today. Tyler Smith (ankle) and DaRon Bland (foot) were full participants for the second day in a row. As for the bad news: Tyler Guyton (ankle/knee) logged his second consecutive DNP. Juanyeh Thomas (knee) also was a DNP. The Cowboys recently sent Asim Richards to injured reserve. If Guyton doesn’t practice tomorrow, it appears that Chuma Edoga will get the start Monday at left tackle. Bengals Linebacker Logan Wilson (knee) was sent to injured reserve. Orlando Brown Jr. (fibula) did not practice Friday, nor did Sheldon Rankins (illness). Meanwhile, Amarius Mims (ankle) and Ja’Marr Chase (rest) were upgraded to full participation.

Madden thinks the Cowboys are going to lose a shootout on Monday night. With a win on Monday night the Dallas Cowboys would earn their third in a row, a hypothetical season-high for the team. It stands to reason that this will not happen and the Cowboys will come down to earth, so to speak, following back-to-back wins over division rivals. This is the NFL though and anything is possible, although that is a strange way to look at a potential win over a 4-8 team in Cincinnati. The Bengals have been in their own state of misery as they have fewer wins than the Cowboys despite fielding the league’s leading passer in Joe Burrow and receiver in Ja’Marr Chase to this point in the season. It is almost like they are doing 85% of things correctly, but the most important 15% of things are done incorrectly which leads to them losing. Needless to say Monday night’s game has the potential to be chaotic and to understand what is going to happen, or to try to at least, we have done what we always do and simulated the contest in Madden 25. You are certainly free to watch the prediction if you’d like, but if you just want to know, Madden has the Cowboys losing in a shootout with the final score reading 36-33 in favor of the visiting team. Brandin Cooks has a big game according to the simulation, and he is somewhat coming off of one with a touchdown in his return to the lineup. Ultimately it would be a shock on some level to see the Cowboys score 33 points which is what makes this prediction look a bit interesting. For what it’s worth Madden is on a bit of a heater with predicting Cowboys games as it has accurately predicted each of the last two wins. Week 1 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Cleveland Browns, 18-17 Week 1 In Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Cleveland Browns, 33-17 Week 2 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 36-29 Week 2 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 44-10 Week 3 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 21-14 Week 3 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 28-25 Week 4 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to New York Giants, 28-21 Week 4 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat New York Giants, 20-15 Week 5 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-14 Week 5 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-17 Week 6 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Detroit Lions, 38-31” Week 6 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Detroit Lions, 47-9 Week 8 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat San Francisco 49ers, 22-7 Week 8 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to San Francisco 49ers, 30-24 Week 9 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat Atlanta Falcons, 13-10 Week 9 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Atlanta Falcons, 27-21 Week 10 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Philadelphia Eagles, 21-17 Week 10 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Philadelphia Eagles, 34-6 Week 11 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat Houston Texans, 24-17 Week 11 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Houston Texans, 34-10 Week 12 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat Washington Commanders, 24-21 Week 12 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Washington Commanders, 34-26 Week 13 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat New York Giants, 48-14 Week 13 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat New York Giants, 27-20 Last week marked the first time this season that Madden itself picked up a two-game streak of predicting Cowboys wins so the pressure is on the game as well this week. We will see if like the team itself the game can pick up a hat trick.

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images Do you think the Cowboys will win on Monday night? It’s a weird time in Dallas right now. The Cowboys snapped their five-game losing streak in dramatic fashion over the Commanders and then handled the Giants on Thanksgiving to notch their first home win in nearly a full year. Suddenly, they’re 5-7 with a sterling 3-1 record in the division as they enter December, where embattled head coach Mike McCarthy has traditionally thrived. Next up is a home game against the Bengals, who feel a lot like the Cowboys this year. Both teams entered with high expectations, largely due to the strong chemistry between their franchise quarterback and star receiver. Both are led by head coaches that call offensive plays whose standing with the fan base is often very divided. Both teams are the only ones in the league whose owner is also the general manager. And both teams are staring down the likelihood of missing out on the postseason this year. For the Bengals, it’s been a frustrating year from the very start. They shocked the NFL world by losing at home in Week 1 to the Patriots. Next up was a road trip to the Chiefs, which they lost by just one point. Then they were upset by the Commanders when Jayden Daniels made his prime time debut in impressive fashion. Just like that, the Bengals were 0-3. They won three of their next four, with the loss coming in overtime against the Ravens, and it looked like things might be turning around. Since then, though, the bottom has dropped out in Cincinnati. They’ve lost four of their last five, with the only win coming against the Raiders. The most frustrating part is how they’re losing. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase have been on fire, as the Bengals have scored 34+ points in each of the last four games. They rank sixth in points per game, 10th in yards, and eighth in EPA/play. But the defense, which was a key part of their Super Bowl run just a few years ago, has completely fallen apart. Only four defenses – one of which is the Cowboys, naturally – are allowing more points per game than the Bengals. They’re also giving up the eighth-most yards and rank 29th in EPA/play allowed. It’s been getting worse, too: over the course of their current three game losing streak, Cincinnati’s defense is 31st in EPA/play allowed. Over that same span, the Cowboys are 10th in EPA/play allowed. That sets the stage for what should be a fascinating Simpsons-themed matchup on Monday Night Football. Few offenses have been hotter the past month than the Bengals, and few defenses have been hotter than the Cowboys. Meanwhile, the Bengals defense can’t seem to stop a nose bleed and Dallas is basically just throwing all their trick plays at the wall to see what sticks. Ironically, the last time these two teams squared off, the stage was not all that different. In 2022, the Cowboys had just lost their season opener and lost Dak Prescott to an injury. Cooper Rush made only his second career start at home against the Bengals, who had fallen to the Steelers in their season opener. Rush proceeded to complete 61.3% of his passes for 235 yards and a touchdown, while the Dallas defense sacked Burrow six times and held him to just 199 passing yards. Chase was similarly kept in check, with just 54 yards on five receptions, and the Cowboys took a commanding 17-3 lead into halftime. The Bengals managed to score 14 straight points, tying things up with just under four minutes left in the game, but Rush moved the offense into position for a game-winning Brett Maher field goal as time expired. Now they meet again, but towards the end of disappointing seasons. The playoffs are not technically out of reach for either team – Dallas has a 4% chance while Cincinnati has a 2% chance – but both are likely aware of the reality that this year is lost. That became official on Thursday for one Cowboys player, as Zack Martin was announced to be undergoing season ending surgery. Martin, who openly discussed the idea of retirement earlier this offseason, may very well have played his last football for the Cowboys. There isn’t much time to reminisce, though, as the Cowboys are trying to hit their first three-game win streak since this time last year. McCarthy is only helping his case to be brought back as head coach with each win, and Prescott’s vote of confidence certainly helps, but a prime time win over the high powered Bengals offense would go a long way towards accomplishing that.

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Tanking has been quite the subject as of late. Suddenly, the Cowboys find themselves on a win streak. They beat two divisional foes in the Commanders and Giants and had a mini bye before taking on the 4-8 Bengals. With the 3-9 Panthers on the schedule after that, suddenly there is talk about the Cowboys making a run. It’s even prompted Jerry Jones to publicly float the idea of giving Mike McCarthy an extension, and Dak Prescott spoke publicly for the first time since his season-ending injury to vouch for his head coach. The idea of a magical playoff run still seems more fantasy than reality, though. Currently, Dallas has just a 4% chance to reach the postseason, though those odds jump up to 9% with a win over the Bengals. That’s still not much, which prompts the question of whether or not the positives outweigh the negatives of this team running the table. Our own Tom Ryle and David Howman have some ideas about this. Tom: I think there are two big negatives, one more obvious than the other. I’ll start with the one a lot of other people have been talking about, the impact on the team’s draft position. I don’t know whether the team is looking at something of a rebuild or just trying to build on what they have, but in either case, they need all the draft capital they can get. And they have already traded away their fourth-rounder, to the Panthers. Every win is going to move them a little further down the order. I know that the team is not going to actually tank – no team really does, although some clearly give up late in the season. But they are not looking at excellence this year, just mediocrity at best – and it really might be helpful to be a bit less successful in these last few games if you are willing to step back and look at the next season or two. And they (read the Jones family) really need to be looking at the big challenges facing them starting this offseason. David: I have to disagree here. I have no delusions of grandeur that this team will make a run and reach the playoffs, but I also don’t think the high draft pick is that important. This year especially, as it’s one of the more polarizing draft classes in recent years, with few surefire top prospects outside of Travis Hunter. And even then, you’re hard pressed to find anyone who agrees on what position(s) Hunter will play at the next level. More than that, though, this is about the future of the organization. Dak Prescott already hinted at the notion that McCarthy deserves a fair shot, which we all know he didn’t get this past offseason. In a world where McCarthy does come back, you want to see the players continue to play hard for him. That’s what they’ve done the last two games, and continuing that trend would be a good thing to carry over into next year when McCarthy gets his quarterback back. Tom: That’s a nice way to get to my next point. I agree McCarthy got a raw deal, but I don’t expect him to be back barring a miraculous end to this season. That’s because someone has to take the blame for everything, and it isn’t going to be the owner. Jerry Jones is to me the biggest concern if this team should win most of the remaining games, because it won’t take much at all for him to convince himself that they were soooo close, if only the injuries hadn’t piled up and yadda yadda. He will think they just need some tweaks around the edges, combined with a shiny new (or perhaps old) head coach to replace McCarthy, and the Cowboys will be right back in the mix. Of course, even if the team should crater badly the rest of the way, Jerry probably won’t make any changes at all to his way of doing things. He and son Stephen remain convinced they are the smartest guys in the room. So in a sense, it is sort of immaterial how things play out in the remaining games. So what good comes from winning? Well, I can think of one thing. There are a lot of young players the team has had to put out there that can grow and develop. That is something the team is going to need. Dallas had pretty good talent among the starters, but they had a serious lack of depth that became evident. Now the players forced into bigger roles are growing into them. They can become a stronger core for the roster next year, and that may allow the draft picks to be more useful. (We all know that free agency is not going to bring any help.) If winning is a result of on field development, then it may be worth sliding back in the draft order. The Jones problem, frankly, is insoluble. David: You took the words right out of my mouth. I’m starting to come around on the idea that McCarthy does, indeed, stick around after this year, even if it’s more about the Belichick’s and Ben Johnson’s of the world being more enamored with other openings. That said, if the Cowboys do bring in another head coach, they’re going to have their work cut out for them. When McCarthy first got to Dallas, it was on the heels of a disappointing 8-8 season where the team realized it had fewer answers than initially believed. The Dak Prescott injury accelerated things, but McCarthy spent most of that 2020 season trying to figure out which players had the grit and toughness to fit into his new regime. With the Cowboys now asking so many players to step up into new roles, that offers a way to answer those questions for the next head coach before he

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images Does the Bengals defense concern you at all? Previously we broke down the offenses for this week’s upcoming game for the Dallas Cowboys. Now we dive back into the position battleground, this time looking at how the defensive positions and special teams stack up against each other. DEFENSIVE LINE You want to make an argument for giving Micah Parsons a contract extension then just look at his numbers since returning and how he’s transformed this Cowboys defense. The Cowboys defense ranks 31st this year in rushing yards allowed, but in the last three games and with Parsons in full swing the Cowboys have allowed 134 rush yards per game- that’s 20th in that time frame. It’s not great but it shows the steep jump the team has taken with Parsons back. On top of that, Parsons has also contributed six sacks in the four games he’s been back, that’s insane production. Mazi Smith has played much better and Osa Odighizuwa is finding a level of form again. Keep an eye on both Marshawn Kneeland and DeMarcus Lawrence on the practice reports this week. Both are trying to come back from injury. In the offense review we mentioned how Joe Burrow led the league in touchdowns and passing yards, and how productive the wide receiver corps is and that it leads the league currently. If that’s the case, how is this team on only four wins? Simple answer, the defense. This Cincinnati defense is allowing more total yards than Dallas and only Carolina is allowing more points per game. Dallas has had issues this year stopping running backs going for first downs, they rank second-worst in that category. Well Cincinnati ranks right behind them. They also rank fifth-worst in rushing touchdowns allowed and to add to that, Cincinnati has the second-fewest sacks this year. What is most confusing about the sack situation in Cincinnati is how the league is being led by Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals, and he accounts for more than half the teams sack total. Sheldon Rankins is questionable so a keep watch on his status. Win: Push Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images LINEBACKER Eric Kendricks led the team in tackles last week, plus he had a sack and he registered a fumble. That’s quite a stat line, but for a guy like Kendricks, that’s a normal day in the office. DeMarvion Overshown is proving he’s the future at the linebacker position for Dallas. He managed to catch his own pass deflection and run it in for a touchdown, a score that would prove to be very important in getting the win. An unbelievable performance from the crafty linebacker. Germaine Pratt leads the Bengals in tackles and has totaled three more than Kendricks. He also has 15 missed tackles this year which also leads the team. Logan Wilson is second on the team with 104 tackles but he’s questionable this week after missing last week’s game with a knee injury. Conclusion:The Cowboys linebackers have totaled more pressures and sacks, where the Bengals have more tackles. The deciding factor here, Overshown’s abilities. Win: Cowboys Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images DEFENSIVE BACKS Trevon Diggs is the one to watch here. There’s a good chance we finally get to see Diggs and DaRon Bland start together. Diggs will be needed now after the news on Josh Butler came out that he tore his ACL. The USFL breakout defensive back will hopefully be back next year and will look to pick up where he left off. But for now the Cowboys cornerback depth looks in serious trouble. This defensive back unit has an uphill battle this week facing the best and most productive passing attack in the NFL and will really have their work cut out for them. The Bengals defensive backs have allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns and sixth-most passing yards this year. The lack of pressure up front is a good reason these defensive backs have so much work, but also penalties and third-down conversion rate allowed are killing their efforts. This defense is allowing the fifth-worst third-down conversion rate (44.3%) which leaves the defensive backs a lot of work to do. Expect guys like CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin to get open easily against this defensive back unit that has allowed more passing yards than any other team in the last three weeks. Conclusion:The loss of Butler for Dallas is sad news but getting Diggs will be key here. Cincinnati have a lot of work to do with this defensive back unit after the season is done. Win: Cowboys Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images SPECIAL TEAMS We welcome you back to the Brandon Aubrey section of the breakdown. Aubrey was another key player last week in securing victory by making two field goals and hitting all three of his extra points. In field goal attempts of 50-yards or more, no other kicker this year has been more consistent. The unfortunate part of having field goals blocked is it gets classed as miss against the kicker, otherwise things would look better on the percentages for him this year. Evan McPherson has had a tough year and is 16 from 22 field goal attempts. All six of his misses have come from 40-yards or more. His 72% field goal percentage ranks 31st among 36 kickers this year. Then the big news drops this week that Cincinnati have moved McPherson to IR due to a groin injury, so they will be without him for at least four games. As a result the team has placed Cade York on the roster ready for the matchup on Monday night. KaVontae Turpin is so scary on kickoffs that the New York Giants told their kicker to just kick it out the backfield. No team wants to face him returning balls upfield and last week he got zero returns off kickoffs. Expect this trend to continue. Jermaine Burton returns kicks for Cincinnati and averages 28.7 yards per return which ranks