Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images The Lions offense is going to be very difficult to stop. This Sunday will see the Lions coming to town for their third straight matchup with the Cowboys in as many years, but it will mark the first contest between Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. T Johnson has been in Detroit since 2019, one of the rare holdovers from Matt Patricia’s staff. He coached three seasons for the Lions while Zimmer was still in charge of the Vikings, but Johnson didn’t rise to the coordinator position until 2022, the year after Zimmer was fired. Since then, Johnson has had tremendous success, to the point that he was one of the top head coaching candidates in last year’s hiring cycle. Many believed Johnson to be the top choice for the Commanders vacancy last year, with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their backup. In fact, Quinn was announced as the new head man in Washington just four days after Johnson informed the franchise he was returning to Detroit. So, in a roundabout way, Johnson is the reason why Zimmer is back in Dallas. That detail will surely be the last thing on Zimmer’s mind this Sunday, though, as Johnson has created an offense so multifaceted that preparing for it is a Herculean task unto its own. At just 38 years old, Johnson has established himself as one of the more creative offensive minds in the league, and he’s done it through a wide variation of experiences. A former backup quarterback for T.J. Yates at North Carolina, Johnson began his coaching career at Boston College as a gradate assistant. He broke into the NFL as an offensive assistant on Joe Philbin’s inaugural Dolphins staff, which is where he first met Dan Campbell. Johnson went on to assist quarterbacks under Philbin and, when Campbell was promoted from tight ends coach to interim head coach in 2015, Johnson replaced him as the tight ends coach. Johnson would be retained in Miami by Adam Gase, as he moved to work with receivers. When Gase was fired following the 2018 season, Johnson ventured to Detroit as part of new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s staff overhaul. Then, when Campbell took over in 2021, he kept Johnson around based on their history together. And when Campbell took over offensive playcalling duties during his rookie season, he relied on Johnson as a de facto pass-game coordinator, which in turn led to his promotion to the full time offensive coordinator with playcalling responsibilities. Johnson’s background is rooted in the West Coast, but he’s been exposed to a long list of different variations. Philbin came from Mike McCarthy’s Packers program; Campbell is a longtime disciple of Sean Payton; Gase and Bevell both trace their roots back to Mike Holmgren and, by extension, Andy Reid. In Detroit, Johnson has combined all of these different variations of the West Coast, in addition to stealing some concepts from the Shanahan coaching tree that’s taken the league by storm. The result is an offense that can attack, from a scheme standpoint, in a lot of different ways. That marries well with their offensive talent, which enables Johnson to actually attack defenses in a lot of different ways. The identity of this offense begins with their offensive line, which boasts four Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections from the last two years. In the time that Johnson has been calling the offense, Detroit has been in the top 10 in rushing attempts and, last year, they finished fifth in yards per carry. They have a lightning and thunder combination at running back, with second year pro Jahmyr Gibbs and downhill thumper David Montgomery. Behind a talented offensive line and a diverse run scheme that has one of the most even splits between power and zone runs, the Lions control the line of scrimmage more often than not. There is a tendency, though, as they like to get outside and use their athletic tackles in space to block downfield. Detroit is currently seventh in their use of outside runs, and all six teams ahead of them are branches off the Shanahan tree. Johnson has no actual ties to that scheme, but he’s incorporated the principles nicely into this offense. That also means play-action is king for the passing attack. In fact, no offense is using play-action at a higher rate this year than the Lions. Jared Goff has enjoyed a career revitalization under Campbell and Johnson, and he’s off to another good year. Currently, he’s fifth in completion rate and 11th in EPA/dropback. However, Goff isn’t stretching the field that much, with only five starters averaging fewer air yards per attempt. Much of that is by design, though. This offense is designed to do the dirty work in the run game and give Goff easy layup attempts, usually where play-action sucks defenders up to the line of scrimmage. The Lions have two intermediate demons, too, in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. St. Brown is 13th in the league in receptions, with just over a third of those being caught between 10 and 19 yards past the line of scrimmage. He has yet to drop a pass, and St. Brown also has yet to even see a target more than 20 yards downfield. Meanwhile, LaPorta took the league by storm last year as a rookie. Injuries have hampered him so far this year, but LaPorta remains a dangerous receiving threat in the middle of the field. And then there’s Jameson Williams, one of the fastest players in the NFL who has almost exclusively been used as a deep threat for Detroit. He’s averaging 14.2 yards of depth per target, ninth among receivers with at least 20 targets, and his 22.2 receiving yards per catch is second in the league. He presents a similar challenge in coverage to Rashid Shaheed, who torched the Cowboys back in Week 2. All of these weapons perfectly fit into
The kids game Cowboys need to use in order to beat the Lions
The kids game Cowboys need to use in order to beat the Lions Mike Crum The Dallas Cowboys endured weather delays, a depleted roster, and survived playing one of the best defenses in football in order to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and creep above .500 in Week 5. Their reward? a revenge-fueled Detroit Lions sporting one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, two rigid running backs, and a top 10 team rested and ready off their bye week. Dallas sits behind the eight ball, thanks to the schedule and attrition. They’re playing a game of Uno against a one-card opponent with five cards and all four colors in their hand. They’re playing freeze tag with a nervous tick, Duck, Duck, Goose with their shoelaces tied together. Dallas is a home underdog for the second time in two AT&T games after ending last regular season with 16 straight home wins. But there is a strategy to pulling off an upset. The Cowboys are going to need to play keep away. Dallas will need to control this game on offense. Against the Steelers, they had three drives over four minutes long, including a 16-play, eight-minute drive in the fourth quarter. With all the injuries to the defense, the Cowboys are worn down. Chauncey Golston played 90% of the defensive snaps, and Osa Odighizuwa played 72%; they will struggle if they are out on the field for another 40 to 60 snaps. The Cowboys must extend drives, run the ball well, convert third downs, and most importantly finish drives in the end zone. Detroit hasn’t been a juggernaut on defense, ranking 15th in defensive DVOA. They’ve allowed 20 or more points in all but one game this year, and the Seattle Seahawks moved the ball all over them prior to their bye. Geno Smith threw for almost 400 yards, DK Metcalf had seven receptions for over 100 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 80 yards on 12 attempts, with three scores. Smith and Zach Charbonnet each averaged over 7.5 yards per carry themselves. If Dallas can run the ball, limit possessions, and keep it a low-scoring contest, then their All-Pro quarterback might be able to pull off another upset victory. As good as the Cowboys’ offense can be, a shootout might be too much to ask of the defense this week. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys player projections for Sunday calling for generally low offensive outing
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images For yet another week, offensive projections are rather low for the Dallas Cowboys. We have almost reached the championship series in this year’s MLB playoffs and are still waiting for the Dallas Cowboys offensive to fully arrive. Let that sink in a bit. To be clear the Cowboys are improving a bit. They are coming off of a game in which they had 445 total yards and while they only had 20 points to show for it, that was essentially due to some self-induced errors from the quarterback. Obviously this is not an ideal situation but the hope is that it can be cleaned up and that we may be starting to turn the proverbial corner. Whether or not this happens on Sunday remains to be seen. The Cowboys are taking on a Detroit Lions defense that ranks 15th in Defensive DVOA at FTN Fantasy. Given that the Cowboys currently rank 20th on offense this is somewhat of a movable force meets a stoppable object type of contest. Detroit is much better on the offensive side of the ball themselves which means if Dallas is going to stand any chance then their own offensive unit is going to have to show up. The time has come to take a look at what projections for the Cowboys offense this week look like, but before we do we have to look back and see how the NFL Pro model did at predicting last week. Here is what NFL Pro thought the Cowboys would look like in Pittsburgh and how things ultimately unfolded. Projected Dak Prescott at Pittsburgh: 233.5 yards, 1.7 TDs, 0.6 INTs, 12.9 rush yards, 0.1 rush TDsActual: 352 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 3 rush yards Projected Rico Dowdle at Pittsburgh: 33 yards, 0.2 TDs, 2 rec, 14.8 rec yards, 0.1 rec TDsActual: 87 yards, 2 rec, 27 rec yards, 1 rec TD Projected CeeDee Lamb: 6.1 rec, 76.6 yards, 0.4 TDsActual: 5 rec, 62 yards Projected Jalen Tolbert: 2.5 rec, 29.5 yards, 0.2 TDsActual: 7 rec, 87 yards, 1 TD Projected Jake Ferguson: 3.7 rec, 38.2 yards, 0.3 TDsActual: 6 rec, 70 yards The closest projection came relative to Rico Dowdle in the passing game. Interestingly if Rico is involved there this week in the sense that he scores a receiving touchdown, he will make franchise history. Do NFL Pro’s projections think that he will get there? The answer is no. Here is what NFL Pro is predicting for both Cowboys and Lions skill position players. These projections look very similar to what we saw last week from Dak Prescott. More than anything there is an uptick in the passing yards and marginally so in interceptions. They must be assuming that Dallas is going to have to throw the ball more and therefore put the ball in harm’s way more given that Detroit is likely to score a ton of points themselves. Interestingly though the projections for the Detroit side of things are not too high. Jared Goff’s predicted line is close to Prescott’s, the largest differences come from running back Jahymr Gibbs relative to Rico Dowdle and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. As far as St. Brown is concerned, it is likely that he will line up in the slot a lot on Sunday and therefore will draw Jourdan Lewis. Beyond the fact that Lewis seemed to get in St. Brown’s head a bit last season, Lewis has been one of the best slot corners in the NFL through Week 5. Also from NFL Pro: Dallas Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis has allowed 3.4 yards per target when the nearest defender in coverage this season. This is the second-fewest among 28 total slot corners with at least 10 targets faced. Lewis has given up 11 receptions for 61 yards on the 18 targets he has faced which have resulted in -17.9 target EPA. This is the fewest of any slot corner. Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has been targeted on a career-high 30.9% of his routes when in the slot this season, but interestingly has so far averaged a career-low 5.9 yards per target. ARSB has 14 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown on these targets. One could argue that this gives Dallas a bit of an edge or advantage in this specific matchup, but those are going to be hard to find between these two teams. The Lions are fielding one of the best rosters in the entire league and the Cowboys’ is good at full health, but they are obviously not in that position right now As far as perceived advantages are concerned, it should come as no surprise that NFL Pro is significantly favoring the Lions in every regard. Passing Game Advantages: Running Game Advantages: By any basic or advanced measurement, the Cowboys are struggling in the run game on both sides of the ball so they are going to be behind the eight ball in that sense until some data trends more positively to their cause. Meanwhile, the Lions are objectively an amazing running team independent of this game. This is now an unstoppable force meeting a highly movable object. If the Cowboys are going to have a chance this week then they are going to have to do a little bit of shocking and awing which will mean out-performing what most, including this model, expect of them.
Cowboys news: DaRon Bland ‘can’t wait’ for debut with Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Lewis
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Your Friday morning Cowboys news is here. DaRon Bland ‘can’t wait’ for debut of Cowboys’ CB hydra with Diggs, Lewis – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com CB DaRon Bland is nearing his 2024 debut as he prepares to return from injury. Bland suffered a stress fracture in his foot just ahead of the season that was surgically repaired and, as such, landed him on injured reserve and cost him a minimum of four games. The issue presented itself as soreness in the foot that turned out to be much more after tests were conducted, and Bland says it’s not something that happened on any given play. “It just happened over time,” he said. His practice window was opened on Wednesday, allowing the Cowboys until Oct. 30 before they have to make a decision on his status but, by all accounts, there’s a more than solid chance he could take the field against the Lions. It doesn’t sound as if he’s dealing with much rust, but Bland was quick to point out that rust is inevitable when you’re away from the game for more than a month. “I mean, of course there’s some rust,” he said. “I’ve been gone for a long while, so I’ve got a little bit of rust to knock off, so it’ll be good to come back when I come back.” Will that be against the Lions, definitively? Bland was coy with his answer, being sure to not overstep the words of head coach Mike McCarthy in that the Cowboys were going to “take it a day at a time”. “I feel pretty good, but as far as coming back, time will tell,” he said with a smile, then reflecting on how tough it was to be sidelined while watching the Cowboys’ scratch and claw their way to a 3-2 record heading into Week 6. Keys to a Dallas Cowboys victory over the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium – Abraham Nudelstejer, Dallas Morning News The Cowboys will need to have success in these areas in order to have a greater chance of winning against the Lions this weekend. Ultimate test for defense The Cowboys’ hopes for a win depend mainly on what the defense can do to contain the explosive Lions offense. Led by Jared Goff, Detroit has the third-best offense in the NFL, averaging 397 total yards per game on 245.8 passing and 151.3 rushing. The Lions score an average of 26 points per game. The Dallas defense has allowed 329.4 yards per game. Even more concerning is that the Dallas defense has allowed an average of 444 yards in the two games it has played at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys’ defense allows 7.7 yards per play when playing at home, which is the worst average in the NFL. The top four defensive ends on the team’s depth chart to open training camp — Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland — won’t be available for this matchup. “The biggest thing is obviously losing four good players in one spot,’’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said to Dallas Morning News Cowboys insider David Moore. “You try to figure out what these guys can do best, how they can fit in, how they can work.’’ Calling Tolbert’s number Answering touchdown for a touchdown will be a near-impossible mission if the Cowboys don’t find another route to push the ball down the field other than CeeDee Lamb. Jalen Tolbert must step up to take advantage of a questionable Lions secondary. Tolbert has been targeted 29 times by Dak Prescott. He has caught 20 passes (two touchdowns) for 247 yards and an average of 12.4 yards per catch. Detroit ranks 21st in the league in total defense, allowing an average of 349 yards per game. Their pass defense is particularly vulnerable, with 258.3 yards allowed per game. It will be tough for Dallas to hurt Detroit on the ground, as the Lions allow an average of 90.8 yards, the fourth-best in the NFL. The involvement of tight end Jake Ferguson will be vital for the Cowboys to keep up with the Lions. Ferguson is the third-leading receiver on the Dallas team, with an average of 10.4 yards per reception and three touchdowns. The Cowboys’ run game showed signs of life — they need Rico Dowdle to keep building – Saad Yousuf, The Athletic Rico Dowdle is ready to build off of his successful running game last week. “What was cool for us was that when we had to run the ball in the second half, we were able to do that,” Schottenheimer said. “That’s a sign that there’s progress. We’re feeling better about the combinations, the running game. Kudos to Rico, he ran really, really hard. Just some big plays throughout.” That’s what the Cowboys need from their running game. It’s not about the gaudy stats; it’s about being able to run the ball when they need to. That could be in short-yardage situations. It could be in the red zone. It could be in the four-minute offense, trying to milk the clock at the end of the game. The Cowboys’ offense is predicated on the passing game being the main character but the running game has to at least be on stage. The game against the Steelers showed that Dowdle may be the guy to shoulder that load. Elliott hardly got on the field. When he did, his burst was nonexistent and his chemistry with Prescott has been mysteriously off this season in the passing game. Vaughn was inactive. Hunter Luepke is a solid situational runner but more of a utility player. Though not perfect, Dowdle showed signs of something that can be built upon — he showed progress. “Rico has always run hot,” Schottenheimer said. “He sees where he wants to go and he wants to get there in a hurry. The problem with that is when you’re trying tie in the seven or eight other guys involved in the blocking scheme,
Cowboys Headlines: Zack Martin has back injury, Elliott goes to coaches over usage, Dak unhappy over personal life invasion
Cowboys RG Zack Martin misses practice with a back injury :: ProFootballTalk Link Martin missed a second straight day of practice on Thursday. Wednesday was his usual load-management day, but now there’s a back injury listed on the report. Trevon Diggs missed Thursday’s work, too; his designation is for an ankle injury as well as illness. Linebackers Eric Kendricks and Nick Vigil both missed a second consecutive day. DaRon Bland ‘can’t wait’ for debut of Cowboys’ CB hydra with Diggs, Lewis :: The Mothership Link The three-headed CB monster of Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, and Jourdan Lewis has never taken the field with all three as starters. That might change Sunday, as Bland seems to be on track to return from foot fracture. “I feel pretty good, but as far as coming back, time will tell,” he said with a smile. Bland’s practice window opened on Wednesday; the team has until Oct. 30 to make an official decision on his status. Why has CeeDee Lamb’s production dropped in the second halves of Cowboys games? :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link In the first halves of games, Lamb has hauled in a total of 21 receptions for 353 yards. After intermission, though, just four receptions for 25 yards. “What happens is we pop off early on and no one wants to see that in the second half of the game,” Lamb said on Thursday. “[Opponents] do a great job of making halftime adjustments. Nine times out of 10, I’m getting clouded. Kudos to them; they’re doing a great job of stopping the bleeding.” Lamb ripped Detroit last time they met, hauling in 13 receptions for a career-high 227 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown reception. The Cowboys’ run game showed signs of life — they need Rico Dowdle to keep building :: The Athletic Link Dowdle’s career day in Week 5 included better production after halftime. “When we had to run the ball in the second half, we were able to do that,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “That’s a sign that there’s progress. We’re feeling better about the combinations, the running game.” That’s what the Cowboys need from their running game. It’s not about the gaudy stats; it’s about being able to run the ball when they need to. That could be in short-yardage situations. It could be in the red zone. It could be in the four-minute offense, trying to milk the clock at the end of the game. The Cowboys’ offense is predicated on the passing game being the main character, but the running game has to at least be on stage. Ezekiel Elliott has talked to coaches about lack of use :: Clarence Hill Jr. Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle can make franchise history on Sunday against the Lions :: Blogging the Boys Link It may seem improbable, but no Cowboys running back has ever gone three straight games with a receiving touchdown. (And it’s only happened in back-to-back games 15 times total.) Dowdle had one against the Giants and one against the Steelers; if he hauls in a scoring grab versus Detroit on Sunday, he’ll etch his name into the franchise record books. The kids game Cowboys need to use in order to beat the Lions :: Cowboys Wire Link Remember playing keep away on the playground? With a worn-down and injury-depleted defense, the Cowboys’ best chance at beating Detroit in Week 6 is to control the ball. The Lions have allowed 20 or more points in all but one game this year, so there’s definitely an opportunity for Dak Prescott and the offense to dictate the flow of the game. A shootout won’t work in Dallas’s favor. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott not pleased with attention from demolition of Prosper mansion :: Dallas Morning News Link Prescott bristled after videos circulated online of his 8,800-square foot home being demolished to make way for a new one. “It’s crazy the coverage it got, just being frank,” he explained. “Trying to keep my personal life my personal life, build a home or a place or have a property that I’m about to raise a daughter and a family there, I truly don’t appreciate the drones, the extra videos, and honestly, the conversation of it… Enough said.” 2024 NFL Week 6 QB Power Rankings: Lamar Jackson takes over top spot; Jayden Daniels approaches top five :: NFL.com Link He threw two ugly picks against Pittsburgh, but he also fired pinpoint bullets in crunch time to win a big game on the road in a hostile environment. As a result, Prescott climbs three spots in this week’s rankings; he currently stands as the No. 10 quarterback entering Week 6. Detroit’s Jared Goff, who was a perfect 18-for-18 in his last outing, has great options in the pass game and can hit them all when he’s protected. He sits at 14th. Cowboys staring at golden opportunity to rewrite these narratives with Week 6 win over Lions :: Cowboys Wire Link Quality opponents from outside the NFC East have posed real problems for the Cowboys over the past few seasons. They’re no good against tough, physical teams. They have no home-field advantage. They are incapable of stopping the run. The defense is too decimated to match up with a foe boasting legitimate offensive weapons. Some of those things are true; some are just popular narratives that have gained traction. A win Sunday to move to 4-2 at the bye would go a long way in silencing those storylines. NFL TV coverage maps and announcers for Week 6: Will you get to watch Cowboys-Lions? :: Cowboys Wire Link This weekend’s showdown with Detroit shares Fox’s late-Sunday window with only one other game. Viewers in Georgia, the Carolinas, the majority of Alabama, and tiny patches of Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida will get Falcons/Panthers; everyone else will see Lions/Cowboys. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will be on the call. Steelers’ George Pickens dismisses questions on explicit eye black :: ESPN Link The Pittsburgh wide receiver is
Behind Enemy Lions: Need to know on Cowboys LBs, Detroit’s guru OC
Cowboys Wire: Let’s dial up the wayback machine. 2023 Week 17, the Lions send 372 offensive linemen racing towards the zebras on a two-point conversion to take the lead. The football gods intervene and strike down the heathens. That’s how you remember things right? Risdon: Something like that, lol. It’s one of those situations where the officials screwed up because they weren’t paying attention to the details. The Lions did try to add a little gamesmanship to it, but it’s not that hard to get it right when the officiating crew has to announce to both teams if someone reports as eligible and then they don’t listen to their own directive. What’s one thing the Cowboys do well that doesn’t get enough credit nationally? CW: Is there anything, good or bad, that doesn’t get exhausted nationally about this club? The linebacker play has been a great suprise, wholly because of second-year “rookie” DeMarvion Overshown. He’s a heat-seeking missle out there and it will be wild to see how he does when he doesn’t have to spy a mobile quarterback and has to deal with chasing those great Detroit backs. Between him, true rookie Marist Liufau and veteran Eric Kendricks there’s actual competency in the group. If the DTs play well, they are there to clean things up. Talk to me about the next Dallas Cowboys head coach Ben Johnson, has his offense evolved since last season? JR: Good luck prying Ben away. His offensive play designs are outstanding, creative and well-conceived for the talent at hand. It requires having a great (not good–great) offensive line to work, and the trust he has in Jared Goff helps make it all function so beautifully. Integrating the raw speed of Jameson Williams into a bigger component of the offense has worked very well. As for Johnson leaving, one reason why he’s stayed and rejected offers is because he didn’t like the instability and meddling of the ownership in the places that wanted him. That’s gonna be a tough nut for Dallas to crack.
Cowboys vs. Lions: 3 reasons why Dallas may be at a significant disadvantage in Week 6
Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images There may be too many obstacles for the Cowboys to overcome this week. The Dallas Cowboys managed to secure two rough road victories in back-to-back weeks and will return home to AT&T Stadium to face off against a really talented and gritty Detroit Lions team. This game is shaping up to be a grudge match after the way things played out between these two last year, but unfortunately it could possibly be a little one-sided. Heading into this Week 6 matchup with the Cowboys, it looks as if the Lions already have a significant advantage. Today, we are going to take a look at three reasons why Detroit may be favored to win this matchup. But, since there is no such thing as an easy victory in the NFL, the Cowboys will do their best to walk away the third consecutive “W”. Reason #1 – Too many injuries Jared Goff probably isn’t too concerned about the Cowboys pass rush this week with Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Marshawn Kneeland expected to miss this matchup. And the Lions defense is probably looking forward to squaring off against the Cowboys offense with WR Brandin Cooks out and with Tyler Guyton getting banged up last week. All in all, Dallas is the walking wounded right now giving the Lions a significant advantage. Dallas’ bye in Week 7 can’t get here soon enough. Reason #2 – Detroit has had extra time to prepare The Cowboys and Lions will enter this Week 6 matchup at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Cowboys are currently walking wounded with several key players injured and expected to miss this matchup, while the Lions will more than likely be well rested/recuperated coming off their bye week. The extra time they’ve had to prepare for this matchup gives them an advantage over Dallas, a team who they are very motivated to extract a little bit of revenge against after the way things played out between the two last year. Reason #3 – Home-field advantage? Not this year. Home-field advantage used to be a thing for the Cowboys in the past two years. They were nearly unstoppable at AT&T Stadium, but that hasn’t been the case this year. They are currently 0-2 and have been completely embarrassed in front of their hometown fans by both the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. Sadly, facing a team with extra time to rest and prepare for this matchup and with all of the current injuries Dallas is coming with right now, another disappointing performance at home this week seems likely.
Thursday Night Football odds, pick and live discussion: 49ers at Seahawks
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images Who wins tonight… San Francisco or Seattle? The San Francisco 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. FanDuel has the 49ers as 3.5-point favorites over the Seahawks. Final score prediction: Seahawks 23 – 49ers 21. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.
Cowboys staring at golden opportunity to rewrite these narratives with Week 6 win over Lions
Cowboys staring at golden opportunity to rewrite these narratives with Week 6 win over Lions K.D. Drummond For the last several years, the Dallas Cowboys have struggled to defeat quality opponents from outside their division. Sure, they’ve been able to handle the Philadelphia Eagles, but when facing off against the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers last year, they fell short, often in spectacular failings. Of course narratives don’t necessarily have to be true to be believed. Dallas defeated the Detroit Lions last year, and they made it to the NFC Championship. The year prior the Cowboys had wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings who combined for a 25-8 regular season record. Still, Dallas’ playoff failures have created the public impression that tough opponents can bully them. After last week’s win over the 3-1 “tough guy” Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys now have a chance to reverse that narrative along with another. The team had won 16 straight home games prior to the drubbing placed on them by the Packers in the 2023 wild-card round. Now, they’ve lost three AT&T Stadium games in a row, and if it weren’t for a 19-point fourth-quarter rally that fell short, the scores in all three would’ve been woefully lopsided. But a win Sunday over the 3-1 tough guy Detroit Lions, seeking revenge for last season’s controversial finish, at AT&T Stadium would not only silence the big-game critics but also the internally-booing birds about their loss of a home-field advantage. The Cowboys, sitting at 4-2 entering their bye week, after the littany of injuries to top stars on the heels of a tumultuous offseason would be a seismic shift in perception. Dallas went all summer dealing with contract talks about Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons and a contract holdout with WR CeeDee Lamb. The entire defensive end room is currently ravaged with the top four edge rushers all sidelines simultaneously. Sam Williams is done for the season, Parsons looks like he’ll miss a second consecutive contest and DeMarcus Lawrence and second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland are on the shelf. The cornerback room is barely doing better with Trevon Diggs returning from an ACL tear, DaRon Bland having yet to suit up in 2024 and impressive fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson missing the last two wins. Through in adapting to the defensive scheme of Mike Zimmer which has turned things around after giving up over 450 rushing yards in back-to-back losses to the Saints and Ravens. The Lions bring forth one of the league’s best rushing tandems in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Stifling Najae Harris is one thing. Corralling these two? That’d be remarkably impressive. There are a number of narratives that can be laid to rest, at least temporarily, with a victory on Sunday. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys injury report: Eric Kendricks doesn’t practice for a second day
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Your latest Cowboys injury news. The Cowboys opened the week of practice with great news. All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland was a full participant yesterday. The Cowboys enter their bye week following their game against Detroit, so the team must feel good about his status by having him return to practice ahead of this week’s game with a chance to play Sunday. The Cowboys having their top three cornerbacks against Detroit is a big help in containing the Lions’ passing attack. Here’s where the team stands regarding injuries following their second practice of the week. #Lions S Kerby Joseph (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice today. Here is the full report. pic.twitter.com/YMDiJ06AnK — Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 10, 2024 Bland practiced fully again on Thursday, furthering his chances to suit up against the Lions. Also listed as full participants for a consecutive day were Caelen Carson (shoulder), who has missed the last two games, and Tyler Guyton. Guyton appears to be fine after leaving Sunday’s win. A full week of practice is exactly what he needs in preparation for Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions’ pass rush. Trevon Diggs (ankle/illness) was absent from practice. After sitting out on Wednesday, Eric Kendricks logged another DNP and Zack Martin also did not practice today after a day off yesterday. Not practicing officially was Micah Parsons. Parsons was seen working on the sides with trainers. It’s good to see Parsons on the field in that capacity, although he ultimately will be ruled out against Detroit. There’s slight changes from yesterday’s report for the Lions. Center Frank Ragnow was a full participant with a pectoral injury but, Kerby Joseph was added to today’s report and limited by a hamstring injury.
