When it mattered the most, the Cowboys offense turned in their worst possessions Sunday night. But a few ill-timed incompletions obviously don’t tell the whole story of the 30-24 loss to the 49ers; there were plenty of other contributing factors that make up the bad and the ugly in this week’s recap. The run game couldn’t get out of first gear (again) despite the one personnel move that the fanbase had been screaming for, a controversial penalty might have altered the disastrous third quarter had it gone the other way, and even John Fassel’s special-teams unit couldn’t get out of their own way in an unusually sloppy outing. There was some good to be found, though… if you looked hard enough. CeeDee Lamb actually had one of his best performances, for example, perhaps putting to bed the bye-week storyline that there’s something wrong with the way he runs routes. And while most rookie offensive linemen prefer to fly well under the radar, one Cowboys youngster showed out and turned heads with a particularly flashy play that’s worth a second look. Here’s are some of the trends, plays, and players you may have forgotten about that comprise the good, the bad, and the ugly of Week 8’s disappointing loss. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Good: CeeDee Lamb’s never-say-die performance Route-running critiques from franchise legends notwithstanding, Lamb continues to be the bright spot for the Cowboys offense in 2024. He had his most productive outing- by far- of 2024 on Sunday night, and his two late scoring grabs somehow helped turn a game in which Dallas trailed by 17 points with eight and a half minutes to go into an honest-to-goodness nail-biter. The comeback bid came up short, but Lamb turned in one of the best statistical performances of his career. His 17 targets and 13 catches tied personal bests, his 146 yards are a top-seven total for him, and he scored two touchdowns for just the eighth time as a pro. Given the lack of reliable pass-catchers around him to draw the defense’s attention, what Lamb is doing as the only legitimate offensive weapon on the team is remarkable. Bad: Run game didn’t cook up any improvements over bye Cowboys Nation clamored for seven weeks to put Dalvin Cook in the backfield, and when they finally did, he gained… 12 yards on six carries. (Sigh.) Rico Dowdle was a surprise last-minute scratch due to a mysterious illness, Deuce Vaughn never got onto the field, and Ezekiel Elliott managed just 34 yards on 10 tries. Even the first two series’ worth of plays- all ostensibly scripted over the previous two weeks- earned Dallas just eight yards on four rushes, with two of them gaining nothing. And it actually got worse after halftime: the Cowboys averaged just 0.6 yards per carry in the third and fourth quarters combined. The team apparently has no answer for how to spark a ground attack; at their current clip, they’ll end the season with just 1,260 team rushing yards (three clubs have more than that now) and their 74.1 rushing-yards-per-game average would rank as the lowest in franchise history for a season. Ugly: Wasted possessions when they mattered most That Dallas had a shot at a walk-off win at all defies belief. After forcing a three-and-out, the defense handed the ball back to Prescott & Co. with 3:05 to play, down by six points. Even with no timeouts, that’s an eternity for an experienced quarterback to lead his unit 75 yards. Except Prescott threw four straight incompletions (the only time all night he had more than two missed connections in a row) for a drive that used 16 seconds of clock and gained zero yards. Most painful was the deep-ball drop by KaVontae Turpin on third down, a gorgeous ball that he should have- and a taller receiver likely would have– caught. It wasn’t the only wasted opportunity; Dallas went three-and-out with under two minutes to play in the second quarter, when a touchdown would have increased the Cowboys’ halftime lead to 11 points and had San Francisco two scores down coming out of the break. Things could have been very different. Good: Cooper Beebe shows hustle, continued progression The rookie is trending in the right direction in his first pro season. His PFF grade for Week 8, a 77.3, was good for fifth-best among NFL centers (prior to Monday night’s game) and marked his best grade- easily- of the 2024 season thus far. He showed off the hustle that at Kansas State earned him the nickname “The Dancing Bear” on one first-quarter play in particular. After pancaking 49ers lineman Sam Okuayinonu on a Turpin end-around, Beebe followed the play and just happened to be in the right spot when Turpin coughed up the ball 11 yards downfield. Beebe pounced to retain possession and extended what turned out to be the Cowboys’ first touchdown drive of the game. Bad: Seemingly obvious call doesn’t go Dallas’ way George Kittle was all alone in the end zone for his third-quarter touchdown catch. And for good reason: Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson had been blown up by 49ers receiver Chris Conley. It looked like a clear and obvious pick, yet officials waved off the offensive pass interference flag. Incredibly, NBC’s Terry McAulay seemed to put the blame on Wilson for stepping in front of Conley, but also on cornerback Amani Oruwariye, who he claimed “kind of rides [Conley] into [Wilson].” Cris Collinsworth was baffled by both the no-call and the explanation, suggesting that teams will start copying Conley’s technique to similarly “act” their way into legal pick plays. Had the penalty stood, the 49ers touchdown would have been nullified, and it would have been 4th-and-goal… from the Cowboys’ 12. San Francisco likely would have settled for a field goal, and Dallas might have been able to stop the bleeding sooner. Ugly: Special teams have not-so-special night The Cowboys’ usually-spectacular special teams unit had an uncharacteristically rough outing. It started early when C.J. Goodwin was
After further review: Another no-show for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys running game in loss to 49ers
Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images It is still hard to believe how flat the Cowboys were in San Francisco. The Dallas Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. In a vacuum, that’s not all that disappointing. The 49ers are a good team, they were playing in front of their home crowd, and they’ve had the Cowboys number over the last few seasons. But this game wasn’t just another battle with a tough NFC opponent. The 49ers came in banged up missing several key players. The Cowboys are hurting too, but most of their injuries are on the defensive side of the ball. There is no reason for the Cowboys offense to have issues unless they are just not very good. And considering the team is coming off a bye where adjustments were supposed to be made, it brings about a different level of disappointment to see them struggle so badly. Whenever the Cowboys are outmatched, they don’t just get beat, they get taken out of the game. In all four losses this season, the Cowboys have trailed by at least 17 points at some point in the game. Sure, sometimes they string together some fourth-quarter garbage points to dress up the final score, but at times this year, this team hasn’t shown up to play. Is it really that bad or are we making too much of it? Were they in this game and just fell victim to a couple of tough breaks? Let’s check the damage and see what we can conclude after further review. Running abated This team can’t run the football. It doesn’t matter who is carrying the football, the result is the same. Many of us are critics of the front office’s choice of ball carriers as the current group doesn’t offer much excitement, but the running game’s inadequacies don’t fall solely on the shoulders of the running backs. The blockers are part of the problem as well. In this game, the Cowboys backs were taken down several times in the backfield or right near the line of scrimmage because of faulty blocking. Blockers either failed to pick up defenders or did a poor job obstructing them because the 49ers’ defense feasted on the Cowboys’ running backs all night. Even though we’ve grown used to it, it’s still tough to watch. The run-blocking in this game was despicable. There were so many instances where defenders went unblocked and had a clean shot at the running back. How is any running back supposed to work in this environment? pic.twitter.com/dF9qBAjZBo — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) October 28, 2024 Under pressure With no running game to work with, once again everything fell on Dak Prescott and the passing game. And once again, he wasn’t up to the task. Prescott is in a bit of a funk as he has thrown multiple interceptions in three straight games. Against the 49ers, Dak felt the pass rush early and never looked comfortable. Pressure will disrupt any quarterback, it was particularly unnerving for Dak in this game. When he sensed trouble, the ball went flailing. Dak Prescott heard footsteps all game. It was clear that he was not comfortable. He usually handles pressure a little better than this, but in this game, he was just heaving it up and hoping for the best. pic.twitter.com/tWps0fWCAi — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) October 28, 2024 Quick passes = small gains The offense has been effective using a lot of quick stuff to help offset the pass rush and allow their receivers to get some yards after the catch. Between CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson, this has been a useful tool for the offense as those guys find ways to salvage some extra yards. But those extra yards weren’t available against the 49ers’ defense as they swarmed to the ball and did a great job tackling in the open field. In most cases, the Cowboys’ receivers were stopped in their tracks. To mitigate the pressure, the Cowboys tried a lot of quick passes hoping for some YAC, but credit the 49ers for good tackling. There weren’t any extra yards available for the offense on this day. pic.twitter.com/fdEqj17qQq — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) October 28, 2024 Some things are hard to explain The offense can look really bad sometimes and it can feel like they haven’t played together very long. We know that’s not the case, but it doesn’t stop them from putting some sloppy plays on tape. Sometimes I have no explanation for the Cowboys offense and Dak Prescott’s choices. This is just bad football. pic.twitter.com/ZzFT0PlDMI — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) October 28, 2024 Missed opportunities There were certainly opportunities in the passing game as some of the good passes Prescott threw were very well-placed giving the receiver a chance to make a play. And while the difficulty level for the catch might’ve been a little harder than normal, the ball was right there for the taking. Again, the 49ers were right there with good coverage and deserve credit, but good teams make good plays and the Cowboys aren’t doing that. The Cowboys didn’t have many chances in the passing game and needed to capitalize on every opportunity. These were well-placed balls from Dak Prescott, but his receivers weren’t able to bring them in. pic.twitter.com/1OnC37QICH — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) October 28, 2024 A few bright spots A lot of the good stuff happened in the fourth quarter when the 49ers had a good-sized lead, but credit the offense for at least making things interesting down the stretch. The offense had some nice play designs that crossed up the 49ers defense and Prescott delivered some good throws to keep them in the game. It wasn’t all bad for the Cowboys passing attack. There were some nice throws and moments they crossed up the 49ers defense. pic.twitter.com/xQcZFncZog — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) October 28, 2024
Cowboys vs Falcons: Kirk Cousins proves the Falcons made the right decision in signing him
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images We are on to Atlanta. Kirk Cousins leads Atlanta Falcons past Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Marc Raimondi, ESPN Atlanta defeated their division foe to take control of their division. TAMPA, Fla. — Kirk Cousins asked Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris if he could speak to the entire team last Tuesday. Morris gave him time Friday and Cousins talked to the players coming off a lackluster loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. “This league beats you up and it tests you every day and it just kicks you down and you’ve got to get back up,” Cousins said Sunday in his postgame news conference. “And sometimes I need to encourage myself. And when I was encouraging myself, I thought, ‘You know what? Maybe somebody else could use this, too.’” The Falcons responded with a 31-26 win over the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday here at Raymond James Stadium. Safety Jessie Bates III said afterward Cousins’ words, which were kept private, were particularly influential. Atlanta is now 4-0 in the NFC South with two victories over the Bucs, their main competitor for division supremacy. Cousins, in particular, had a big day. The veteran quarterback was 23-of-29 passing for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He continued his mastery over Tampa, following a Falcons-record 509-yard performance against the Bucs in Week 5. Cousins is just the fourth quarterback in NFL history with 750 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns against a single opponent in a season, joining Dan Marino, Joe Montana and Y.A. Tittle. Cousins found tight end Kyle Pitts for two touchdowns and wide receiver Darnell Mooney and running back Bijan Robinson for one apiece. He was the first Falcons quarterback to throw for three touchdown passes in a first half since Matt Ryan in 2020. ‘Elite processor’: Kirk Cousins displays expert knowledge of play concepts in Week 8 win – Tori McElhaney, AtlantaFalcons.com It seems signing free agent Kirk Cousins is paying off to Atlanta. PROGRESSING THROUGH THE PROCESS — Before we talk about the Falcons’ win against the Buccaneers this Sunday, let’s first rewind back to February, when Raheem Morris held his introductory press conference as the team’s newest head coach. In said presser, he was asked what traits he values most in a quarterback. At the time, the Falcons were in the market for one. Morris was straightforward in his answer, claiming he wanted an “elite processor” to lead the offense in 2024. We should have known then that his (and general manager Terry Fontenot’s) vision was actually Kirk Cousins in a Falcons’ uniform. We talked a lot about Cousins’ performance against the Buccaneers in 2024 after the Falcons’ Sunday win. On the field, he is putting up top-10 marks in passing yards per game (4th), completions per game (7th) and completion percentage in tight-window throws per game (4th). The Falcons’ offense has the lowest three-and-out rate in the league, and they are just outside the top 10 in scoring average. Players like Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts are on track for career years with Cousins as their quarterback. Off the field, Cousins has been the leader in the clubhouse players are rallying behind. All of this was on display in the Falcons’ second meeting against. But something that I found to be the most interesting was seeing the way Cousins was clicking within the scheme itself. That can be seen through the four touchdowns he threw Sunday in the win; three of which were explosive gains of 30-plus yards. Back in training camp, Cousins used the term “explosive” to describe this offense’s potential. Against the Bucs Sunday, they were exactly that, taking some chunk plays that put up big scores. We’re going over those plays in this Monday’s notebook, highlighting what we can glean about not only Cousins’ comfort and knowledge of the scheme but the offensive line’s overlooked work in these plays, too. Studs and Duds from Falcons’ victory over the Buccaneers – Deen Worley, USA Today Multiple Falcons showed up against division rival Bucs. Despite a late-game surge by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons held on for a 31-26 victory to improve to 5-3 on the season. Week by week, the team is getting better and learning how to win football games. The Falcons are now 4-0 in the division and on track for their first postseason berth in six years. While the team was far from perfect, it was another encouraging performance with Atlanta’s best players stepping up in the biggest moments. Here’s a look at the studs and duds from Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers: STUD: Kyle Pitts In all honesty, Pitts could have been on the duds list after nearly fumbling the ball as he crossed the goal line for his second touchdown. Nonetheless, it was the first time Pitts scored two touchdowns in a game. He ended the day with 91 receiving yards on four catches. The fourth-year tight end continues to get more involved in the offense as the season goes on. STUD: Jessie Bates Jessie Bates set the tone early by punching the ball away from Rachaad White to start the game. He added another turnover in the second half by intercepting Bucs QB Baker Mayfield. Bates has been Atlanta’s best defensive player all season long and he’s the first Falcons player to record a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception in the same game.
Best and worst Cowboys from Week 8, according to PFF
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images There was a lot more bad than good this week The Cowboys may have only lost to the 49ers by six, but those who watched this game know that it was hardly anything to write home about. The game was not entirely without its positives for Dallas, but there was definitely more bad than good. Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst, according to Pro Football Focus. A few cheers There was not a whole lot to talk about positively in this game. In fact, there were just five players who posted a grade above 70, which is the borderline for positive play. These are the five who made the cut and deserve some praise. WR CeeDee Lamb – 90.3 CeeDee Lamb had easily his best game of the year, catching 13 of his 16 targets for 146 yards and two touchdowns. More than half of his receptions went for either a first down or a touchdown, and his 44 yards after the catch led the team. iDL Osa Odighizuwa – 78.7 It wasn’t an amazing day for Osa Odighizuwa, but he was one of the few Cowboys defenders who played well from start to finish. He generated two stops against the run and posted an 18.5% pass rush win rate, best among Cowboys defensive linemen in this game. C Cooper Beebe – 77.3 Cooper Beebe had yet another really encouraging game, giving up just one pressure all night and not allowing a single sack or hit on the quarterback. Beebe was also pretty solid in the run game. Additionally, his endless hustle came in clutch when Beebe recovered a fumble to keep the ball with the offense. LT Tyler Guyton – 73.7 Both rookie linemen had positive performances, though Tyler Guyton struggled a bit more. That’s to be expected going against Nick Bosa some of the time, and it makes Guyton’s four pressures allowed easier to stomach. While he did allow two hits on Dak Prescott, Guyton did not yield a single sack. That’s a good step forward for the rookie. WR Jalen Tolbert – 70.4 This wasn’t Jalen Tolbert’s best game this year, but it was yet another solid outing for him. That’s been the theme for Tolbert all year: reliability. In this one, he caught all three targets for 44 yards. In a bit of a surprise, Prescott actually had a slightly better passer rating when looking Tolbert’s way than Lamb. Mostly jeers There were plenty of poor performances in this game, which means lots of bad grades to go around. Dak Prescott’s 62.1 grade is bad, but it still pales in comparison to these five players. RT Terence Steele – 49.1 Terence Steele continues to struggle in pass protection. While he gave up as many pressures as Tyler Guyton, Steele’s four pressures allowed resulted in a sack and an interception. Steele actually posted a worse run blocking grade than pass blocking, which is especially concerning given that run blocking is supposed to be his best trait. RB Dalvin Cook – 53.6 For all the hype around Dalvin Cook being called up from the practice squad, he didn’t really do much. Cook tallied 12 rushing yards on six carries and failed to break any tackles or run for 10+ yards. His longest run was just four yards. Not an impressive night for Cook. WR KaVontae Turpin – 40.1 The Cowboys clearly felt that KaVontae Turpin could be a factor in this game, as he saw four targets in the passing game with an average depth of target of 25.3 yards. Yet, Turpin only managed to catch one pass for 16 yards, which he then fumbled. One of Turpin’s targets resulted in an interception, while another was a drop on the Cowboys’ final offensive possession. This was not his best night. S Donovan Wilson – 43.2 Donovan Wilson has quietly been struggling this season, and he popped in this game for all the wrong reasons. The usually stout tackler missed two tackles in this game and allowed receptions on all four of his targets for a total of 102 yards. EDGE Tyrus Wheat – 34.2 Tyrus Wheat has been forced into a larger role than anyone anticipated because of injuries. Wheat was on the field for 14 pass rush reps in this game and posted a 0.0 pass rush win rate. He’s not the only defensive lineman who did that in this game, though the three who did – Mazi Smith, K.J. Henry, and Linval Joseph – all had fewer reps than him. Either way, this was a bad night for Wheat.
Brotherly battle between Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs, Texans’ Stefon postponed again by injury
Brotherly battle between Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs, Texans’ Stefon postponed again by injury Todd Brock The highly-anticipated professional battle between the NFL’s Diggs brothers will have to wait… again. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs was set to square off against Houston wide receiver and older brother Stefon when the Cowboys hosted the Texans in Arlington in Week 11. The siblings’ first head-to-head showdown was supposed to take place last season, when the Cowboys visited Buffalo in December, but a knee injury suffered by Trevon shelved him early in the season. Stefon’s move to Houston for 2024 had put a new Diggs-vs.-Diggs matchup in the spotlight, in a game that already carries an extra bit of juice as the two Lone Star State teams vie for the Governor’s Cup and bragging rights within the state. Just like last year, a torn ACL has scrapped the brother-on-brother grudge match. But this time, it’s Stefon’s. The Texans wideout, 30, suffered the injury last Sunday in the team’s 23-20 win over Indianapolis. The Diggs brothers have always been close, often training together and competing against one another at events like the Pro Bowl skills challenge. Trevon even lobbied for Dallas to go acquire Stefon when the Bills wide receiver was unhappy with the Buffalo organization in a contract dispute. Stefon wore a special message on his eye black after his younger brother’s injury last September; it would not be a surprise for Trevon to return the favor somehow when the Cowboys next take the field in Atlanta. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Trevon, 26, would likely be all too happy to take the spotlight off himself after getting into a heated exchange with a Dallas reporter over a tweet following Sunday night’s Cowboys loss in San Francisco. Diggs later went on teammate Micah Parsons’s podcast and explained his emotional reaction while justifying his play; Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said in a press conference that he would expect his players to “be better” when facing outside criticism. Trevon, a two-time Pro Bowler and 2021’s league interceptions leader, signed a five-year contract extension with the Cowboys last summer. Stefon, a four-time Pro Bowler and the NFL’s receptions and receiving yards leader in 2020, is on a one-year deal in Houston and could be on the hunt for a new team following this season. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
2024 NFL Week 9 Power Rankings: Dallas Cowboys continue to fall to the bottom
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys continue to fall in power rankings across the NFL. We are just about halfway through the 2024 NFL season which is crazy to think given that it feels like it barely started. Time flies and all that jazz. By next week Halloween will have passed, candy will have been consumed and the clocks will have fallen back (except for you, Arizona). Things are getting more and more serious across the NFL which makes the fact that the Dallas Cowboys look so moribund all the more concerning. Contenders across the league are beginning to really separate themselves as this is happening which is also noteworthy and making things feel intense. This is evidenced by our latest power rankings which have the Cowboys down near the bottom quarter of the league (not quite there, though). As always we have also curated where outlets across the internet have the Dallas Cowboys ranked. You can view last week’s rankings right here. 1 – Detroit Lions (LW: 1) You cannot win the Super Bowl in October, but they sure do look like they could in February. 2 – Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 3) It is so unbelievable how it feels like they are so far away from the peak version of themselves and that they are the last undefeated team as November nears. Life is good in Kansas City. 3 – Buffalo Bills (LW: 4) There has been some fatigue around them not getting it all the way done over the last few years, but my goodness they remain a force. 4 – Baltimore Ravens (LW: 2) They may have stumbled in Cleveland, but we know we can trust them. Plus they showed a level of aggression on Tuesday by trading for Diontae Johnson. Good for them. 5 – Washington Commanders (LW: 6) Luck is a part of every successful NFL season and there is no question that they picked up some of it on their iconic Hail Mary. Fate is smiling upon the Washington franchise for the first time in a while. 6 – Green Bay Packers (LW: 7) It is so impressive how they can build the plane as it flies and find ways to win. 7 – Minnesota Vikings (LW: 5) It feels unfair to overreact to last Thursday night and all of the drama with the missed facemask certainly matters. It is time to see what they are properly made of against Joe Flacco. What a sentence to be said in 2024! 8 – Houston Texans (LW: 8) Losing Stefon Diggs for the season is awful and it robs us still of a matchup between him and his brother Trevon. The AFC South is hardly super competitive so Houston should have no issue winning it, but it does seem like the ceiling on their potential is lowering a bit. 9 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 9) Maybe they really are starting to find themselves. I wish the Cowboys were good enough for us to really care. 10 – San Francisco 49ers (LW: 10) They won and I am in no way taking away anything from them, but it was hardly the best version of San Francisco that we have seen. Getting players back from injury will likely help them totally re-find their form. 11 – Arizona Cardinals (LW: 13) I’ve said for weeks that I will take all of the stock in this team that I can get. They may be grinding them out in ugly fashion, but they are stacking wins! 12 – Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 14) Kind of like the Cardinals, the Steelers feel a bit more gross than their record would suggest. It doesn’t matter, though. 13 – Atlanta Falcons (LW: 17) We will see you on Sunday. 14 – Chicago Bears (LW: 11) Losses like last week’s are tough to get over. Hopefully Matt Eberflus is able to rally the group. 15 – Los Angeles Rams (LW: 21) They may be coming around now that reinforcements have arrived. 16 – Seattle Seahawks (LW: 12) On the other hand, they may be starting to fade just a little bit. 17 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 15) You could offer the same here. By the way, Baker Mayfield and Dak Prescott both have three-game streaks going with multiple interceptions. Not fun company at the moment. 18 – Denver Broncos (LW: 19) They remain a bit weird, but they are putting together wins. Who says they can’t be a playoff team? 19 – Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 22) There was so much offseason hype and right now they are rather boring. 20 – Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 16) It is okay to say that they are not very good. 21 – Dallas Cowboys (LW: 18) We clearly have no issue offering that here. 22 – Indianapolis Colts (LW: 20) Abandoning Anthony Richardson is a bold move to say the least. We at least get some serious football with Joe Flacco involved. 23 – New England Patriots (LW: 31) Are they turning a corner? Maybe. I don’t know. It is still weird for them to be so irrelevant in the big picture conversations. 24 – Cleveland Browns (LW: 32) What a huge win. 25 – Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 23) Another wandering and aimless team. 26 – New Orleans Saints (LW: 24) They have lost every game that they have played since destroying the Cowboys. That was back in Week 2. 27 – New York Jets (LW: 25) It sure is something seeing everybody come for Aaron Rodgers and his, um, antics! 28 – Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 26) Boring. 29 – Tennessee Titans (LW: 27) Irrelevant. 30 – Carolina Panthers (LW: 28) At least they are smart enough to trade away assets, even if the return is horrible. 31 – New York Giants (LW: 29) One day we will look back and be unbelievably upset that the Cowboys did not do more during a time where one of their three division rivals was
Jerry Jones noted the Cowboys don’t exactly want to see Dak Prescott run with the football
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Jerry Jones mentioned Tuesday that the Cowboys don’t exactly want to see Dak Prescott running with the football. As football seasons go on sometimes things become unavoidable or impossible to ignore. We are reaching that particular point with one subject regarding the Dallas Cowboys. Through the first seven games of the season the Cowboys are struggling just about everywhere besides special teams so picking one thing to focus on is a bit rich, but for the purposes of today’s discussion we will be talking about Dak Prescott running with the football. You see, he is not really doing that. To be perfectly clear before we go any further, nobody is saying that Prescott is an incredibly mobile quarterback or that running with the ball has ever been an enormous part of his game. Throughout his earlier years we saw it more, but as he has developed over time we have seen it a bit less. Still though, there has always been some semblance of it to his game. Here are the amount of rushing attempts that Prescott has had through the first seven games of each season of his career. 2024: 10 2023: 23 2022: 19 2021: 24 2020*: 18 2019: 24 2018: 40 2017: 23 2016: 27 The 2020 season carries an asterisk because it was horrible and we should eliminate it from history due to the fact that Prescott was injured and lost for the season during the fifth game; however, despite that fact he still had more rushing attempts in over two fewer games. Obviously he was injured while running. When discussing or wondering why the change is so apparent here in 2024 that last line rings loudest. Football is a physical game and any time you run with the ball you are putting yourself at risk as a quarterback. In the wonderment as to why Prescott has not been running as much so far this season, particularly despite a low number of playmakers to throw the ball to, many have assumed that there has been some level of protection offered there whether by Dak himself or from a call inside the house, so to speak. Jerry Jones made his standard 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning and was asked about this subject specifically. He noted that there aren’t exactly explicit instructions for Dak to avoid running with the ball, but he did mention that it is something that they don’t really want to see. “You really don’t want to see him… you don’t want to see him really take off with that ball. These quarterbacks that run, you know they’re going to get injured. And that happens. It happens to the youngest. It happens to the best. It’s happened to Dak. To the end that we rely on him to stay healthy, that’s an important part of it. I wouldn’t say it’s up there in red letters in the practice facility ‘don’t run’, but I would say that we want him to be smart about it. And he is being smart about. He will, when he sees the opportunity, pull it down and run with it as we know.” Once again, Jerry did not say that the Cowboys are completely against the idea of Prescott running with the football, but it is hard to not believe that there is some sort of decision that was made against the idea. Let’s take a step back and look at the entire NFL as a whole so that we don’t just live in the tunnel vision that is the Cowboys. In an effort to equalize the parameters let’s remember that Prescott has played seven games so far this season for the team. Consider every quarterback who started the first seven games of this season for their team in the way that Dak has (some quarterbacks have even played an eighth game, but to properly search this we had to limit it at seven to equate to Prescott’s total). Dak Prescott has the second-fewest rushing attempts of all eligible players, per Stathead. Stathead Dak shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of this list. He is not Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels from a rushing perspective. He isn’t Josh Allen or Kyler Murray. We all understand this. But the discrepancy here is massive. There is a case to be made that the overall idea of protecting your quarterback from injury by curbing his running is a good one, but seeing the data like this shows that we are over that line. This is timidity. There is no reason whatsoever that Kirk Cousins, recovering from a torn Achilles this season mind you, should have more rushing attempts than Dak Prescott. Especially if we remember that Dak has limited options to work with in the passing game. The Cowboys are at a point where they have to run with the ball (as we have seen them try to do with their low-quality running back operation) to open things up. Protecting your quarterback is something that is smart in a general sense, but you can’t hinder your operation out of fear. It seems the Dallas Cowboys may be doing that.
Cowboys Headlines: McCarthy’s advice for Diggs; Purdy makes history vs Dallas; was Dowdle really sick?
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs goes after reporter outside locker room following criticism in loss :: Cowboys Wire Link WFAA reporter Mike Leslie took to social media to question the effort Diggs showed on a big play in Sunday’s third quarter. The cornerback must have checked his phone immediately upon hitting the locker room afterward to see what people were saying about him, because he came back out in full uniform to have it out with Leslie face-to-face. “Out of that whole play, that’s what you took from that?” Diggs barked. “You don’t know football. You can’t do nothing that I do. You can’t go out there and do nothing. Stay in your lane, buddy.” Cowboys’ McCarthy: Diggs has to ‘be better’ after reporter incident :: ESPN Link When the coach was asked about Diggs’s confrontation with Leslie over his tweet, he acknowledged, “I’m not ignorant or naive to the fact that this generation, that’s part of the world they live in, the social media world.” But McCarthy also cautioned, “I think we have to be better in those moments. I always talk about staying on a high road… You have to manage that. That’s part of being a professional athlete and that’s part of representing this organization properly.” Trevon Diggs responds to firestorm over confronting Cowboys media member :: Cowboys Wire Link Diggs hopped on Micah Parsons’s podcast to give his side of the story. While he admitted that his emotions got the better of him in the moment after a tough loss, he also explained that his man-coverage responsibilities and post-catch pursuit angles on the play in question were, in fact, technically sound. Rico Dowdle mystery illness sparks Dallas Cowboys conspiracy theories :: SI.com Link Dowdle was on the field early signing autographs and greeting fans, even after being ruled out of the Week 8 game. Many observers quickly assumed a secret agenda: was the team quietly tanking for a better draft pick? Were they saving Ezekiel Elliott from the embarrassment of being a healthy scratch? Little else has been revealed about Dowdle’s mystery “illness.” Cowboys’ Prescott takes blame for interceptions in loss: ‘I’ve got to clean that up’ :: Cowboys Wire Link “I don’t have to be perfect,” Prescott said after Sunday’s loss, “but I damn sure can’t be having the turnovers.” He and head coach Mike McCarthy both said pressure forced a bad throw on the first interception. The quarterback called his third-quarter pick “as boneheaded an interception as I feel like I’ve had,” but McCarthy also took some blame for the play call. Prescott’s eight picks through seven games are just one less than Prescott threw all of last season. How offensive line inconsistencies are setting Dallas Cowboys offensive production back :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link Prescott has been under pressure 75 times through seven games, taking 18 sacks. Some of the inconsistency along the O-line are on Cooper Beebe and Tyler Guyton in their rookie seasons. But Zack Martin has had an uncharacteristically rough start, too, giving up 16 pressures and two sacks thus far. Playing from behind and with no run-game threat hasn’t helped. “When they know you’re throwing it, it makes it more difficult for you,” said OC Brian Schottenheimer. Costly special teams errors haunt Cowboys :: The Mothership Link Even the most consistent unit on the team had an off night in Santa Clara. Opening kickoff: illegal formation. Then Brandon Aubrey came up short on hitting the kickoff landing zone, KaVontae Turpin got flagged for an illegal forward pass on a return, and another illegal formation helped set up a 49ers field goal. Cowboys-49ers postgame analysis :: Cowboys Wire Prescott, Cowboys suffering this dubious feat for first time since 2019 :: Cowboys Wire Link Sunday’s loss marked the Cowboys’ second two-game losing streak in 2024. Dallas didn’t lose two in a row in either 2023 or 2022. It happened just once in 2021, and when it happened more than once in 2020, it was while Prescott was injured. You have to go all the way back to the 2019 season to see a Prescott-led Cowboys team down this bad. Jerry Jones’ family members involved in car accident prior to Cowboys-49ers game :: Dallas Morning News Link The vehicle carrying Jerry Jones Jr., Charlotte Jones, and her son Shy Anderson Jr. to Sunday night’s game was struck by a rising barricade outside Levi’s Stadium. They were checked out by team medical personnel and then watched the game as normal. The Cowboys owner was in another vehicle at the time of the incident. Wild Purdy stat puts 49ers QB in rare company after win vs. Cowboys :: NBC Sports Bay Area Link The Cowboys were on the wrong end of a bit of football history made by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on Sunday. Of the 26,276 NFL quarters played since 2000, including playoffs, Purdy became the only quarterback to throw for more than 100 yards while completing 100 percent of his passes while also rushing for at least 30 yards in a single quarter. He finished the night with 56 rushing yards, matching the entire Cowboys team. Cowboys DE to serve 3-game suspension while on injured reserve :: Cowboys Wire Link Sam Williams is already missing all of 2024 with a torn ACL and MCL. Now he’ll miss three game checks, too, after a league investigation into his 2023 arrest on marijuana and weapons charges. The second-round draft pick is eligible for reinstatement after Week 10’s game with Philadelphia. He’ll lose over $211,000 in salary but won’t have to sit out further games once he returns to the field.
Cowboys 2024 rookie report: Rookies played adequately against the 49ers
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images What did you make of the Cowboys rookies on Sunday night? The Dallas Cowboys looked good in the first half, then resorted to this season’s form in the second half against the San Francisco 49ers. The defense looked better while the offense had its issues, and then the third quarter happened. How did the rookie class fair against the 49ers? Here’s a breakdown of each rookie’s game from last week. OT Tyler Guyton Guyton was back in at left tackle after missing the Detroit Lions game. The time off and the bye week looked to have done him some service as he played one of his better games. He looked much more fluid as a run and pass blocker and was a lot more focused. He allowed no sacks the entire game and only four pressures. This could be a positive moment in Guyton’s development here. Let’s see what next week against Atlanta will bring before announcing he’s turning a corner. DE Marshawn Kneeland Inactive/Did not play for this game. C Cooper Beebe Beebe was the best all-round blocker against the 49ers. He allowed no sacks and only one pressure. Beebe last allowed a sack in Week 3 and is slowly becoming one of the better lineman for Dallas this year. LB Marist Liufau Liufau played 34 snaps on defense and managed to register only one tackle. He also allowed both targets to go for receptions that went his way. This wasn’t his best game but he certainly wasn’t the worst player in the box against San Francisco. CB Caelen Carson Inactive/Did not play for this game WR Ryan Flournoy Flournoy played two snaps on offense last week. The majority of his snaps came on special teams where he registered one tackle. TE Brevyn Spann-Ford Ford played 19 snaps on offense. Nine of those snaps was used as a run blocker but he was targeted twice during the game. He failed to make a catch on either target; one came at a crucial point needed to help extend a drive, the other happened in the endzone. A shame for Ford on National Tight End Day. S Emany Johnson Inactive/Did not play for this game. LB Brock Mogensen Inactive/Did not play for this game. DT Denzel Daxon Inactive/Did not play for this game
Cowboys news: CeeDee Lamb discusses Dak Prescott’s interceptions
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images The latest Dallas Cowboys news is here. Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb has candid reaction to Dak Prescott’s couple of interceptions vs 49ers – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports It was after the bye week last year when the Prescott to Lamb connection really heated up, but this time it was desperate fourth quarter touchdowns in another loss. “We’re about to get this thing rolling, for sure,” Lamb told reporters postgame. “We gotta maintain the momentum, we can’t really go out too up and down.” The Cowboys offense has gone through growing pains, as the team still lacks a solid run game and the pass protection up front is a huge concern. Additionally, Dak Prescott is not playing top-tier football. Sunday’s two-interception performance, he raised his season total to eight. He had nine in all of the 2023 season. Lamb was asked about the quarterback’s turnovers, providing a candid response in which he admitted some of it is on Dak while some of it is on the receivers for not being physical. “It’s some things that we can’t control, some things that we can,” Lamb said. “As for him, I know he can do better and have a better read. And for us, we can have better routes, fight at the top of the routes. There are plenty of ways you can avoid an interception, you know what I’m saying? And on both parties. I know he can vouch for that, but as for us, I can only speak for us, and we have to be more physical at the top of the route.” Lamb’s reaction goes hand in hand with Troy Aikman’s recent criticisms of the offense, when he stated the Cowboys receivers had to be more physical with their route running. Cowboys’ Prescott takes blame for interceptions in loss: ‘I’ve got to clean that up’ – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire Dak Prescott has thrown two interceptions in three straight games. Prescott was quick to take personal responsibility for the miscues. “I don’t have to be perfect,” he said in his postgame press conference, “but I damn sure can’t be having the turnovers.” Winning the turnover battle was a “huge, blinking light” for head coach Mike McCarthy during the team’s bye week; Dallas came into Sunday night’s contest with a minus-six differential in the category. After Prescott’s two giveaways in Santa Clara, the Cowboys are minus-eight; only the Raiders and Titans (three combined wins this season) are worse. Good teams simply aren’t bad in that stat. “[We] put ourselves behind in the turnover battle, and that’s on me,” Prescott said. “Can’t have that if we plan to win games, and I’ve got to clean that up, period.” Don’t be fooled by Cowboys hollow comeback attempt against the 49ers – Jess Haynie, Blogging The Boys The Cowboys late comeback attempt had a similar feel to the Ravens game, masking how much better their opponent really was for much of the game. Nobody, including the 49ers, saw that fourth-quarter comeback coming. And that’s really why it happened; San Francisco was already in prevent mode and clearly stopped taking the Cowboys seriously. The proven All-Pro connection between QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb took advantage of the complacency, and suddenly the 49ers looked like Apollo Creed in the first round of his first fight with Rocky. But don’t be fooled by what Dallas nearly accomplished, because most opponents aren’t going to make that same mistake. Beating up the Cowboys is old hat for the 49ers and they have every reason to not respect us. It only took them one quarter of competent football to turn the game into another laugher. When they got up 27-10, they just got sleepy and bored. The issues that have plagued the Cowboys all season were still there on the final drive. Mike McCarthy’s unimaginative offensive scheme left bad options for Prescott, who threw four straight incompletions to kill the comeback. While he did throw a dime to KaVontae Turpin on one attempt, putting the game on Turpin’s suspect hands was hardly the optimal design. This game was much more about the hole that Dallas found themselves in than nearly climbing out of it. How sad is it that Ezekiel Elliott averaging 3.4 yards per carry felt like progress? Watching rookie RB Isaac Guerendo rip off 85 yards after Jordan Mason’s injury rubbed salt in the wound; another guy the Cowboys missed out on in the 2024 Draft. And even as the passing game found some redemption near the end, Prescott’s crushing interceptions when the 49ers were still playing defense were more damning. Worst of all, this wasn’t even your typical NFC-leading San Francisco team. They’re only 4-4 now after beating Dallas, battling their own issues and injuries. Mike McCarthy names Cowboys’ biggest issue after another loss to 49ers – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys are still searching for answers as the third place team in the NFC East after Sunday. “The third quarter was definitely a factor in the outcome — the three three-and-outs by our offense and the one giveaway,” said head coach Mike McCarthy. “You have ebbs and flows of the game and we definitely stayed in that valley way too long. It felt solid at halftime … we didn’t give our defense any relief [in the third quarter].” Despite the list of self-inflicted wounds in all three phases of the game, with even the usually stout special teams unit and Brandon Aubrey joining in on those, Prescott and the Cowboys had a chance to try and march down the field for a potential go-ahead touchdown after igniting with CeeDee Lamb in the final session but, unlike the outing against the Pittsburgh Steelers, there would be no fairy tale ending in California. A couple more self-inflicted wounds later and the loss was effectively secured. “We did an excellent job of fighting back in the fourth quarter and needed to make one or two more plays,
