Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Rico Dowdle was one of the bright spots amid the Cowboys loss on Monday night. Monday night was a different kind of frustration for the Dallas Cowboys. Unlike every other loss this season, the Cowboys were very much in the fight against the Cincinnati Bengals. Dare I say they took things almost the entire distance before they ultimately succumbed. Obviously the Amani Oruwariye situation highlights the game and day in a way that makes everything else feel rather insignificant. Close only counts in horseshoes as far as competition is concerned and the Cowboys coming “close” to winning does nothing for actually earning a victory. Thankfully we can have and provide a little bit more context in our assessment of the game. This was the “best” loss of the season for Dallas in that they looked competitive all throughout which means that we have some atta-boys and demerits to hand out. Welcome to our stock report following Monday night’s disaster. Stock Up: Rico Dowdle It was absurd for the Cowboys to approach the running back position the way that they did through the first half of November. That Rico Dowdle is performing the way he is only exacerbated that absurdity. Dowdle looks incredible since being given a legitimate amount of touches which calls into even more question the way that the front office and coaching staff evaluated this thing from the jump. Consider that Dowdle’s performance was just the fifth this season across the league where a player averaged 7.3 yards per carry with at least 18 of them to his name. The Cowboys kept this from us! Stock Up: Micah Parsons We have talked about this a few times since he said it, but that Micah Parsons has done all within his power to try and drag this Cowboys team forward after saying he would not tank, and that he believed in them, is a very impressive thing. Parsons did not totally get home on Monday night, but he was an absolute menace snap in and snap out. He was emotional after the game, partly due to the devastation involving the DeMarivon Overshown injury, and even if you think that he should have done this or that, I’d offer that a player showing that kind of passion is a good thing for this team. Parsons is doing all he can and then some. Stock Up: Trevon Diggs A similar level of endorsement is deserved for Trevon Diggs after Monday night. Returning from injury, Diggs did all he could to try and help the Cowboys slow down Ja’Marr Chase. In an overall sense that effort fell short, but not because of any lack of effort from Diggs specifically. Getting that kind of play from one of the leaders on the defense who is already on his second contract, that is the right stuff. Stock Up: CeeDee Lamb Did you know that CeeDee Lamb is third in receiving yards this season? It is notable that CeeDee Lamb has not given up amid the dysfunction that has surrounded this Cowboys team for some time now. He has kept fighting. Lamb was mysteriously ignored for much of this second half (after being quite productive) which will never be something that makes sense. But he certainly did his part when he was involved. Stock Up: Marist Liufau The Overshown injury was and remains to be devastating, but the Cowboys obviously had to finish the football game after it happened and came close to winning it. Marist Liufau was a big reason for that. We have talked a lot about how the Liufau selection could/should have been a running back for the Cowboys. But his best work came when he was called upon in a moment of need on Monday night. He was spectacular. Stock Up: The makeshift offensive line Our last kudos goes to the Cowboys offensive line at large because they did an incredible job of surviving. Already down Zack Martin, the group lost Cooper Beebe before the game was over. That they were able to make things happen with so many backups playing is a real testament to the discipline from the collective. Stock Down: Amani Oruwariye Nobody wants to pick on the situation, but we have to acknowledge it. Amani Oruwariye committed an error that is coached in the early days of learning to play football. There are certainly some interesting ways to explore what could have been in his mind when he tried to field the ball after Dallas blocked Cincinnati’s punt attempt, but ultimately he was the culprit who touched it and made it live and opened the door for disaster. This cannot happen. Stock Down: John Fassel Some people were fine with Juanyeh Thomas returning Washington’s onside kick attempt when the Cowboys won there a few weeks back. If you feel it was a fine decision for Thomas, you can also acknowledge that him falling down after he recovered the ball was technically the correct decision to make. Understood? Cool. If you can indeed come to terms with the Thomas situation, then the Oruwariye one makes a second common sense flub that the Cowboys special teams group has had in a three-game stretch. How is this possible? We are not talking about some overly-aggressive fake punt attempts which in and of themselves are worthy of debate and potential criticism. What we are discussing here is basic, fundamental stuff that the Cowboys are getting wrong. John Fassel is either not instructing his unit of the literal rules of the game or is not having his messaging totally understood. Whatever the case, that cannot continue. Stock Down: Jalen Tolbert So much has happened to this Cowboys team this season and that has made evaluating the offense a difficult thing. That is fair. But did we not just note up top how CeeDee Lamb is managing to thrive? He is obviously CeeDee Lamb, but why can’t Jalen Tolbert find a similar path to success? We are
Cowboys CB, former 2nd-round pick, projected as great fit for Broncos to poach
Cowboys CB, former 2nd-round pick, projected as great fit for Broncos to poach K.D. Drummond Can the Dallas Cowboys afford to have their cornerback depth poached? Well, yes, because they aren’t going anywhere in 2024 and if a player on their practice squad can help someone else fight for the postseason, so be it. Now, this isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to young talent and potential. But veterans who are on the practice squad thanks to rule changes over the last several years? CB Andrew Booth falls into this category. Booth was a depth addition over the offseason, but was released and added back to the practice squad after he was under duress early this season. He was elevated for Monday night’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but was made inactive when Trevon Diggs was able to play. If another team sees value in him, it’s unlikely Dallas would look to protect him at this point. The Denver Broncos might be that team, according to Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department, who identified him as a good in-season pickup. Riley Moss missed the game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13, and it exposed a hole in the Broncos roster. Without the surprise breakout corner, they don’t have a starting option across from Patrick Surtain II. Levi Wallace was torched against the Browns for 164 yards and a touchdown. Signing someone from a practice squad might not actually be an improvement. But it would allow the Broncos to at least get a younger player who might have some untapped potential. Andrew Booth is a former second-round pick who is still just 24 years old. Booth has appeared in three games this season for Dallas. He was a second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.
5 plays that blocked the Cowboys from victory over the Bengals
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images There were a handful of moments that were bigger than others on Monday night… including the one you are thinking. The Cowboys failed to notch their first three-game win streak of the season, falling 27-20 to the Bengals. It was a close game from start to finish, and while there aren’t any individual plays from this entire game that stick out in anyone’s mind, here are five plays that were massive in the final outcome of the game. Cooper Rush’s interception takes away points The Cowboys offense was on fire right out of the gate, moving down the field with ease and scoring a touchdown. The Bengals matched on their next drive to tie things up 7-7, but a huge play from CeeDee Lamb put Dallas right back in scoring range. Then, tragedy struck. Rush looked Lamb’s way on a quick slant, but the receiver never got there. He was knocked down by a defender, a clean play since it occurred within the five yard cushion, but that allowed Geno Stone to pick off the pass. There was really nothing that could be done differently here, as Lamb didn’t have time to evade the defender and Rush got the ball out before it even happened, but the play was huge. The Cowboys needed as many points as they could get, and turning it over in the red zone early on was devastating. Luke Schoonmaker’s penalty backs offense up The Cowboys were hot to start the third quarter too, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive and then picking off Joe Burrow right after that. With the game tied at 17 a piece, the Cowboys were moving the ball with some real potential. After a first-down conversion from Rico Dowdle, Rush got sacked for a loss of one yard. During the scrum, Luke Schoonmaker shoved a Bengals defender, who then put on an award-worthy acting performance and fell to the ground, drawing a flag. Schoonmaker was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty, and since the foul occurred after the play, it meant the down counted and the 15 yards was then tacked on. Just like that, the Cowboys were looking at second and 26, and they predictably had to settle for a field goal. That’s a bitter pill to swallow after the drive looked destined for more. Joe Burrow finds Mike Gesicki on hot route Still, the field goal from Brandon Aubrey gave the Cowboys a 20-17 lead, and the Bengals needed to respond. The fourth quarter had just begun, and time was ticking away for them to reclaim the lead. A few big plays got them right on the cusp of field goal range. On first down, Burrow dropped back to pass, but was quickly greeted by Micah Parsons screaming down on him, completely unblocked. The quarterback fired a quick pass to Mike Gesicki over the middle of the field, who had beaten Donovan Wilson off his break. Gesicki picked up 13 yards and put the Bengals firmly into field goal range. More importantly, the quick thinking from Burrow prevented a certain sack that likely would have pushed them out of range for kicker Cade York, who tied the game up just four plays later. The whole punt block fiasco Yes, of course we’re going to talk about this play. The most impactful play of the game, without question, came right out of the two minute warning. A string of penalties for the Bengals and a third down sack set up a fourth and 27. Cincinnati came out to punt. The Cowboys did something great. And then something the exact opposite of great. Bro. pic.twitter.com/guErISs6BL — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 10, 2024 Nick Vigil made a game-changing block of the punt that could have potentially sealed a game-winning field goal try for Aubrey, and Amani Oruwariye literally let it slip through his fingers. It was a mental error of Leon Lett proportions. Not only did it rob them of great starting field position, but it gave the Bengals a fresh set of downs. Three plays later, Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase for the game-winner. Cooper Rush doesn’t see wide open CeeDee Lamb As catastrophic as the blocked punt fiasco was for the Cowboys, it wasn’t the end. The quick score for Chase was actually a good thing, as it gave Rush and the offense the ball back with 61 seconds to score and all three timeouts. Before long, though, the Cowboys were facing fourth down and needing seven for the first down just on their side of the 50. Rush ended up firing high and incomplete to Jake Ferguson, but Lamb came wide open in the middle of the field right before he threw it. Man, CeeDee Lamb looks to be wide open on the final play of the game. If Cooper Rush just looks to his left, it’s first down and then some.#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/I0NlSW9s4h — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) December 10, 2024 Had Rush seen Lamb, the first down would’ve been an easy one, and Lamb probably gains plenty more. The offense would’ve been pressed for time to get up and clock the ball, but they at least would’ve had more of a chance than they did when Rush missed Ferguson, effectively ending the game.
Cowboys open as underdogs to the Panthers for Week 15
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images The Cowboys are officially underdogs this week. The Dallas Cowboys have had such a poor season that they are now underdogs to the Carolina Panthers in Week 15. Fanduel has Dallas as 1.5-point dogs. It wasn’t long ago that the Panthers were labeled as the worst team in the league, but lately they have been making strides. The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders are now battling for the crown of worst franchise… for now. It would have been interesting to see what these odds would have been had the Cowboys resisted touching that blocked punt and blowing the game. If Dallas just left that punt alone, they would have gotten the ball already within Brandon Aubrey’s range. Would a win in that game meant totally different odds for this week? We’ll never know. Another interesting thing to take into account now is that the Bengals’ game effectively ended any playoff hopes for Dallas. Just how much will that loss, and the way they lost it, affect the team going forward? Will effort still be there? Will players be less likely to push through injuries and will assistant coaches start working on their résumés? Anyway, it all adds up to the Cowboys being underdogs on the road to the Panthers. It’s that kind of season.
Cowboys injury mojo, beyond-dusty playoff chances among lessons learned in Week 14
McCarthy’s teams don’t learn Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images This has been a rough season for the Cowboys, who continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Despite being under .500, Dallas miraculously isn’t out of the playoff hunt and a third straight win could’ve catapulted this team into late-season success. And all that was briefly attainable when linebacker Nick Vigil blocked Ryan Rehkow’s punt with just under two minutes to play. The Cowboys were set to get the ball back on the Bengals’ side of the field with the opportunity to score and win the game. Time was winding down and they sport the kicker with the best boot on the planet. That wasn’t to be though, as cornerback Amani Oruwariye tried to pick up the loose ball and run with it. Instead of staying away and giving the offense a chance to close out a third consecutive win, Oruwariye never controlled the ball. The Bengals recovered it with a new set of downs and in great position to win, taking just three plays for the game-winning score. If the misplay looked familiar to Cowboys fans, it might have evoked memories from when defensive tackle Leon Lett tried to recover a blocked kick on Thanksgiving in a snowy 1993 game. However, there’s been a more recent play exactly like this one, and this also happened with McCarthy as the teams’ head coach. In a 2021 game against the Denver Broncos, the Cowboys blocked a punt they tried to recover and return. Then rookie CB Nahshon Wright fumbled the recovery attempt, which the Broncos finally secured to extend a drive. The Broncos won that game easily, 30-16. Just three seasons later, McCarthy’s team made the same mistake, and it cost them, again. For all the recent chatter about bringing McCarthy back, these types of issues make it difficult to get behind the idea. Best weapons show up Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Cowboys don’t have much offensive firepower, especially without starting quarterback Dak Prescott. However, it was evident in the loss how they do have two very good pieces on offense. There was little doubt about wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s ability to be a weapon and he played well again, catching six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Lamb caught six of his seven targets, but only two passes came Lamb’s way after halftime, which has been a recurring problem. The Cowboys need to do a better job of throwing the ball to their All-Pro for 60 minutes. Running back Rico Dowdle backed up his first 100-yard rushing game, with another trip over the century mark. Dowdle ran for 131 yards, and a whopping 7.3 yards per carry in the loss. The Bengals couldn’t stop the rushing attack, but like Lamb, Dowdle didn’t have enough opportunities. Dowdle only had 18 carries on the game, despite his success. The offense needs to lean on Dowdle and Lamb in the last four games. Injuries are crippling the team Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images It has been a rough year for the Cowboys in terms of injuries, which have taken their toll on the team’s performance. Things went from bad to worse late in Week 14’s loss. Budding star LB DeMarvion Overshown went down in the fourth quarter to a catastrophic knee injury, which looks like it could be serious. It’s likely that Overshown won’t play again in 2024, ruining what had been a promising first year, but the fear is the injury might cost him most of next season as well. It’s one thing to have guys out for this disappointing campaign, but long-term injuries this late in the season that affect next year is a crushing blow for the Cowboys. The team’s injury woes went from bad to worse in a loss that has ramifications well past this week. That’s a tough pill to swallow. Home still a house of horrors Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys. Normally playing at home in the NFL is cause for optimism, but for the Cowboys, it has been a house of horrors. The team is now 1-6 at AT&T Stadium and is giving up over 30.5 points per game. In every game, an opposing team has had a player throw for over 300 yards, rush for over 100 yards or have over 100 yards receiving. In this loss, Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns, while WR Ja’Marr Chase caught 14 passes for 177 yards and two scores. Opposing teams are making a living off the Cowboys in their own building. Luckily the team got a win on their home turf on Thanksgiving, so they won’t be shut out in their own building, but it doesn’t get much worse than having almost every loss be in an embarrassing fashion. The only team with a worse record at home this season is the New York Giants, at 0-7. So, they got that goin’ for them, which is nice! Playoff dream is dead Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images In the last two weeks, there’s been some hope that a late season turnaround could propel the Cowboys into the playoffs. The schedule down the road isn’t daunting and an upset or two could lead to a postseason berth. That dream died in the Week 14 loss. The Cowboys would have to win out just to have a chance and have a measly 1.3% shot at making the playoffs right now. They currently stand 13th in the NFC, three games behind the last wild card team. Leapfrogging five teams, three of whom the Cowboys have already lost to, feels like an enormous task, especially considering they play three of their last four games against current playoff teams. It was a tall order before losing to the Bengals, it’s nearly impossible now. The pipedream of having a miracle comeback season for the ages is gone, and probably something only a fool would have thought
10 thoughts on the Cowboys 27-20 Monday night loss to the Bengals
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Dallas Cowboys lost on Monday night and we have some thoughts on what happened The winning streak of the Dallas Cowboys came to an end after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 27-20 on Monday night. It was a competitive game going back and forth and being tied three times before the Bengals delivered the dagger late. There were some good things from this Cowboys football team, but it wasn’t enough and they dropped to 5-8 on the year, 1-6 at AT&T Stadium, and putting their hopes for a playoff berth on life support. Here are 10 thoughts on this Monday night 1. A GREAT START This game couldn’t have started any better for the Cowboys. The Bengals’ offense went three-and-out on their first possession and the Cowboys’ offense marched down the field and orchestrated a nine-play, 60-yard drive, capped off by an 11-yard CeeDee Lamb touchdown in the corner of the end zone. Just like that, the Cowboys jumped ahead with a 7-0 lead. 2. COSTLY TURNOVER The Bengals answered with an 11-play drive that went 70 yards to tie the game at 7-7. The Cowboys’ offense looked poised to answer right back with another score of their own, but those plans changed real quickly. Cooper Rush tried to hit CeeDee Lamb on a slant, but the ball got deflected and ended up in the arms of Bengals defender Geno Stone at the four-yard line. Just like that, the Cowboys came away with nada. This was the seventh time the Cowboys have turned the ball over in the red zone this season, the most in the NFL. 3. A CAREER BEST FOR RICO One bright spot for the Cowboys was the continued resurgence of running back Rico Dowdle. On the night, Rico rushed the ball 18 times for 131 yards for an average of 7.4 yards per carry. It was a new career high for Dowdle. The 26-year-old running back looked great as he was weaving through creases and showed good burst. It’s taken a while but the Cowboys running game is starting to show life and could mean more Dowdle in the future. 4. THE OLINE SHUFFLE What made the Cowboys’ rushing performance even more impressive was how they did it with a depleted offensive line. The team learned this week that they would be without Zack Martin for the rest of the year. They are also rolling with veteran Chuma Edoga at left tackle over rookie Tyler Guyton. On Monday night, they lost rookie center Cooper Beebe when he left the game with a concussion. This forced Brock Hoffman to slide over to center and T.J. Bass to play right guard. With all the shuffling the Cowboys have had on the offensive line, it’s crazy that the run game can stay afloat let alone get better. 5. MORE INJURIES The offense was without Beebe, but the defense suffered a huge blow when linebacker DeMarvion Overshown went down in the second half with a knee injury. It’s unclear the extent of his injury, but it doesn’t look good. Beebe and Overshown have been two of the better young players on this roster and it’s unpleasant to see them go down. The Cowboys have endured injuries to all of the All-Pros not named CeeDee Lamb, so now it appears the injury bug is coming after their future All-Pros. 6. GOING BACKWARD When Jourdan Lewis got flagged for pass interference it put the Bengals at their 46-yard line with 4:10 left to play in the game. They didn’t have much farther to go to get into a game-winning field goal position. It wasn’t looking good, but then two offensive holding penalties pushed the Bengals back. The tide had turned and the Bengals were forced to punt at their own 27-yard line, setting the table for the Cowboys to have a shot a game-winning drive themselves. 7. SPECIAL TEAM CRAZINESS When linebacker Nick Vigil flew up the middle and got his hands on the Bengals’ punt attempt, the crowd erupted. For a split second, we realized the Cowboys would get the ball already in Brandon Aubrey field goal range. But then we watched the ball bounce a little further and could see disaster before it happened. Backup corner Amani Oruwariye just couldn’t resist trying to catch the ball on a bounce in hopes of returning it. Unfortunately, he mishandled it and the Bengals recovered. You might remember a similar Now, it was Cincy sitting with a great field position with a chance to take the lead. 8. A TERRIBLE FINISH After the punt block snafu, things went south in a hurry. It only took the Bengals three plays to jump ahead, largely thanks to a pass to JaMarr Chase where he scampered to the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown. Cincinnati went up 27-20 with just over a minute to play. The Cowboys just didn’t have it in them to answer. Cooper Rush stumbled trying to escape for a three-yard gain, got sacked for an eight-yard loss, and then threw a floating duck on fourth down that went incomplete. The Cowboys quickly turned the ball over on downs and the game was over. 9. NO ANSWER FOR CHASE The Bengals got their star receiver involved early in often. Chase finished the game with 14 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns. While the Cowboys’ defense did a good job on his teammate Tee Higgins (two catches for 23 yards), they had no answer for Chase. He did a great job getting open and when he had the ball in his hands he churned out extra yards. On his game-winning touchdown catch, he caught DaRon Bland taking a bad angle and Chase was off to the races. 10. NO CHANCE WITH RUSH It’s unfortunate that the Cowboys can play well for a large part of the game, but ultimately be held back by the limitations of backup quarterback Cooper Rush. There were times he delivered some good balls
Cowboys news: Modern “Leon Lett” moment the final straw on 2024 season in primetime loss to Bengals
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images All the latest Dallas Cowboys news following a Monday night loss. Bengals-Cowboys: Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati take advantage of Leon Lett-like blunder in stunning win vs. Dallas – Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports Having Leon Lett comparisons to make after this Cowboys and Bengals game was not on anybody’s bingo card. A close 4th quarter The Bengals got lucky on what looked like a key turnover. Andrei Iosivas looked like he was stripped of the ball, but a replay review showed he never secured the catch as he was juggling it, so it was ruled incomplete. Burrow was sacked after that — officials missed a clear facemask penalty on Dallas — and punted on the next play. The Bengals got a stop and that gave Burrow a chance to win the game. He was banged up on the previous drive, possibly on the sack, and ESPN showed him getting a brace on his knee before the drive that started with 5:31 left. The drive started well, but two offensive penalties put the Bengals into a second-and-26. After a short completion and a sack, Cincinnati punted at the two-minute warning. That’s when the punt was blocked, leading to the comedy of errors of the Bengals getting the ball right back. Chase is having a monster season, and shortly after the gaffe by Dallas he took a short pass, slipped by one tackle attempt and took it in for the go-ahead touchdown. Micah Parsons stormed off the field after the heartbreaking loss. That image is a good representation of the Cowboys’ entire season. D’oh! Cowboys lose to Bengals on special teams blunder – Richard Paolinelli, Inside The Star The Cowboys can’t get out of their own way this season. Stat Line Rush finished the game 16-of-31 for 183 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Dowdle added 131 yards on 18 carries with Lamb getting six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. By The Numbers The Bengals snapped a five-game losing streak, both overall and when playing at Dallas, with the victory. Cincinnati’s last win anywhere over Dallas was back in 2004 in Ohio. The Cowboys are now 10-5 overall against the Bengals and 7-2 when playing at home. Cincinnati’s only win in Dallas prior to Monday had been a 38-24 win at Texas Stadium in 1988. Dallas is now 34-29 all-time in Week 14 games. The Cowboys had won five straight in this week of the schedule. Bengals-Cowboys on ‘Monday Night Football’: What We Learned from Cincinnati’s 27-20 win – Nick Shook, NFL.com The Cowboys and Bengals proved it doesn’t take teams with winning records to put on a compelling game. The Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys went down to the wire on Monday night. In the end, it was Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals who kept their slim playoff hopes alive, edging Cooper Rush, Rico Dowdle and the Cowboys, 27-20. Chase hauled in the game-winning touchdown — his second of the game — thanks to a blocked punt by the Cowboys that ended up being touched by Dallas beyond the line of scrimmage and returned possession to the Bengals. Cincinnati snapped its three-game losing skid, while Dallas had its two-game winning streak concluded. The Dallas Cowboys punt block turned disaster… explained – RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys As a rule of thumb, when obscure special teams rules have to be explained in detail following a game, your team probably did something terribly wrong. After seeing the ball bounce around for a bit it was Amani Oruwariye who decided to try and field the ball for Dallas. He did not do so cleanly, but because he touched it the ball became live again and eligible for Cincinnati to recover. They did, took over once more, scored and ultimately won the game. This is a tricky rule that doesn’t show up a lot due to the infrequency of blocked punts in the NFL. But after a block the ball must be left alone by the team who was responsible for the block or else they risk this happening. Cowboys fans will of course remember a similar thing happening on a field goal attempt where Leon Lett did the exact same thing. The stakes were a bit different then, but the mistake is just as flabbergasting. Unbelievable. Don’t forget these plays: Missing back-to-back fumbles – Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys had the lead at three different times in this game before losing in the final minutes. Two fumbles, no recoveries – On back-to-back plays, both involving Donovan Wilson, the Cowboys nearly had a turnover and never got the ball. Wilson recovered what was ruled initially as a fumble by Iosivas and returned the ball to the Bengals’ 28-yard line. But the replay officials came back and said the pass was incomplete. On the next play from the Cincinnati 46, Wilson and Marist Liufau combined on a sack and forced a Burrow fumble, but the Bengals still recovered. And although they had to punt, the Cowboys got the ball back and couldn’t put a drive together. The chances of two turnovers that came up empty seemed to be the opportunity needed for a win, and the Cowboys came up short. Vigil’s block by another inch? – It’s always a game of inches. Nick Vigil, who is on the roster for his ability to play special teams, cut through for a punt block that could’ve won the game. But had Vigil been there maybe a half-second sooner, he gets a little more hand on the ball and knocks it backward for either a touchdown or safety. Instead, we all saw what happened with the ball going forward and Amani Oruwariye opting to recover it. His muffed attempt led to the Bengals recovering it, which put their offense back on the field for the eventual game-winning touchdown. Troy Aikman expects Mike McCarthy to return as Cowboys coach in 2025 – Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk This would be quite the development
Cowboys open roof for ‘Monday Night Football’… without incident this time
Cowboys open roof for ‘Monday Night Football’… without incident this time Todd Brock With a two-game win streak under the Cowboys’ belt, the sky is no longer falling in Dallas. And now as the team gears up for a Week 14 primetime bout with the Bengals, neither is the roof over their heads. The retractable roof at AT&T Stadium has been opened for the Monday night matchup, just three weeks after a large piece of sheet metal crashed to the playing surface hours before the team’s Nov. 18 game against the Texans. No one was hurt in that incident, and the roof was closed in plenty of time for the evening’s game, which Dallas lost by a 34-10 score. The piece of metal turned out to be a covering lid to a cable tray located within the inner workings of the roof. High winds in the area that day had loosened the lid, and a heavy gust sent it flying only a couple hours prior to kickoff. Crews later determined that there were no structural issues with the stadium. The venue stayed open and then hosted another game Thanksgiving Day, although the roof remained closed. The Monday forecast in Arlington called for temperatures around 56 degrees at kickoff after a sunny and wday in the area. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] The roof at the 15-year-old stadium has been open for less than 25% of all Cowboys home games since its grand opening. Monday night will mark the first time it’s been left open for a Cowboys game since Oct. 30, 2022. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys fall to Bengals 27-20 in heartbreaking fashion
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys lost in heartbreaking fashion on Monday night On a night where The Simpsons took over an alternative broadcast of the game, the Cowboys lost to the Bengals in a manner that can only be summed up by Homer’s signature catchphrase: D’oh! Things started out great for the Cowboys. Their defense forced a swift three-and-out from the Bengals and a high-powered offense that’s scored 34 or more points in four of their last five games. The Cowboys responded by moving down the field with ease against a Bengals defense that’s struggled all year long. Cooper Rush found CeeDee Lamb in the corner of the endzone to go up 7-0 early. Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense woke up on the next drive, and before long he found Ja’Marr Chase in the endzone to tie things up. But Rush and the Cowboys had the defense’s number, and they moved into scoring position quickly after a highlight play from Lamb. CeeDee Lamb is unreal (via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/o1BJOL6CEi — RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) December 10, 2024 The drive would end soon afterwards, though. Rush tried to hit Lamb on a quick slant, but the receiver was blown up by a defender and never got to his spot, allowing for the pass to be picked off. As Troy Aikman explained, the hit was legal because it occurred within the first five yards from the line of scrimmage. Cincinnati didn’t do anything with the takeaway, though, as they turned it over on downs near midfield. A big run from Rico Dowdle – who had his second 100 yard rushing performance in as many games – moved things into field goal range, but the drive stalled out and Brandon Aubrey gave Dallas a 10-7 lead. The Bengals came out on the next drive airing it out, with Burrow completing four of his five passes on the six play drive. The final pass was a screen to Chase Brown, who tiptoed the sideline and scored a touchdown to put Cincinnati up 14-10. The Cowboys would go three-and-out on their final two drives of the first half, with a Bengals field goal sandwiched in between, and they trailed 17-10 at the break. Still, the Cowboys got the ball to start the second half and felt good about where they were. They had done better against Burrow and that offense than most defenses this year, and the running game was working well. That continued on their first drive of the third quarter, as Dowdle led the way with 30 yards on three carries before Rush hit Brandin Cooks for a game-tying touchdown. The defense managed to tighten up on the next drive, too, picking off Burrow after giving up some yardage. It was just the third interception Burrow had thrown in his last seven games. The Cowboys responded with a long, methodical drive that featured plenty of Dowdle. The running back put together 28 yards on four carries, and KaVontae Turpin got a carry in an exciting wildcat formation that picked up 10 yards. An unnecessary roughness penalty killed the drive, but Aubrey drilled a field goal to put Dallas up 20-17 on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Bengals responded with a field goal of their own to tie things back up, and the two teams proceeded to string together three straight punts. When the Bengals got the ball back with five and a half minutes left, time was slowly ticking away. Consecutive holding penalties backed the Bengals up to second and 26, and then Burrow was sacked on third down. That’s when this game got crazy: Bro. pic.twitter.com/guErISs6BL — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 10, 2024 Nick Vigil broke through the line and blocked the punt, making a massive play just after the two-minute warning. But as the ball rolled forward, Amani Oruwariye tried to catch it on the bounce and make a return. The ball slipped right out of his grasp and was subsequently recovered by Maema Njongmeta. Since the Cowboys touched the ball beyond the line of scrimmage but did not recover it, the play was treated as a muffed punt, thus giving Cincinnati a fresh set of downs. It was a classic Leon Lett moment, as Peyton Manning remarked on the Manningcast. Welcome to the history books, Mr. Oruwariye! Three plays later, Burrow hit Chase for a 40-yard touchdown, which sent the ball back to Rush and the offense with 61 seconds and all three timeouts. However, Rush took a sack on second down and then missed Jake Ferguson on fourth down, staring down the tight end right as Lamb came wide open for what would’ve been an easy first down. Man, CeeDee Lamb looks to be wide open on the final play of the game. If Cooper Rush just looks to his left, it’s first down and then some.#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/I0NlSW9s4h — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) December 10, 2024 The Bengals took one knee and closed out the game with a wild conclusion to a 27-20 nail-biter. The Cowboys did everything right in this game, especially a defense that held Cincinnati to just 27 points, but in the end they found a whole new way to lose the game. Only the Cowboys can turn a blocked punt into a negative. In many ways, this ending was a microcosm of the way this season has gone, and a harsh return to the reality of things after a nice distraction the past two weeks. Now, the Cowboys fall to 5-8, and they’ll need to run the table if they want to avoid their first losing season since Mike McCarthy’s first year in Dallas back in 2020.
DeMarvion Overshown injury update: Dallas Cowboys say they are ‘devastated’
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly devastated in the aftermath of DeMarvion Overshown’s injury. The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, but the 27-20 final score may be the least of their problems. As the fourth quarter began in earnest linebacker DeMarvion Overshown suffered a right knee injury and needed help to leave the field and game. He was just about immediately ruled out from the rest of the contest. While the team’s loss to Cincinnati stung, attention quickly turned to Overshown and what the significance of the injury was/is. At the time of this writing it is still not fully known, but some details have begun to trickle out. For starters, Overshown took to social media and expressed confidence from a faith-based perspective. He did ask for prayers from his followers/fans. Wouldn’t want this for anyone else! One of God’s Toughest Soldiers Keep me in your prayers… — DeMarvion Overshown (@AGENT0__) December 10, 2024 That could be read to meaning different things and is a bit open to interpretation, but Mike McCarthy also spoke on the situation. McCarthy noted that the team is devastated and that the injury did not look good. For what it is worth, Jerry Jones left it at saying that the team was “very concerned.” Mike McCarthy describes the DeMarvion Overshown knee injury as being “of a serious nature” and said the initial reports were not encouraging. pic.twitter.com/Q3wbY6H5KK — Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) December 10, 2024 Jerry Jones said they were “very concerned” about DeMarvion Overshown’s injury. https://t.co/g19khEFidl — Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) December 10, 2024 The Cowboys likely want to get official tests and what not done before making any final and official determinations on Overshown, but clearly there is cause for some true concern. Overshown has been having a remarkable season for the Cowboys in 2024, his first year playing. You will recall that Overshown tore his ACL (in his left knee, not the one he injured on Monday night) prior to his rookie season. We will update things around here when more is known.
