Cowboys starter with rehab group to start Week 11; backup OL has practice window activated Todd Brock Get ready for the possibility of more personnel swapping along the Cowboys’ offensive line. With rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton already having sat out last Sunday’s game against Philadelphia with a neck/shoulder injury, backup Asim Richards got the Week 10 start and played well enough to leave Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy “impressed,” despite the team’s 34-6 blowout loss. Guyton is reportedly “trending towards being healthy” for the team’s next outing, per the team website. But now the spot next to him on the Dallas O-line is suddenly worth monitoring with the 6-4 Houston Texans coming to town for a Monday night intrastate clash. Third-year left guard Tyler Smith was seen wearing a knee wrap during the media portion of Wednesday’s practice session, according to multiple observers. The 23-year-old worked with the rehab group, along with cornerback DaRon Bland, who has yet to make his 2024 debut after a foot injury suffered in camp. https://twitter.com/tommy_yarrish/status/1856769903971233857/ It is not known what sort of issue Smith is experiencing. The team will not release its first practice report of the week until Thursday. Houston enters Week 11 ranked seventh leaguewide in sacks, with 29. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] In a separate move that may or may not be coincidental, reserve lineman Chuma Edoga had his 21-day practice window activated on Wednesday. The veteran had been sidelined with a toe injury prior to the season opener. Edoga started six games last season– four at left tackle and two at left guard- and could therefore theoretically be in play if Smith is unable to go. T.J. Bass is officially listed on the team website as the primary backup to both right guard Zack Martin and Smith at left guard. Smith currently has the third-most snaps on the Cowboys offense through nine games this season, appearing in nearly 96% of the unit’s on-field action. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Eagles loss another glaring example of why Mike McCarthy has to go
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images From the field to the locker room, Mike McCarthy’s influence on the Cowboys isn’t working. Another week, another embarrassing home loss for the Dallas Cowboys. A predictably one-sided, 34-6 defeat from the Philadelphia Eagles hardly moved the needle on where the team is at this season. But how the loss happened further indicates just how badly Dallas needs to move on from head coach Mike McCarthy. You don’t lose by 28 at home without a group effort, but McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer’s offense was more complicit by far. Between Cooper Rush and Trey Lance’s work at quarterback, Dallas managed just 49 passing yards and a 49.1 passer rating against Philly. Five turnovers, four fumbles and one interception, showed the Cowboys’ offense to be completely out of sorts. As we’ve harped on all season, a lack of ingenuity in design and play-calling didn’t give Dallas’ outmatched roster any chance against the Eagles’ superior talent. It was only 14-6 at halftime because the defense did their best. DeMarvion Overshown was a menace, Micah Parsons returned with solid work, and Trevon Diggs got one of his classic interceptions to stop an Eagles drive in the endzone. But even with such a manageable halftime score on paper, there was never a point that you felt much hope of Dallas pulling off the upset. This void of optimism is directly linked to McCarthy. There’s no sense that he has a handle on things anymore, either in the X’s and O’s of running an offense, head coaching basics like clock management and challenging plays, or managing the team’s chemistry and culture. Parsons’ well-covered postgame comments may not have been intended to blast the coach’s effort, but the words still came out the way they did. And the reason they resonated is because McCarthy does seem like a guy who’s phoning it in. Or worse, a guy who’s now so bad at his job that you can’t tell the difference. We never saw the team look this bad, on the field or backstage, under Jason Garrett. We never saw Cooper Rush look this bad when Kellen Moore was offensive coordinator. People want to make such a big deal about McCarthy’s three-straight seasons with 12 wins, but let’s not pretend that Garrett wasn’t a 2015 Tony Romo injury away from a similar feat from 2014-2016. McCarthy’s highs haven’t been any higher than previous coaching regimes, and his lows are starting to look much lower. A midseason firing probably isn’t happening at this point. Jerry Jones seems more stubborn than ever about doing things his way, whether it’s blinding his own players with sunlight in the stadium or hanging on to a head coach who’s team is just not competitive. What Jerry decides here is about what he wants to do, not what he should do. He should absolutely fire McCarthy. He should have done it after the playoff loss last January, but at this point there’s no room for debate. The entire atmosphere around the team has become putrid and dragging your fans through two more months of garbage is just negligence. Firing McCarthy isn’t about saving this season but rather saving some goodwill for the future. We’ve reached the “it can’t get any worse” point with Mike McCarthy’s run in Dallas. Getting outclassed by the next generation of coaches is one thing, but now he’s proven to be counter-productive to winning football games. Maybe that’s what you want if you’re focused on 2025 draft positioning, but it could cost you the morale and loyalty of your roster and fanbase along the way.
Mike McCarthy future with Dallas Cowboys in doubt after this season
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images While not shocking, reports are starting to swirl that Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys beyond this season is in doubt. The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle, nine games played with eight to go, of one of the more frustrating seasons that they have had in quite some time. Games played these days seem to only exist as opportunities for the opponents to rack up points and experience joy while the Cowboys themselves float in the wind and set historically bad mark after historically bad mark. Put simply this is one of those seasons, we have all lived through them, that you just can’t wait to see end. When this whole thing does reach its merciful conclusion it would shock no one for Mike McCarthy to not be asked back for the future. It is important to note that while this feels obvious based on everything, there have been no media reports on the matter as this being the case. Until now. Mike McCarthy’s future with the Dallas Cowboys after this season is (obviously) in doubt Five years ago the Cowboys were similarly lifeless across the important parts of their season. Jason Garrett’s hallmark as the team’s head coach was that the team “never quit on him” which finally began to become the case as the wheels truly fell off. You will recall that Garrett was never fired by the Cowboys. The team’s stance was that they were not renewing his contract, and what’s more is that they literally interviewed candidates while he was still technically holding the post after the 2019 season ended. Could we be in store for something similar with Mike McCarthy? That specific detail remains unclear. People like ESPN are reporting that it would “surprise” a lot of people to see McCarthy back. Again, not shocking at all, but that it has reached this level of discussion is the next part of the process. Graziano: The Cowboys are coming to grips with the fact that their 2024 roster wasn’t what they thought it was, and quarterback Dak Prescott being out for the rest of the season because of a hamstring injury brings home the fact they aren’t likely going to the playoffs. So they’re already talking about what to do to fix things. I was in Dallas over the weekend, and there’s a great deal of chatter about who might be coaching the team next year, as Mike McCarthy is not signed for 2025. It would surprise a lot of people to see him back. Jerry Jones has made it clear he won’t change coaches during the season, so McCarthy will at least get to coach out the season. Back in January, when Jerry Jones first announced that McCarthy would return, we noted that Jones has not fired a head coach at the conclusion of a season since he fired Dave Campo after the 2002 campaign. Does this mean anything specific? Obviously not. But it does somewhat speak to the idea that the Cowboys do not want to rock the boat as their head coaches in that time have (in order) retired from coaching (Bill Parcells), been fired midseason (Wade Phillips), not had their contract renewed (Jason Garrett) and will likely not have their contract renewed (Mike McCarthy). Some would say that this behavior represents a patient franchise and that such a disposition is good for a club. That may be fair on some level. But others would offer that this speaks of indifference and an unwillingness to do anything beyond the bare minimum. It is hard to argue against that overall idea with this team right now. Whatever the case. the writing is now firmly starting to appear on the wall for Mike McCarthy.
Cowboys head coach surprisingly low on Hot Seat scale for remainder of 2024
Cowboys head coach surprisingly low on Hot Seat scale for remainder of 2024 K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys are down, and fading fast. Sitting with a 3-6 record, they haven’t quite reached a projected top-10 draft selection, but they are much closer to the No. 1 overall selection than they are to making the playoffs. The man at the center of it all is head coach Mike McCarthy, who appears to be on his last legs as a playcaller. McCarthy took over the duties from Kellen Moore, who himself is on his second OC job since leaving Dallas, but has the Eagles at 7-2 and in first place with a rejuvenated rushing attack centered around Saquon Barkley. Meanwhile the Cowboys’ offense has fallen flat this season. And now with Dak Prescott out for the year, it doesn’t appear to have any semblance of picking up. That will likely mean the end of McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas, but one outlet doesn’t think he’s in danger of facing the same fate as Robert Saleh (NY Jets) or Dennis Allen (Saints). Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report ranks McCarthy’s chances of being let go in season as a lowly 2 out of 10. The 3-6 Cowboys are falling apart. The defense stinks, players are publicly criticizing their head coach, and quarterback Dak Prescott appears headed for season-ending hamstring surgery. A significant rebuild is incoming, and McCarthy won’t be a part of it. However, the Cowboys may not fire their head coach because they don’t have to. McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, which Dallas can simply choose not to renew. Franchise owner Jerry Jones probably won’t pull the plug on McCarthy before the offseason. The only time Jones has fired a coach in-season came in 2010, when he replaced Wade Phillips with Jason Garrett. He’s stated publicly that he won’t repeat that decision in 2024. Realistically, Jones will only deviate from his plan if a coach who isn’t currently employed by another team decides he wants to get an early start on the 2025 season—and, yes, we’re thinking of Bill Belichick, probably as much as Jones is. Hot Seat Level: 2, until McCarthy’s contract expires, then he’s gone Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
10 Cowboys head coaching candidates to replace Mike McCarthy
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images As of this moment, Mike McCarthy is still gainfully employed as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. That said, the odds are rapidly increasing that the coach’s contract will be allowed to expire at the conclusion of the season, as the Cowboys are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and facing the reality that Dak Prescott will miss the rest of the year. This begs the question of who might replace McCarthy when, not if, the job becomes available. Looking around the league, there are quite a few hot names in the coaching world that could be contenders in Dallas. While there will surely be some interest among fans in plucking a coach from the college ranks (Deion Sanders, anyone?), Jerry Jones has been pretty adamant that such a move can’t work in the modern NFL. Without further ado, and as the regular season keeps on rolling, here are 10 names to watch as potential candidates for the top job with America’s Team. Ben Johnson Current role: Lions offensive coordinator The skinny: Ben Johnson has been the hottest head coaching candidate for a while now. He’s built one of the most explosive offenses in the league over the last three years, turned Jared Goff’s career around, and frequently makes opposing defenses’ heads spin with his game plans. Why it’ll happen: Johnson’s name will be at the top of every hiring team’s list. Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys deserve the very best – it’s why he swooped Mike McCarthy out from the Panthers last time around – and he may throw everything he has at landing the biggest name Why it won’t: Johnson has been picky in previous hiring cycles. He was reportedly the frontrunner for the Commanders job last year, but took himself out of consideration over concerns with the new ownership group not being committed enough to football. The Cowboys’ own fans don’t believe Jerry Jones is committed enough; will Johnson? Bill Belichick Current role: TV analyst The skinny: Everyone knows who Bill Belichick is. Arguably the greatest head coach of all time and winner of six Super Bowls, Belichick parted ways with the Patriots after going 29-38 following Tom Brady’s departure. He’s done several football media gigs this past year, reminding everyone of his incredibly deep knowledge of the game. Why it’ll happen: This seems like a no-brainer for Jerry Jones. Both he and Belichick have talked in the past about nearly working together at various points, and Belichick reportedly has built a good relationship with Stephen Jones from their time together on the NFL Competition Committee. Why it won’t: For starters, he’ll be 73 years old when the new season kicks off. How much longevity does Belichick have? Also, Belichick had total control of the roster in New England, and he wouldn’t have that in Dallas no matter what promises Jones makes to him. Bobby Slowik Current role: Texans offensive coordinator The skinny: The son of longtime NFL defensive coach Bob Slowik, Bobby Slowik started out as a defensive assistant in Washington on a staff that included Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Mike McDaniel. Later, Slowik joined Shanahan’s 49ers on defense before switching over to offense. After rising through the ranks, he followed DeMeco Ryans to Houston last year to run the offense and immediately saw success with rookie C.J. Stroud. Why it’ll happen: The Shanahan coaching tree is hot right now, and Slowik hails from it. His quick success with the Texans has made him a hot commodity, and his football bloodline helps. Plus, he could modernize the Cowboys offense, something it seriously needs right now. Why it won’t: Slowik is just 37 years old and his second season running the offense hasn’t been as great as last year. There’s a feeling that Slowik still needs to marinate as a coordinator before making the jump. And the Cowboys are not a team that can wait for a head coach to learn on the job. Aaron Glenn Current role: Lions defensive coordinator The skinny: A former star defensive back, Aaron Glenn has enjoyed similar success as a coach. He oversaw the development of several star defensive backs in New Orleans before becoming a key figure in the Lions rebuild under Dan Campbell. He’s had multiple head coaching interviews in the last two cycles and it seems to be a question of when, not if. Why it’ll happen: Glenn is a Texas native that played for the Aggies. He also played for the Cowboys in the Parcells era. He even has front office experience, having been the GM of a startup league team based in Houston before two years as a scout for the Jets. Why it won’t: Glenn hasn’t been as picky as his fellow coordinator, Ben Johnson, but he also isn’t in a rush to leave Detroit. He’s also very close with Parcells, as is Dan Campbell, and that could color his perception of what it’s like to be Jerry Jones’ head coach. Brian Flores Current role: Vikings defensive coordinator The skinny: Brian Flores grew into a coaching star under Belichick, holding a variety of front office and coaching positions with the Patriots. He turned it into the Dolphins head coaching gig, where he became the first coach in nearly two decades to post consecutive winning seasons for the Dolphins. Despite that, Miami fired him, and the reasons why are a point of contention. Since then, Flores had a one-year stint with the Steelers before going to Minnesota, where he’s turned the Vikings from one of the league’s worst defenses to one of the very best. Why it’ll happen: Flores offers much of the same appeal of Belichick – grit, accountability, experience – but at nearly half his age. His Dolphins tenure will prompt plenty of questions, mostly around the offense, but Flores’ last two years working under Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has granted him access to the Shanahan/McVay directory of offensive coordinator candidates.
Cowboys news: Dallas re-signs a familiar face to the practice squad
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The latest news around the Dallas Cowboys. Cowboys sign Will Grier to the practice squad – Tommy Yarish, DallasCowboys.com The Dallas Cowboys 2024 season is all about bringing the band back together. It’s a homecoming for Grier, who departed the Cowboys under emotional circumstances in 2023 after the team traded for Trey Lance, which put the writing on the wall. Grier won Dallas their final preseason game against the Raiders knowing that he wouldn’t be part of the organization going forward, throwing for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 31-16 victory. “It’s been tough, but I’ve been through tougher stuff, I got a lot of respect for this organization and the Jones family, I understand that it’s a business at the end of the day…” Grier said following the win over the Raiders in 2023. “The hardest part on me is just leaving this place to be honest, I got really close with the team, that stuff’s part about what we do.” And now, Grier is back in the building with the Cowboys after bouncing around the league in stops with the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, and most recently the Philadelphia Eagles. The corresponding move to add Grier to the practice squad was releasing undrafted rookie defensive back Emani Johnson. An important note regarding Grier’s addition is that since he was added to Dallas’ practice squad, he can’t be the emergency quarterback. Grier can still be elevated to the gameday roster and be the backup or third quarterback option, but for the “emergency” designation to be applicable he has to be on the active roster. The Cowboys would have to make a spot on the active roster in order to get Grier the emergency designation. Jake Ferguson: Dallas Cowboys have to take things one step at a time right now – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys Our very own RJ Ochoa sat down with the Cowboys star tight end to talk all things Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of a tough season. With a 3-6 record they have their work cut out for them if they want to be playing beyond the regular season, also an obvious statement. We may feel certain ways about the potential or future outlook of this current group, but it is difficult to ever expect the players within the locker room to back down from a challenge in general. Such was clearly the case when I spoke to Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson on Tuesday. It was my first time speaking with Jake and may I say he is as cool and interesting as they come. We discussed a variety of topics which obviously included this season, the infamous sun and Ferguson’s love of football in general. You can watch our interview below: One of the things we spoke about with Jake was his recent partnership with USAA. Ferguson worked with USAA on Tuesday on a controlled fire of a turkey fryer to spread awareness and educate the public on how to stay safe and avoid home fires ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in USAA’s Huddle Up for Home Fire Prevention & Safety campaign. You can learn more about the initiative right here. Something I shared with Jake was that no Cowboys tight end has ever scored a touchdown against the Houston Texans. Obviously we are not talking about 100 years of history here, but that is a bit of a fun fact. Aaron Rodgers Sticks Up for Mike McCarthy After Cowboys’ Fourth Straight Loss – Ryan Phillips, Sports Illustrated Current New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had nice things to say about his former head coach, Mike McCarthy. Aaron Rodgers is sticking up for his old head coach. During his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers praised embattled Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy was Rodgers’s coach with the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons, and the duo guided the franchise to a win in Super Bowl XLV. When asked about the drama between Micah Parsons and McCarthy in Dallas, Rodgers said, “I love Mike, I love Mike. Mike’s Pittsburgh tough through and through, man. Love Mike, 13 incredible years together, so.” He continued, “I ain’t got much to say besides that, man. Mike’s my boy. I love Mike and you know sometimes some people say things, s— I’ve said a lot of things I want to say back, I’d like to have said back … What I know about Mike is, if anybody can handle that, down there, it’s big Mike. Big Mike is built for, he’s built for adversity.” “I love Mike McCarthy and we had thirteen incredible years together.. He’s my boy and he’s built for adversity”@AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4Gi63oMuMf — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 12, 2024 With Cowboys season unraveling, what is the message inside The Star? – Jon Machota, The Athletic After four consecutive losses, the Cowboys Star doesn’t shine too bright these days. “I enjoy the arena of conflict and being in these types of situations,” McCarthy said Monday, “because these are the years you remember. But it’s time to get it turned. We’ve been in this mode a couple of weeks too long here. But this is a great opportunity for us. No one believes that we can do it, which I think that makes it sweeter. But we need to win a game.” McCarthy had more than the poor performance on the field to address Monday. He met with Cowboys All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons about comments he made after Sunday’s game. Parsons offered a headline-grabbing response in the postgame locker room when asked about McCarthy being in the final year of his contract. “That’s above my pay grade about if Mike is coaching again next year,” Parsons said. “All coaching aside, Mike can leave and go wherever he wants, but guys I kind of feel bad for (are) guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on
Cowboys Headlines: Jerry defends Zeke, sun at stadium; Dallas flexed out of primetime?
Dak opts to undergo season-ending surgery, headed to injured reserve :: The Mothership Link Prescott’s medical consultation this week ended with him doing what most had expected all along. The quarterback is slated for Wednesday surgery to repair his partially torn hamstring. The Cowboys, as a result, will place Prescott on injured reserve and officially end his 2024 season. The veteran will reportedly remain involved in game planning in the weeks to come. Why Dak Prescott’s contract is the Cowboys’ biggest mistake in lost 2024 season :: Dallas Morning News Link Of everything that’s gone wrong in 2024- and the list is long- Prescott’s monster contract suddenly feels like it may have been a huge mistake. If this were still the final year of the QB’s deal, the team could be looking at Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward, or Texas’ Quinn Ewers in a totally different light right now. If the team were going to cash in on Prescott’s and CeeDee Lamb’s new contracts, this year was their best chance. They can still draft a top prospect come spring, but it won’t be a franchise-changing quarterback. The Cowboys have made their very expensive bed; now they’ll have to lie in it for the foreseeable future. Cowboys 9x All-Pro predicted to cut ties with Dallas, join Bears :: Cowboys Wire Link Zack Martin has been a mainstay on the Cowboys offensive line and, even in a down year, remains one of the top guards in football. If the surefire Hall of Famer becomes a free agent after this season and wants to keep playing, he’ll have suitors. The Chargers could have interest, but the Bears would surely love to have him protecting young quarterback Caleb Williams as he continues his development. Cowboys $20 million star predicted to cut ties with Dallas in favor of Commanders or Lions :: Cowboys Wire Link There a real chance that DeMarcus Lawrence won’t return to Dallas in 2025 either. If he leaves in free agency, he’s also expected to draw heavy interest. While he could be an intriguing bookend for Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit, it’s very easy to imagine Dan Quinn making a move to bring his former pass-rushing star to Washington. Jerry Jones delusional take on Ezekiel Elliott will leave Cowboys fans speechless :: SI.com Link The Cowboys owner is, as always, sticking to his guns. Even while suggesting he’s “not living in the past,” Jones told a radio audience that he’s still seeing positive things on the field from Elliott. The two-time rushing champ is having the worst statistical season of his career and has reportedly been a distraction around the facility this year, even to the point of getting himself benched in Week 9. Jerry Jones continues to insist that the blinding sun at AT&T Stadium is a home-field advantage, doesn’t want a curtain :: Yahoo Sports Link Jones is now spinning the blinding sun exposure at AT&T Stadium as a home-field advantage, as if it were the same as Green Bay’s bitter winter weather, the famous swirling wind in Pittsburgh’s south end zone, or Seattle’s cacophonous fans. “That’s our advantage,” he said. “That should be our advantage. We get to play there more, and we get to have it as an advantage. It has been an advantage for us to know where the sun is. I don’t want to change that.” Jones touted the deliberate outdoor feel of the indoor stadium, despite the roof being left open for less than 25% of all Cowboys games played there since the venue opened. Eagles’ Kellen Moore admits Jalen Hurts, offense blinded by sunlight in stadium during blowout win vs. Cowboys :: CBS Sports Link Moore told reporters he went into Sunday’s game well aware of the sun issues at AT&T Stadium, dating back to his days as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator and even as the team’s backup quarterback. “You just have to call plays according to it,” Moore said, “knowing certain parts of the field at times can be a little bit challenging.” Fatal flaw prevented Cowboys CB from two interceptions in Week 10 :: Cowboys Wire Link Caelen Carson has struggled, especially since returning from injury. On at least two occasions on Sunday, he had an opportunity for an easy interception. Underthrown passes were there for the taking if only the rookie would have turned his head to locate the ball. He’ll have to improve his ball-tracking skills in order to turn into the draft-day steal most observers thought he was when he was selected in the fifth round. Expanded Cowboys-Eagles analysis :: Cowboys Wire Cowboys could be looking at multiple flexes out of big TV platforms :: ProFootballTalk Link The Cowboys’ stinker of a season could get them flexed out of several plum timeslots as the regular season draws to a close. While Week 14’s Monday night date with the Bengals is getting a high-tech alternate-broadcast treatment that will probably keep it on the docket out of necessity, Week 16’s Sunday-nighter versus the Buccaneers seems ripe for rescheduling. Same goes for the following Sunday’s rematch with the Eagles, which looks like it will no longer have the playoff implications the networks had hoped for when they slated it for a late-afternoon kickoff. Cowboys 53-man roster for Texans in Week 11: IR full of unactivated help :: Cowboys Wire Link As the 2024 season drifts further and further out of reach, the Cowboys may find themselves holding back some stars in favor of giving younger players and practice-squadders a longer look with an eye to the future. Dalvin Cook still has a gameday elevation remaining; wideout Jalen Cropper, defensive back Josh Butler, linebacker Darius Harris, and tight end Princeton Fant have two. DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland, Chuma Edoga, and Brandin Cooks are all waiting to have their 21-day practice windows opened. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders doc series renewed at Netflix :: The Hollywood Reporter Link The Cowboys are already looking ahead to next year. So are the Dallas
Cowboys vs Texans: Both teams are coming off home losses in Week 10
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Houston is headed to AT&T Stadium in a very weird spot of their own. 16 key notes from Texans vs. Lions | Harris Hits – John Harris, HoustonTexans.com The Texans’ squandered a 16 point lead in the loss against Detroit. There are losses…and then there are LOSSES. Sunday night’s loss to one of the best teams in the league falls in the latter category for sure. These Harris Hits might be more therapeutic than anything else, so let’s dive into one of the more memorable nights I can remember at NRG Stadium. Keep in mind, memorable doesn’t always have to be a win and in this case, it was not as the 8-1 Detroit Lions roared back from down 23-7 to win the game on a last-second Jake Bates’ kick, 26-23. The atmosphere was unbelievable in the Stadium and I’ll never forget hearing and seeing the Lions and their fans celebrate this win. All night, and into early Monday morning as I write, I read something that resembled “that win can define a season.” Well, a loss can do it too. The Texans have to let this loss fuel a bounce back over the next three weeks before the much-needed bye in week 14. The second half offensive struggles are equal parts mystifying and frustrating and Sunday night was probably the most of either adjective. Two interceptions, a missed field goal and four punts – no points, ten days after kicking just two field goals against the New York Jets. The Texans haven’t scored a 2nd half touchdown since their trip to New England. Alright, it’s tough to keep writing about this game because it was one play here, one play there that could’ve been the difference. Shoot, Jake Bates’ tying AND game winning field goals scraped each of the damn uprights. Two inches either way on either kick? Who knows what we’re talking about in the aftermath of this one? Didn’t happen on this night, though, so time to pick ourselves up and get ready for that team up north. Time to rock and get right again! Texans find themselves on the wrong side history in Week 10 loss vs. Lions – Cole Thompson, USA Today Sunday night was one for the record books in Houston. How bad was the Houston Texans’ blown 26-23 loss against the Detroit Lions on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in front of the hometown crowd? When you dive deeper, it gets worse. The Texans forced five interceptions on Lions quarterback Jared Goff, including three in the first half. They led by 16 at halftime thanks to an 8-yard touchdown run from Pro Bowler Joe Mixon and a 15-yard touchdown catch from John Metchie III. According to Elias Sports Bureau, teams were 373-1-1 when leading by at least 15 and snagging five interceptions since 1933. Then came the second-half implosion and a rewrite in the record books. The Lions became the first team since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970 to beat the odds, joining a Johnny Unitus Baltimore Colts-lead team that secured a 21-20 win over the Chicago Bears on a five-turnover afternoon. “Definitely should have won this game,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “My job is to lead the offense to score points, and I didn’t do that today. … We really should have put them away after the first half. It’s really on the offense.” Houston’s also been outscored 141-82 in the second half of games through 10 contests. “It’s not good enough. Turning the football over there, especially in the red zone, or coming out,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We talked about getting started in the second half, and we talked about being better in the second half. But to come out and turn the ball over on the first play of the second half and to get in the red zone where we have points and to turn the ball over, that’s not winning football.” Joe Mixon wants more aggressive Texans offense after SNF collapse – Michael Shapiro, Chron.com Houston’s RB1 wants to keep the pedal to the metal next time they build a lead. Joe Mixon is perhaps the most vocal player in the Houston Texans locker room, pairing his impressive on-field production with plenty of bombast in front of microphones. Mixon played the role of team counselor in his meeting with the media Sunday night. Houston’s running back offered words of encouragement to both his teammates and Texans fans after Sunday’s 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. The prime-time defeat was the worst of Houston’s season to date, featuring a blown 16-point lead and zero points in the second half. Many are sounding the alarm after a third loss in the last four weeks, signaling the Texans aren’t legitimate Super Bowl contenders as many previously assumed. Mixon fought back against such an assessment Sunday night. “We’re not going nowhere. When it comes down to it, we know what team that we are. We know what we capable of,” Mixon said inside the home locker room at NRG Stadium. “[I’ve been] in a special locker room [with the Cincinnati Bengals]. We got it here. Trust me, we got it here. … I got the utmost confidence in our guys that we’re going to bounce back.” “That’s a game we should have had, we did have. Obviously, it slipped,” Mixon said. “We [need to] finish these games. We gotta stop playing to not lose and go play to win.”
Bengals $7 million bargain defender predicted to cut ties with Cincy, join Cowboys
Bengals $7 million bargain defender predicted to cut ties with Cincy, join Cowboys K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys have enjoyed employing one of the league’s top slot corners for several seasons. After escaping the weird-dimension doghouse of former secondary coach and passing-game coordinator Kris Richard, the former Michigan Wolverine has steadily filled his resume with outstanding seasons. However Lewis is on a one-year deal and the eight-year veteran is once again going to be a free agent this coming offseason. If the Cowboys don’t bring Lewis back, which is a huge if considering the status of the coaching staff, then the rebuild may look elsewhere for veteran leadership at the slot. That might make Mike Hilton a top consideration during 2025 free agency. At least, that’s the thought process of Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, who predicted the Bengals slot corner would join Dallas next spring. Hilton possesses a tremendous combination of ball skills, awareness, physicality and reactionary speed. He’s appeared in eight games this season, played 67 percent of the defensive snaps and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 69.3 in coverage. An overlooked part of Hilton’s game is his ability to disrupt plays via the blitz. He has recorded 16 tackles for loss since the start of last season and logged a pair of sacks in 2023. Despite his size, Hilton has flashed an impressive ability to work through blocks and disrupt the backfield throughout his NFL career. Dallas has Trevon Diggs signed to a long-term deal and has another year of cheap control of DaRon Bland. Assuming the former continues to recover from his lost 2023 season due to an ACL tear and the latter can get over the foot injury that’s wiped out his 2024 campaign to this point, slot is the only real consideration for the cornerback group in 2025.
Jake Ferguson: Dallas Cowboys have to take things one step at a time right now
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Jake Ferguson spoke to us about the current state of the Cowboys and how they need to take things one step at a time right now. The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of a tough season. With a 3-6 record they have their work cut out for them if they want to be playing beyond the regular season, also an obvious statement. We may feel certain ways about the potential or future outlook of this current group, but it is difficult to ever expect the players within the locker room to back down from a challenge in general. Such was clearly the case when I spoke to Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson on Tuesday. It was my first time speaking with Jake and may I say he is as cool and interesting as they come. We discussed a variety of topics which obviously included this season, the infamous sun and Ferguson’s love of football in general. You can watch our interview below: One of the things we spoke about with Jake was his recent partnership with USAA. Ferguson worked with USAA on Tuesday on a controlled fire of a turkey fryer to spread awareness and educate the public on how to stay safe and avoid home fires ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in USAA’s Huddle Up for Home Fire Prevention & Safety campaign. You can learn more about the initiative right here. Something I shared with Jake was that no Cowboys tight end has ever scored a touchdown against the Houston Texans. Obviously we are not talking about 100 years of history here, but that is a bit of a fun fact. He (jokingly, to be clear, although with serious intent clearly) vowed to break the seal next Monday night. Our thanks to Jake Ferguson and to USAA for the time!