Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports We are tracking everything you need to know about the Dallas Cowboys coaching search. It happened. The Dallas Cowboys officially decided to move on from Mike McCarthy following his five seasons with the team, it was reported as a situation where a deal could not be reached, and whether or not you think that was the right move, the move has been made. With the McCarthy domino having fallen the Cowboys are now going to be tasked with finding a new head coach, the 10th one in franchise history and the 9th to work for the team in the ownership era of Jerry Jones. Obviously only Tom Landry did not. What’s more is that the Cowboys are looking for their third head coach in the Dak Prescott era as he has played for both McCarthy and Jason Garrett. Starting over a second time (as Garrett was the head coach when Prescott was drafted) is a tall task for any era and one that this group is going to have to get used to. Additionally, the Cowboys waited over a week after the season ended to move on from McCarthy so they are now significantly behind the other teams looking for head coaches. Consider that the New England Patriots already even found their new one in Mike Vrabel. This post will serve as our tracker for all relevant rumors, reports and pieces of information as they relate to the Cowboys and their head coaching search. We will also keep tabs on Mike McCarthy and what comes of him. Last Updated: Monday, January 13th at 1:00pm ET Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Rumors Tracker In the immediate aftermath of the McCarthy news, Ian Rapoport noted on NFL Network that the Cowboys have missed out on the early windows to talk to Lions or Chiefs staffers and will now have to wait if they wish to do so. He added that Kellen Moore is an obvious dot to connect. More important than anything he mentioned that he expects a larger coaching search than the one that yielded McCarthy five years ago. Official Interviews Reported For Dallas Cowboys Head coach TBD Mike McCarthy Rumors Tracker Shortly after news of the departure was announced it was reported that McCarthy is (obviously) now free to speak with other teams. NFL Network implied that conversations with Chicago and New Orleans could happen soon.
21 candidates for Cowboys head coach opening after McCarthy walks out the door
The Dallas Cowboys are allowing the contract of head coach Mike McCarthy to expire without an extension. The contract actually was completed on January 7, but the team had exclusive negotiating rights with McCarthy through Tuesday, January 14. After initially denying the Chicago Bears the chance to talk to McCarthy about their opening, and then opening the door for negotiations on his return, the team closed that chapter of their franchise history on Monday. McCarthy is now free to pursue employment elsewhere, and it makes sense that he is under consideration for the Bears gig still, as well as other teams. McCarthy’s assistants are also now free to interview in other places for any level of job. Hired to replace Jason Garrett, McCarthy was charged with making Dallas into annual contenders and also finding the playoff success that has avoided them even during the good seasons. The former had been achieved; three healthy quarterback years delivering three seasons of 12-5 performance. The latter still avoided them, with just one playoff victory in five years and lackluster performances in three of their four contests. Perhaps watching former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn match McCarthy’s postseason win total in his first attempt as head coach of the Washington Commanders on Sunday helped sway Jerry Jones’ decision. The last hiring cycle took a while to get going just as this one did, as Dallas waited over a week from the end of the regular season before hiring McCarthy. While Jerry Jones has generally focused on experience in his last four hires, where do things go this cycle? There’s a ton of guys with various amounts of experience as coordinators, though it’s hard to envision Jones hiring a Liam Coen of Tampa, whose called plays in the NFL just for one season, or Frank Smith of Miami who hasn’t done it at all. There are assistants who have been head coaches before, like Kliff Kingsbury and Brian Flores. There are former Cowboys assistants like Kellen Moore and Wes Phillips, and Al Harris could emerge as a dark horse candidate, and that’s before the young gun coordinators like Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, Joe Brady and others are even mentioned. It’s going to be a crazy upheaval in the NFL coaching ranks and now that Dallas has thrown their hats in the ring, they will be the biggest tent at the circus. Bills OC Joe Brady Jan 8, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady poses for a picture with fans prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports The job Joe Brady has done with Buffalo offense in 2024 has been incredible. After trading away their top target in Stefon Diggs, the Bills offense went from great to elite, ramping up their production and scoring. After the strong work at LSU with Joe Burrow, Brady has been throwing haymakers in the NFL the last three seasons coordinating the Josh Allen Buffalo Bills. The Bills finished second in offensive DVOA in 2022, third in 2023 and are currently second in 2024. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches warm up before the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. What Ben Johnson’s offense and tutelage has been able to do for Jared Goff has been amazing. In the Stafford trade, Goff was expected to be a placeholder until the Lions drafted their guy. Now the clearly limited passer is running one of the league’s best and most innovative offenses. The Lions are competing for the NFC’s best record heading into the final game of the season and are doing so with a scotch-tape defense. The offense refuses to allow this to stop them and Johnson’s creativity and aggressiveness are the primary reasons why. There’s a rumor out there that Johnson asked for $15 million a season last cycle. That could be a baseline number, or it could’ve been a number he gave to a franchise he wasn’t truly interested in. Fans should beware taking such reports without the unavailable context. Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken Jul 27, 2023; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) smiles at a fan with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken standing in the background following training camp practice at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports The evolution of the Ravens’ passing attack, and the under-center autonomy placed on Lamar Jackson’s shoulders over the last season and a half have been incredible. He’s one of one as a QB, but Monken deserves a ton of credit for recognizing how to unlock this team. The 2024 Ravens, after adding Derrick Henry to the mix, now have a historic offense in terms of DVOA. Their 42.0% rating through 17 weeks is among the best ever, and it’s floated by their No. 1 36.0% offensive rating. Minnesota VIkings DC Brian Flores Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches from the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Will Flores get another shot at a head coach gig? He was dumped by the Dolphins in their owner’s “I’m rich I can do what I want” attempt to lure Sean Payton and Tom Brady to South Beach. The revelation about trying to have a coach to tank games may have pulled the curtain back on the inner workings of the league, but it likely didn’t do Flores much favor. What has though, is the job he’s done righting the ship in Minnesota with their defense. The relentless attacking nature of the Vikings defense where blitzing is a lifestyle is an intriguing head coach hire waiting to happen. Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik on the sideline during the
Mike McCarthy update: Contract length, incentives cited as possible negotiation points
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The details about Mike McCarthy’s salary are interesting. The Dallas Cowboys still have a head coach, his name is Mike McCarthy, In fact, McCarthy will be the official coach for one more day at least as his initial contract with the Cowboys ends on Tuesday. As Jerry and Stephen Jones are so fond of saying, “deadlines make deals” so if the Cowboys and McCarthy are to agree on another contract, odds are it will happen today or tomorrow. Cowboys fans might have been reading or hearing all sorts of fantastical stories about how this is a mess, a hostage situation or other such takes. Our friend at ESPN, Todd Archer, offers up a much more sober take on the situation, one that actually has some detail as to what is really happening at the Star. The ESPN article informs us that the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy have spent some of their time the past week reviewing the 2024 season, what went wrong, and even the idea of roster-building going forward. This was something that could only take place once the 2024 season was over, and probably helped inform Jerry Jones as to McCarthy’s position on things going forward and influencing his decision as to whether McCarthy would be a candidate for head coach in 2025. Archer specifically mentions that things are probably to the point of money and years on the contract more than anything else. One reason why this could be taking a while is that Jones may be pushing the idea of coaching incentives, something not regularly part of NFL coaching contracts. After the season-ending loss to the Washington Commanders, Jones mentioned an “incentive plan” when it comes to coaches. “For instance, I might say, ‘Look, I’m going to pay you this much, but then [I won’t pay you] any more. And I know you want twice that, but if you get to the playoffs or you win a Super Bowl, I’ll give you five times that,’” Jones said. Archer also mentions that Jones has spoken negatively about the size of the coaching staff. This would lead one to believe that he is actively negotiating these points and that McCarthy is willingly taking part. Also noted in the article is the one piece of information that should inform the rest of us about McCarthy’s role in all this. No other team, save the Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel, which seemed like a given the moment they fired Jerod Mayo, has hired a new head coach. McCarthy will have time to interview for these positions that are available as soon as Wednesday. It’s likely that McCarthy has signaled to the others that are interested that he may be available if he and Jones can’t reach common ground on a new contract in the next day or two. There has been plenty of speculation about all of this, but if you follow the timeline of what is happening and you see that McCarthy has leverage here and might be using it, the whole process becomes less dramatic and more business-like. All signs point to the deadline making the deal, as it always does with the Jones family. This is really no different.
Cowboys news: One free agent that might be a good fit for Dallas
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. Cowboys named potential ‘great fit’ for standout DL in NFL free agency- Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated Dallas fans have certainly heard this before. Pro Football Focus released a list of “one free agent every NFL team should pursue” and the Cowboys were linked to Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford, a former Texas Longhorns star. “Ford isn’t one of the most touted free agents, but he had a terrific resurgence with the Chargers. His 85.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked fifth among qualified defensive linemen, while his 78.8 PFF run-defense grade placed sixth,” the report read. “Even if Dallas can keep Odighizuwa, adding the 29-year-old Ford would make for a great tandem on the inside.” Ford was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 draft. The former Longhorn spent five seasons with the Seahawks, where he recorded three sacks and 35 total tackles in his final season. He went on to spend one season with the Buffalo Bills, before signing a one-year deal with the Chargers in the 2024 offseason. When does 2025 NFL free agency start?- Luke Norris, The Landry Hat It’s time to look ahead. February 18 – March 4: Franchise tag window is open Beginning on Tuesday, February 18, and running through Tuesday, March 4, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, teams may designate franchise or transition players for the 2025 season. Any player set to become an unrestricted free agent is eligible for this designation, and one of three tags can be used. Exclusive tag: Under the exclusive tag, designated players cannot negotiate with other teams. Clubs must offer the average of the top five salaries at the designated player’s position during the current year or 120% of that player’s previous salary, whichever is higher. Non-exclusive franchise tag: Under the non-exclusive tag, players can negotiate with other teams, but a team reserves the right to match any offer sheet. If the club decides not to match an offer, the team providing the new contract must also provide two first-round picks in return for signing the player. Transition tag: Transition tags are similar to non-exclusive tags with a couple of exceptions. First, the salary is determined by the average of the 10 highest-paid players at a position instead of five. Second, if a player receives an offer and their team doesn’t match it, then they will not receive compensatory picks. The transition tag isn’t used nearly as often as the franchise tag. College superstar Ashton Jeanty would “love” to play for Cowboys- Mark Heaney, Inside The Star Jeanty would certainly add a spark to this team. For Ashton Jeanty’s ideal scenario to come true, the front office has to share his vision. With the 12th pick in the draft, and needs all around the roster, they may see drafting a running back as a risk. Dallas last drafted a running back in the first round in 2016, as Ezekiel Elliott came in and dominated the ground game. In hindsight, however, the Cowboys would have been much better off selecting Jalen Ramsey in the first round, and Derrick Henry in the second. In a deeply talented running back class, Dallas could look to avoid that same mistake. On the flip side, the Cowboys just need playmakers, and Jeanty is that and more. When you remove CeeDee Lamb from the equation, Dallas’ weapons simply lack explosiveness. Whether it’s Jalen Tolbert, Brandin Cooks, or the whole running back room, there isn’t a big hitter that can take the weight of the offense off Lamb’s shoulders. Jeanty, with his 2,601 yards and 30 touchdowns this season, would certainly change that. If the Cowboys think Jeanty’s talent elevates his value beyond the average first-round running back, they may just pull the trigger and make his dream scenario a reality. List of all Cowboys 2025 draft slots, including projected comp picks- K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire Draft season has started for the Cowboys. Smith, Armstrong and Biadasz should bring the Cowboys three extra fifth-round picks, while Pollard should bring a sixth. Fowler was at a seventh-round level, but the NFL limits teams to four comp picks a season. Comp picks are officially awarded around the start of the new league year in March. Here’s a look at the Cowboys’ full haul. 1st Round (12) – 12th 2nd Round (12) – 44th 3rd Round (12) – 76th * 4th Round (12) – ~113th – Traded to Carolina Panthers for WR Jonathan Mingo 5th Round (11) – ~148th 5th Round Comp- ~168th 5th Round Comp- ~170th 5th Round Comp- 171st 6th Round (18) – ~186th 6th Round Comp – ~209th 7th Round (10) – 226th The reason the Cowboys are making a massive mistake retaining Mike McCarthy- Connor Livesay, Blogging The Boys Should Dallas consider looking elsewhere? In the last four years, the McCarthy led Cowboys finished with a 15-17 record against playoff teams and a point differential of -45. The only two years they finished with a positive point differential in McCarthy’s tenure at head coach was with Kellen Moore as the primary play-caller and offensive coordinator. Since Moore’s departure, the Cowboys offense has struggled to keep pace with contending teams and win games against the top dogs in the NFC and AFC. AD Which leads to the biggest issue. McCarthy was brought in to get this team over the hump, and despite having the opportunity to do so, he’s failed. While this study was just done on regular-season games, when we take a deeper dive into the playoffs, it paints an even bleaker picture. In the Cowboys 2023 playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys were dealt a 48-32 loss, at home, against a team most thought was the underdog coming into AT&T Stadium. In 2022, the Cowboys seemed to have turned the corner, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in the Wild Card round, before losing on the road to the San Francisco
Trade Block: ESPN predicts Kyle Pitts, Breece Hall available, Cowboys should consider both
Trade Block: ESPN predicts Kyle Pitts, Breece Hall available, Cowboys should consider both K.D. Drummond Sooner or later, the Dallas Cowboys are going to settle on a head coach. Whether that’s Mike McCarthy returning for Year 6 or someone from the outside, there will be a direction forged for the 2025 offseason. Once that shell is outlined, the front office will then turn their attention to veteran additions to the 2025 roster. Dallas has a ton of internal free agents to consider, but they also have positions where upgrades to the roster must be considered. Many will look at the season as a whole and point to a team decimated by injuries, but things were off from the beginning. This is especially true on offense, where after years atop the league, things plummeted in 2024. Dallas lacked explosiveness from the offense, and that was especially true at running back and tight end. While Rico Dowdle enjoyed the limelight down the back stretch of the season and ended up with over 1,000 yards on the ground, he didn’t have any breakaway runs. Meanwhile tight end Jake Ferguson regressed from his breakout 2023 campaign, and once again leaves the position as a huge question mark. And while Dallas has been hesitant to spend in free agency, they have shown a willingness to trade draft picks for young, unrealized talent. If that’s the case this year, there may be prime targets at each position. ESPN+ (paywall recently put out their offseason predictions for each NFL team that has been eliminated. For the Atlanta Falcons, they predicted trading TE Kyle Pitts. For the New York Jets, they predicted trading RB Breece Hall. The Cowboys should absolutely be in on both. New York Jets Big prediction for the offseason: While receiver Garrett Wilson is the buzzy trade candidate these days, the Jets will end up trading their other young offensive star, Breece Hall. It’s a bad year for free agent running backs, but some teams will be looking for a similar veteran boost to those the Eagles, Ravens and Packers found on the veteran market last offseason. Hall’s injuries are starting to catch up to him, and the Jets would be wise to move on from him early, while he still has some value leaguewide — especially with young backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis showing promise. — Solak The NFL has seen running backs with high draft pedigree take a few years to get passed their injury-prone ways. Christian McCaffrey was somewhat this guy in Carolina and Saquon Barkley was this guy in New York. Hall had the big injury his rookie season, but he’s played through the smaller injuries for the most part his last two seasons. If the Jets are looking to offload the former second-round pick, Dallas should find out the asking price. The 2025 draft is seen as one deep in running backs, but Dallas will likely have four fifth-round picks. Hall has just one year remaining on his rookie deal before free agency, and may not command much in return. Atlanta Falcons Big prediction for the offseason: Tight end Kyle Pitts is due $10.8 million on the final year of his deal in 2025. Can the Falcons get more for him in a trade than they would in a compensatory pick after he leaves in free agency? I think they could, as he has a rosier future on an offense that actually fits his skill set. My prediction: Pitts will get dealt to the Bengals for a Day 3 pick. — Solak Pitts is set to play on the fifth-year option in 2025 as a former first-round pick. His rookie season was sensational, catching over 1,000 yards and making the Pro Bowl, but he hasn’t approached that level since. The 6-foot-6 Florida product was seen as a unicorn entering the 2021 draft but hasn’t been a great fit for the Falcons. What he could bring to Dallas and Dak Prescott, who adores passing to the tight end down the seams, could be incredible.
The best of both worlds: Why Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey is now the best in the NFL
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The Cowboys have the best kicker in the NFL and it’s really not even close. It wasn’t that long ago when the Dallas Cowboys had what some might call (using your Matt Foley voice) a “kicking problem.” For years we were spoiled by the great accuracy of Dan Bailey, but then things got a little shaky toward the end of his career. In a shocking final roster cut move back in 2018, the Cowboys replaced Bailey with a 29-year-old rookie named Brett Maher. The team’s new kicker was known for having a big leg and during his time in Dallas. He set new franchise records for the longest (63 yards), second-longest (62 yards, twice), and third-longest (60 yards) in team history. The Maher experiment was fun at times, but also frustrating because he struggled to make the easy ones. When John Fassel took over as special teams coach, he brought with him his former kicker from the Rams, Greg Zuerlein. Greg “the leg” was an improvement but had his own accuracy issues. He played two seasons in Dallas. In another shocker, the team opted for a second helping of Maher in 2022 where he was surprisingly accurate this time around, making over 90% of his field goals. But in a strange plot twist, he had a case of the yips and missed several extra points in the Cowboys playoff win over Tampa Bay. The Cowboys entered 2023 with so much uncertainty. The fanbase wanted them to go after free agent Robbie Gould, but the team had other plans. They liked what they had in former pro soccer player/turned USFL kicker, Brandon Aubrey. While training camp misses brought about some uneasiness, Aubrey was the leg the Cowboys decided to roll with, and little did we know what was coming. Here is the Cowboys kicker timeline for the last 14 seasons… Aubrey has been with the team for two seasons and each time he’s earned All-Pro honors. That is pretty good. It’s incredible what Aubrey has done. We talk about his accomplishments, but it’s easy to lose sight of some of them because he’s achieved so much in such a short time. Having a kicker who is so accurate and with remarkable range is a great luxury and that is why we are taking a moment to capture some of Aubrey’s feats. What a great start It didn’t take long for fans to warm up to him as all he did was knock down field goals. Literally. Through the first 16 games of his NFL career, he made every field goal he attempted. He started a perfect 35/35, which is an NFL record. Crazily, his first official miss came when a defender snuck through the line unattended and blocked the attempt in the 2023 regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders. He then proceeded to miss his very next kick when the ball doinked off the upright, but as we learned fast, those misses are few and far between. The kid’s got a leg Speaking of far, Aubrey wasted no time racking up the distance records. Let’s have a look at what he’s accomplished already. Most field goals of 50 yards or more in a season (14), an NFL record Only kicker in NFL history to have two seasons with at least 10 field goals of 50+ yards Only kicker in NFL history to kick two field goals of at least 59 yards in a single game Second longest field goal in NFL history (65 yards) That’s a career’s worth of records in just two seasons. It’s pretty amazing. Honestly, many of us were expecting Justin Tucker’s record of 66 yards to fall to Aubrey this past season because of what we saw early in the year. Aubrey knocked down a 66-yarder in the preseason and again in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, but neither counted because one was in the preseason and the other was negated by a delay-of-game penalty. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before Aubrey also holds the record for longest field goal. He’s on the money Some kickers are deadly accurate, a la Dan Bailey. And some have a powerful leg, i.e. Brett Maher. However, it’s super rare to find a kicker who is both. Justin Tucker has been that unicorn for most of his career and will eventually wear a gold jacket because of it. Aubrey is another guy who gives you the best of both worlds. Tucker has a career kicking percentage of 89.1% which makes him the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Aubrey is off to a good start. His success rate is actually a smidge higher than Tuckers at 89.4%, but you must have at least 100 attempts to qualify and Aubrey only has 85. If Aubrey keeps it up, it’s quite possible we could have a new “most accurate kicker” by the middle of next season. The great thing about Aubrey’s accuracy is not just his high field goal percentage, but just how consistent his kicks are. When you look at his body of work, the dude is drilling them right down the middle. He rarely gives us anything to sweat and it’s pretty evident that this guy has got this kicking thing dialed in. See for yourself. Brandon Aubrey is the best kicker in the NFL. We know about his booming leg, but he is on the money. Here is every single make this past season and look how so many kicks are right down the middle. The Cowboys are so lucky to have him. pic.twitter.com/vb0oymUrgy — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) January 11, 2025
Cowboys predicted to award $175 million contract in 2025, highest ever to non-QB
Cowboys predicted to award $175 million contract in 2025, highest ever to non-QB K.D. Drummond Here things go again. It has now been a full calendar year since the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated from the 2023 playoffs in inglorious fashion. Wild-card weekend was not kind to Dallas last January, as the Green Bay Packers dumped them out of the playoffs and ruined the vibe for all of 2024. Following the loss, the number one topic was whether or not the Cowboys would bring back head coach Mike McCarthy for another season and one of their biggest stars were one season away from first-time free agency. January 2025 is looking back like, “Samesies.” Dallas is once again wondering about McCarthy’s future, and once again they have a superstar who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. It took Dallas all offseason and most of training camp to succumb to WR CeeDee Lamb’s contract demands, and now they are gearing up for negotiations with edge rusher extraordinaire, Micah Parsons. While Parsons has said publicly he’d be willing to take a hometown discount if, and only if, the club was going to use the savings to bring in outside talent, it’s expected he will be paid handsomely. How handsomely? Most-money-ever-for-a-non-quarterback type money. ESPN+’s recent look at the offseason for all eliminated clubs, and in their section on the Cowboys, predict that Parsons will surpass Nick Bosa’s contract from 2023, and clock in at $175 million total new money. Big prediction for the offseason: Despite some public consternation between edge rusher Micah Parsons and the Cowboys’ brass, an extension will get done this offseason, and it’ll be the biggest one a defensive player has ever seen. Nick Bosa got $170 million over five years; Parsons will get $175 million over the same length, along with $125 million in total guaranteed money to exceed Bosa’s $122.5 million figure. Parsons has been the league’s best defender when on the field this season. He deserves every penny. — Solak Parsons is of course off to a sensational start to his career. He’s the first player since Reggie White with 12 sacks or more in his first four seasons in the league, and as White started in the USFL, is the first to do so starting in his rookie season. Parsons is recession proof; even in a season where he missed four contests, he still ended up with 12.5 sacks. He’s dominated and looks to be getting better every season, commanding double and triple teams at alarming rates and still ranking among league leaders in pass rush win rate.
Dallas Cowboys remain only franchise in NFL history to lose Wild Card playoff game as #2 seed
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK The Dallas Cowboys remain the only #2 seed to ever lose to a Wild Card opponent. The Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up their Wild Card Round playoff win on Sunday afternoon and did so against the Green Bay Packers. It was horrible to watch as a Dallas Cowboys fan. Part of what makes the result so frustrating for Cowboys faithful is that Philadelphia did what Dallas could not a year ago. The Eagles were the NFC East winners this season and wound up with the #2 seed in the NFC playoff picture. Their prize for this was a home date against the Packers which they obviously capitalized on. It was the exact same situation that the Cowboys were in last year, and they blew it so badly it still hangs over the franchise. You obviously knew that, but what you might not know is that this year’s playoffs marked the fifth in which a game like this was even possible. Prior to the 2020 season the #2 seed received a bye in the first round and ever since then has had to host the #7 seed with only the top seed getting the week off. The Cowboys became the first #2 seed to ever lose in the Wild Card Round last year. With the Eagles win on Sunday and the Buffalo Bills taking care of business shortly before, Dallas remains alone in this stat. #2 Seed Playoff Teams To Win Their Wild Card Game 2020 Buffalo Bills 2020 New Orleans Saints 2021 Kansas City Chiefs 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 Buffalo Bills 2022 San Francisco 49ers 2023 Buffalo Bills 2024 Buffalo Bills 2024 Philadelphia Eagles #2 Seed Playoff Teams To Lose Their Wild Card Game 2023 Dallas Cowboys This is still only a five-year sample size so it’s not like the Cowboys are one out of 500 or something; however, it is obviously not a fun thing for Dallas to be the only outlier in such a horrible way. It stands to reason that it is not too challenging of a thing for the #2 seed to take care of business and advance to the Divisional Round where they used to get to automatically. Sigh.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty: ‘I would love to play for the Cowboys’
Marco Garcia-Imagn Images Ashton Jeanty has said he would love to play for the Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys hold the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and we could argue between now and then (we will) as to what the best thing to do with that pick is. This year’s draft will mark the highest pick that Dallas has had since 2021 when they originally held the 10th selection but traded back to 12 of all places. They “settled” for Micah Parsons out of Penn State, something that has worked out rather nicely. If many Cowboys fans get their wish then Dallas will use that 12th pick on someone who played their final game against Penn State this season in Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Throughout all of this past college football season Jeanty was ripping off insane performance after insane performance and as a result he finds himself firmly in the mix of the top names entering the draft. Speaking at an event this past weekend, Jeanty was asked by NBC5’s Pat Doney about playing for a team he grew up with extreme proximity to. He, shocker here, wants that. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty wants the #DallasCowboys to draft him… The former Frisco Lone Star HS standout signed with Disruptive Sports at an event in Dallas tonight… pic.twitter.com/y0V59JF5NO — Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) January 12, 2025 “I would love to play for the Cowboys. It’d be like a dream come true.” It is not a new thing for high-profile draft prospects to connect themselves to the Cowboys. They know that doing so invites a lot of attention, something that is good for their name relative to the overall process. This is just the way that the game is played. Over the last decade we have seen players like Myles Garrett, Deshaun Watson, Parsons himself, or even Ezekiel Elliott all make similar claims. It is normal. Nevertheless, Jeanty has stated his intentions. We will see what the Cowboys have to say about that soon enough.
Roster Sabotage: 6 Major takeaways of what doomed the Cowboys in 2024
An undeniable takeaway from 2024 is that the Cowboys took too many gambles and lost. Rolling the dice here or there is often unavoidable but the Cowboys took that to a whole new level last season. They rolled the dice that one or two of their receivers would step up into the WR2 and WR3 roles. It didn’t look like anyone did. They rolled the dice Mazi Smith would go from arguably the worst defensive tackle in the NFL to starting quality player in one offseason. That didn’t happen. They rolled the dice a project player could hold his own at LT when the player over at right tackle was already a liability in pass protection. They gambled the QB position could survive poor pass protection, no running game through the first half of the season, and no separation from WRs downfield. It couldn’t. They gambled one of the most undisciplined run defenses could get better over the offseason without injecting new proven run defenders. It could not. They gambled players would be good enough on their own to win one-on one-battles and they didn’t need sophisticated play design to create opportunities for them. They weren’t. There were too many gambles and not enough contingency plans for the Cowboys in 2024.
