Updates: CeeDee expecting to play on MNF :: The Mothership Link Although he sat out Thursday’s practice with a nagging shoulder AC sprain, Lamb plans on suiting up Monday night when the Bengals come to town. (He worked through a similar injury while at Oklahoma.) The current mini-bye break, he says, has helped him work himself back into game-ready condition. “I have my range of motion and I have my strength back.” Lamb said. Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson: Logs full practice Thursday :: CBS Sports Link The tight end practiced in full on Thursday, the first time he’s done so since his Week 11 concussion. It’s unknown if he’s gotten full clearance from an independent neurologist to play this week, but he appears to be trending in that direction. Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery :: Cowboys Wire Link Martin injured his right ankle in Week 11 and had hoped to return to action this Monday night versus Cincinnati. But when the rehab didn’t go as expected, he and the team made the decision to opt for surgery that will end his 2024 season. He will end up missing 16 games over the past five years. Zack Martin emotional, candid about injury and future with the Cowboys, NFL :: The Mothership Link Martin is not ready to talk about whether or not he’ll come back for a 12th NFL season, electing to look no further than the ankle surgery he has scheduled for next week. “This is not the time to have those discussions, and this is kind of all I’ll say about that,” he said Thursday. “It’s a tough situation and the most important thing on my mind is getting healthy, and then having those conversations down the road. First and foremost, I want to get healthy and maybe those conversations are a little bit easier… We’ll see what the future holds.” ‘A lightning rod’: Brock Hoffman has been a difference on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line :: All DLLS Link Martin’s fill-in for the past two games- and likely replacement moving forward- brings a mile-wide nasty streak to the offensive line that tends to frequently draw retaliation from opponents. “I’m always going to toe that line,” Hoffman explained. At least one of his Cowboys teammates finds it contagious. “It’s kind of a mindset,” Tyler Smith said. “You can’t mess with us. We can mess with you, but you can’t mess with us.” Just how good has Zack Martin been? :: Bobby Belt Who’s NFL MVP? Here’s why Cowboys’ Micah Parsons believes it’s Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow :: Dallas Morning News Link Parsons, for one, isn’t letting Cincinnati’s lackluster 4-8 record lull him into thinking Monday night’s game won’t be a major problem for the Cowboys defense. “If Joe Burrow record is the opposite, he’ll be the leading runner for MVP,” Parsons said. “I still think he should be the MVP. I mean, he’s leading in passing yards, passing touchdowns. The year he’s having, like Joe Burrow at LSU. I think that’s what a healthy Joe Burrow looks like.” Parsons called the Bengals “the greatest challenge of them all outside the Eagles.” Bengals lose second starter to injured reserve before Week 14 :: Bengals Wire Link Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson had a surgical cleanup on his knee Thursday, a move that will take him out of the Week 14 lineup. He’s been a key cog in the Bengals defense this season. The team will also be leaning on a new kicker- Cade York- when they visit Arlington on Monday night; Evan McPherson has been placed on injured reserve. Cowboys stopped gatekeeping this UDFA, now he’s among NFL’s best workhorses :: Cowboys Wire Link Once considered just an injury-plagued practice-squadder who seemed unable to take on a bellcow role, Rico Dowdle is now looking like the top dog in Dallas, even if it took the club most of the season to start feeding him like it. He took 83% of the backfield’s workload in Week 13 and is logging explosive runs at a clip better than Bijan Robinson and Aaron Jones. Now coming off his best yardage total and highest attempt total of the season, Dowdle will face some of the league’s worst run defenses in the season’s home stretch. Cowboys nominate Zack Martin for 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award :: Cowboys Wire Link Martin was chosen for his tireless work with the Salvation Army, the National Medal of Honor Museum, and local outreach efforts with first responders and families in need, as well as his outstanding play on the field. The winner of the league’s most prestigious individual honor will be announced Feb. 6. 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Latest first-round predictions entering Week 14 :: The 33rd Team Link With the projected 13th overall pick, the Cowboys take Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in this mock exercise. He may be the best pure first-round fit possible for Dallas. He’s the ideal complement to CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, offering a huge catch radius, terrific quickness and agility for his 6-foot-5 size, and post-catch creativity. Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy :: Cowboys Wire Link Football is a young man’s game. At least that’s the principle the Joneses have founded their entire team-building philosophy on. Rookie contracts make up a large and critical portion of the Cowboys roster, with the team giving nearly 10,000 snaps to its players on years one though four. That’s third-most in the league through 13 weeks this season. In snap-weighted age, however, they rank 22nd, with older veteran contributors like Martin, Brandin Cooks, Eric Kendricks, and DeMarcus Lawrence skewing the numbers significantly in 2024.
Cowboys injury report: Lamb & Guyton DNP, Diggs limited Thursday
Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images The Cowboys injury report for Thursday At 5-7, the Dallas Cowboys are mathematically still alive in their pursuit of the postseason. All hope isn’t lost but it is a long shot for the team to make their fourth consecutive postseason. Injuries have been a large factor in the Cowboys disappointing season. Heading into their Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, here’s what we know about the Cowboys injuries in their first injury report of the week. #Cowboys initial injury report vs. Bengals: CeeDee Lamb expected to play, fyi. Zack Martin will eventually go to IR. Jake Ferguson full participant, cleared from protocol. Full report: pic.twitter.com/eLwgECdTB4 — Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) December 5, 2024 After the mini-bye, Dallas has some bad news to report. Head coach Mike McCarthy said Zack Martin will undergo season-ending ankle surgery. This is a big loss for the team. However, Brock Hoffman has played well in his stead and will remain in the starting lineup. Marshawn Kneeland (knee) was a full participant along with Jake Ferguson. Ferguson hasn’t played since his concussion suffered against Houston and with a full practice has been cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol. Trevon Diggs (groin) was limited Thursday. CeeDee Lamb (shoulder), who was in visible discomfort against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving, was held out of Thursday’s practice although he is expected to play. Also not in team activities was Juanyeh Thomas (knee). Thomas appeared to have suffered a serious knee injury last week, but thankfully it was less serious than it appeared. Tyler Guyton (ankle) was also listed as a DNP Thursday. DeMarvion Overshown was limited (hamstring). For the Bengals, linebacker Logan Wilson (knee) did not practice and is possibly heading to injured reserve and Orlando Brown Jr. also did not participate Thursday. Meanwhile, Tee Higgins (rest) was limited.
Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery
Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery Todd Brock It’s the end of the season for one of the Cowboys’ all-time greats, and maybe even the end of the line. Right guard Zack Martin will require surgery to repair the damage from a right ankle injury he suffered in Week 11, according to head coach Mike McCarthy, who made the announcement in his Thursday press conference. The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of the team’s 34-10 loss to Houston and had kept Martin sidelined the past two games. The team had originally hoped Martin could rehab the ankle with a Week 14 return in mind, but his progress did not go as planned and led to this decision, which Martin and the club reached on Wednesday. Undrafted Brock Hoffman has gotten the start for Martin in both contests of the Cowboys’ current two-game win streak, and he looks to be the primary replacement once again on Monday when Dallas hosts the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. “He’s gonna be missed. We’re not gonna replace Zack Martin, by no means,” McCarthy told reporters of the nine-time Pro Bowler who was just announced earlier in the day as a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. “He brings so much to the team, to the team culture. We all recognize what a great player he has been here in Dallas for his whole career, but what he gives us as a person- people gravitate to him and he does a really good job of bringing people together. That offensive line room is really an illustration of his leadership, and he’ll definitely be missed in that area.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Both the Nov. 18 injury and Thursday’s announcement immediately raised questions about the future of the 34-year-old, who was the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2014 and is now on the final year of his contract. After being absent for just two games over his first six pro seasons, Martin will have missed 16 contests over his last five years by the time the 2024 regular campaign ends. Micah Parsons inadvertently sparked some retirement whispers for the eleven-year veteran back in early November. After a loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys linebacker said, “I kind of feel bad for guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year, on their way out. Because that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for.” When asked a few days later about playing beyond 2024, Martin himself wasn’t ready to give the topic serious consideration. “I’m just taking it one week at a time, my guy,” he told reporters. But now there are no more weeks for the seven-time first-team All-Pro… at least for this season, and maybe for good. “I think you just have to take a step back and deal with one thing at a time,” McCarthy said Thursday. “That, frankly, was the conversation that Zack and I had. The focus is really about the surgery, what’s next. Those are all questions that will be asked or be thought about.” Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Thursday Night Football odds, pick and live discussion: Packers at Lions
Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Who wins tonight… Green Bay or Detroit? The Green Bay Packers play the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. FanDuel has the Lions as 3.5-point favorites over the Packers. Final score prediction: Lions 27 – Packers 24. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.
NFC East update: Cowboys technically still alive in division race
Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Technically speaking (although certainly not realistically) the Cowboys could still win the NFC East. Just technically. It’s hard to believe given where we were a few weeks ago, but the Cowboys’ recent wins have kept them alive in the NFC playoff picture. While creeping back into the last wild card spot is the more attainable goal, Dallas could still technically win the NFC East if fortune smiles upon them. For that to happen, specific things have to start falling in place this week. Despite their 5-7 overall record, the Cowboys have managed to go 3-1 within the division. Their sweep of the Giants and upset win over the Commanders two weeks ago have help give Dallas this alternative, albeit highly unlikely, path to the postseason. The problem is, of course, the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles. Not only are they running away with the NFC East, Philly is starting to look like one of the best teams in the entire league. And with a cupcake opponent this Sunday in the Carolina Panthers, odds are that they’ll get the win that puts the final, long-assumed nail in the Cowboys’ chances of repeating as division champions. Current NFC East Standings Philadelphia Eagles 10-2 (3-0, 6-2 vs NFC) Washington Commanders 8-5 (2-2 in division, 5-3) Dallas Cowboys 5-7 (3-1, 3-5) New York Giants 2-10 (0-5, 1-8) It’s simple; the Cowboys have to go 5-0 and the Eagles 0-5 over the remainder of the regular season. That would leave them tied at 10-7 overall, split the season series, and give Dallas the NFC East with a 5-1 division record versus 3-3 for Philly. It’s the longest of shots, especially with Carolina and the Giants still to come on the Eagles’ schedule. The Cowboys winning five more, not to mention beating Philadelphia in Week 17, is pretty a far-fetched notion as well. But at least it’s still on the table, at least for a few more days. But in the highly-expected event of the Eagles beating the Panthers this Sunday, then Dallas’ only remaining road to the playoffs will be fighting their way back into a wild card spot. Along with the rematch with Philadelphia, Monday night’s game against Cincinnati is a big obstacle left on Dallas’ schedule. The Bengals are one of the better 4-8 teams you’ll ever see, losing multiple nail-biters against the likes of Baltimore, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. If their latest letdown breaks their spirit, the Cowboys might be able to take advantage. Elsewhere in the NFC East, Washington has the week off with a late bye. The Giants host the Saints in a fairly meaningless game. New Orleans seems to be fighting since their head coaching change, while New York hasn’t shown much of any. It will likely be another shovel full of dirt on their season.
Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy
Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy reidhanson Building an NFL roster isn’t simply about finding and retaining talent. It’s also about knowing when to let go, knowing when to roll the dice and knowing where to find the most affordable labor force. For a team like the Cowboys, managing all three of these areas is critical to the wellbeing of the salary cap. Though the cap is highly malleable, and the Cowboys aren’t remotely close to maximizing their purchasing power under it, it is in fact a real entity that should be responsibly managed. Owners of what will likely be four contracts each averaging $19+ million in 2025, the cost-conscience Cowboys will be interested in cutting costs at all possible corners to keep payroll low and their wallets fat. One area where the Cowboys front office particularly excels in is populating their roster with players on rookie contracts. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), players entering the NFL are capped on what they can receive in compensation from a team. Players often provide services well above their compensation levels, giving teams extraordinary bang for the buck throughout the length of their rookie deals. In 2024 the Cowboys are the No. 3 team in the NFL in snaps by players under rookie deals. In other words, the Cowboys are getting more snaps from players who have been in the NFL less than four complete seasons than 28 other teams. This puts measurements like “snap weighted age” into perspective since it lands Dallas on the other side of the spectrum. The Cowboys are 22nd in the snap weighted age (SWA) this season, meaning they are one of the older teams in the league based on contributions. What having the third most snaps on rookie contracts means is old players are skewing the numbers a bit on SWA and when those outliers fall off (possibly DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Eric Kendricks and Brandin Cooks), the Cowboys will swing strongly to other side of the SWA spectrum. What having the third-most snaps from rookie-deal players doesn’t say is how well those players are performing. Being No. 3 doesn’t mean much when the Cowboys are 5-7 and longshots for a postseason berth. It does, however, show Dallas favors their youth and is giving their developing labor force valuable snaps to build on. It also outlines a plan moving forward. The Jonathan Mingo trade notwithstanding, the Cowboys value draft picks more than most other NFL teams. It allows them to afford their expensive superstars and it keeps the fan hope-o-meter pointing up as frequently as possible. It’s made middle class employees scarce in Dallas and requires a ready or not attitude with many offseason promotions, but it fills out a roster in the most affordable way possible. There are many ways for NFL teams to construct winning rosters in the NFL, but options dwindle once superstars start getting paid like superstars. It’s safe to say the strategy of leaning on rookie contracts is here to stay for quite a while in Dallas. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys player projections for Bengals game suggest Cooper Rush success
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Cooper Rush is projected to perform well against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dallas Cowboys will do battle against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, and as they do, they will be seeking their third win in a row. How the tides have turned. It remains to be seen whether or not the Cowboys can pull off a win of this variety. They may have shocked the world from an underdog perspective (literally speaking, in terms of betting underdogs) when they won at Washington a few weeks back, but Dallas is almost a touchdown dog at home against a Bengals team that is 4-8 on the season. That says a lot. Entering Week 14 the Bengals feature the league’s leading passer in Joe Burrow and receiver in Ja’Marr Chase. You can expect that they will perform rather well, and projections certainly suggest that for obvious reasons. Each and every week we examine the projections that our friends at NFL Pro have for the Cowboys in their upcoming game and it is always worth pointing out how they did in the most recent game. Projected Cooper Rush vs. New York: 217.7 yards, 1.1 TD, 1 INT, 13 rush yards, 0.1 rush TDActual: 195 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT Projected Rico Dowdle vs. New York: 46.1 yards, 0.3 TD, 2.1 rec, 15 rec yards, 0.1 rec TDActual: 112 yards, 1 TD, 3 rec, 11 rec yards Projected CeeDee Lamb vs. New York: 6.6 rec, 67.6 yards, 0.4 TDActual: 2 rec, 39 yards Projected Jalen Tolbert vs. New York: 2.4 rec, 28.7 yards, 0.2 TDActual: 2 rec, 41 yards Projected Luke Schoonmaker vs. New York: 3.9 rec, 41 yards, 0.3 TDActual: 5 rec, 33 yards Clearly it was not a day full of offensive explosions for the Cowboys as they had two total touchdowns that they were responsible for (DeMarvion Overshown made the other possible). We may be reaching the point where taking the under on CeeDee Lamb’s prop lines is the wise play, but he is such a talented player that you are doing that at your own risk given that he could go off at any given moment. Will that moment come against the Bengals? Here are the projections for this week for both sides from NFL Pro. There is a bit of an uptick in Rush’s passing here, but there is a bump down for Lamb from both a receptions and receiving yards standpoint. Maybe the model is getting shy. You will note that Brandin Cooks is featured in projections for the first time in a while. Cooks obviously played last week, he caught Rush’s lone touchdown pass, but when the projections came out it was still unknown whether or not he would. Consider that the model does have Jake Ferguson listed but that injury reports will fluctuate until kickoff and he may or may not play. As noted, this figures to be a challenging game for the Cowboys in many ways as the Bengals are a pretty stout team for holding a 4-8 record. Cincinnati has a right to be favored as NFL Pro’s advantages prove. Given that Cincinnati has Burrow and Chase, they are going to be favored in the passing game against just about anyone. From a rushing standpoint, the Cowboys may be coming off of their most impressive game as a team (and from an individual perspective with Rico Dowdle) but their poor run (no pun intended) all the way up to that point really weighs them down in the collective.
Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Zack Martin is set to undergo season-ending ankle surgery. It was 10 years ago when we were witnessing one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history. That it was unfolding for the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of a magical year made things more special. Somehow, some way, we blinked and an entire decade passed. Zack Martin has been wonderful to watch throughout it all and reality is setting in that we may have seen the last of him. Mike McCarthy announced on Thursday that Martin will undergo season-ending ankle surgery after playing just 10 games this season. The news came just a few hours after it was announced that Martin is the Cowboys’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award this year. Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin will undergo season-ending ankle surgery, Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy announces. pic.twitter.com/T368yl9Omb — David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) December 5, 2024 Martin was injured during the team’s loss to the Houston Texans so it has been a minute since he has played. It appears that his ailment has been so severe that season-ending surgery is now the choice being made. It has felt like retirement is just around the corner for Martin for a while now so this really hits in that sort of sobering way. Obviously there is a long time to go until any kind of decision along those lines will be made, but it makes what is normally devastating news from a football perspective hit just a little harder. Zack Martin has been one of the best players for the Cowboys for a decade now. If this truly is the last that we will see of him in the team’s uniform, it was a commendable run. He belongs in the Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All the best to Zack Martin.
Cowboys nominate Zack Martin for 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Cowboys nominate Zack Martin for 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Todd Brock As a nine-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time first-All-Pro guard, there aren’t may individual accolades left for Zack Martin to win. But the Cowboys managed to find another line item to add to the 11-year veteran’s résumé, naming him their 2024 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The team surprised Martin with the news this week. What started out as a holiday photo shoot with the Martin family sitting around the Christmas tree turned into Zack, wife Morgan, and their three children opening customized jerseys that revealed his nomination for the league’s most prestigious individual honor. Each of the NFL’s 32 teams nominate one player each season for the award that seeks to recognize commitment to philanthropy and community service as well as excellence on gameday. Among the other nominees this year are Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, Lions quarterback Jared Goff, Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Martin, 34, has long been active with organizations like the Salvation Army, the National Medal of Honor Museum, and various causes benefiting first responders, local families in need, and hospitalized children. A panel of judges that includes Commissioner Roger Goodell, 2023 winner Cameron Heyward, and former NFL players will select this year’s recipient. The announcement will be made at NFL Honors on Feb. 6. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Quarterback Dak Prescott won the award in 2022. He was the fourth Cowboys player to be so honored, joining tight end Jason Witten (2012), quarterback Troy Aikman (1997), and quarterback Roger Staubach (1978). Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was last year’s Cowboys nominee. Martin and the league’s other 31 nominees for this year will wear honorary helmet decals for the remainder of the 2024 season. The winner is traditionally recognized on the field during a pregame ceremony at the Super Bowl; he’ll receive a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choosing and will wear a special uniform patch for the rest of his playing career. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
3 things we have learned about the Cowboys entering Week 14
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys have a handful of players who are playing well, even in a down year for the team. Don’t look now, but the Dallas Cowboys are on a two-game winning streak, and they clearly aren’t conceding to the 2024 season being over with just because their playoff chances aren’t that high. Say what you want to, but Dallas is fighting until the end, although it will likely end up with them not making the postseason, the grit and determination they’re showing in a season full of injuries should be respected. The Cowboys will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Their team may not be performing great as a whole, but quarterback Joe Burrow leads the NFL in passing yards and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is tops in receiving yards. It’s a great challenge for a Cowboys defense who have found a spark in the last few weeks, albeit against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Before that battle takes place, let’s look at three things we have learned about the Cowboys entering Week 14. CeeDee Lamb is quietly having a productive season In 2023, Lamb was arguably the best receiver in the league as he led the NFL in receptions and finished second in receiving yards. It hasn’t been as gaudy this year, but Lamb sits at 79 receptions for 880 yards, which rank second and fifth in their respective categories. Looking at his averages, he’s on pace for 112 receptions and around 1,250 yards. Mind you, he’s played four games without quarterback Dak Prescott, and the guy filling in, Cooper Rush, is limited as a passer. Also, Lamb has been dealing with a shoulder injury that forced him to exit the Thanksgiving game against the Giants. All things considered, Lamb is having another good year. It just might not be a first-team All-Pro type of season like the previous. Osa Odighizuwa is having his best year Odighizuwa will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, making this a contract year. Well, the former third-round pick is playing like it with 33 tackles, three sacks, 40 pressures, and 27 hurries. That puts him on pace to have career-high numbers in all of those categories, which is exactly what you want to see from a guy in his fourth year because it shows he’s still trending upward in his play. While this is great to see, it also may put the Cowboys in a bind when it comes to a new deal. Odighizuwa isn’t a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro, but he’s a quality defensive tackle that can give a team tremendous value, and teams are going to be willing to give him a sizeable pay increase. So, it’ll be interesting to see what Dallas does with Odighizuwa in the offseason. Carl Lawson has earned a second deal with the Cowboys The Cowboys came into the season needing more edge rushers, and it got worse when the position got decimated with injuries. However, Lawson, who was signed to the practice squad in August, is having quite the productive season for the Cowboys. He’s played in 10 games with three starts and logged 280 snaps, which has resulted in four sacks for the year. Lawson also has 13 quarterback hits, 18 pressures, and eight hurries. He signed a one-year deal with Dallas, and he won’t cost a lot to bring back, which is right up the Cowboys alley. So, it would behoove them to seriously consider bringing Lawson back in 2025. Micah Parsons with maybe DeMarcus Lawrence, a healthy Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and Lawson would set the Cowboys up pretty nicely.
