The bye week is coming up for the Dallas Cowboys which means they will have the week off. You should think about taking the week for yourself, too. If you are looking for a place or opportunity to kick up your feet, relax, and have a good time then you should consider Bye Week at […] The bye week is coming up for the Dallas Cowboys which means they will have the week off. You should think about taking the week for yourself, too. If you are looking for a place or opportunity to kick up your feet, relax, and have a good time then you should consider Bye Week at the Beach at TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida. You will find yourself in the company of Merril Hoge, Thomas Everett, and Ernie Mills if you choose to do so! “As a current player, I would have liked it. I wanted to spend time with my Family and I know my younger siblings would have loved the pool, beach, etc.” —Ernie Mills The event in question will take place on November 8th when the Cowboys are on their bye week. You can spend the day roaming around the resort and watching college football. What better combination is there as the Cowboys have the week off? Opportunities like this also make a lot of sense for active players. Their seasons are so hectic and chaotic and having an opportunity to connect with one another in their week away is invaluable. “We spend countless hours with our teammates in the locker room, meetings, on the field and off the field. Young Adults from 21-early 30’s becoming Men with families along the way and we don’t all live in the same town or have the same agenda in life. Having the opportunity to connect with brothers and sharing stories and flashbacks (some better than others!) are the best part of the weekend. Affirming how great of a person we were then and now. Great feeling!!” —Ernie Mills Hopefully you and yours are able to make it out to TradeWinds Resort to mingle with these three and all else in attendance! See More: General

Things are not going well for the Dallas Cowboys. After eight games, the team has only three wins. Their chances of making the playoffs grow slimmer with each week. Besides their inability to win back-to-back games, they have multiple things working against them. For starters, 13 of the 16 NFC teams (81%) also have at […] Things are not going well for the Dallas Cowboys. After eight games, the team has only three wins. Their chances of making the playoffs grow slimmer with each week. Besides their inability to win back-to-back games, they have multiple things working against them. For starters, 13 of the 16 NFC teams (81%) also have at least three wins, so it’s a packed house when it comes to teams vying for a playoff spot. Second, the Cowboys have a brutal stretch of games in late November/early December when they’ll square off against tough opponents: Week 12, November 23rd – Eagles, 6-2 Week 13, November 27th – Chiefs, 5-3 Week 14, December 4th – Lions, 5-2 Week 16, December 21st – Chargers, 5-2 Making matters even more difficult is that all of those teams have good offenses that should have a field day against this Cowboys defense. It’s not hard to see that a losing season could be on the horizon for this team, and that any shot at a real playoff run is slipping away. Last week, the sentiment was slightly different, with some fans holding on to a glimmer of hope. There were many discussions about making a big trade to acquire a difference-making defensive player who might be able to help save the season. For many fans, the “win now” plan would have looked something like this: It’s becoming clearer that there is no great savior out there. The defense’s problems won’t be remedied by one player, and the best thing for them to do is to save that draft capital and look for their solutions next year. Plus, in a week, we learned that the Raiders have no desire to trade Maxx Crosby. We also watched the defense get torched by the Broncos’ offense. Even the great offense we’ve seen all year sputtered, where they quickly found themselves in a hole they could never get out of. Things couldn’t have gone much worse. So, obviously, they need a new plan. This plan should be centered around fixing the defense and maximizing the window where they have good quarterback play. This is tricky because it requires both patience and a willingness to be assertive. But there’s a path where they can make great strides in accomplishing such, and it could go a little something like this: Re-sign George Pickens Yes, this was also part of the “win-now” plan, but there really shouldn’t be any scenario where he is not a part of their future. They used a third-round pick to get him, and he’s been nothing short of fantastic since stepping on the field. The alternative is to use draft capital for one of the top collegiate receivers, but that’s a risky thing to do for two reasons: (A) you never know what you’re going to get, and (B) they need those premium draft resources for defense. Take the sure thing that is Pickens. He possesses a skillset that is not readily found, and when you have something great, it’s okay to shell out the funds to keep it. Attack defense in the draft This is expected. We all know this is where they need the most help, and several areas need addressing. Plus, the offense is stacked with talent that there are no pressing areas. The offensive line is set with four of its five starters, all young players who have been selected in recent drafts. This allows the team to focus most of its attention on defense. It’s also worth mentioning that the team does have a lot of young defensive players who are still finding their place on the team. This list includes: DeMarvion Overshown Donovan Ezeiruaku Shavon Revel Jr. Marshawn Kneeland Marist Liufau Shemar James Some of these guys are going to work out, some won’t. After the conclusion of the season, they’ll have a stronger idea of which players offer promise and which areas need a major upgrade. If the Cowboys can find a way to add a few key pieces to this young group, the defense stands a good chance of being much improved in future seasons. It’s easy to just say draft the best players available with their two first-round picks, but that’s a lot of draft capital. They might be better served to spread the love and acquire more picks. Since we expect them to go defense-heavy, they don’t want to reach for a defensive player, but instead move to where the cluster of defensive players live. This means they could use one of their first-round picks on an impact defensive player, but not both. Instead, use the second one to trade back and acquire more picks. Moving around in this manner could look something like this: 1st rounder #1 – draft an impact defensive player 1st rounder #2 – trade out of first round, get an extra 2nd and 3rd 2nd rounder #1 – draft an impact defensive player 2nd rounder #2 – draft a top collegiate RB 3rd rounder – draft an impact defensive player Going with something like this allows them to have four top 100 picks instead of just three. They can still look to grab three strong defensive players and still have one premium pick left over for an offensive player. The team has been reluctant to spend top draft capital on a running back, but with the resurgence of their offensive line/blocking scheme, they should strongly consider keeping this a strength by acquiring one of college’s top runners. Look for Dak’s replacement When you look at all the talent on this team, it’s easy to feel optimistic about the future, as there are a lot of young pieces,

We have a bit of a weird question for you today. The Dallas Cowboys play their next game on Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals and we all have some trepidation about it given Arizona’s recent success against the Cowboys. They have won seven of the last eight meetings between the team. Oh, and Cardinals […] We have a bit of a weird question for you today. The Dallas Cowboys play their next game on Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals and we all have some trepidation about it given Arizona’s recent success against the Cowboys. They have won seven of the last eight meetings between the team. Oh, and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is 9-0 dating back to high school inside of AT&T Stadium where the game will be played. The question is weird. We understand. But we want to see how you all are thinking. What is the best way that Dallas could lose on Monday night? You can take this how you want. Maybe you want the Cowboys to get embarrassed in the sense of it maybe leading to change. Perhaps you want the defense to show some teeth and play well, but the offense lets them down and ultimate hope can be drawn from it all for that kind of reason. Let us know what you think in the comments below. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer on 3-4-1 start: Can take stats on offense and shove ’em – Nick Shook, NFL.com Schottenheimer is interested in wins not statistics. In a parity-filled, unpredictable 2025 season, perhaps no team matches their overall record better the Dallas Cowboys. At 3-4-1, Dallas has been good enough to win (and in one instance, […] Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer on 3-4-1 start: Can take stats on offense and shove ‘em – Nick Shook, NFL.com Schottenheimer is interested in wins not statistics. In a parity-filled, unpredictable 2025 season, perhaps no team matches their overall record better the Dallas Cowboys. At 3-4-1, Dallas has been good enough to win (and in one instance, tie) shootouts. The Cowboys have also been porous enough defensively to get shredded by the likes of Denver, Carolina and the Russell Wilson-led Giants, with the last being the most damning fact of all. It’s been evident from the first week of the season: The Cowboys are an offensively driven team, powered by a unit capable of scoring enough to keep them in most games thanks in large part to the excellent play of quarterback Dak Prescott. That’s understandably not satisfactory for first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer. “None of us have done good enough. Coaches, players, head coach, none of us have done good enough,” Schottenheimer told reporters on Wednesday. “That’s real. Our scorecard is what it is. That’s not just defensively, that’s offensively. We’re a football team that’s 3-4-1. You can take the stats on offense and shove ‘em up your a– as far as I’m concerned.” Clowney, Clark on defensive woes: ‘Hold each other accountable’ – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in team history this season, and it needs to change. FRISCO, Texas — It’s statistically one of the worst defenses in the history of the Dallas Cowboys, so it stands to reason coaches and players alike are oscillating between frustration and anger. Eight games into the 2025 season, sitting at 3-4-1 and approaching the point of no return if they can’t figure out a way to consistently stop opposing offenses, there’s no shortage of pressure for that side of the ball to, at minimum, be serviceable. The tone of each defensive player, however, remains one of determination, and that includes Jadeveon Clowney, now several games in after joining the team via free agency in September. He’s been around the NFL block a few times, and seen his fair share of rosters — trying to figure out what’s holding the Cowboys’ defense back heading into the Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. “I tell the guys all the time, man, I’ve played on seven teams — it’s my seventh year,” said Clowney. “There’s a lot of talent on his roster for us to not be winning consistently. We always have to come back and figure out what’s going on. We’ve got a lot of talent here.” Cowboys DL Perrion Winfrey designated to return from IR – Connor Livesay, Blogging The Boys The former fourth-round pick is working his way back to the field. The defensive tackle play from the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 has been less than ideal. With veterans Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark really struggling the last few weeks, the Cowboys have tried mixing up snaps from Mazi Smith, Jay Toia, and Solomon Thomas to look for a jolt in production. With little success, the Cowboys may turn to an offseason hero in Perrion Winfrey, who the Dallas Cowboys designated to return off of IR. Winfrey, 25, has yet to play this season for the Cowboys due to a back injury he suffered leading up to the Cowboys week one game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Winfrey was placed on IR before week one and has been flying under the radar since. After slow first half, Cowboys second-round DE Donovan Ezeiruaku is improving week by week – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News Its been a methodical process, but Donovan Ezeiruaku is figuring things out. FRISCO — In his senior season at Boston College, Donovan Ezeiruaku led the nation with 16 1/2 sacks with a 1.38 per game sack rate. He had 15 quarterback hits, 20 1/2 tackles for loss and 80 tackles. In the pros, Ezeiruaku, the Cowboys’ second-round pick edge rusher, has just one sack and nine quarterback hits through eight games of his rookie season. He said he’s improving each week, and that’s been evident recently as he hits the halfway mark of his first year as an NFL player. In the last three weeks, Ezeiruaku has six tackles, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and one sack. “I think I’ve been getting better every week,” he said. “I think it’s going pretty well in terms of my individual personal development. But it’s obviously tough when you know as a team we’re not doing what we’re supposed to do. Sometimes it feels that I’m not really progressing as a player individually but things are going well. I’m healthy and I’m going to continue to push and get wins.” Dallas continues to have ties to Bengals’ star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. Dallas has been linked to Cincinnati Bengals superstar Trey Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks in 2024, but there have been conflicting reports on whether the team would actually part ways with him. After Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to the New York Jets, Hendrickson could be back on the trade block. In fact, Hendrickson is listed as day-to-day with a reported hip issue. Players popping up on the injury report and being inactive before a potential trade is not an uncommon practice. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys remain interested in landing the 31-year-old pass rusher. “Up to this point, the Bengals have rebuffed trade inquiries, and sources have maintained that Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson right now,” Fowler wrote. ”The Cowboys and 49ers are among the interested teams, though San Francisco made a move for a pass rusher Tuesday night.” See More:

The Dallas Cowboys have been linked in NFL trade rumors to Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson again. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was the one to provide the link on Wednesday morning. Up to this point, the Bengals have rebuffed trade inquiries, and sources have maintained that Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson right now. […] The Dallas Cowboys have been linked in NFL trade rumors to Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson again. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was the one to provide the link on Wednesday morning. Up to this point, the Bengals have rebuffed trade inquiries, and sources have maintained that Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson right now. The Cowboys and 49ers are among the interested teams, though San Francisco made a move for a pass rusher Tuesday night. It was Fowler who connected Dallas to Hendrickson a week ago when rumors were flying a bit more heavily around the Cowboys. He noted then that Dallas held interest in Hendrickson just one day after it was reported that the Cowboys had eyes for Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby. These two hypothetical trades involve a different type of commitment from the Cowboys. Crosby is under team control through the 2029 season for all intents and purposes. Hendrickson is in the final year of his current deal. It was one that the Bengals re-worked in the 11th hour before the season began; he initially held out while seeking a proper payday after leading the league in sacks last season. Last week’s Cowboys loss to the Denver Broncos puts the team in a bind as to whether they are buyers are sellers. We offered an opinion after the game here at BTB that making an impact move for this season specifically would be unwise. Hendrickson would be that type of move given his contract situation. Given his situation, Hendrickson would obviously cost less and in that sense may seem more enticing. Crosby is the better player, is under team control, and therefore would require a significantly larger investment from Dallas in a hypothetical trade. While the help in 2025 may ultimately be in vain from an overall team perspective, his general situation is one that could line up nicely with this team’s future window. In other words a Crosby trade would help the present and the future in a way that Hendrickson probably wouldn’t. Last year the Cowboys made a move for Jonathan Mingo right at the deadline, and with all due respect to the player, it felt like the biggest of possible panic moves that the front office could make. He has yet to seriously help the team although they did acquire a team with multiple years of team control to their credit. Trading for Hendrickson would suggest that the Cowboys are going all-in (sorry, but the wording makes sense here) on the 2025 season which could be unwise. The trade deadline is next Tuesday, November 4th. See More: Dallas Cowboys Rumors

We are eight games into the Brian Schottenheimer era, nearly halfway through the season, and so far there is a lot to like about the 10th head coach of America’s Team. Even after a miserable performance against the Broncos, the offense – for which Schottenheimer calls plays – has been stellar. They’re second in both […] We are eight games into the Brian Schottenheimer era, nearly halfway through the season, and so far there is a lot to like about the 10th head coach of America’s Team. Even after a miserable performance against the Broncos, the offense – for which Schottenheimer calls plays – has been stellar. They’re second in both yards and points and rank fifth in EPA/play and eighth in offensive DVOA. Dak Prescott is having arguably the best year of his illustrious career, and Javonte Williams is enjoying a career resurgence. The defense hasn’t been as good, to say the least, but they’ve seen improvements. Over the last four weeks, they’re actually up to 20th in EPA/play and 15th in EPA/dropback, both of which are legitimate jumps in efficiency. Matt Eberflus has drastically shifted his scheme the last two weeks, increasing press coverage by over 20%, blitz rate by 24%, and tripling his rates of both Cover 1 and Cover 0. Schottenheimer undoubtedly played a part, small or large, in making those schematic adjustments to better fit the players Eberflus is working with. He’s also remained steady in the precise, methodical way he calls this offense, routinely setting his players up for success despite not having CeeDee Lamb for a chunk of those games. Yet, there is still one glaring area where Schottenheimer is failing the Cowboys: aggression. That might seem odd to say, given the way Schottenheimer’s offense frequently attacks down the field, but I’m talking about his approach to fourth downs. Schottenheimer’s predecessor, Mike McCarthy, was one of the more aggressive head coaches in the league when it came to fourth-down decision-making. Thus far, Schottenheimer has not followed suit. So far this season, the Cowboys have gone for it on fourth down just nine times. Only nine teams have fewer fourth-down attempts, but it isn’t just a lack of attempts. Schottenheimer hasn’t been going for it when he should go for it. According to rbsdm.com, which uses a fourth-down model similar to what many NFL teams use, Dallas has gone for it on roughly 25% of the fourth downs they should be going for it. Specifically, this model accounts for plays where a successful conversion would yield at least a 1% win probability increase; for context, the average first down carries about a 0.4% win probability increase. Schottenheimer’s ~25% optimal go rate is one of the lowest in the league, with only the Steelers and Titans having a lower rate. The Lions and Eagles, both of whom are doing pretty well so far this season, lead the league with an 86% optimal go rate. Almost two thirds of the league is over 50%, too, hammering home just how far behind the rest of the NFL Schottenheimer has been. McCarthy had always been a risk-taker as a coach, but he made it a point in Dallas especially, building out the team’s analytics department over time. Now led by John Park, the Cowboys have one of the largest analytics departments in the league, and they were tied for eighth in optimal go rate over McCarthy’s five years with the team. The Cowboys also had a 51.6% conversion rate during that stretch. Despite McCarthy’s success on fourth downs, Schottenheimer has shied away from that aggressiveness, and it’s cost the Cowboys. In Week 1 against the Eagles, Schottenheimer opted for a field goal in the second quarter. Brandon Aubrey drilled it, but the Cowboys lost 4.2% win probability. Against the Bears, a similar decision for a field goal cost them 2.6% win probability. In the Panthers game, there were two different fourth quarter decisions – a field goal and a punt – that cost Dallas a net 17.7% win probability. The latest loss to the Broncos offered yet another moment. In the third quarter, Dallas was trailing 30-17. Their offense had scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the quarter, and the defense held the Broncos to a field goal. A touchdown on the ensuing drive would have cut the deficit to just six and completely altered the trajectory of the game. A pass on third down with six yards to go at the Dallas 44 was unsuccessful. There were three and a half minutes left in the third quarter, and time was ticking away. Most teams would go for it there, and the models suggested as much. Dallas stood to gain nearly seven full percentage points of win probability with a successful conversion. Schottenheimer punted, and was almost immediately roasted for it on social media. Obviously, there are a lot of if’s going into that scenario, but the entire mindset behind being aggressive on fourth downs is to give your team a competitive advantage. Teams that are more likely to go for it on fourth down – like the Lions and Eagles – can get more creative with their play-calling knowing they have an extra down to play with if things don’t work out. For a team with as much working against them as the Cowboys have right now, giving yourself that kind of competitive advantage can be the difference between a win and a loss. And as we pointed out above, it has been exactly the difference in all of their losses so far this year. Schottenheimer has gotten a lot right in his first year on the job, but as he transitions into the second half of the schedule – and with a bye coming up soon – his approach to fourth downs is one major area for self-reflection and improvement. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The defensive tackle play from the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 has been less than ideal. With veterans Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark really struggling the last few weeks, the Cowboys have tried mixing up snaps from Mazi Smith, Jay Toia, and Solomon Thomas to look for a jolt in production. With little success, the Cowboys […] The defensive tackle play from the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 has been less than ideal. With veterans Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark really struggling the last few weeks, the Cowboys have tried mixing up snaps from Mazi Smith, Jay Toia, and Solomon Thomas to look for a jolt in production. With little success, the Cowboys may turn to an offseason hero in Perrion Winfrey, who the Dallas Cowboys designated to return off of IR. Winfrey, 25, has yet to play this season for the Cowboys due to a back injury he suffered leading up to the Cowboys week one game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Winfrey was placed on IR before week one and has been flying under the radar since. With struggles all over the defense for the Cowboys, Winfrey could be viewed as one of the reinforcements coming back in the next few weeks for a struggling defensive tackle room in the Matt Eberflus defense. Winfrey flashed all offseason in preseason and training camp action, and should provide quality depth along the interior when he works back into shape, something the Cowboys have lacked through eight weeks. See More: Dallas Cowboys Injuries

The Dallas Cowboys game against the Denver Broncos might have been a deciding factor for the team. Heading into that game, momentum had swung behind the Cowboys after the defense showed signs of life versus an undermanned Washington Commanders squad. A win against a competent team on the road like the Broncos would push momentum […] The Dallas Cowboys game against the Denver Broncos might have been a deciding factor for the team. Heading into that game, momentum had swung behind the Cowboys after the defense showed signs of life versus an undermanned Washington Commanders squad. A win against a competent team on the road like the Broncos would push momentum heavily toward investing in the trade market on defense. That didn’t happen. The Cowboys defense regressed once again. On the other hand, Dallas has two winnable games sandwiched around the bye. They could possibly be 5-4-1 after that. With an offense as good as it is right now, the Cowboys brass must be contemplating doing something in hopes of not wasting the season. There is no guarantee the offense will be as good in the future; the NFL is a week-to-week league, and a season-to-season league. Teams need to strike when they can. So as the Cowboys sit with these contradicting ideas weighing on them, which direction would you go if you were in charge? Our question this week is would you make a deal for some defensive help to try and get the Cowboys going in an attempt to hit the playoffs this season? We also want you to answer our weekly confidence survey. Vote in both polls below and hit the comments with your reasons. Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cowboys fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Another road game, another loss for the Cowboys. This time, the loss ended up being a runaway for the Broncos, who hammered Dallas early and never let up. In truth, this game was over by halftime, and these five plays were a big reason why. False start kills early offensive drive It’s easy to forget, […] Another road game, another loss for the Cowboys. This time, the loss ended up being a runaway for the Broncos, who hammered Dallas early and never let up. In truth, this game was over by halftime, and these five plays were a big reason why. False start kills early offensive drive It’s easy to forget, but the Cowboys actually started off strong. Trikweze Bridges picked off Bo Nix on the third play of the game, and a deep shot to CeeDee Lamb had the Cowboys in scoring position in no time. Javonte Williams got stopped just short of the endzone, and Patrick Surtain II made a huge play to break up a surefire George Pickens touchdown. That set up third and goal from the one, but it didn’t last long. Flags flew and a false start was called. Brock Hoffman was the one penalized for it, but the replay appeared to show Tyler Guyton as the offending party. Either way, it backed the Cowboys up five yards and ultimately forced them to settle for a field goal, squandering a golden opportunity early. Offsides erases third-down stop Following the field goal, the Dallas defense actually continued to play well. They stuffed JK Dobbins on first down for one yard. Then Marvin Mims was stopped after just two yards on a catch, bringing up a big third and long. Nix fired incomplete to Courtland Sutton, with DaRon Bland in close proximity. However, a flag was down. James Houston had lined up in the neutral zone, thus giving Denver a much more manageable third down, which they converted. That seemed to open the floodgates, as the Broncos scored two plays later. If not for Houston’s penalty, the Cowboys would have gotten the ball back with a chance to go up two scores. Holding penalty leads to punt A touchdown on the Broncos’ next drive put them up 14-3, and the Cowboys desperately needed a response from their offense to stop the bleeding. For a moment, it looked like they were doing just that, getting just on the other side of midfield. A scramble from Dak Prescott on third down fell a few yards short, but put the Cowboys in position for either a field goal or a manageable fourth-down attempt. Yet, there was another flag. This time, Terence Steele was called for holding, and it backed them up 10 yards to retry third down. Not only did the retry fall incomplete, but it took away any chance for points, even with the bionic leg of Brandon Aubrey. Pass interference flips field for Broncos It’s telling that four of these plays are all penalties, but it was that kind of game for the Cowboys. Dallas finally scored a touchdown, cutting the score to 14-10, and they needed a defensive stop. The Broncos had just crossed into Dallas territory when Nix took a deep shot Mims that fell incomplete. Stop me if you’ve heard this one: flag. Alijah Clark was called for pass interference, though it appeared to meet the definition of incidental contact, as his feet got tangled with Mims’ while tracking the ball. Even so, the flag was thrown and Denver picked up 32 free yards, flipping the field and setting up another touchdown just five plays later. Dak Prescott picked off for first time Denver managed one more touchdown, upping it to 27-10 as the first half ticked down under a minute remaining. The Cowboys would get the ball to start the third quarter, so their only shot at a comeback was to score before halftime and set up the double dip. A scramble and shot to Pickens had the offense moving, but Prescott decided to force the issue. He launched a shot down the middle of the field to Jake Ferguson – what proved to be the only target for Ferguson on the day – that was picked off. That killed the drive and eliminated the Cowboys’ chances for the double dip, thereby eliminating any hopes of a comeback in the second half. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster