Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders, 2024 NFL Week 12 Keep track of everything related to Cowboys at Commanders in NFL Week 12 as Dallas visits Washington on Sunday afternoon. Contributors: TCDeckard and David Halprin The Dallas Cowboys will be looking for their first win in over two months when they visit the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon, and if opening odds are any indication, it is going to be a tall task to say the least. Opening odds saw Dallas as 10-point underdogs to their division rivals, a group that is now led by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. With Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Noah Igbinoghene, Washington’s group is crawling with players who wore the star on their helmet in recent history. Perhaps that is what has been working so well for Washington this year as they are threatening to win their first division title since 2020. Those matters will be more difficult after their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, but this should provide a great bounce-back opportunity for them especially with that Philly game taking place on Thursday night. As far as the Cowboys are concerned. things are about as bad as they can be. Mike McCarthy, Cooper Rush, Rico Dowdle, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, no matter who or what, nothing seems to be going right for Dallas. They have been losing so much lately and doing so in embarrassing fashion and assuming they do drop this game it will send them into their annual Thanksgiving Day game with a six-game losing streak. Needless to say the Cowboys need something good to happen and for it to happen as soon as possible. Whether or not that comes on Sunday in Landover ultimately remains to be seen. Here’s our stream for everything you need to know about it all. We will update it throughout the week to include all relevant news regarding the game, injuries and everything else.
Cowboys news: Micah Parsons says Dallas is a “damn good football team”
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The latest news around the Dallas Cowboys. Micah Parsons on the state of the Cowboys: ‘I’m gonna put this out there … we’re a damn good football team’ – Declan Walsh, 24/7 Sports Despite the recent struggles, Micah Parsons feels the Dallas Cowboys are better than their record says. The Dallas Cowboys were subjected to another beatdown before a primetime national audience Monday evening, falling to 3-7 on the 2024 season with a 34-10 loss at home against Houston. Despite these high visibility struggles and five-straight losses, star linebacker Micah Parsons insists that his Cowboys are a “damn good team,” adding that the scores in recent weeks don’t reflect the quality of Dallas’ team. #Cowboys Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs share their confidence in the team despite what the scores and their record say. Parsons: “We a damn good football team.” ( : The Edge with Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/MXpc4pIzvD — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) November 19, 2024 “I’m going to put this out there, we’re a damn good football team,” Parsons said on his “The Edge” podcast. “I know the scores ain’t showing it, and people feel like we’re missing so many key pieces, but I almost believe you need to really go through the things that we’re really messing up on.” “I think our defense has really things around. Up until that last quarter when they got that touchdown on defense, we only really gave up those two touchdowns in that first quarter. Other than that, we gave up those six points in those other two quarters.” These losses are growing stranger and stranger – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com This season for Dallas keeps redefining the word “strange.” In lieu of Texans 34, Cowboys 10. In lieu of the Cowboys losing their fifth consecutive game. In lieu of now 0-5 here at AT&T Stadium after winning 16 consecutive regular-season home games heading into the 2024 season. In lieu of the Cowboys now 3-7, their worst start since COVID 2020 and coming on the heels of three consecutive 12-5 seasons since. And consider the now 7-4 Texans gained just three more yards than the Cowboys and the Cowboys threw for 74 more yards than the Texans. But dang it, with 4 minutes, 16 seconds left in the third quarter of this Monday Night Football game, with Cowboys Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin on hand, the Cowboys were only trailing in this Texas Showdown, as this game was being billed, 20-13. And that despite the Texans already having rushed for 92 yards, 80 of those belonging to Joe Mixon. And then the roof caved in, and must admit there is a cheap line here for what took place on a high-wind afternoon with the roof actually open some 3½ hours before kickoff, causing the roof to recoil on a perfectly blue, uh, sunny day. This despite still playing without Dak Prescott, DaRon Bland, Brandin Cooks, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland and heading into this one without Jourdan Lewis and Hunter Luepke. And then losing tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion by halftime. Why, the Cowboys were starting Josh Butler at left corner, signed to the 53-man roster prior to the game, his first NFL game appearance; had Israel Mukuamu playing in the slot; and first-year free-agent Princeton Fant, elevated from the practice squad, making his NFL debut at fullback. Michael Irvin: Deion Sanders would ‘100%’ accept Dallas Cowboys job if they draft Shedeur Sanders – Matt Connolly, On3.com Deion Sanders won’t be the next head coach of the Cowboys… right? Over the past week, Paul Finebaum, Adam Schefter, Stephen A. Smith, Dez Bryant and Louis Riddick have discussed the possibility of Deion Sanders landing the Cowboys head coaching job, where perhaps Dallas could draft Shedeur Sanders to once again play for his dad. Cowboys legend Michael Irvin added fuel to the fire on Tuesday, sharing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that he knows for a fact Deion Sanders would leave Colorado to team up with Shedeur Sanders in Dallas. “I believe 100 percent. And I can tell you, good sources told me that. Great sources have told me that,” Michael Irvin said. “That’s all I can say like that without violating anything else.” Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders played together with the Cowboys from 1995-1999. It’s fair to say that they know each other well. The fact that the Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a huge deal this past offseason obviously complicates matters, as does the fact that the Cowboys may not draft high enough to land Shedeur Sanders. Still, it’s fun to speculate about the possibility as the 2024 college football season starts to wind down. CeeDee Lamb takes Cowboys’ offensive struggles ‘real personal’ – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com With Dak Prescott out for the season, CeeDee Lamb has to step up as the leader on offense. “We were moving the ball up and down the field, but I feel like it’s been our thing all season of getting in the red zone and not scoring,” Lamb said. “Obviously, good teams do it, and we have been failing to do that, and it differentiates the score a lot.” The Cowboys have trailed by 20 or more points in their last six homes games dating back to their loss to Green Bay in the playoffs at the end of last season, an NFL record. With that, Lamb knows his team needs to play better together in order to avoid more big losses, much less on their home turf. “Obviously, everybody is looking to embarrass us, they have their opportunity, when they do, they try to put us out, Lamb said. “We had so much success over the last three years as far as in the regular season… for us, we’ve got to find ways to gel together, play together and finish this thing out.” In the first half, the Cowboys defense gave up 17 points but strung together a turnover and gave the offense
Murphy’s Law: Lessons learned in Cowboys’ 34-10 Week 11 loss to Texans
Mike McCarthy’s game plan stunk Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Cowboys have turned to backup quarterback Cooper Rush over the last few years to help them keep their heads above water, and the veteran has played fairly well. With Rush, the key has been to run the ball and stay in down and distances where he doesn’t need to do too much. That’s the game plan to keep the offense on track with Rush under center, and it’s worked when the script is followed. Against the Texans, the game plan was putrid. Despite the contest being close until the fourth quarter, McCarthy pass-heavy approach did his team in. Starting running back Rico Dowdle had only nine rushes heading into the last 15 minutes, while Rush totaled with 55 pass attempts. Despite some ineffectiveness in the running game early, Dowdle never got a chance to find a rhythm, which was a curious strategy after saying all week how the veteran RB had earned a bigger role. With McCarthy deciding to throw it so much, it aided the Texans’ pass rush, who sacked Rush five times. Even if the game plan was to throw more, that idea should’ve gone out the window with the poor throws from Rush, who was only intercepted once, but could’ve been picked off five more times. Rush did throw for a career-high 354 yards, but McCarthy’s game plan wasn’t smart, nor was it effective, and it caught up with the team in the end. Kind of like McCarthy’s tenure as coach of the Cowboys. Zack Martin’s cooked Sam Hodde/Getty Images Fas have seen Martin play poorly more times this season than during the rest of his career combined, and he was embarrassed late in the game. Martin might be trying to fight through some injuries, but it’s clear he’s shot. Martin gave up one of the worst sacks of his career in the fourth quarter when he was beaten by defensive tackle Tim Settle. It was third sack this season where Martin hasn’t looked anything like the dominant right guard he’s been known as in his 11 years in the league. A few plays later, Martin went down with an injury and didn’t return. It was clear on Martin’s face how disappointed he was, either by his play or the injuries that are affecting him. Either way, Martin’s time as one of the league’s best players appears to be over. If it wasn’t clear before Monday Night Football, it was obvious in the Week 11 loss. KaVontae Turpin’s speed needs to be utilized Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports One of the biggest missing pieces to the Cowboys’ offense is speed, and the diminutive kick returner, who is sometimes disguised as a wide receiver, needs to be utilized more. Turpin’s acceleration and quickness was on display during his 64-yard yard touchdown catch, where he hit a speed of over 22 mph, a high for the NFL this season. The sudden movement to fake outside before going inside was a beautiful route from Turpin, who then had no problem eating up the space between defenders and going for the score. The Cowboys need more of that type of explosiveness in their offense, and no one has that speed on the team except for Turpin. He doesn’t need to be used as a deep ball threat, but the Cowboys have to find ways to get Turpin open in space so he can use his speed and elusiveness to make big plays. Murphy’s Law continues Sam Hodde/Getty Images For the Cowboys, this season can be summed up in two ways in the loss to the Texans. The first microcosm of how Dallas’ year has gone was in the third quarter. With the team down 10 points, McCarthy sent out his best player, kicker Brandon Aubrey, who missed a short field goal on the possession earlier after slipping on a field goal attempt. That didn’t dissuade McCarthy from using Aubrey to try a 64-yard kick, which Aubrey nailed to make the score 20-13. The Cowboys would’ve been down just one score. However, a penalty by the Texans gave the Cowboys a chance to put more than just three points on the board, and the offense drove into the red zone. But on fourth-and-2, the designed sprint out for Rush failed as the pass fell incomplete and Dallas turned the ball over on downs, still trailing by two scores, and not just the seven points they wouldv’e been down by if there was no penalty. On the next series, Rush was strip sacked. Left tackle Tyler Guyton recovered and tried to run with the ball instead of going down to retain possession. The result was a second fumble which was returned for a touchdown by the Texans. The Cowboys were then down 27-10, and the game was essentially over. Only the Cowboys could fumble twice on the same play and give up a score. The offensive line is atrocious Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Cowboys might have the worst offensive line in the league, and the injury status from Week 11 didn’t help. Three OL pieces left the game in the loss, but it didn’t matter, the unit wasn’t playing well before the injuries. Rush was sacked five times, was hurried all night and the offensive line couldn’t open up holes in the running game. It was a discouraging effort from Dallas’ offensive line, who continues to regress, which shouldn’t be the case with two rookies who should be improving. Additionally, the struggles of right tackle Terence Steele and Martin not playing well didn’t help. It’s clear offensive line coach Mike Solari isn’t doing a good job, and he should be held more accountable. Week 11 was another putrid outing for the Cowboys’ offensive line.
Cowboys vs. Commanders: Washington hoping to learn from recent adversity
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Taking a look at the Commanders side of things. Dan Quinn Provides Positive Update Regarding Commanders’ CB Marshon Lattimore – Kade Kimble, Sports Illustrated Washington is hoping for the debut of their newly-acquired Pro Bowl cornerback. The Washington Commanders acquired four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints at the trade deadline. He’s yet to suit up in a Commanders jersey, though, having missed the past two games with a hamstring injury that’s lingering from his time in the Big Easy. The Commanders, surprisingly, have lost those two games — coming against stout teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. While the two losses are tough, Washington now has a chance to prove themselves and come away with a big victory. They’ll need Lattimore in the secondary to help them do such. On Monday, Washington head coach Dan Quinn provided an update on Lattimore, claiming they are “trending in a really strong way” with the star defensive back. It’s no shock Lattimore was held out of the team’s second match since his arrival. They were on a short week, so it made sense for him to take extra time to get healthy. A fully healthy Commanders squad is going to be quite dangerous, though a loss to the Eagles makes it seem as if they will have to earn an at-large playoff bid in the Wild Card rounds. They’ve got to prove they can take a punch like two straight losses and course-correct under the leadership of a rookie quarterback. With No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels at the helm, Washington should be able to get back on track, though, and Kliff Kingsbury’s offense will get back to putting big points on the board while Lattimore bolsters the defense. What’s happened to the Commanders’ offense? – ESPN Has it become time to worry about Washington’s offensive output? ASHBURN, Va. — The start of the Washington Commanders’ 2024 season could be summed up with one question: Where did this come from? Their last four games, however, have led to quite another: What’s happened to the offense? In those four games, the Commanders have not exhibited the same explosive attack that helped them build up a 7-2 NFC-East leading record. And after suffering consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, Washington faces questions about where the unit is headed. Over the first seven games of the season, Washington ranked third in scoring at 30.1 points per game and fourth in yards at 384.1. Over the past four, the Commanders are 14th in points (22.5) and 19th in yards (336.3). In between, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels injured his rib in the first quarter of the Commanders’ Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He didn’t return until the following game, an 18-15 victory over the Chicago Bears. “I don’t think anyone is hitting the panic button, but at the same time there’s a lot to improve on,” said tight end Zach Ertz. “There’s a lot of urgency that goes with that.” The good news for the Commanders: Of their final six games this season, five are against teams that rank 20th or worse in scoring defense. The only game that doesn’t fall into this category is their rematch against Philadelphia. Thus far, Washington has played five games against teams ranked 23rd or worse. The Commanders have averaged 31 points in those games; they also scored 42 against Arizona, which currently ranks 11th in scoring. “In the NFL, that’s what happens around this time. Once you reach the midpoint, teams figure out a little bit and you’re not a surprise to anybody,” right tackle Andrew Wylie said. “We’ve got all the confidence in the world in the staff and players. We’ll continue to dial it up and get it done.” Dan Quinn Spotlights Growth Through Commanders Struggles – Joanne Coley, Yardbarker.com Adversity is a good thing if you want to succeed. The Washington Commanders might be stuck in a two-game losing streak, but head coach Dan Quinn isn’t letting the team lose focus on the bigger picture. As the team navigates these challenging times, Quinn believes the hard times are a part of the journey and that the Commanders should keep focused on growth, connection, and what’s ahead, even as the team weathers the storm. “Well, it is going to come, the adversity part,” Quinn acknowledged. Every team hits rough patches, but for him, it’s about seeing the silver lining. “And there’s some things that have sped up our development as a team. That’s this connection that the guys have spoken about.” That bond between players keeps this Washington team together, even when the wins aren’t coming as every Sunday. Quinn isn’t sugarcoating things, though. The Commanders have struggled to close out tight games, and he knows that’s where the growth has to happen. “There’s also one thing you can’t speed up, and that’s the hard lessons,” he explained. “Learning how to win close games and late ones and ugly wins and playing left-handed and all these lessons that come from that.” For Quinn, those experiences shape the team into something bigger than their current record. “What I do love about our team is that we’re never out of it,” Quinn said. “And maybe after the first game of the season, that would’ve been something, but since that space, we haven’t won them all. But to know that these guys are down for the fight and they’re a resilient group into those spaces.” Quinn’s faith in his players has remained strong. He knows the journey is just as important as the destination. The Commanders might not be there yet, but they’re building something real.
Good, Bad, Ugly: Points off the board, fake punt failure, double fumble trouble among Cowboys’ Week 11 woes
The Cowboys seemingly have no answers for how to salvage anything positive from their 2024 season. In dropping their fifth straight game 34-10 to the Houston Texans, they still managed to find new ways to be inept, starting before the opening kickoff when they couldn’t even get the stadium open without it turning into a near-catastrophe. Several familiar bugaboos were back, with penalties, turnovers, injuries, poorly-executed trickery, and questionable game management decisions all factoring heavily into the outcome… and therefore showing up in this week’s recap of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the game. But that doesn’t even count the wacky stuff that no one’s ever seen before in an NFL game. As usual, there were a scant few silver-lining moments for those who looked hard enough. Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin, for example, flashed individual highlights… although only one of them counted in the end. Here’s a full reckoning of what went right, what went wrong, and what went off the rails. It’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 11. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Good: Getting a do-over on opening play The pre-game self-destruction of the stadium should have served as something of an omen, because things almost came crashing down in a hurry for Dallas once the game actually kicked off. On the very first play from scrimmage, Texans wide receiver Nico Collins took a short pass and promptly left the building, racing 77 yards to the end zone. The Cowboys were trailing just 16 seconds into the game… until they weren’t anymore. Thank you, Laremy Tunsil. The Houston tackle, the most penalized man in the NFL this season, got flagged for being too far downfield, bringing the ball all the way back and giving the Dallas defense a chance to start the game a second time… Bad: Defensive play after that do-over Too bad they didn’t capitalize on the gift. Mazi Smith gave the Texans that five yards right back with a holding call on the very next snap, which only helped to kickstart the Texans offense. Five plays later, Joe Mixon blew through the heart of the Cowboys defense, going untouched on a 45-yard run to give Houston an only-slightly-belated one-touchdown lead. Another of the marquee running backs to change teams this past offseason (the Texans got him for just a seventh-round pick), Mixon finished the night with 109 yards and three scores on 20 carries. Ugly: Another fake punt failure Oops, they did it again. After a Week 9 fake punt in Atlanta failed miserably, the Cowboys special teams unit dialed it up again on their opening drive Monday. Bryan Anger actually connected on this throw, but Juanyeh Thomas got dropped five yards shy of the sticks to give Houston the ball, already in field goal territory and with a 7-0 lead. The play call prompted Dak Prescott to throw up his hands in disbelief as he watched from an upstairs box. Special teams coordinator Fassel said Monday that the players on the field checked to the fake themselves based on cues they’ve been coached to look for. Maybe so, but this one smacked of desperation. Good: Defensive turns away Texans after fake punt Somehow, turning the ball over to the Texans on the Dallas 33 didn’t end up costing the Cowboys as the defense stood tall and engineered an all-too-rare turnover. Rather than try a 48-yard field goal to extend their lead, the Texans opted to go for it on 4th-and-3. Trying to hook up with Collins once again, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud instead found Cowboys safety Malik Hooker for an easy interception. It was just the Cowboys’ ninth takeaway of the season and helped keep things close for a little while longer Monday night. Bad: Wiping away Aubrey’s bomb, then bombing Putting up under 19 points per game (and averaging just 14 per outing over the current losing skid), the Cowboys are arguably in no position to be taking points off the board, regardless of the circumstances. Yet they elected to negate Brandon Aubrey’s latest long-distance sniper shot, a 64-yarder which oh-so-briefly turned the game into a one-score affair in the closing minutes of the third quarter. The thinking was to take the 15 free penalty yards, extend a good drive, and come away with seven instead of three. Except the Cowboys proceeded to put together a near-comical series of plays that included a fumbled snap, a pass that hit Texans safety Calen Bullock in the hands and should have been a 93-yard pick-six, a holding penalty on Luke Schoonmaker, and an off-target fourth-down pass attempt to newcomer Jonathan Mingo that failed and gave the ball back to the Texans inside their own 10. The result? Almost five minutes of possession wasted… and zero points. The Cowboys stayed locked at 10 all the way through the final gun. Ugly: O-linemen trying to be ball carriers When the book of the 2024 Cowboys story is finally- and mercifully- closed, perhaps no play will encapsulate the whole head-shaking ordeal more fully then this one. First-round draft pick Tyler Guyton (pressed into starting service this season before he was perhaps ready, thanks to the offseason departure of Tyron Smith), allowed defensive end Derek Barnett to slip in behind Cooper Rush and knock the ball out of his hands. Suddenly with no one to block, Guyton had the ball end up in his hands. And the 322-pound rookie decided to take off running with it through traffic. Safety Jalen Pitre punched the ball away from Guyton; Barnett scooped it up and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. Yes, only the 2024 Cowboys could manage to lose two fumbles on the same play. The blooper-reel moment also marked back-to-back games in which a Cowboys offensive lineman tried to inexplicably recover a loose ball while on the run rather than simply fall on it. Good: Turpin goes turbo mode KaVontae Turpin has been one of the few bright spots for the team this season.
Cowboys vs. Texans: The good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 11
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images It was bad all around for the Dallas Cowboys once again in Week 11. The embarrassment continues for the Dallas Cowboys. They moved to 3-7 on the season after Monday night’s 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans and are performing like one of the worst teams in the league right now. With the way the schedule plays out the next few weeks, we can probably expect the losses to continue to pile up. Sadly, there’s not a lot to look forward to the rest the season for the Cowboys. The poor play continues throughout the roster, but there are a few individual players worth keeping track of the rest the season. While it’s probably difficult to look on the bright side of things right now, there was some good mixed in with the bad and ugly from this Week 11 loss. THE GOOD – 2025 NFL Draft positioning The 34-10 loss to the Texans was the Cowboys fifth consecutive losing effort. While that normally would be viewed as a negative, as far as draft positioning is concerned it’s actually a good thing. If the season were to end today, Dallas would hold the ninth overall pick in the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft. This would be the first time since 2016 they had a pick in the Top 10. With the way things are going it wouldn’t be at all surprising if their draft positioning continues to improve as long as they continue losing. THE BAD – Injuries continue to pile up Injuries continued to pile up for the Cowboys in the losing effort against the Texans Monday night. Jake Ferguson, Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Zack Martin, and Markquese Bell all exited the game early and didn’t return leaving their availability for next week’s game up in the air right now. This is simply a beat up team right now and one that is running out of bodies to insert into the starting lineup each week. With the brutal schedule ahead and the short turnaround each week, the health of this team is a major concern. THE UGLY – Cooper Rush playing over Trey Lance Cooper Rush completed 32 of 55 passes for 354 yards and one touchdown on Monday Night Football in the losing effort against the Texans. While it was good to see him spread the ball around and see some success in the passing game, the question remains why he continues to get the nod as the starter over Trey Lance. With nothing left to play for the rest of the season this is a perfect opportunity to see what the young QB can do and whether or not he’s worth trying to keep around as Dak Prescott’s backup for next season.
Cowboys day after thoughts from Texans loss: The bottom still feels far away
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Everything about the Dallas Cowboys right now feels terrible in the worst possible way. The Dallas Cowboys have had a 20-or-more-point deficit in six straight games at home. Read that again, take a second and really think about it. Does that sound impossible? Doing anything for six consecutive games feels impossible. If you took out a parlay on any one event, even something like kicking a field goal, for six consecutive games you would probably have pretty interesting odds. Establishing a deficit of at least 20 points in six straight games all in your home building is a different kind of horror that only we are getting to experience. Seriously, it is only us. The Cowboys set the NFL record for this sorcery last week when they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and extended it on Monday night when they lost to the Houston Texans. At the moment the Cowboys are more than just a bad football team. They are a bad operation, a bad franchise and a bad culture. Here is the state of how we view things one day after their latest bit of humiliation. That there are still 7 more games of this mess feels impossible You did not misread that. The Dallas Cowboys have played in 10 games to date and have a staggering seven to go. Obviously we have said variations of this statement many times over this calendar year, but normally the time that we are in the middle of (Thanksgiving is next week!) is full of so much joy or at the very least hope (even if it is misplaced) regarding this team. Right now there is only chaos, dysfunction, brokenness, annoyance and frustration in every single direction. That there are seven games left of this “ride” feels not only impossible, but cruel. How can anyone stomach having to watch this for almost two more months?! We have all experienced lost seasons before with the Cowboys, but for the most part they each at least had elements that were clearly being used as building blocks for the future. With so much contaminant in the water right now it is hard to look at anything as something that we are excited about carrying into the future. Maybe that is because the future is and feels so unknown, but it is true nevertheless. We may not have even seen the actual bottom of this thing yet This team has set and grown an NFL record for most consecutive games at home that featured a 20-point deficit? The limit for dysfunction that they can reach does not exist. Seriously though, recall that the score to this game was 17-10 at halftime. In a technical and literal sense, the Cowboys were in it. Heck, it sort of seemed like they had a modicum of a chance as the third quarter wore on. They lost 34-10! It happened in the blink of an eye, seemingly. Not to take away from a team that just handled the Cowboys with ease, but Dallas just lost to a sort of average group and by 24 points. What happens when the Cowboys play the Commanders on Sunday? Or a Bengals team that stands taller than them? What about when they visit the Eagles? Can the Commanders end the regular season for Dallas with no home wins on the season? It has been said that when the bough breaks the cradle will fall, but could it be that the bough is only bending at this point? This team is nowhere near done embarrassing us. Name one thing this team does well, because I don’t think you can Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images To be clear, I am seriously asking what is something that the Dallas Cowboys do well? If you were any other NFL team in this season and you could swap any one thing out with the way that the Cowboys do it, what would that thing be? Brandon Aubrey? Is that the thing? Assuming this is the case, even Aubrey had a miss in this game! He also had a 64-yard field goal that the team (correctly in my opinion) took off of the board, but it’s a struggle to lengthen the list here. For a team that features the highest-paid player in the game, one of the top-paid wide receivers, one of the most feared pass rushers alive and that collectively won 36 games over the last three seasons, is it not super shocking that we can’t really name one thing that they do that is envied by their contemporaries? Obviously injuries are a part of the problem and impact this, but that is quite the indictment on how far back everyone involved has regressed.
Mike McCarthy Replacement Rankings Week 12: Kellen Moore enters the chat
It’s at this point of the season where fans and media have to start thinking outside the box. The season is nowhere near being over, yet it already is. The Dallas Cowboys are now 3-7, losers of five in a row, winless at home and having a worse point differential than most of the teams that somehow have a worse record. The club currently sits with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 draft’s first round and are just one day into a three-game-in-10-day span that has a chance to guarantee a losing record before the calendar turns to December. And with that is the stark realization that the watch this website has been on since January is officially in Go Time Mode. Mike McCarthy will be replaced and likely by someone who has been talked about on these pages. Several outlets have finally caught up to what Cowboys Wire has been doing in earnest for a month now. Often imitated, never duplicated. One thought that has arisen that wasn’t there before. What if Jerry Jones chooses to be new by revisiting the past? One name that is rarely discussed but probably should be is the former heir apparent Kellen Moore. Moore was Jason Garrett 2.0; brought in to the coaching staff as a wunderkind who the Jones family thought a lot of. He carried over as offensive coordinator from Garrett to McCarthy. Being shown the door in 2023 after a playoff failure as McCarthy vowed taking back over play calling would take the offense to a new level. It did, for a year, before bottoming out in 2024, even before all of the injuries hit. Meanwhile Moore attached himself to Brandon Staley’s sinking ship in L.A. for a year, but has revitalized his reputation thanks to Saquon Barkley’s arrival in Phiadelphia. The Eagles are sitting at 8-2 with an offense that is focusing on running to set up the pass. Could Moore saving the Eagles’ offense from the misery that was their 2023 season be enough to have him back in the head coach conversation? He joins our Honorable Mention list as we rank 20 candidates who could replace McCarthy. Honorable Mentions: Dan Pritchard, Cincinnati Bengals OC Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks OC Adam Stenovich, Green Bay Packers OC Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers, DC Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers, DC Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos, DC Lincoln Riley, USC, HC Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles, OC University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; rGeorgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart reacts after the 2023 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports The best collegiate head coach since Nick Saban.. he likely makes way too much ($13 million per year) coaching at his alma mater to move, but there’s no process that is sane without at least kicking the tires on the possibility. Minnesota VIkings DC Brian Flores Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches from the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Will Flores get another shot at a head coach gig? He was dumped by the Dolphins in their owner’s “I’m rich I can do what I want” attempt to lure Sean Payton and Tom Brady to South Beach. The revelation about trying to have a coach to tank games may have pulled the curtain back on the innerworkings of the league, but it likely didn’t do Flores much favor. What has though, is the job he’s done righting the ship in Minnesota with their defense. Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith Nov 2, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith at press conference at the PSD Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Grabbing from a fruitful tree is always a wise idea, and snatching Smith from under Mike McDaniel as part of the Kyle Shanahan limb system seems like a wise call. Dallas rarely uses motion at the snap and isn’t particularly good at it; and that’s literally the forte of Smith. Doesn’t currently have play-calling duties though, which could be seen as a knock. Former NFL head coach Mike Vrabel Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel reacts to a Titans penalty against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Vrabel was fired by owner Amy Adams Strunk Monday after having two losing seasons back-to-back. Vrabel is a defensive-minded head coach who was able to achieve strong levels of success in Tennessee with a veteran QB who wasn’t well regarded (Ryan Tannehill) prior to their time together. Known as a disciplinarian, pairing him with Dak Prescott would require finding the next big thing as offensive coordinator. Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick Sep 30, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports For better or worse, the clubhouse leader. Belichick is a huge Prescott fan, Jerry Jones is a huge supporter of retreads and it would be interesting to see if given a competent front office… oh wait. Lions DC Aaron Glenn Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches practice during OTAs at Detroit Lions headquarters and practice facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Glenn obviously has ties to Dallas, playing two of his 15 seasons with the organization, but the growth of the Lions’ defense under his tutelage has been impressive on its own. In 2020 they ranked 32nd in defensive DVOA. Since Glenn joined they moved to 29th, 27th, 13th and ranked 2nd going into Week 12 action. He’s consistently being highlighted by their players as a phenomenal leader of men. Comanders OC Kliff Kingsbury Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the
2024 NFL Week 12 Power Rankings: Cowboys among the very worst teams in football
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Dallas Cowboys are one of the very worst team in the entire NFL. We have reached the final week before Thanksgiving which means that serious football is being played left and right. This is true for just about everyone else other than the Dallas Cowboys. It’s hard to believe that the Cowboys have gone six straight games at home where they have fallen into a 20-point deficit of a hole. That just sounds so impossible. But that is what this season has offered us. We are witnessing the impossibly bad on a weekly basis and it never, ever stops. Such is the case with the latest batch of our power rankings and how outlets across the NFL view America’s Team. We are in the dark ages, my friends. You can view last week’s rankings right here. 1 – Detroit Lions (LW: 1) They are so good that we know this season is going to end one of two ways. Either the Lions steamroll everyone and win it all or they have the most painful loss we have ever seen in the playoffs. 2 – Buffalo Bills (LW: 3) Maybe this is finally the year? It doesn’t seem like Bills fans feel that way just because they knocked off the Chiefs, but it remains true nonetheless. Buffalo knows the real test comes in January and at the very least they appear prepared for it. 3 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 5) It is such a bummer that they are so reliably good again. Saquon has changed everything about how they close games. It is impressive to watch which sucks. Blah. 4 – Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 2) I’d imagine that your first loss coming on November 17th is a pretty solid feeling, but when you are Kansas City your expectations are different from everyone else. They will be fine. No worries here. 5 – Green Bay Packers (LW: 9) It seems like they are playing with fire a little bit and not necessarily a reliably good team. They have a huge matchup this week, but ultimately they are definitely a playoff squad. 6 – Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 11) How are they doing this?! Mike Tomlin is so impressive. Russell Wilson deserves his props. Everything about the operation is just first class and I envy that so much. 7 – Baltimore Ravens (LW: 4) When they are on they are almost impossible to beat. It is just a matter of them being on in the most important moments as evidenced by last week. 8 – Washington Commanders (LW: 6) Was last week the beginning of their return back to earth? This may be true in the grand scheme, but with the Cowboys coming up they will feel tall once again soon enough. 9 – Minnesota Vikings (LW: 7) Obviously they won, but they do seem to be losing a little bit of luster as November moves on. I am not prepared to doubt Kevin O’Connell, but this is a team worth watching. 10 – Houston Texans (LW: 12) They won and I am in no way bitter about it. But they played with their food against a really bad Cowboys team. I don’t know that that totally screams contender. 11 – Arizona Cardinals (LW: 10) My Cardinals are back from the bye and ready to dance. 12 – Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 15) Sunday night was impressive, even if they tried their best to ruin it. Justin Herbert was masterful and if he plays like that they have a legit chance. 13 – San Francisco 49ers (LW: 8) Of course the year that they fade away is the one that the Cowboys are nowhere near competing. Also any 49ers fans wanting to get rid of Kyle Shanahan are being silly. 14 – Denver Broncos (LW: 18) Look at Sean Payton go! This team is sort of interesting. The most impressive thing has to be how they are developing Bo Nix. What a turnaround. 15 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 13) Welcome back from the bye here as well. 16 – Los Angeles Rams (LW: 17) To this point I don’t have any real passionate stance on the Rams. They exist and are fine, but they are mostly boring and not a real factor. 17 – Seattle Seahawks (LW: 19) Kudos to Geno Smith for getting it done late and in the clutch. Seattle is always fun. 18 – Indianapolis Colts (LW: 23) The last few weeks have been rather volatile, but what a moment for Anthony Richardson even if it was against the lowly Jets. Perhaps the future does in fact exist. 19 – Atlanta Falcons (LW: 14) Just when we started to trust this group a little bit they completely and totally collapsed. Atlanta will still probably win the NFC South, but what more beyond that? Not much, I imagine. 20 – Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 16) It is such a shame how poor their record is. They are playing some really great football, but coupling it with horrible football in the most important moments. That is not an ideal combination. 21 – New England Patriots (LW: 20) They exist. That’s all. They just exist nowadays. 22 – New Orleans Saints (LW: 24) It turns out firing your head coach who was not very good does in fact lead to a bump in team morale. Who knew?! 23 – Carolina Panthers (LW: 21) They have won more games (1) than the Cowboys have since trading away Jonathan Mingo. 24 – Tennessee Titans (LW: 22) Do we consider this a lost year or a rebuilding one for Tennessee? They have always been a little significant, but wow they are there right now. 25 – Cleveland Browns (LW: 25) At least they lose in weird ways to make things interesting. 26 – Miami Dolphins (LW: 26) They have quietly won two games in a row, but I maintain that Mike McDaniel takes no heat whatsoever for the team’s subpar performances
What went wrong for the Cowboys in 34-10 loss to the Texans
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Texans had no issues on Monday night, because why would they have? Ahead of Monday night’s game, it was reported that a large piece of sheet metal had fallen from the roof of AT&T Stadium. It represented how everything has come crashing down for the Dallas Cowboys this season. No Dak Prescott, as he officially went on injured reserve before the game. As the Cowboys fell 34-10 to the Houston Texans, they dropped to 3-7 and are still winless at home as the season continues to crumble down, just like the stadium’s roof. In another excruciating home loss that saw the stadium overran by Texans fans while the Cowboys fans left in disgust, here’s what went wrong for the Cowboys. Defensive Miscommunication The Cowboys wanted to send a message by elevating many young players for Monday’s game to the active roster. Caelen Carson was benched in favor of Josh Butler, yet it didn’t matter. New players, same results. The Cowboys ushering new players into the lineup only continued communication issues on defense and permitted wide-open rush lanes for Joe Mixon, who dominated the trenches, running for over 100 yards and three scores. In the back half of the defense, much was the same. Dallas played a lot of zone coverages versus Houston, and on several occasions, whether it was the linebackers or Israel Mukuamu, the player in the back seven were not on the same page. Houston’s receivers could run through zones without being re-routed, which permitted wide open windows for C.J. Stroud. Stroud completed passes to eight different receivers and was comfortable enough to choose his spots, while the secondary struggled to pass off receivers effectively. Poor pass protection First, we must acknowledge that Cooper Rush was placed in an unenviable position. Even though the Cowboys trailed, 55 attempts for Cooper Rush isn’t what a player of his caliber is best suited for. We’ve seen him succeed starting in place of Prescott, but he has never been asked to shoulder that much of the offensive burden as he was against Houston. It’s clear from Monday’s game that he’s not comfortable playing behind the Cowboys offensive line that suddenly is riddled with injuries. The pressure from Houston’s defense forced him to be skittish in the pocket and have poor footwork, as many of his throws were rushed. Rush was sacked six times and had ten of his passes defended. Houston was in Rush’s face constantly, severely impacting his accuracy and timing with his receivers, forcing him to throw before he was ready, and the Texans’ secondary was tight in coverage, especially on short to intermediate passes. Also, Rush’s passes were often errant. Several of his passes missed the mark, were wide of his receivers, and put them in harm’s way. According to Next Gen Stats, Rush was about 10% below his expected completion percentage, mainly due to a lack of protection. Having him throw as much as possible didn’t do him any favors, but his protection is where a lot of it started. Trying to play hero ball To an extent, having Rush throw as much as he did is a byproduct of a team not playing within themselves. The first sign of Dallas trying to win the game with guts versus their brains was the decision to attempt a fake punt from their 33-yard line in a 7-0 game. Needing nine yards for the first down, Bryan Anger threw a pass well short of the line to gain to Juanyeh Thomas, who was tackled short of the markers for a turnover on downs. It didn’t hurt the Cowboys then because they intercepted Stroud on the ensuing drive—still, a very head-scratching decision. Later in the game, Dallas was trailing by ten. Head coach Mike McCarthy passed up points after Brandon Aubrey nailed a 64-yard field goal after Derek Barnett’s penalty awarded the Cowboys a new set of downs. On the drive, numerous throws slipped out of the hands of Houston defenders as if to foreshadow that Dallas would not score on this sequence. Ultimately, they didn’t, as Dallas failed to convert on fourth and short from deep inside the red zone and they came away empty-handed. Instead of going for it on fourth down, Dallas could have taken the short field goal and only trailed by seven points and still very much been in the game until one more sequence sealed their fate. DEREK BARNETT TOUCHDOWN : ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/TjHVGp4Fv9 — Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 19, 2024 This is just an example of wanting to do too much. Tyler Guyton is a rookie, and he’d be the first to admit he’s still learning and needs to be more consistent in pass protection. Yet, on this play, it goes from bad to catastrophic. He missed the block on Barnett leading to the strip-sack, recovered the fumble, but unfortunately is leveled by a Texans defender when trying to extend the play before fumbling again, Barnett scoops it up and returns it for a touchdown. It was a full comedy of errors occurring in one quick, deflating sequence. However, what is no laughing matter is that Guyton was injured on this play and had to leave the game, adding injury to insult and what could have been circumvented by living to fight another down. Dallas’ desperation is starting to show, and it’s not looking pretty.
