Madden does not like the Cowboys chances this week on the road against the Giants. This is a stressful week for the Dallas Cowboys as the mood and vibes around the team are about as down as they have been in some time. As the schedule would have it their next opportunity to wash it all away has arrived more quickly than usual. Dallas will visit the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football and they are looking for their 14th win in 15 games against their longtime rival. It is no secret that the Cowboys have owned New York in the Dak Prescott era which is why this has all of the makings of a tried and true get-right game opportunity for America’s Team. What does Madden think will happen, though? As we always do we ran a simulation of the game in the latest edition of the video game and Madden is predicting a 1-3 start for the silver and blue. Giants win a close one here. Interestingly enough Madden seems to rather hate the Cowboys in 2024. We are four simulations into this ride and the game has predicted Dallas to lose each and every single time. Week 1 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Cleveland Browns, 18-17 Week 1 In Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Cleveland Browns, 33-17 Week 2 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 36-29 Week 2 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 44-10 Week 3 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 21-14 Week 3 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 28-25 Obviously the game was correct in each of the last two weeks, but nobody saw the flurry of activity from Dallas all happening in the final quarter of play. Football is unpredictable. What can be forecasted though is that if the Cowboys do lose to the Giants that it will send this chaotic ride we are all on into a hyperdrive of sorts. Losing to the team that they always dominate would feel like a symbolic sign that things really have jumped the shark. Here’s to hoping that we do not have to worry about this potential or possibility in any sort of way.

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images The Giants are in an interesting situation so far this season. The Cowboys may be close to hitting rock bottom after two straight losses, and they’re in desperate need of a win. There’s no more perfect time than now to face the Giants on a short turnaround for Thursday Night Football. New York just won their first game of the season, though few would call the 21-15 victory over the Browns inspiring. This year marks the third season under head coach Brian Daboll, who took the Giants to the playoffs and won a Wild Card game in his first season. That led to a contract extension for Daniel Jones, who almost immediately made the front office regret it with his play. The Giants took a big step back on both sides of the ball last year and finished 6-11. In the wake of the crash back down to reality, Daboll made a few changes to the coaching staff. While he retained offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, and actually added “assistant head coach” to his title, Daboll took over offensive playcalling duties for this season. The Giants also lost defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who quit in a fit of rage after Daboll fired two of Martindale’s top assistants without consulting the coordinator first. To replace him, Daboll brought in Shane Bowen, who had run the Titans defense for the past four seasons. That left the Giants heading into a potential make-or-break year with two new voices on either side of the ball, at least from an operational standpoint. Daboll is now in charge of the offense and trying to salvage Jones’ career, whose contract runs through 2026 but has an out after this season. To do that, the Giants drafted LSU wideout Malik Nabers sixth overall, passing on quarterbacks JJ McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix to instead provide Jones with a go-to weapon. So far, Nabers has been exactly that. No other player in the NFL has more targets than Nabers through three games, and he’s fifth in receiving yards right now. Daboll has made Nabers a priority in the gameplan, feeding his rookie repeatedly, though much of that has to do with the lack of talent elsewhere on offense. Only one other Giants player has seen more than 10 targets so far, and it’s third-year pro Wan’Dale Robinson. Unsurprisingly, Robinson is also the only other player on the team with double-digit receptions. The team’s third-most productive pass catcher is their running back, Devin Singletary, which underscores how dire the skill group is outside of Nabers. From a scheme standpoint, Daboll has a wide variety of experiences throughout his coaching career. He thrived as Josh Allen’s coordinator in Buffalo largely because he was able to mix so many different concepts together to perfectly complement Allen’s unique skillset. So far this year, Daboll has leaned on many of the things he did in Buffalo, namely throwing the ball at one of the higher rates in the league to try and spread defenses out. The Giants’ success with Jones in 2022 was largely predicated on getting the ball out of his hands quickly, and Daboll has tried to replicate that this year. So far, Jones is 10th in average time to throw but has the ninth-lowest air yards per attempt. The fact that he’s still 10th in the league in pressure rate tells you all you need to know about the shape of this offensive line. Much of this offense right now is built around getting the ball to Nabers. Any defense that manages to contain the receiver will be able to have success, though that’s easier said than done. Making Jones hold the ball just a tick longer is all it takes for a good pass rush to get in his face, which is when Jones’ worst tendencies usually come out. On the defensive side of the ball, Bowen has struggled to live up to the hype that was built when the Giants traded for star edge rusher Brian Burns. Bowen brings a drastically different scheme from the blitz-happy Martindale, preferring to primarily rush four and pick and choose when he blitzes. Bowen also relies more on zone coverage schemes, whereas Martindale lived and died in press man coverage. So far, it’s been a mixed bag on the field. Burns has just one sack among nine pressures, which ties him for 26th among edge rushers. His running mate, Kayvon Thibodeaux, has yet to record a sack and his six pressures are tied for 51st. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has done well, with three sacks and 17 pressures, but most of the team’s pass rush – they’re 10th in pressure rate and and second in sacks – has come by way of Lawrence and well-timed blitzes. Opposing offenses have largely combatted this with quick hitters in the pass game – the Giants are seeing the third-fastest time to throw against them – but primarily strong running games. Only five teams are giving up more yards per carry – sadly, the Cowboys are one of them – and they’re allowing the second-most rushing yards over expected, even more than Dallas. They’re also tied with the Cowboys for most yards after contact allowed. In other words, this defense frequently gives up quick passes underneath and struggles to prevent big running plays, having already allowed 17 runs of 10 yards or more. That should be music to the ears of these Cowboys running backs, who have had a rough go of things so far this season. The Giants may have two new voices calling the plays this year, but it hasn’t changed the same old talent problems that led to a 6-11 finish a year ago. If anything, the talent gap between them and the Cowboys has widened, and many of the Giants’ deficiencies line up well with what the Cowboys are looking to do in their own schemes. On paper, that should make for a very winnable game

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Here is the Dallas Cowboys injury report for Wednesday We’re only three games into the season, but already, the Dallas Cowboys face an early crossroads. After they were embarrassed by the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago, they lost a close game against the Baltimore Ravens that wasn’t really close. Dallas may face an unimaginable 1-3 start to the season. The team draws the New York Giants this week, a team they have thoroughly dominated, and a loss is unacceptable. Should Dallas lose, the plot will only thicken, and tension around the team will increase. In the last injury report before tomorrow’s game, here is where both teams stand regarding injuries. Giants-Cowboys injury report pic.twitter.com/1Wi9ewY2B5 — Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) September 25, 2024 Caelen Carson and Markquese Bell did not practice on Wednesday. Both have been designated as doubtful to play versus the Giants. C.J. Goodwin did not practice for personal reasons. DeMarcus Lawrence was off the injury list today, so there isn’t any concern with him. Everyone else was listed as full participants and is expected to play. CBs Dru Phillips (calf) and Adoree Jackson (calf) have been ruled OUT for Thursday vs Cowboys. WR Darius Slayton (thumb) is questionable. Everyone else is good to go, including cornerback Nick McCould (knee), who has missed the past 2 games. #Giants #Cowboys — Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 25, 2024 The Giants have ruled out cornerbacks Dru Phillips and Adoree Jackson. Neither practiced this week with calf injuries; they will be inactive tomorrow night. Darius Slayton practiced fully all week (thumb) and is questionable, but should play. New York also expects Nick McCloud (knee) back in the lineup after missing the last two games.

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Giants fans are almost as down on their team right now as Cowboys fans are. Almost. The Dallas Cowboys play a Thursday night game this week against their NFC East rival, the New York Giants. We checked in with SB Nation’s Giants blog, Big Blue View, to get some intel on the enemy. Blogging The Boys: So what was different this week with the win over the Browns? Big Blue View: Mostly, the difference was the defense. Cleveland’s offensive line is in tatters right now, and lost a few players during the game, and DeShaun Watson is a BAD quarterback. Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, a normally conservative DC, went against type by blitzing 57% of the time. The Giants got eight sacks, 17 hits and 36 pressures. It was a jail break. The Giants are also playing — somewhat unbelievably — pretty good offense. The offensive line has been competent. Daniel Jones has been good the past two weeks. Malik Nabers is special. BTB: Where do you stand in regards to the future of Daniel Jones as the Giants QB? BBV: I think Jones is the quarterback this year as long as the Giants remain relevant. Beyond that, I think the Giants will be moving on. Jones, though, has played well the last two weeks. If that continues, and the Giants are better than anticipated, maybe things change. But, more than likely he is a lame duck. BTB: Same question but with Brian Daboll as the Giants head coach? BBV: If the Giants had entered this game 0-3 my answer might be different. In all honesty, though, I think right now that Daboll and GM Joe Schoen are both safe. Ownership likes the fact that these two are tied together and really doesn’t have an appetite for blowing things up and starting over — again. As long as this season is competitive I think both are OK. If it goes off the rails, like 3-14, that might be a different story. BTB: After the win, is there a sense that maybe the Giants could do something this year, or are the problems too deep? BBV: Again, had they entered Thursday 0-3 I think the atmosphere at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night could have been ugly. Fans booed the Giants offense after three plays in the opener — which will happen when you go three-and-out and lose 9 yards. Now? I think there is a sense of guarded hope that maybe, just maybe, some good things might be happening. The Giants were routed by Minnesota — which looks like a good team. They should have beaten Washington — which looked like a good team on Monday. They were clearly better than the Browns. There are issues. But, maybe not as many as you might think. The offensive line play has been competent. For the past two weeks, the quarterback play has been more than competent. Malik Nabers is a transformative superstar. The defensive front seven can be difference-making. By no means could this be a great team that makes a deep playoff run. They could — and maybe should — be a middle of the pack team. BTB: How do you see Thursday night playing out and what is the final score? BBV: I have to preface this by saying no one on the BBV staff (there are six of us picking Giants games) has picked a game correctly yet. I will — with a hopeful heart — pick the Giants to win a game that is somewhere in the 20s. Maybe 27-24. These are the Cowboys, though. The Cowboys who ALWAYS beat the Giants. The Cowboys who have won six straight and 13 of 14 against the Giants. So, I’m picking the Giants win in a game where it feels like they should have a chance. History, though, says something will go wrong and Dallas fans will be celebrating in the end.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Every week, we gather the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the Roundtable. This week we have Jess Haynie, David Howman, RJ Ochoa, Brian Martin, Sean Martin and Tom Ryle. Another loss. What’s the biggest concern with this Cowboys roster at the moment that is failing on so many levels? The Cowboys went down 21-6 by halftime last week against the Baltimore Ravens. The defense couldn’t stop any rush that came at them and the offense’s only points came off Brandon Aubrey’s boot. Derrick Henry went for two touchdowns and rushed for 151 yards while Lamar Jackson rushed for 87 yards and scores one rushing touchdown. On the opposite side, the Cowboys running backs are extremely lackluster and rank fourth-fewest in average rush yards per game (just one yard more than the Chicago Bears). It’s not a desperate situation just yet, but the trend both ways is concerning. Jess: It’s all falling apart in the trenches. I get into the offensive line in our next question, so I’ll focus on the defense here. We didn’t expect greatness from Mazi Smith this year but he and the veteran free agents have been non-existent so far. Even Osa Odighizuwa, after an offseason of high praise as one of our most underrated players, has taken a step back. As long as teams can keep getting so much production on basic runs, our best weapons like Micah Parsons’ pass rush and Trevon Diggs’ ball-hawking are going to be neutered. Tom: While there are also issues with the running backs and the secondary, I have to agree with Jess that the lines are where the biggest concerns rest. We knew that the O line might take some time to come together, but the porous nature of the D line against the run is both disturbing and all too familiar. The bargain-basement shopping in free agency did not yield any real help, and as long as teams know they can get five or more yards repeatedly on the ground, they are going to just beat up on this defense. Brian: It’s painfully obvious what the Dallas Cowboys biggest concern is right now. They’ve given up a total of five touchdowns and 256 total rushing yards to Alvin Kamara and Derrick Henry in back-to-back weeks. Dallas’ run defense is atrocious right now and there’s no clear solution currently on the roster and expecting better play seems like a long shot as well. Not upgrading this position in the offseason is now coming back to bite them in a big way. Howman: Honestly, I’m not worried. I think the Cowboys’ problem is a combination of two things: not playing in the preseason and facing a tough schedule to start the year. The Cowboys looked out of sync in the first two weeks and the first three quarters of this game, but once they woke up they looked great. Assuming I’m right, we’re about to see a run of good football out of these guys. It also helps to not face a pair of elite defenses in the Browns and Saints right before squaring off against the reigning MVP. RJ: Picking just one here feels a bit difficult, but if I have to I suppose I will focus on the running game. The Cowboys have the third-lowest level of production on the ground through the first three games that they have ever had through the first three games of a season in franchise history. Not doing anything about this over the offseason and not paying it proper mind now is costing them and will continue to do so. Sean: The biggest concern is a lack of game-breaking ability at the skill positions, and it’s being compounded by a dip in play-calling from Mike McCarthy that is hard to explain. Perhaps the trust in the pass protection is not where it needs to be to open up this offense more, but all that is yet another position Dallas has nobody to blame but themselves for its lack of preparedness. CeeDee Lamb is too easily taken out of games, nobody else creates consistent separation out wide, and none of these running backs scare defenses even a lick. I know offense is down around the league, but it’s down while the eye test still shows quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Andy Dalton having success by finding open targets. Nothing at all is coming easily for Dak Prescott and this Cowboys offense right now and it has thrown a serious wrench in how they planned on playing winning, complementary football in 2024. Dak is getting a lot of blame at the moment but currently he leads the NFL in passing yards and is fourth in passing touchdowns. Who deserves the most blame for the Cowboys offensive issues? Currently after three weeks of the regular season, Dak leads the NFL in passing yards averaging 270 passing yards per game. Dak is also third in total completions and fourth in passing touchdowns. The offense is not without its warts and that’s clear to see. Without the leg of Brandon Aubrey the scoreline of both losses this season would have looked even worse. The question becomes whether Dak is failing the team and everyone else is stepping up, or is Dak stepping up and the rest of the team is failing him? Jess: The offensive line has been surprisingly poor so far this year. Terence Steele’s playing like he just had ACL surgery last month, not two years ago. Tyler Guyton is doing what rookie left tackles do, which we feared going into the season. And sadly, Zack Martin is showing his age and mileage. The Cowboys are going to have to get more creative in how they scheme around these issues, and the scariest part is having to rely on Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer for that. Tom: It’s hard to follow Jess, because these answers keep nailing

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The latest news around the Dallas Cowboys. CeeDee Lamb addresses behavior during Cowboys’ loss to Ravens, more – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Credit to the Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver for addressing his behavior from Sunday. On Tuesday, just ahead of the departure for the Big Apple, Lamb not only spoke, but his words were drenched in accountability and self-awareness. “I know that’s not the player I am,” Lamb said, apologetic after being apoplectic. “I know that’s not the teammate I am. … It was a bad game on my end. I fully take accountability in that. “I will be better in the future. And it’s gonna be fine.” He went on to explain what fueled the actions, and it wasn’t necessarily that the offense itself was out of sorts, but mostly because he was upset with himself and disappointed he wasn’t contributing in the way he knows he can; and things were made worse by a red zone fumble that added to the list of things that cost the Cowboys the contest. “I expect a lot out of myself — more than anyone could put on me,” he said. “And quite honestly, I failed myself, and obviously I failed the team, just as far as producing and being that game-breaker … I kind of let the game get to my head a little bit. Honestly I got to be truthful to myself and I played a part in that loss, a big part, honestly, and [neither] my body language nor attitude, [helped change] the outcome of the game.” It’s not entirely similar to what occurred in 2023 when Lamb was criticized for being away from the team on the sideline during the back end of the loss, but the fuel was exactly the same: self-demand for greatness and angst when it is happening in the moment. Lamb went on to have a record-setting season thereafter, one that also helped Dak Prescott land an All-Pro nod and runner-up in the NFL MVP race, and both are unscathed from the encounter on Sunday, their personal relationship having a foundation able to withstand earthquakes such as the one experienced against the Ravens. Jerry Jones: ‘Very fair’ to blame me for Cowboys’ 1-2 start – Todd Archer, ESPN Owner Jerry Jones addresses a poll from fans that points the blame on him for their 1-2 start. According to a poll from WFAA-TV in Dallas, the answer is pretty clear among more than 70% of the voters: owner and general manager Jerry Jones. “That’s very fair,” Jones said Tuesday on the “Shan and RJ” show on 105.3 The Fan. “It’s well known that no decision is ultimately made here for what I either have acquiesced [to] or approved it. That’s very fair. How could you think otherwise, whether it be who’s out there coaching, whether it be who’s out there playing, whether it be the stadium you’re walking into? Whatever it is here, that’s the way it is. “Now, let me just say this. Do I have a huge amount of input in making those decisions? When they’ve done their homework, they’re very influential input to me, and we’ve got a lot of people in the Dallas Cowboys that have done their input.” Jones has taken the brunt of the criticism when things have gone poorly for the Cowboys since becoming the owner and general manager in 1989. Since the playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers in January, fan frustration has been high, with the Super Bowl drought now at 28 seasons. In the Cowboys’ first two home games, against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, the fans of those teams came in large numbers and drowned out Cowboys fans. “I guess I got baptized when I first came to Dallas and bought the Cowboys and we won one football game,” Jones said on The Fan. “We had made changes, changed out the only coach for 29 years [Tom Landry], and we got huge criticism and the kind that would make what you’re seeing now child’s play. … You’re dealing with anything but a lot of emotion about our team. It never ceases to surprise me both from the state of Texas in the case of the Cowboys or all over this country in the case of the Cowboys and it’s either there because they want to see us get our you-know-what kicked or it’s there because they’re following us. The thing that inspires me the most is the emotion about it, but it certainly, I’m aware of it, aware of criticism, but not any more aware than that score at the end of the game. Let’s put it like that. Giants embracing chance to make Cowboys statement in lopsided rivalry: ‘New day’ – Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post From an opponent’s point of view, the New York Giants are trying to shake the history that’s plagued them since 2017 against Dallas. Behind one of these three doors, you will find a victory Thursday against the Cowboys that doubles the momentum gained Sunday by defeating the Browns, evens your record at 2-2, rejuvenates your starving fans, halts talk of a lopsided rivalry and charts a path to a respectable season. Be careful, though. Behind a different door you will find a dose of humiliation similar to that ingested during last season’s 40-0 prime-time home loss against the Cowboys and only validates skeptics’ belief that the complementary combination of four 20-plus-yard gains, eight sacks and smart coaching used to beat the Browns was an aberration. And, of course, behind the final door is the ho-hum possibility of a non-win, non-blowout loss that suggests another long (but potentially not disastrous) season lies ahead. “To play meaningful football in December, you have to win the division games,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “You try not to look too far forward or too far behind in the past. We get a win, then things look different.” So, which of these three