This Cowboys specialist has punched his ticket to Pro Bowl in Week 12 K.D. Drummond It hasn’t been a particularly fun season for the Dallas Cowboys and their players. Starting out 3-2, the club lost several contributors over the first month of the season and that led to a cascading record that turned into 3-7. Along that five-game slide, QB Dak Prescott was lost for the year and the season went down the drain. From an individual perspective it becomes hard for players to stand out amongst the sullenness of the organization, but Sunday’s electrifying win allowed one player in particular to emerge from the doldrums. Return specialist and (unfortunately only) part-time receiver Kavontae Turpin punched his ticket to the Pro Bowl. VOTE FOR THE PRO BOWL HERE In the game’s fourth quarter, Dallas extended their lead to 20-9 when Cooper Rush found Jake Ferguson wide open over the middle for a 22-yard score. Cowboys fans are used to the bottom falling out from under any positive play, and sure enough the Commanders offense woke up and they quickly marched down the field to score their own touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff with three minutes remaining and a 20-17 advantage, Washington’s Austin Seibert kicked it off to Turpin in the field of play at the five-yard line. Turpin muffed it; the ball squirted through his hands and legs to the goal line. But then, magic. Turpin scooped up the ball at the one, turned back upfield and saw magic in the middle. He went into Madden spin mode at the nine-yard line and it was dust. Turpin has long been the victim of opposing teams not kicking in his direction. After returning this punt for a touchdown opening week, it’s been a ton of frustration as kickers are choosing hang time instead of distance to make sure he doesn’t get a good opportunity to embarrass them. Turpin’s opportunities are limited. He has only returned 31 on the season and has now scored twice, and is the only NFL returner with both a kick and punt return score this season. Turpin is actually the only player in the NFL with a kick, punt and catch touchdown each at least 60 yards, and has three plays where he’s reached speeds that rank in the top 10 across the league. Starting to be mentioned with some of the best return men in NFL history through less than three seasons, Turpin is a lock to make this year’s Pro Bowl and it’s only Week 12. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Micah Parsons says Cowboys are not ‘tanking’ despite disappointing season
Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images Micah Parsons displayed true leadership after the Cowboys beat the Commanders. The Dallas Cowboys did something on Sunday that they haven’t done since early October. They won a football game. In a contest filled with a plethora of special teams blunders, the Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders 34-26 to improve to 4-7 on the season, which ended a five-game losing streak. With the season the Cowboys are having, plus the amount of injuries they’ve piled up, it’s caused a lot of fans to want the team to pretty much take their foot off the gas and get the highest draft pick possible, or ‘tank’ as it’s referred to. Well, All-Pro Micah Parsons let it be known that he isn’t thinking that way, nor will he let anyone else. I’m not done yet. I don’t plan on tanking. If the higher-ups are looking for a draft pick, I hope that’s ruined, because we got a lot of football left to play. As long as I’m a part of this team, we’re always going to fight. Parsons words will deflate certain fans, but he is concerned about his team. He, along with his teammates, still have a job to do, and it’s one that they get paid millions of dollars to do. Yes, regardless of how people talk about football, it’s a job, and they are required to give their best effort when it’s time to perform. Plus, players are playing for their livelihoods in some cases. They can’t just mail it in and roll over. It’s not an option. On top of all of that, there’s a pride thing that comes with playing football or sports in general. When you truly love it, giving up won’t suffice because real athletes aren’t wired that way. Who wants to keep getting beat week after week after week? No one does. It makes perfect sense that Parsons feels the way that he does, especially after missing four games with a high ankle sprain. These guys train together, practice together, and play games together every week. They want to win not just for themselves but for the guys that are in the foxhole with them. Tanking It’s something that’s fun for fans to joke about. However, players simply can’t think that way. It disrespects all the hard work that has to be put into being a player in the NFL or what it takes for a team to win. Parsons comment showed true leadership, and it’s the exact mindset you want for a player of his caliber to have.
Cowboys hand Commanders, former DC Dan Quinn 3rd straight loss in wild NFC East battle
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images The 26 points allowed by the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 12 visit to the Washington Commanders would have been enough to lose all but their season opening 33-17 win at the Browns. The final six of these 26 could have very well been seven to tie the game with 33 seconds left after Terry McLaurin’s 86-yard touchdown, but Austin Seibert missed his second PAT of the game to preserve a one-point Cowboys lead. With the Commanders down to a final onside kick attempt, the Cowboys special teams group came up with one more game-changing play as safety Juanyeh Thomas not only recovered the kick but returned it up the middle of the field for a touchdown. While this gave the Commanders the ball back still within striking distance down by eight, they had time for just two plays with the game ending on another down-the-roster safety Israel Mukuamu intercepting Jayden Daniels’ last heave of the game. There hasn’t been much to smile about for the Cowboys this season, who came into this divisional matchup on a five-game losing streak, but playing their closest thing to a complete game in a while to earn their fourth win and hand former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn his third straight loss is one of them. They will continue NFC East play in just four days on Thanksgiving against the New York Giants after improving their division record to 2-1 with a wild 34-26 win over the Commanders. Still far outside of the NFC playoff picture, McCarthy’s team is looking for any signs of positivity over the final months of the season. They now have a resilient win sparked by plenty of depth players that gives them a real chance to improve to 3-1 against their closest rivals by the end of Week 13. In a division that is going to have a non-repeat winner for the 20th season in a row this year, the Cowboys can try to stake their claim that they’ll be the team to extend this streak to 21 next season. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images The Cowboys won this game without Zack Martin, Trevon Diggs, and Tyler Smith who all played last week, as well as Brandin Cooks and DeMarcus Lawrence who continue to be key missing pieces on both sides of the ball. Dallas did so by scoring 31 points in the second half, which is more than they scored in all of the second halves combined over their previous three-game losing streak. Jalen Tolbert’s third quarter touchdown was the first third quarter offensive touchdown of the season for the Cowboys, and their first points of any kind in the second half of a game in three weeks. The Cowboys may not be playing the complementary style that won them 12 games and the NFC East just a year ago, ignited heavily by now-Commanders head coach Dan Quinn’s opportunistic defense. Like it or not though, the 2024 Cowboys version of complementary football was on display in this win to reach 4-7. The Cowboys more than doubled Rico Dowdle’s touches with 19 carries and three catches after having just ten against the Texans, won the time of possession battle by over ten minutes, and played defense with the lead for eight possessions in the second half – forcing three three-and-outs, a forced fumble, and the game-sealing interception on five of them. The range of opinions that come out of this win may be the only thing more wild than the game itself. Many Cowboys followers have found themselves rooting for “organic tanking” in what’s felt like a lost season for a while anyway. This is not only for improving draft position, but to drive home the issue that the team’s front office will need to change their approach drastically after seeing a potentially historic amount of losses pile up in a contract season for the majority of the coaching staff including McCarthy. Now at 4-7 with another winnable game on deck, do not adjust your monitor or phone volume. That sound you hear is just GM/owner Jerry Jones using this win, the sixth in seven games for Dallas against Washington and second over that stretch won by backup QB Cooper Rush, as fuel to completely spin the direction of this season. The Cowboys did see their core players continue to play with full effort and lead the way for other depth players to follow suit and make a real claim for future roster consideration. It was yet another reshuffled cornerback group for Mike Zimmer’s defense that forced Daniels into the first multi-interception game of his career. DaRon Bland made his season debut, and was solid enough in coverage to force throws to the side of practice squad call up Josh Butler. After a mixed performance against the Texans in just his second game of the season, Butler was more ready for the challenge as he played tough at the catch point and trusted his help in coverage. This help from the safety position didn’t just come from the expected starting group of Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker, who both did play with Wilson forcing a fumble that led to Luke Schoonmaker’s touchdown, but also Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu who got looks in the secondary. The Micah Parsons effect was again felt on the defensive line, with the players around him like Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, and Chauncey Golston all flashing throughout the game. The Cowboys did well to, at bare minimum, not embarrass themselves like at other points this season, and along the way won the game by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a game. Where Thomas’ was more superficial, KaVontae Turpin made an electric play for the second week in a row by taking a fumbled kickoff that needed to be scooped up with one hand at the one-yard line 99 yards for a touchdown that pushed the Cowboys lead to ten. This was a backbreaking play for
‘The seas parted’: Cowboys’ unlikely hero could build off key TD catch
‘The seas parted’: Cowboys’ unlikely hero could build off key TD catch Todd Brock Facing 3rd-and-5 from just outside the red zone, nursing a slim 13-9 lead with five minutes and change to play, the Cowboys offense was hoping for a dagger. A field goal- no sure thing this past Sunday- would extend their margin, but it would keep Washington within a single score. The Commanders, understandably, focused on CeeDee Lamb, far and away the primary target within the Dallas passing attack all afternoon and season. Instead, Cooper Rush went a different direction, arcing a pass down the middle of the field to a wide-open Luke Schoonmaker. He had to extend his six-foot-five-inch frame and even leave his feet just to collect the throw, but the moment proved to be massive. Not just in the Week 12 win, but maybe within the tight end’s football life. “Well, the seas parted, right? I just needed to catch the ball,” he explained to reporters after the Cowboys’ thrilling 34-26 win. “Gosh, I didn’t even know what to do after that moment, but it was the best feeling.” Schoonmaker’s score- his third catch of the afternoon and the third touchdown of his career- actually marked the first touchdown reception for a Dallas tight end all season. “Someone needed to get a touchdown this year, so it was great to have that for the room.” The Michigan man implied he was doing it for his position mates: third-stringer Brevyn Spann-Ford, practice squadder Princeton Fant, and John Stephens Jr., who’s been on injured reserve since last month, as well as Jake Ferguson, the concussed starter he was subbing for on nearly two-thirds of the offense’s Week 12 snaps. “That’s what’s great about the room, is the competition and the chemistry,” Schoonmaker continued. “Every day, we’re going out there. Lunda [Wells, Cowboys tight end coach] is working us hard as ever. Just credit to him for each and every one of us, just taking the practice field to the game field, and that’s certainly helped everybody rise to the occasion and not have any dropoff at all.” But coming through in that fourth-quarter gotta-have-it moment could well prove to be a turning point in Schoonmaker’s young career trajectory. Since Ferguson went down in the first quarter of last week’s game with a concussion, Schoonmaker has been tasked with stepping up. And he’s made the most of his newfound opportunities: in 87 offensive snaps over the past two games, the 26-year-old has caught nine of 14 targets for 111 yards (by far his most productive two-game stretch as a pro)… and Sunday’s all-important score. “It’s one thing to make plays,” head coach Mike McCarthy said of Schoonmaker in his postgame press conference, “but when you start making big plays, critical plays in games, it’s a whole different level, a big chunk of confidence.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Of course, Sunday’s fourth-quarter score ended up not being the definitive death blow that the Cowboys were looking for; there were five more insane minutes of football- and another 31 points still to be rung up- before the final gun. “I didn’t even want to watch at some points,” Schoonmaker said of the final flurry of back-and-forth action. The backup tight end still wasn’t thinking of his own individual growth even after the Cowboys pulled out the improbable win; he was far more excited about the team coming together- even as a mostly-ragtag bunch of injury replacements- to snap a five-game losing streak. “That’s really what was said last night going into today, like, ‘Let’s get a win. Let’s play all together and everybody have each other’s backs, and let’s play this whole game.’ What a way to win today. Just the contribution all around was amazing.” Schoonmaker’s timely contribution was huge, and just maybe a foundation to build on for the 2023 second-round draft pick who’s been used sparingly over just 28 regular-season games. His career numbers- 25 receptions for 232 yards- certainly don’t look like those of the game’s top tight ends. He’s already labeled a bust by a contingent of the fanbase who expects every Day Two selection to be an instant star. But for right now, it’s one game, one day, one rep at a time for Schoonmaker, who was thankful that his one touchdown of 2024 came when it did. “Oh my gosh. Just to win felt amazing,” he grinned. “The fact that we won just kind of takes over everything else. That felt great. Took a little breath, and now we forge forward.” The suddenly-buoyed Cowboys… and an emerging Schoonmaker, too. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Grades for Cowboys in wild win over Commanders
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Sunday was an impressive day for the Dallas Cowboys. Well, the Dallas Cowboys managed to pull out the win on the road despite being massive underdogs to Dan Quinn and his Washington Commanders. They did so in the most bizarre fashion, too, with an explosive fourth quarter for both sides. That complicates some of the grading scales here, but it was a generally good outing across the board for Dallas. Quarterback Cooper Rush just had his best game of the year, although it isn’t exactly saying much. Still, Rush completed 75% of his passes for 247 yards, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. He also threw two touchdowns and, for the first time since becoming the starter, did not turn it over. Rush’s production wasn’t just dink-and-dunk football, either. Rush had a handful of deep shots, including one completion of 41 yards to Jalen Brooks that set up the game-tying field goal right before halftime. It wasn’t a perfect game from Rush, but it was darn near close to it. Grade: A Running backs On the whole, Rico Dowdle had a very productive game. He finished the day with 86 rushing yards on 19 carries, averaging a very healthy 4.5 yards per carry. His only real blemish was a fumble, but Dowdle had several explosive and powerful runs outside of that. Beyond Dowdle, though, the Cowboys didn’t get much production from their run game. Ezekiel Elliott put up six yards on three carries and CeeDee Lamb’s lone carry was stopped for a gain of one. Trey Lance came in for one play, a speed out to the right, and he was tackled for a loss of three. Grade: B+ Pass catchers The Cowboys made it a point to get CeeDee Lamb involved early, with five of his 12 targets on the day coming on the first two drives of the game. Lamb was productive too, with 10 catches for 67 yards and a whole host of chain-moving receptions. That opened things up for others, too. Jalen Tolbert caught a touchdown, Jalen Brooks had a huge reception, and both Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford ripped off a few big plays here and there. Still, there were several drops and plays left on the field that prevent this group from a better grade. Grade: C+ Offensive line The Commanders came into this game as a defense that wasn’t generating pressure at a very high rate but did convert those pressures to sacks at one of the best rates in the league. Then, the Cowboys ended up being down two starters at either guard spot. So the fact that Rush was only sacked once with just two knockdowns is impressive. Similarly, the offensive line did a good job of creating some holes for Dowdle, though they also got beat bad on several stuffed run plays. All things considered, it was a good day for the unit, though they can do better. Grade: B Run defense The Commanders entered this game as one of the better rushing teams in the league, which isn’t surprising with their three-headed monster of Jayden Daniels, Brian Robinson, and Austin Ekeler. But Dallas did a good job of bottling up the run, as Washington’s running backs totaled just 57 rushing yards on 17 carries. Daniels, on the other hand, was a little harder to contain. The sensational rookie quarterback led the team in rushing with 74 yards on just seven carries, though 25 of those yards came on two scrambles. On designed runs, Daniels still averaged 9.8 yards per carry, which is not exactly ideal. Grade: B Pass rush Daniels’ mobility makes him a very difficult quarterback to rush against. Only nine quarterbacks had been pressured less coming into this one than Daniels, whose ability to evade rushers has greatly helped this offense. Consider it a massive win that Dallas managed to sack Daniels four times, and they were routinely in his face with eight knockdowns. Mike Zimmer had Daniels’ head spinning in the first half, especially, with his wide variety of simulated pressure looks. This was a glimpse into the potential of this defense under Zimmer. Grade: A+ Pass coverage At long last, DaRon Bland made his season debut, and it helped the Cowboys put up a great game in the secondary. Daniels rarely went Bland’s way, instead targeting Josh Butler a ton. However, Butler was up for the challenge, forcing a handful of incompletions and very nearly coming away with an interception on a deep shot. The defense did pick Daniels off twice in this game too, though one was the result of a jarring hit from Chauncey Golston while the other came on an end-of-game Hail Mary. Still, Daniels had a hard time stretching the field the way he likes to. The only thing keeping the Cowboys from a perfect grade here is their bad coverage on the Hail Mary to Terry McLaurin. Grade: A Special teams In the first half, the special teams unit was cruising to an F grade. Brandon Aubrey’s first field goal attempt was blocked, and his second try just missed. Bryan Anger also had a punt get blocked. And Aubrey even drew a penalty at the start of the third quarter for not kicking the ball into the landing zone, which gave Washington a short field. But this unit came up big in the second half. Aubrey hit two field goals and, unlike the Commanders kicker, made all his extra points. KaVontae Turpin housed a kickoff 99 yards for a score in a pivotal moment of the game. And Juanyeh Thomas recovered an onside kick before returning it for another touchdown, icing the game. It was a very uneven game from this group, so I can’t give them a top grade, but the good definitely outweighs the bad here. Grade: B+ Coaching Mike McCarthy followed up one of his worst game plans ever with one of his best. He had Rush dealing in this game and Dowdle had
Cowboys news: Dallas pulls off upset in Week 12 with 34-26 win over Commanders
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. Cowboys win in shocking 34-26 upset over Commanders in Week 12 – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star Dallas is back in the win column. For the first time since October 6th, the headlines will read “Cowboys win.” In one of the craziest games you will ever see, Dallas pulled off a 34-26 upset over the Washington Commanders. With this wild win, the Cowboys have snapped a 5-game losing streak. That was seriously the weirdest NFL game I have seen. From the start to the finish, that was truly insane. We saw a slew of bizarre plays, turnovers, blocked kicks, a seemingly game-icing kickoff return touchdown, before a miracle touchdown and a missed extra point. At times, it felt like both teams were competing to lose this one, but you can’t knock Dallas‘ effort today. They played incredibly hard, especially on the defensive side. Mike Zimmer’s guys stood out today, and they needed to. There were no excuses this time around. This game was a circus. I have no idea what we just witnessed, but let’s dive into it. How Did That Happen? If you’re trying to piece together exactly how that Cowboys win happened, you have to start with the incredibly sloppy play by Washington. The Commanders’ offense, until the final three minutes, was brutal today; they turned it over, missed opportunities, and overall looked like a lackluster unit. For a team that has been nothing but fireworks on that side of the ball, this was a dud for 98% of the game. Game Recap: A special win, 34-26- Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com The game did not lack late-game excitement. Fourth Quarter After a trade of punts, the Cowboys got the ball to start at the 50-yard line and inched up 20 yards on six plays. They appeared to convert a third-and-9 at the Washington 35, but rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton was flagged for illegal formation for the second time in the game to negate the play. Unable to move the chains on third-and-14, Dallas settled for a 48-yard field goal from Aubrey to up their advantage to four points. Would the lead hold? In the end, it did … barely. On the Commanders’ ensuing first down, Daniels connected with tight end John Bates over the middle, but safety Donovan Wilson punched the ball loose with linebacker Eric Kendricks falling on the fumble. Five plays thereafter, the Cowboys were back in the end zone. Rush found tight end Luke Schoonmaker alone behind the defense for an easy pitch and catch, Dallas now up 20-9. Washington wasn’t done yet, though. The Commanders came right back with a nine-play, 69-yard drive that saw Daniels complete all seven of his pass attempts, the last of which was a 4-yard dart to tight end Zach Ertz for the touchdown. Daniels then ran around the right end to pick up the two-point conversion, the score narrowed to just a three-point edge. No problem, said Turpin. The speedy return man muffed Washington’s kickoff, picked up the ball, waited, executed a honey of a spin mood and then burst through the Commanders coverage unit for a 99-yard touchdown, the Cowboys now ahead 27-17. Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders: Week 12 Player of the Game- Ali Jawad, Sports Illustrated Who deserves Sunday’s game ball? Dallas took control of the game in the second half, largely thanks to quarterback Cooper Rush, who earns Week 12’s player of the game. In his third start replacing quarterback Dak Prescott, who was lost for the season due to a hamstring injury back in Week 9, the veteran Rush completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a 117.6 passer rating. With a career record now of 6-3 as a starter, Rush’s performance in the second half helped Dallas end a five-game losing streak and secure the Cowboys’ first win since Week 5. The Cowboys face a short week as they return home on Thursday for their annual Thanksgiving game against the New York Giants, who earlier lost 30-7 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Never say never: How the Cowboys could somehow still make the playoffs- Quinn Everts, FanSided So you’re saying there’s a chance? After a whirlwind of a win, Cowboys fans are wondering if their beloved (or hated, depending on the week) Cowboys still have a shot at the postseason. A tiny shot, yes. But mathematically, a shot nonetheless! Here’s what and who Cowboys fans should be rooting for (and against) the rest of the season. Cheer for the NFC West to beat itself up The NFC West looks akin to how the NFC East looked in years past; no team is separating itself from the pack, with the Cardinals currently leading the division at 6-4 and the other three teams all at 5-5, meaning all four teams are ahead of the Cowboys right now. The best case scenario for Dallas here would be one of the teams (preferably Arizona) pulls away from the pack, handing out losses to the rest of the division in the process. The Cardinals play Seattle twice still, and play the Rams and 49ers once. Passing up three teams in the same division is an extremely tall task in itself, so if Cowboys ever see an NFC West matchup happening… cheer against everyone who’s not the Cardinals. Cowboys exposing Dan Quinn’s Commanders as frauds is best part of 2024 season- Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat That was certainly fun in an otherwise disastrous season. Not only have wins been hard to come by this season, but moral victories have been few and far between. The Week 1 win in Cleveland proved to be a mirage as the Browns have one of the worst records in the league, even with their Thursday night win over Pittsburgh. Speaking of the Steelers, the Cowboys barely squeaked by them in Week 5. They played sloppy against the Giants the following week. Even in wins there hasn’t
How to buy 2024 Thanksgiving NFL tickets
How to buy 2024 Thanksgiving NFL tickets dylanreffe Thanksgiving means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but one thing sports fans can all agree upon is that Thanksgiving means football. As has become custom, there are three NFL games taking place on Thanksgiving this year. Thursday will be busy as the Detroit Lions host the Chicago Bears for first game of the day, the Dallas Cowboys welcome the New York Giants for the late-afternoon game, and finally the Green Bay Packers take on the Miami Dolphins for the nightcap. Limited tickets are still available to all three games. Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears tickets The red-hot Detroit Lions will face Caleb Williams and the hard-luck Bears at 12:30 on Thursday. If you thought Thanksgiving in Detroit used to be a party, wait until you experience this fan base when the team is good. As of publication, the cheapest Detroit Lions Thanksgivng ticket was priced at $256. Shop Lions vs Bears Thanksgiving tickets Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants tickets While some might say a matchup between backup quarterbacks brings little to the table, we think a Thanksgiving nap is overrated. As of publication, the cheapest Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving ticket was priced at $56. Shop Cowboys vs Giants Thanksgiving tickets Green Bay Packers vs. Miami Dolphins tickets Thursday’s nightcap could sneakily be the best game of the day. The Packers are 8-3 and coming off a nice win against the 49ers, and the Dolphins appear to have righted the ship. Miami is very much alive in the AFC playoff hunt but they need to keep winning in order to remain so. As of publication, the cheapest Green Bay Packers Thanksgiving ticket was priced at $94. Shop Packers vs Dolphins Thanksgiving tickets We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Cowboys Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Dallas Cowboys win against Washington was their biggest as an underdog in over 14 years
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images The Cowboys win was big on Sunday, but it was notable in that it came with them as a serious underdog. The Dallas Cowboys won on Sunday. You obviously, I would assume, know that. I’d also assume that you yourself assumed that the Cowboys had no chance at winning on the road against the Washington Commanders. Why would you have thought that they would, though? Even the most optimistic Cowboys fan has been down on the team this year. Removing fandom though, oddsmakers thought that Dallas had no chance in this game. Obviously things depend a bit on which sportsbook you look or looked at, but for the most part the Cowboys were regarded as double-digit point underdogs. ESPN’s Todd Archer pointed out after the game that Dallas closed as a 10.5-point underdog over at ESPN BET. Given that Dallas wound up winning, this was their first victory as an underdog of at least that variety since Week 10 of the 2010 season when they also won on the road against a division rival. That day it was the New York Giants. The Cowboys closed as 10.5-point underdogs today according to ESPN BET. This is their largest upset win since 2010 Week 10 when they defeated the Giants as a 13-point underdog. — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) November 24, 2024 You will recall that the game in question served as the “you have to hire Jason Garrett as the full-time head coach” for many. Obviously that was a long time ago. For what it is worth, it is not necessarily often and certainly not a good thing for any team to be considered a double-digit point underdog so it’s not like Dallas was 0-100 in such games or anything. Still though, it is cool to know that the Cowboys took care of business when no one thought that they could and that they seriously upset a division rival in the process.
Which player can’t be trusted among major takeaways from Cowboys’ 34-26 win over Commanders
Which player can’t be trusted among major takeaways from Cowboys’ 34-26 win over Commanders reidhanson It’s a game that virtually no one gave Dallas a chance to win. The 3-7 Cowboys were in a freefall, losing five of their last five and on pace for a top-10 draft pick. The Commanders entered 7-4 with eyes on the playoffs and a shot at the division. It was supposed to be a mismatch and snoozefest and for most of the day it was as boring a game as there was in the NFL. Neither team looked good enough for the postseason on Sunday afternoon. The first half, in particular, was an exercise in ugly. Miscues and unforced errors ruled the day as both offenses floundered early with the teams going into halftime tied at 3. But things soon opened up and chaos ensued with 54 of the game’s points scored in the second half. After winning 34-26, the Cowboys have plenty of takeaways from the Week 12 affair and they aren’t all positive. CB Josh Butler may be someone to build around Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports In a losing season, finding out which players can be part of the future and which cannot is one of the top tasks for any front office. Josh Butler’s performance at the cornerback position was something to build on for 2025. Butler showed all things fellow CB Caelen Carson struggled to show in the weeks prior. He showed an ability to play with the boundary, he was able to play off coverage and crash in and make tackles with reliability, and he was able to turn his head and track the ball on deep throws. It was an inspiring effort. Jourdan Lewis is the defensive MVP . (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) One of the very few internal free agents the Cowboys re-signed last offseason was nickel CB Jourdan Lewis. It wasn’t met with much fanfare but it was one of the best decisions the front office made last March. Lewis is the heart and soul of the Cowboys defense in 2024, mixing in coverage savvy with run-stopping ability. Lewis is the complete package and has been playing the best ball of his career this season. Assuming the price is right, Lewis is someone the Cowboys should look to retain again in 2025. SNAFU central Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports SNAFU (situation normal: all “fudged” up) perfectly describes the 2024 Cowboys. Even when things start going well the Cowboys find a way to muck up drives and scoring opportunities with the first half serving as a perfect example. Dallas messed up scoring opportunities with snafus like a blocked field goal, a missed field goal, a Rico Dowdle fumble, a fumbled shotgun snap and a blocked punt. It was a comedy of errors and an illustration of how Murphey’s Law is out to get the Cowboys this season. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Defense starting to click . (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Mike Zimmer is known for his complicated playbook and high demands, so it’s been no wonder the Dallas defense has struggled so much this season. On a defense that’s severely lacking interior talent and is riddled with injuries, bad play isn’t just likely, it’s expected. In Week 12 things appeared to start clicking for the Cowboys defense. Maybe it was inevitable or maybe it’s just Fool’s Gold from an overrated Commander’s offense, but the Cowboys looked legit on Sunday. Cowboys need a real WR2 Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images Jalen Tolbert has been hot and cold for Dallas all year. Expected to play WR3 behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, Tolbert was thrust into the No.2 role in Week 5 after Cooks was lost to injury. In that time Tobert has made good and bad plays on a somewhat regular basis. It’s hard to envision Tolbert ever jumping up into a real WR2 role and with Cooks slated to leave in free agency, finding a No. 2 should be a top priority for the Cowboys front office this offseason. Related articles Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys vs Giants on Thanksgiving: Dallas is favored after weeks as underdog
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys are Thanksgiving Day favorites The Dallas Cowboys got back in the win column with a surprising upset over the Washington Commanders. Surprising in the fact that Dallas won, and surprising in that it was one of the crazier games seen in a while. The fourth-quarter alone was worth the price of admission. The Cowboys were able to get their win even though they were roughly 10.5-point underdogs going into the game. Dallas has been the underdog for a while now, but this week they are favored. With their rivals in the NFC East, the New York Giants, coming to town on turkey day, Dallas finds themselves as 3.5-point favorites in the FanDuel odds. The Giants appear to be falling apart after cutting QB Daniel Jones, getting rocked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-7, then having multiple players calling the team’s effort ‘soft’ and questioning the game plan. Could the Cowboys actually go on a winning streak? And how does this sit with a fanbase firmly looking toward draft position?
