Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images For the second time this season, a football Sunday has come and gone with the Dallas Cowboys serving as spectators having already beaten the New York Giants on a Thursday. This time, it was a 27-20 home win on Thanksgiving that got them off the hook of not winning a game inside AT&T Stadium in five previous tries this season. The win on Turkey Day felt different from the previous Thursday night win all the way back in week four against the Giants for a lot of reasons. At the forefront of this is the fact it came on a holiday, and sent fans into a weekend where it can be hard to differentiate which day is which and the general feel for the season. The time between Thanksgiving and the Monday that follows is like a small warmup for the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s where many echo the same sentiment about losing track of time. One thing will be clearer when it comes to how the calendar is concerned for the Cowboys at the turn of the new year though. With just one scheduled game at the moment to conclude their season on January 5th at home against the Commanders, the Cowboys are still facing long odds to change this and play beyond Week 18 into the playoffs. At the same time, their active two-game win streak against the Commanders and Giants has them at a 5-7 record that would be good enough for second place or a game behind it in exactly half of the league’s divisions – just not their own. In a down year for so many teams, the Cowboys’ down year has no clear path to the playoffs right now. It’s not time to count this team out of playoff consideration yet, but it is also not time to totally lose sight of the early season ineptitude that put this team so far behind the eight ball to begin with. Trying to figure out how to feel about the current state of the 2024 Dallas Cowboys is a bit like trying to figure out when it’s time to start Christmas shopping at the moment. Anything goes. Another smaller detail about what made Thursday’s win for the Cowboys unique in the broader picture of Week 13 around the NFL is that Sunday’s main slate of games did not feature FOX’s number one team of Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady anywhere on the air. The crew had the Sunday off after already calling a record-breaking Cowboys and Giants matchup on Thursday. Brady’s airtime, of which he has had plenty to discuss the Cowboys this season starting with his first ever telecast in week one, did not come and go this week without some interesting comments about the state of the Cowboys as it relates to head coach Mike McCarthy. Oh, I think Coach McCarthy is a great coach. His 18th season as a head coach. He’s a great leader of men. But not only as a play-caller, he’s a developer of players, of talent, of quarterbacks. “He’s got a very consistent personality to him. He won in Green Bay. He’s got a championship DNA. I think he’s one of the better coaches in the NFL, absolutely.” These comments during the Cowboys’ eighth straight win against the Giants also came just days after owner and general manager Jerry Jones told the local Dallas media that the idea of McCarthy earning an extension while coaching out the final year of his current contract is “not crazy”. Now, not every viewer (of which we know there were literally millions in epic proportion) of Thanksgiving football may follow the Cowboys close enough to know that Jones said this, and even more of the true Cowboys fans watching may also naturally understand the way Jerry spins things and be able to take this for what it’s worth, but Brady’s comments are different entirely. They were echoed on televisions in living rooms full of families about a coach that’s equally been on television in a HC capacity since 2006 with the Packers and now Cowboys. Speaking of things that are “not crazy”, those within the Cowboys organization hearing this public praise for their coach and truly taking it to heart as a reason to still believe in the direction of a team that hasn’t given up on McCarthy. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images It takes some reading between the lines to truly dig into what Brady was saying about McCarthy though, and the hows and whys of it not just being a 100% positive thing or 100% negative for the Cowboys. It is indisputable that Brady knows what great coaching looks like in the NFL, having spent most of his first ballot Hall of Fame career with the widely-considered GOAT, Bill Belichick. The characteristics Brady points out that make McCarthy a “great” coach in his eyes are being a leader of men, play-caller, developer of players (and specifically QBs), and consistency in personality. Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The first trait here, McCarthy being a leader of men, has perhaps been most evident in the midst of his team’s current two-game win streak. The Cowboys have picked themselves up off a three-game skid that very well could have snowballed into this year’s team going down as one of the worst in franchise history. Dallas has lacked consistency in the starting lineup at just about every position on the field this season, and more times than not the players that have suited up have hardly been able to keep the Cowboys in games against better competition. The Cowboys are still fourth worst team in the league in point differential, less than a touchdown’s worth away from the Giants team they just beat. The same Giants team that is in contention for the number one overall pick. Again, there is absolutely room to have a real discussion about the Cowboys and playoff probability right now, but not

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images All the Dallas Cowboys news that’s fit to print. Cowboys’ defense revitalized since Micah Parsons’s return – Todd Archer, ESPN The Cowboys weathered the injuries and now the defense is on the rebound. In the past five games, the Cowboys have allowed more than 400 yards once, and that came with the Washington Commanders gaining more than 200 yards on their final three possessions. They gave up more than 6.2 yards per play just once. They have not allowed a team to convert more than 40% of their third-down opportunities. The Cowboys have given up 17 runs of 10 yards or more and 11 passes for 20 yards or more. In the first seven games, the defense faced short-field situations eight times and gave up points six times. In the past five games, they have faced that situation 14 times and given up points eight times while also creating two takeaways. “We have a little bit more confidence,” linebacker Eric Kendricks said. “People are understanding the scheme a little bit more.” Some issues remain. They are still allowing an average of 28 points per game. Opponents have scored points on their first possessions in 10 of 12 games. In the wins against the Commanders and Giants, the late-game execution was lacking. See Terry McLaurin’s 86-yard touchdown catch for Washington and the Giants’ 80-yard touchdown drive that made it a one-score game with 2:18 to play. “I just think we’re starting to get a little consistency of guys playing together,” coach Mike McCarthy said. There also might be a Parsons’ effect. After missing four games with a high left ankle sprain, Parsons has played in the past four games and has 5.5 sacks. He leads the team with 6.5 sacks, despite missing 17 quarters of action with the injury. With offenses needing to pay more attention to where he is, other players such as Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith and Chauncey Golston are being more productive. Cooper Rush’s confidence, connection with receivers growing – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com It was a home win against the Bengals in Cooper Rush’s second career start in 2022 that sparked a four-game win streak for the Cowboys in Dak Prescott’s absence. In his four starts this season, Rush has seen a growth week-to-week in his QBR and has led the Cowboys to back-to-back victories over division opponents. A large part of that success has come from being on the same page with Mike McCarthy as the play caller, as well as his receivers. “It’s not just us knowing Cooper, I do think now Cooper is more comfortable, consistently saying ‘Hey, I like this, hey, I don’t really like that, I’m not as comfortable with this.” Schottenheimer said. “There are certain things that maybe [Rush] likes differently than Dak likes, and so that moves up or that moves back based on those conversations, the more we go the more comfortable I would say he is of speaking his mind.” In Thursday’s win against the Giants, Rush exhibited that comfort level with his fellow veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks. In Cooks’ first game back from injury, he caught three passes for 16 yards and touchdown. Those numbers don’t blow you away, but two of those receptions were the biggest plays of the game: A two-yard touchdown pass to Cooks to give the Cowboys the first points of the third quarter, and a diving three-yard catch on third down coming out of the two-minute warning to ice the victory for Dallas. Both of those plays weren’t set up by anything special on gameday, but instead on what the Cowboys had worked on during the week in practice, including plenty of conversations between Rush and Cooks to ensure they were on the same page, and in the right spots and the right times. Jimmy Johnson drops wisdom on Cowboys – Richard Paolinelli, Inside The Star For the 2024 Cowboys, even “false hope” should count as some form of praise from a former Super Bowl winning coach. In the pregame leading up to the Cowboys’ 27-20 win over the Giants, Johnson dropped this after picking the Cowboys to win. “They won last week, they’re gonna win today,” Johnson said. “Then they’re going to win the next two games.” After a pause, making everyone in the studio believe he was going to predict a charge to the playoffs, he added: “And give their fans a lot of false hope.” Ouch. But Coach is right. Even if Dallas claws their way back to 7-7, they will be hard-pressed to win two of their last three games. That’s assuming 9-8 would get them into the playoffs. Two Reasons: Cowboys only have selves to blame for disappointing 2024 – Mike Crum, The Cowboys Wire The Cowboys are figuring some things out late in the year, but the resounding sentiment is that it’s too little too late. The issues began with inactivity. The decision not to extend Prescott or star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb earlier in the offseason instead of right before September was a two-fold error. Not only did it put them behind on the field, as it caused Lamb to miss training camp, but those extensions would’ve freed up cap space for Dallas to sign free agents to replace the nine players who signed elsewhere. The only outside free agent the Cowboys signed before training camp began was Eric Kendricks, who was a direct replacement for a cut/retired player, Leighton Vander Esch. That doesn’t negate the poor performance of the head coach and play-caller, Mike McCarthy. Only recently did he make Rico Dowdle the primary running back, instead choosing a committee approach instead of featuring one of the top 10 running backs (success rate) on the season. In games Dowdle had at least 20 touches the Cowboys are 3-0, but only 2-6 in games when he gets under 20. After rushing 20 times for 87 yards against the Steelers’ top-three rush defense, Dowdle should’ve been the clear top back

Photo by Steve Nurenberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Who wins tonight… Cleveland or Denver? The Cleveland Browns play the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. FanDuel has the Broncos as 6.5-point favorites over the Browns. Final score prediction: Broncos 30 – Browns 21. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images We will see if DeMarcus Lawrence does indeed play next Monday night. The Dallas Cowboys enter their Week 14 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals hoping to get their third-straight win, a feat they have yet to accomplish this season. Sitting at 5-7, a win on Monday night would put them one step closer to having a .500 record and having a potential chance at the playoffs. Despite having the better record and being at home, the Cowboys are still 6.5-point underdogs as of Monday. It appears that the defensive line will continue to be short-handed, as Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones told the media on Monday that it is a “longshot” for DE DeMarcus Lawrence to make his return to the field against the Bengals. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan said it’s “probably a long shot” for DE DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) to play Monday night against the Bengals, but it’s “not out of the question.” “I certainly expect to see him sooner than later.” — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 2, 2024 Lawrence has been out of action since he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot in the team’s Week 3 game against the New York Giants. If there’s been one bright spot to the Bengals disastrous season, QB Joe Burrow has been incredible and the team’s offense remains explosive. It is noteworthy that Burrow had a noticeable limp after taking a cleat to the leg against the Steelers on Sunday, and that could impact his mobility if available against the Cowboys in their matchup. However, having Lawrence back would have been big for a Cowboys defensive line that has remained thin throughout the season. While Jones said it’s a longshot for Lawrence to play against the Bengals, he did provide optimism for a return “sooner rather than later.” It’s impossible to overstate the impact that Lawrence brings on the field for the team, as he is an effective run-defender and pass-rusher on the field. Making four Pro Bowls in his career as well as receiving a second-team All-Pro selection, the Cowboys have been missing his experience over the course of the season.

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images All the best to Josh Butler. The Dallas Cowboys have caught a little fire as of late with two straight wins. They managed to do so while battling another opponent outside of the one on the field, and that’s the injury bug. In their win against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving, Dallas was dealt another blow, this time to the secondary, which just got All-Pro DaRon Bland back. Cornerback Josh Butler suffered a torn ACL, which will sideline him for the rest of the season. Love yall, thank you for the support ❤️ will come back stronger – 31sland ️ pic.twitter.com/3tAJUPPXGl — Josh Butler 31sland ️ (@JoshButlerTv) November 29, 2024 With Bland missing the first 10 games and rookie Caelen Carson going through his growing pains, Butler was called upon to step up and give some assistance to All-Pro Trevon Diggs. After being inactive in the first seven games, Butler played in each the previous five before his injury. He logged 12 special teams snaps versus the Atlanta Falcons and played nine defensive plays against the Philadelphia Eagles. Butler then made consecutive starts the next two weeks and tallied 61 defensive snaps in each. He also started in the Cowboys win over the Giants and amassed 29 snaps before his injury. Butler was productive in the limited time he got take the field in 2024 with 21 tackles, a sack, and five pass breakups. This is significant when getting to know Butler’s background, which is that of a guy that went undrafted in 2020 and then had stints in the developmental Spring League and the United States Football League before it closed operations in 2023. Butler was then signed to the Cowboys preseason roster that July and showed out with nine tackles and two pass breakups. He didn’t make the 53-man roster, but Butler inked a reserve/future contract. That August, he was waived but returned to the practice squad. It’s clear that Butler belongs on an NFL roster, and more importantly, he showed himself that. However, not only will he have the motivation to have a successful recovery, but Butler will likely need a year to get back on the field, which will limit his opportunities again next season. Plus, he’ll be an exclusive rights free agent in 2026, meaning next season is a contract year. An exclusive rights free agent means that Butler has fewer than three accrued seasons. So, the Cowboys can extend him a one-year qualifying offer. This will keep Butler from negotiating with any other teams, and he would have to sit out the season if he didn’t sign. If the Cowboys don’t offer him a deal, Butler would become an unrestricted free agent and could sign with any team. The Cowboys will have to decide if they want to pay Bland early or let him play out the 2025 campaign before doing an extension, seeing as he just suffered an injury. Regardless of what they do, Butler can be a very nice depth piece to have along with Carson and, of course, drafting another guy in April. Butler has a long road ahead of him, but he’s no stranger having to grind for what he wants.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Here is where the Cowboys stand in the playoff picture following Week 13. The Dallas Cowboys are mathematically alive in the playoff picture at this point in time. We are well aware what this season has been like for the team and how farfetched the idea of the playoffs sound, but as it is a possibility, we are going to discuss it until the fat lady officially sings. For what it’s worth, only one NFC team has heard her song and it was the New York Giants. If you did not connect those dots, the Cowboys were the ones who eliminated the Giants from postseason contention. Tidbits like that are always sweet. Here is the lay of the land in the NFC following Week 13. Note that there is still one game remaining across the league on Monday night, but it is between two AFC teams in the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. NFC Playoff Standings through Week 13 Detroit Lions, 11-1 (NFC North) Philadelphia Eagles, 10-2 (NFC East) Seattle Seahawks, 7-5 (NFC West) Atlanta Falcons, 6-6 (NFC South) Minnesota Vikings, 10-2 (Wild Card #1) Green Bay Packers, 9-3 (Wild Card #2) Washington Commanders, 8-5 (Wild Card #3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) Arizona Cardinals (6-6) Los Angeles Rams (6-6) San Francisco 49ers (5-7) Dallas Cowboys (5-7) New Orleans Saints (4-8) Chicago Bears (4-8) Carolina Panthers (3-9) Ultimately Week 13 saw the Cowboys pick up some help in terms of what they needed to have happen, but not as much as would have been a full plate of Thanksgiving dinner. Three different Wild Card-contending teams lost in the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. Obviously these teams could still win their respective divisions, but seeing them lose is helpful nonetheless. We are getting a bit ahead of ourselves here and will obviously have a Week 14 rooting guide available for you later on in the week, but consider the number of games coming up involving, and between, teams that are ahead of the Cowboys in the NFC standings. More chaos could fall their way by this time next week. Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers Put simply the Cowboys have to make up ground on everyone in front of them which means they need as many losses as they can get from teams who we are assuming will not win their division. They can directly impact the Buccaneers and Commanders in this regard as they still have games remaining against them, but they are going to need the right sequence of events to go their way if they want to have any shot of reaching the postseason. Once again, that is obviously a stretch give the way that this season has gone for the Cowboys; however, that stretch got just a bit more within reach over the last eight days as the Cowboys picked up back-to-back wins and saw a few of these teams slip up. If another week or two were to go their way then all of a sudden we could be talking about something that doesn’t seem completely silly. Five weeks is a long time. Let’s see what kind of chaos lurks behind it all.