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.
Cowboys news: Dallas may have found another hidden gem at UDFA
Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. This Cowboys UDFA rookie making case to be featured in long-term plans – Reid Hanson, USA Today Dallas has a knack for finding diamonds in the rough. The Dallas Cowboys are masters in finding steals through nontraditional avenues. From Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin who were found in other professional leagues, to Dak Prescott and DaRon Bland who were found in the latter portions of the draft, to Tony Romo and Miles Austin who were signed as undrafted free agents, the Cowboys have a knack for finding treasure in the rarest of places. When Dallas signed undrafted tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford following the draft last spring, they were hoping they found their next big treasure. Standing almost 6-foot-7, 270-pounds, “big” might be an understatement. The rookie from Minnesota was in demand following the draft. Players his size don’t come around very often and to many scouts, Spann-Ford had a draftable grade. What transpired was a bidding war, with team pit against team in an auction the Cowboys are all too familiar with. As fate would have it, Dallas won, outbidding the competition by guaranteeing $225,000 and throwing in a signing bonus of another $20,000 for good measure. A blocking specialist by nature, Spann-Ford is already the Cowboys’ top-rated blocker at the TE position. Blessed with the size of a left tackle, Spann-Ford has the potential to develop into an elite blocker one day, possibly giving the Cowboys a mismatch player to design plays around. Ferguson, reportedly close to coming back, will likely seize back his role as true TE1 the moment he’s cleared to play. And Schoonmaker, a player who has stepped up in Ferguson’s absence, will likely continue to be a player the Cowboys seek to develop. At face value this isn’t good news for Spann-Ford stockholders, but a deeper look shows Spann-Ford’s value and role remain intact. The Cowboys rarely use three TEs at the same time (1.3 percent) but that doesn’t mean three TEs won’t play each week. Spann-Ford is an exciting player who may be carving out a major role for the near future. Mike McCarthy responds to Dak Prescott’s comments about Cowboys future – Josh Sanchez, USA Today Dallas’ head coach responded to his star quarterback’s support for him. The conversation surrounding Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has shifted drastically. Entering the year, many considered McCarthy to be a lame -duck head coach. Just a few weeks ago, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones criticized the team’s play-calling and offensive schemes during a radio appearance. This week, with the team on a two-game winning streak, he refused to close the door on a potential contract extension for McCarthy. Then, star quarterback Dak Prescott campaigned for McCarthy to get another shot during an interview with Yahoo! Sports. One of the interesting parts of Prescott’s comments was the signal-caller saying McCarthy deserved an opportunity “to coach this team amongst more influence. On his terms.” “On his terms” was perceived by many to be a jab at Jerry Jones. McCarthy was asked about Prescott’s comments on Wednesday and shared his thoughts on what the star quarterback had to say. When asked about the “on his terms” comment, McCarthy downplayed the idea that he did not have direct influence. An endorsement from Dak Prescott could go a very long way with Jerry Jones, so if the Cowboys can string together a few more wins, the head coaching drama is going to be at an all-time high. There will be plenty of high-profile coaching candidates this offseason, but the Cowboys could end up staying away from the market — something no one would have every fathomed in early November. Mailbag: Does snap cadence help opposition? – Tommy Yarrish, Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com Digging into the details of the game is quite interesting. It seems like about 95% of the Cowboys’ plays start after the cadence, “Here we go!” Doesn’t this give the defense a tremendous advantage? Why don’t they mix this up? Our offense has enough to overcome without giving the defense so much help. – Dallas Mowen/Mac, IL Mickey: Here’s what you need to understand about “Here we go!” That is not the snap count, like once you hear that, the ball is snapped. It is to signal to the offensive linemen, be ready, no more talking or adjustments at the line of scrimmage, we’re about to start snap count of the ball. The ball is snapped then on the next clap by the quarterback, or next two or three claps. Or maybe the next sound or sounds. Or if on a silent count, then in the next what two or three seconds. That would be way to simple if the QB says,” Here we go!” and then the ball is immediately snapped. More to it than just that Mac. Tommy: If it is giving the defense an advantage, I’m not really seeing where it’s coming from. Especially in pass protection, as Cooper Rush has only been sacked once in the last two weeks. Every team has a cadence, and it’s something the opposing team gameplans for every week, so I don’t think it gives that much of a leg up to the opposition. In regards to mixing it up, if you do that, you risk the possibility of confusing your own players who are already used to one thing, which would lead to more pre-snap penalties. The Cowboys certainly don’t need any more of those this season. NFC East power rankings Week 14: Cowboys and Commanders build momentum – Lucas Mascherin, TheLandryHat.com Dallas may have a losing record, but they are still fighting. In a losing season, you must look to the next season and the future of the franchise. the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants succeeded in their respective goals with Dallas winning at home against New York. The Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles put the NFL on notice in their wins. It’s a positive outlook for
Cowboys work out All-Pro cornerback, former 2nd-round pick, plus make practice squad additions
Cowboys work out All-Pro cornerback, former 2nd-round pick, plus make practice squad additions angeltorres Roster churning is a year-round mission, and the Dallas Cowboys are no strangers to the need in 2024. On Wednesday, they opened the door for a possible union with an All-Pro. Cornerback Xavien Howard, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, worked out for the Cowboys at The Star in Frisco. Clearly, Dallas has an interest in the four-time Pro Bowl player who has yet to play in 2024, but the 31-year old veteran left without coming to an agreement. The Cowboys also signed cornerbacks Dee Delaney and Troy Pride, Jr. to fill the vacancies on their practice squad. Pride was a 2020 fourth-round pick with Carolina with eight career starts. Delaney is a five-year veteran appearing in 52 games mainly with in Tampa Bay. Delaney is a 2018 UDFA who has played for Jacksonville, the Jets, the Dolphins, Washington and the Buffalo Bills before this. Miami drafted Howard in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft where he picked off eight passes in his first two seasons. In year three, he recorded 10 interceptions en route to All-Pro honors. That led to the Dolphins signing him to a five-year $75.25 million deal in 2019 with $39 million in total guarantees. Four years later, Miami would double down and give him a five-year $90 million extension after leading the league in interceptions twice. Howard played eight seasons in Miami before being released prior to the start of the new league year as a June 1 cut. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys fans may have been too quick to bury this coach in 2024
Cowboys fans may have been too quick to bury this coach in 2024 Mike Crum Mike Zimmer had his work cut out for him in his first season back as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator. He lost Dorance Armstrong, the defensive lineman with the second-most sacks over the last two seasons, to the Washington Commanders, as well as Dante Fowler, Jr., who had 10 sacks across his two years in Dallas. Also gone are starting DT Jonathan Hankins, rotational DT Neville Gallimore and starting middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who sustained a career-ending injury. Implementing a new defensive scheme, the team only added Eric Kendricks in free agency before training camp. He got a few defensive line additions late in camp, but getting his new ideas to his new players would take time. Tom compound things, the injuries hit. He lost edge rusher Sam Williams for the season and All-Pro corner DaRon Bland for 11 games due to injury. Bad defensive performances against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens were the precursor as in-season injuries began to mount. Both Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence went out against the Ravens, and Marshawn Kneeland went down the following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That left Zimmer without his top-four edge rushers after just five weeks. The coach is trying to get the team better against the run, which is the biggest issue for the Cowboys in the Dak Prescott era, but he has their pass rush eliminated, his biggest weapon. His defensive back luck wasn’t any better. The team hasn’t had Bland, Trevon Diggs, and Jourdan Lewis together for a single game all season. The second cornerback spot has been a rotating door. They lost rookie Caelen Carson to injury, called up Amani Oruwariye and Josh Butler from the practice squad, but lost both to injury as well. Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas, rotational defensive backs, are the latest to suffer major ailments. With all those disadvantages, the Dallas defense has continued to improve. Starting in Week 8, the defense was good in the first half of nearly every game before wearing down in the second half. The San Francisco 49ers scored six points, and the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles scored 14, but each scored off of Dallas turnovers. So did the Houston Texans, who got to 17 at halftime. The Commanders scored only three points, and the New York Giants got to 10, but DeMarvion Overshown scored a touchdown for the defense against the Giants. Between Week 2 and Week 6, Dallas allowed 19 points on average in the first half, but since it’s down to nine. Zimmer has Parsons and Bland back, and it has helped flip from one of the worst turnover ratios, to having five takeaways to one turnover in the last two games. The defense is getting sacks now, too, from 20 in the first 10 games to 10 in the last two. The Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas’ Week 14 opponent, are averaging 35 points per contest over their last four games. Zimmer is going to get tested by his old team, but if his defense can keep a below-average Cowboys offense in the game, then Zimmer might officially put to rest a lot of sentiments from earlier in the season. You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys analytics roundup: How real is this win streak?
Chris Jones-Imagn Images How much stock are you putting into the current winning streak that the Cowboys are on? The analytics roundup has returned for the first time since Week 11, a result of the quick turnaround from playing on Thanksgiving. And what a difference the time has made, too, as the Cowboys have won two straight games, both against division opponents. The team has certainly looked better these past two games, but does it actually mean anything? Let’s dive into the advanced statistics and see what value there is in these two wins and where the Cowboys are headed. As if it wasn’t already clear, the Cowboys have improved. Their team DVOA has jumped up two spots in the rankings during this two-game winning streak. Interestingly, the offense has taken a slight step back while the defense is making strides. That will be a recurring theme throughout this report. In terms of weighted DVOA, which is more a measure of how efficient a team is playing right now rather than from start to finish, the Cowboys are still 25th but their defense is creeping up to the league average line. 2024 NFL Team Tiers, Weeks 1-13, courtesy of rbsdm.com The EPA-based team tiers aren’t quite as kind to the Cowboys. They’re still stuck in the bottom three of the league, just narrowly ahead of the Raiders and Panthers, the latter of whom they play in two weeks. Dallas is also just behind Cleveland and Jacksonville, two other teams playing without their franchise quarterback right now. This chart probably offers the biggest reality check for anyone getting excited about this win streak. Offense So, the offense has been scoring points somewhat regularly now, but they’re still a fairly inefficient bunch. In a fit of irony, the run game has plummeted in efficiency since Rico Dowdle started getting more carries, although the running back is still sixth in the league in rushing success rate. There’s not much out there to suggest that the offense is playing good right now, but they’ve done good enough to win with the way their defense has played lately. That’s about all you can ask for right now. Cooper Rush has rebounded nicely from his disastrous first start, and he’s now playing the kind of football we saw from him in 2022. That is to say that Rush is good enough to stay on schedule and move the chains, but he won’t be playing Superman any time soon. That’s pretty much what you want from a backup quarterback, too, and Rush’s metrics reflect that. He’s ranked between 33 and 35 in all but QBR, which suggests he’s one of the top backups in a league of 32 starters. The offensive line has been banged up lately, with Zack Martin missing each of the last two games. Tyler Smith missed a game too, and Tyler Guyton left with an ankle injury that will likely cause him to miss time. That said, the unit hasn’t seen a steep decline with all the shuffling going on. They’re seventh in both pressure rate and adjusted sack rate and saw modest improvements in adjusted line yards and run block win rate. The Cowboys could still use better production from the trenches, but given the current state of the line, they’ll take this. Defense Don’t look now, but the Dallas defense is playing great football right now. In the four games since Micah Parsons has returned, the Cowboys are 10th in EPA/play and fourth (!) in EPA/dropback. The run defense has still been bad, but Dallas has been downright elite through the air since their best player returned. That’s because Parsons has been dominant in his return, too. He’s notched 5.5 sacks with 22 pressures and has opened things up for the rest of his teammates too. On Thanksgiving, he reclaimed the team lead in pressures and is tied for 19th in the league despite missing four games. Parsons has been on a tear, and it’s making everything easier for this defense. The coverage unit deserves credit, too, although Parsons has certainly meant less time trying to stick with their man back there. Josh Butler was rounding into form right before tearing his ACL. Israel Mukuamu has quietly been really great in coverage, although his usage has been limited. DaRon Bland is also back, though he hasn’t been the kind of playmaker he was last year. It looks like Bland is still knocking some rust off, which is fair. The hope is that Trevon Diggs, who missed the last two weeks, will make his return and finally play alongside Bland for the first time this year.
Cowboys mailbag: Questions on Tyler Guyton, Thanksgiving MVP, and reaching .500
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Our latest mailbag features plenty of questions about the Dallas Cowboys Every week, we take questions on X (Twitter) and Facebook about Dallas Cowboys players and other issues surrounding the team. So let’s get right into it. “If Tyler Guyton is done for the year, should he move to right tackle next year?” (Ryan Thomas on Facebook) Mike: Right tackle is his natural position from college, but he did say he prefers playing on the left when Dallas drafted him. Tyron Smith played on the right side during his rookie year for Dallas and that year he gave up the most sacks in a season during his time playing for the Cowboys. Smith, as we all know, became the crown jewel of a dominant offensive line a decade ago so sometimes time and maybe a position change can do a player good. Dana: In order for the team to move Guyton to RT, they will first need to figure out a few other things. Player evaluation for a rookie that is dealing with injuries is a difficult task. Hopefully they will have enough of a sample size when deciding what to do next season, but a move to RT for Guyton brings other questions to light. What will the Cowboys do with Terrence Steele in 2025? Who will they get to play at LT? I don’t believe that they would move Tyler Smith to LT, so would they draft someone or look to free-agency? If there is someone that is available to the Cowboys early in the offseason to play LT, this is definitely an option worth considering. “Who was your MVP against the Giants?” (David Stephens on Facebook) Mike: Let’s go Rico Dowdle for two reasons. Number one, the Cowboys offense, specifically the offensive line, has struggled in the run game all season, but then we see Dowdle suddenly explode when given the opportunity. Secondly, Dowdle had his first 100-yard rushing game, and it was the first time this season Dallas had a 100-yard rusher in a game. We have seen Dowdle building up to it over the past few weeks and for him to go from special teams player, to backup running back, to then break the 100-yard mark and score a rushing touchdown in the same game, that’s some distance travelled to get there. Now let’s see some consistency from Dowdle and really gain some momentum in these last five games. Dana: DeMarvion Overshown gets my vote for the Thanksgiving Day MVP. After the Giants got a lead, Overshown took it upon himself to singlehandedly swing the momentum of the game. He was able to tip one of Drew Lock’s passes to himself and take it to the house for a touchdown giving the Cowboys the lead 13-7 in the second quarter. That set the tone for the rest of the game for the Cowboys defense. Hopefully after DaRon Bland’s pick-six last Thanksgiving, followed by Overshown’s this year, it starts to become a Thanksgiving Day tradition. DEMARVION OVERSHOWN DID IT ALL HIMSELF ON THE PICK-SIX Hit the block, tipped the pass, took it to the HOUSE (via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/ng4Vu3bEBS — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 28, 2024 “Can the Cowboys reach at least the .500 mark sometime this season with Cooper Rush at QB?” (@MrEd315 on Twitter) Mike: Yes they can. They have a very winnable remainder of the schedule with Cincinnati next who have a losing record, Carolina (well let’s not dig too deep on that one), Washington (who Dallas have already beat), Tampa Bay who are 6-6, which leaves just Philadelphia. There’s a very strong possibility that Dallas wins four of those last five games with just the Philadelphia Eagles being the one you have to say is out of reach. That puts Dallas at 9-8 and given the tribulations of the season and injuries that isn’t a bad ending. It’s not great as fans who want to see playoff wins, but in the full scope of it all 9-8 wouldn’t be a bad end and puts them over .500 for the year. Dana: In order for the Cowboys to get over .500, they would need to win four more games to put them at 9-8 for the season. That would require only losing one more game for the rest of the season. While anything is possible, it seems very unlikely when considering the rest of the opponents that they will face. First up is the Bengals whose record isn’t necessarily reflective of the strength of that team. They should be able to beat the Panthers but they have been putting up a fight in their past few games against some really tough opponents. The Buccaneers, Eagles and Commanders close out the Cowboys schedule, all teams that are eyeing the playoffs. While, it is possible that the Cowboys can pull off a win against any one of these teams, it is highly unlikely that they will be able to do it against four of them.
Josh Allen’s rare TD trifecta put him in ultra-exclusive club with Cowboys legend
Josh Allen’s rare TD trifecta put him in ultra-exclusive club with Cowboys legend Todd Brock When Bills quarterback Josh Allen took the Week 13 lateral from wide receiver Amari Cooper and carried the ball he had originally thrown into the end zone, he completed two-thirds of a rare NFL trifecta. That one play gave him both a passing and receiving touchdown in Sunday night’s game, but Allen wasn’t finished. He followed it up by rushing for another score in the fourth quarter to ice the game for Buffalo. In so doing, Allen became just the 14th player (and the first quarterback) in league history to notch a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown all in the same game. Christian McCaffrey did it most recently, in 2022. LaDanian Tomlinson did it in 2005. Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Frank Gifford are in the ultra-exclusive club. too. And so is one Cowboy. Dan Reeves was listed as a running back during his eight-year playing career and remains the 17th-leading rusher (in yards) in Cowboys history. But he was also a dangerous pass-catcher; his 1,693 receiving yards are still in the franchise’s all-time top 40. He returned a few punts and kicks in his day, and Reeves even booted an extra point in a game in 1971. But he had also started at quarterback for three collegiate seasons at South Carolina, graduating in 1965 as the school’s leading passer. And that experience made him a unique weapon within the Dallas offense, a weapon that head coach Tom Landry wasn’t afraid to deploy. The halfback option pass was just one of Landry’s favorite creative innovations. But to really pull it off, he needed a legitimate ball carrier who had the smarts to read a defense and a strong throwing arm, too. That exact skill set earned the undrafted Reeves a roster spot in Dallas. Reeves attempted at least two throws in every single NFL season he played. He recorded a career-high seven passes in the 1967 regular season and completed four of them, also a career best. That campaign also saw Reeves log his only touchdown passes, a 74-yarder to Lance Rentzel in a Thanksgiving win over the Cardinals, and a 45-yarder two weeks later, again to Rentzel to put the final dagger in a 38-17 win over the Eagles. But Reeves had also been in the end zone on two previous occasions that Dec. 10 afternoon, first catching a five-yard toss from quarterback Craig Morton in the second quarter, and then adding a one-year touchdown plunge in the third. Reeves’s stat line for the day: 10 rushes for 47 yards and a touchdown, four receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown, 1-for-1 passing for 45 yards and a touchdown. At the time, he was the eighth player in league history to complete the triple-TD feat. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] The Georgia native finished the 1967 season as the league’s 15th-ranked rusher and a top-30 receiver, not even leading the Cowboys in either category. But the multi-purpose Reeves was No. 10 leaguewide in scrimmage yards, beating out the likes of Bobby Mitchell, Charley Taylor, Dallas teammates Bob Hayes, Don Perkins, and Rentzel, and even Gale Sayers. He also ended the regular season with the NFL’s highest passer rating (101.8) for all players who had attempted five or more throws. Reeves would go on to heave just one more touchdown pass in his career, and it was his most memorable of all. Three weeks after his trifecta, Landry and the Cowboys ran the halfback option again, this time in the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers, on a frozen Lambeau Field where the temperature that New Year’s Eve afternoon was 13 degrees below zero. Down 14-10 on the first play of the fourth quarter, Reeves took a pitch from Don Meredith near midfield and lumbered to his left on the iced-over grass. But after a half-dozen steps, he stopped and fired the ball, flat-footed, 35 yards to a wide-open Rentzel, who practically walked into the end zone from 20 yards out. The strike was a massive surprise given the arctic conditions and gave Dallas their first lead of the day, a 17-14 edge that lasted all the way until the game’s final, fateful seconds. If not for Bart Starr’s famous goal-line dive to win the now-iconic “Ice Bowl,” that unlikely 50-yard touchdown pass from the team’s RB2 might still stand today as the single most famous moment in Dallas Cowboys history. Reeves would go on to a successful coaching career, on staff in Dallas for a decade and then running the show as head coach of the Broncos, Giants, and Falcons. Reeves passed away in 2022 at the age of 77. Reeves unquestionably enjoyed a long and storied football career, winning Super Bowl VI as a player and Super Bowl XII as an assistant coach. He’s in the Broncos Ring of Honor and was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame ‘s Class of 2025. But perhaps none of his days on the gridiron ever quite matched when Reeves found the end zone three different times, in three different ways, and cemented his place- alongside Payton, Gifford, Tomlinson, and now Allen- on one of the most exclusive lists in the sport’s history.
Why the Cowboys would be foolish to panic about Tyler Guyton’s future after a shaky first year
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Tyler Guyton’s season has been interesting to say the least. It’s difficult for rookie offensive linemen to make an immediate positive impact in the NFL. While the Dallas Cowboys may have gotten used to the opposite with Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Tyler Smith all starting out so hot, this is far from the norm. It takes most linemen, especially offensive tackles, time to adjust to playing at the highest level. Cowboys’ 2024 first-round pick Tyler Guyton has learned that the hard way so far this season. When Dallas drafted the rookie offensive tackle in April, they knew he was a fairly raw prospect. Guyton is a tremendous athlete, but questions remained about his technique and ability to transition from right to left tackle. Ten games into his rookie year, we’ve seen both things ring true. Guyton has flashed his immense potential but also struggled with consistency and playing clean. The 22-year-old has been flagged 16 times, the second-most in all of football, and has allowed 23 total pressures and five sacks. Most of Guyton’s big-time issues came early in the season. In Dallas’ first six games, the rookie surrendered four of his five allowed sacks and 17 of his pressure. Since then, Guyton has looked more comfortable, reflected by his 67.8 pass-blocking grade over his past three full games, via Pro Football Focus. The penalties have still been an issue, but overall the young tackle has looked more at home. Here is every snap by #Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton in Week 11: pic.twitter.com/VfRdhxroWz — Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) November 19, 2024 Since Week 8, #Cowboys Tyler Guyton is Top 10 among 22 rookie offensive linemen (min 20% of the snaps) per @PFF: • 67.6 grade (6th)• 66.6 run block grade (6th)• 75.1 pass block grade (3rd) Penalties and pressures have been an issue, but the rookie keeps developing. pic.twitter.com/jB7kV9wbKb — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) November 6, 2024 Despite his uptick in performance over the past four games, Guyton’s slow start has caused some negative perceptions. In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Guyton tied for the second-worst grade among all 2024 first-round picks. Here’s what they had to say about the young left tackle. Dallas Cowboys: OT Tyler Guyton, D Tyler Guyton had big shoes to fill with Tyron Smith leaving the Dallas Cowboys after 13 seasons with the franchise, five All-Pro selections and being named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade team. However, an understanding existed that the No. 29 pick wasn’t going to be Smith on Day 1, especially since he was making a transition from right to left tackle. The move isn’t as easy as Smith made it look all those years ago. Unsurprisingly, Guyton has struggled at points. His 16 total penalties are second-worst among all players around the league. He’s surrendered multiple sacks and significant pressure. The 23-year-old has the physical tools and athleticism to eventually excel, but the process takes time. Unfortunately for both Guyton and the Cowboys, the 22-year-old went down with a high ankle sprain in Dallas’ win over the Giants on Thanksgiving Day. With just six games remaining in the regular season, there’s a chance we may not see Guyton play more than one or two games the rest of this year. Even if he does not play another game this season, the Cowboys would be foolish to panic about his long-term outlook after an up-and-down rookie year. Positive progress and traits are what matter most in a young offensive lineman. Guyton has made some positive progressions in the second half of the season, and is still a phenomenal athlete, constantly learning to use his athletic ability to his advantage at the highest level. The penalties are a problem there’s no denying that, but it’s not uncommon for young tackles, particularly ones flipping from right to left, to deal with this issue early on in their career. Guyton is only going to get better as he gets more NFL snaps under his belt. The first-round pick still has a good chance to be Dallas’ All-Pro left tackle of the future. It might just take a little longer than some of their previous first-round picks.
Cowboys Reacts Survey: Can Dallas get to a three-game winning streak?
Chris Jones-Imagn Images Do you think the Cowboys can geet a third win in a row on Monday night? The Dallas Cowboys are on a winning streak. Yes, it’s a small two-game winning streak, with one of those wins coming over the lowly New York Giants, but there is no denying they are playing better football. One reason is the return of guys like Micah Parsons, Brandin Cooks and DaRon Bland to the starting lineup from injuries. They also might be getting DeMarcus Lawrence back soon. On offense, they have finally come to the conclusion we all knew during training camp – Rico Dowdle is the best running back they have so feed him. Additionally, Cooper Rush has gotten sharper a few games in to his stint playing for Dak Prescott. So just how much should we trust this team now? That’s kind of the question we are asking today. One, how confident are you the team is heading in the right direction now? And two, will they beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football? Vote in the poll then hit the comments and let us know your thoughts. Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dallas Cowboys fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Please take our survey