Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Dallas Cowboys are one of the very worst team in the entire NFL. We have reached the final week before Thanksgiving which means that serious football is being played left and right. This is true for just about everyone else other than the Dallas Cowboys. It’s hard to believe that the Cowboys have gone six straight games at home where they have fallen into a 20-point deficit of a hole. That just sounds so impossible. But that is what this season has offered us. We are witnessing the impossibly bad on a weekly basis and it never, ever stops. Such is the case with the latest batch of our power rankings and how outlets across the NFL view America’s Team. We are in the dark ages, my friends. You can view last week’s rankings right here. 1 – Detroit Lions (LW: 1) They are so good that we know this season is going to end one of two ways. Either the Lions steamroll everyone and win it all or they have the most painful loss we have ever seen in the playoffs. 2 – Buffalo Bills (LW: 3) Maybe this is finally the year? It doesn’t seem like Bills fans feel that way just because they knocked off the Chiefs, but it remains true nonetheless. Buffalo knows the real test comes in January and at the very least they appear prepared for it. 3 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 5) It is such a bummer that they are so reliably good again. Saquon has changed everything about how they close games. It is impressive to watch which sucks. Blah. 4 – Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 2) I’d imagine that your first loss coming on November 17th is a pretty solid feeling, but when you are Kansas City your expectations are different from everyone else. They will be fine. No worries here. 5 – Green Bay Packers (LW: 9) It seems like they are playing with fire a little bit and not necessarily a reliably good team. They have a huge matchup this week, but ultimately they are definitely a playoff squad. 6 – Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 11) How are they doing this?! Mike Tomlin is so impressive. Russell Wilson deserves his props. Everything about the operation is just first class and I envy that so much. 7 – Baltimore Ravens (LW: 4) When they are on they are almost impossible to beat. It is just a matter of them being on in the most important moments as evidenced by last week. 8 – Washington Commanders (LW: 6) Was last week the beginning of their return back to earth? This may be true in the grand scheme, but with the Cowboys coming up they will feel tall once again soon enough. 9 – Minnesota Vikings (LW: 7) Obviously they won, but they do seem to be losing a little bit of luster as November moves on. I am not prepared to doubt Kevin O’Connell, but this is a team worth watching. 10 – Houston Texans (LW: 12) They won and I am in no way bitter about it. But they played with their food against a really bad Cowboys team. I don’t know that that totally screams contender. 11 – Arizona Cardinals (LW: 10) My Cardinals are back from the bye and ready to dance. 12 – Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 15) Sunday night was impressive, even if they tried their best to ruin it. Justin Herbert was masterful and if he plays like that they have a legit chance. 13 – San Francisco 49ers (LW: 8) Of course the year that they fade away is the one that the Cowboys are nowhere near competing. Also any 49ers fans wanting to get rid of Kyle Shanahan are being silly. 14 – Denver Broncos (LW: 18) Look at Sean Payton go! This team is sort of interesting. The most impressive thing has to be how they are developing Bo Nix. What a turnaround. 15 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 13) Welcome back from the bye here as well. 16 – Los Angeles Rams (LW: 17) To this point I don’t have any real passionate stance on the Rams. They exist and are fine, but they are mostly boring and not a real factor. 17 – Seattle Seahawks (LW: 19) Kudos to Geno Smith for getting it done late and in the clutch. Seattle is always fun. 18 – Indianapolis Colts (LW: 23) The last few weeks have been rather volatile, but what a moment for Anthony Richardson even if it was against the lowly Jets. Perhaps the future does in fact exist. 19 – Atlanta Falcons (LW: 14) Just when we started to trust this group a little bit they completely and totally collapsed. Atlanta will still probably win the NFC South, but what more beyond that? Not much, I imagine. 20 – Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 16) It is such a shame how poor their record is. They are playing some really great football, but coupling it with horrible football in the most important moments. That is not an ideal combination. 21 – New England Patriots (LW: 20) They exist. That’s all. They just exist nowadays. 22 – New Orleans Saints (LW: 24) It turns out firing your head coach who was not very good does in fact lead to a bump in team morale. Who knew?! 23 – Carolina Panthers (LW: 21) They have won more games (1) than the Cowboys have since trading away Jonathan Mingo. 24 – Tennessee Titans (LW: 22) Do we consider this a lost year or a rebuilding one for Tennessee? They have always been a little significant, but wow they are there right now. 25 – Cleveland Browns (LW: 25) At least they lose in weird ways to make things interesting. 26 – Miami Dolphins (LW: 26) They have quietly won two games in a row, but I maintain that Mike McDaniel takes no heat whatsoever for the team’s subpar performances
What went wrong for the Cowboys in 34-10 loss to the Texans
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Texans had no issues on Monday night, because why would they have? Ahead of Monday night’s game, it was reported that a large piece of sheet metal had fallen from the roof of AT&T Stadium. It represented how everything has come crashing down for the Dallas Cowboys this season. No Dak Prescott, as he officially went on injured reserve before the game. As the Cowboys fell 34-10 to the Houston Texans, they dropped to 3-7 and are still winless at home as the season continues to crumble down, just like the stadium’s roof. In another excruciating home loss that saw the stadium overran by Texans fans while the Cowboys fans left in disgust, here’s what went wrong for the Cowboys. Defensive Miscommunication The Cowboys wanted to send a message by elevating many young players for Monday’s game to the active roster. Caelen Carson was benched in favor of Josh Butler, yet it didn’t matter. New players, same results. The Cowboys ushering new players into the lineup only continued communication issues on defense and permitted wide-open rush lanes for Joe Mixon, who dominated the trenches, running for over 100 yards and three scores. In the back half of the defense, much was the same. Dallas played a lot of zone coverages versus Houston, and on several occasions, whether it was the linebackers or Israel Mukuamu, the player in the back seven were not on the same page. Houston’s receivers could run through zones without being re-routed, which permitted wide open windows for C.J. Stroud. Stroud completed passes to eight different receivers and was comfortable enough to choose his spots, while the secondary struggled to pass off receivers effectively. Poor pass protection First, we must acknowledge that Cooper Rush was placed in an unenviable position. Even though the Cowboys trailed, 55 attempts for Cooper Rush isn’t what a player of his caliber is best suited for. We’ve seen him succeed starting in place of Prescott, but he has never been asked to shoulder that much of the offensive burden as he was against Houston. It’s clear from Monday’s game that he’s not comfortable playing behind the Cowboys offensive line that suddenly is riddled with injuries. The pressure from Houston’s defense forced him to be skittish in the pocket and have poor footwork, as many of his throws were rushed. Rush was sacked six times and had ten of his passes defended. Houston was in Rush’s face constantly, severely impacting his accuracy and timing with his receivers, forcing him to throw before he was ready, and the Texans’ secondary was tight in coverage, especially on short to intermediate passes. Also, Rush’s passes were often errant. Several of his passes missed the mark, were wide of his receivers, and put them in harm’s way. According to Next Gen Stats, Rush was about 10% below his expected completion percentage, mainly due to a lack of protection. Having him throw as much as possible didn’t do him any favors, but his protection is where a lot of it started. Trying to play hero ball To an extent, having Rush throw as much as he did is a byproduct of a team not playing within themselves. The first sign of Dallas trying to win the game with guts versus their brains was the decision to attempt a fake punt from their 33-yard line in a 7-0 game. Needing nine yards for the first down, Bryan Anger threw a pass well short of the line to gain to Juanyeh Thomas, who was tackled short of the markers for a turnover on downs. It didn’t hurt the Cowboys then because they intercepted Stroud on the ensuing drive—still, a very head-scratching decision. Later in the game, Dallas was trailing by ten. Head coach Mike McCarthy passed up points after Brandon Aubrey nailed a 64-yard field goal after Derek Barnett’s penalty awarded the Cowboys a new set of downs. On the drive, numerous throws slipped out of the hands of Houston defenders as if to foreshadow that Dallas would not score on this sequence. Ultimately, they didn’t, as Dallas failed to convert on fourth and short from deep inside the red zone and they came away empty-handed. Instead of going for it on fourth down, Dallas could have taken the short field goal and only trailed by seven points and still very much been in the game until one more sequence sealed their fate. DEREK BARNETT TOUCHDOWN : ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/TjHVGp4Fv9 — Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 19, 2024 This is just an example of wanting to do too much. Tyler Guyton is a rookie, and he’d be the first to admit he’s still learning and needs to be more consistent in pass protection. Yet, on this play, it goes from bad to catastrophic. He missed the block on Barnett leading to the strip-sack, recovered the fumble, but unfortunately is leveled by a Texans defender when trying to extend the play before fumbling again, Barnett scoops it up and returns it for a touchdown. It was a full comedy of errors occurring in one quick, deflating sequence. However, what is no laughing matter is that Guyton was injured on this play and had to leave the game, adding injury to insult and what could have been circumvented by living to fight another down. Dallas’ desperation is starting to show, and it’s not looking pretty.
McCarthy: Cowboys players ‘better be frustrated’ after latest loss; ‘We deserve to win’
McCarthy: Cowboys players ‘better be frustrated’ after latest loss; ‘We deserve to win’ Todd Brock This Cowboys Tuesday is presented by the letter F. Fans were undoubtedly throwing the letter around liberally as they watched their team get mauled again on Monday night. Fifth loss in a row. Fouls. Flags. Fumbles. Fourth-down failures. A foolish fake punt. There was no shortage of opportunities for plenty of F-words in the 34-10 loss, but head coach Mike McCarthy kept coming back to a different one in his postgame press conference. “It’s very frustrating. It’s frustrating for everybody. Frustrating for the players, frustrating for the coaches, I know it’s disappointing for the fans,” McCarthy told reporters late Monday night from the podium at AT&T Stadium. He used the word frustrating (or some derivative) nine times in a ten-minute Q&A session. “Hell, they’d better be frustrated,” he said of his players. “I mean, we’re all frustrated. I think there would be something wrong if they weren’t frustrated.” Well, something is definitely wrong, even with the rampant frustration. Yet the coach struggled to pinpoint exactly why this team keeps losing so badly. “We’re not playing well enough or executing well enough, coaching well enough to overcome some of the mistakes we’re making at critical times in the game.” Like going 0-for-4 on fourth down conversion attempts. Like committing nine penalties (not to mention having four defensive players flagged for personal fouls on the same snap). Like getting into the red zone just once and not having a single snap in goal-to-go. Like fumbling twice on the same play and helplessly watching it turn into a scoop-and-score for the opponent. Like taking Brandon Aubrey’s field goal off the scoreboard and then coming away empty after a slapstick series of plays that turned the ball over on downs inside the Houston 10. Like that ill-advised fake punt in the Cowboys’ own end and on the offense’s first possession, the second such debacle in three weeks, and one which McCarthy described as “a poor call by us.” Like asking the backup quarterback coming off a historically bad performance to attempt the most passes in his career and the most throws by any Cowboys quarterback in a game in over three years. “I would have liked to have been a lot more balanced, run to pass,” McCarthy explained. “I don’t want to throw the ball 40 times.” Except it was 55 (56 if you count Bryan Anger’s four-yard lob… in a situation that needed nine). But despite all the mistakes, miscues, and missed plays, McCarthy says he won’t be doing anything radically different as the team prepares for two more games in the next 10 days. “We’ve just got to stay after it,” the coach said. “I’m disappointed, I’m frustrated for our guys because I know how much they put into this. We’ve just got to keep banging away.” Don’t expect much to change during this short week of practices, because McCarthy says practices aren’t the issue. “Our problem isn’t effort during the week; I haven’t seen that. We’re just not making critical plays.” Don’t look for some massive overhaul of the roster, either. Despite a record that currently has the team staring at a top-10 draft pick, McCarthy has no interest in giving up on his starters in favor of simply getting younger guys game reps. “We’re playing the best players to win the game,” he said. “I have every reason to believe that we can get better. We have to be cleaner. The discipline and the details; you’re tired of hearing about it, but I’ve just got to keep pushing it and making them focus on it. And I do believe we’ll come out on the other side. “We’ve got to win. We deserve to win. We deserve the opportunity to win, and that’s about putting the best people out there, and right now they’re young. Our young guys are getting a lot of experience, but we need to do whatever the hell we need to do to win.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] By that logic, then, McCarthy should be at least open to the idea of making a change. Many Cowboys fans are ready to move on from backup quarterback Cooper Rush and get third-stringer Trey Lance a lot more involved. Even McCarthy himself admitted he should have done so Monday night. “I think the one thing I should have done at the end, and I didn’t do it, was put Trey in there. I could have gotten him a series. That’s one thing I would second-guess myself on,” he told media members… though whether that was an oversight or a message to ownership is up for debate. “I really just didn’t want to get into putting him in for a play or two, because he’s more than a gadget player, in my opinion. We had him prepared to take a series, and frankly, there at the end, I should have given him that series. I regret not doing that.” Add that to the long list of frustrations to come out of the Monday meltdown. But come Tuesday, McCarthy will be back at work, looking to turn it around the only way he knows how: by leaning on the coaches and players around him to keep putting in the work and trusting that the process will lead to something positive. “Just trust the people in the room, the people that are doing the work. I do, I believe in this locker room,” McCarthy explained. “There is good coming out of this. You don’t see it because we’re not winning games, but there’s young men that are getting an opportunity to do more, and I do believe that will pay it forward. It needs to hurry the hell up, because we need it in six days.” Forward. Another F-word. And right now, for a very frustrated Cowboys team desperate to distance themselves from some of the losing squads of the franchise’s past they’re being lumped in with, it may
Cowboys put up a fight but can’t seal the deal in 34-10 loss to Texans
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Everything about the Cowboys is painful right now. Say what you will about the 2024 Dallas Cowboys, but they appear to be very good at this tanking thing. Many teams throughout time have been accused of tanking to get a better draft pick for a new regime. Technically, it is against the rules, so the trick is to lose as many games as you can but not look like you’re trying to lose games. In that sense, the 2024 Cowboys are on an absolute heater. Capping off the Week 11 slate with a Monday night prime time game against the slumping Texans, the Cowboys played a first half that very much looked like they were getting ready to play spoiler. They attempted a fake punt on their opening drive of the game – an odd but nobly aggressive move – and then picked off C.J. Stroud while defending a short field. After the defense gave up a second rushing touchdown to Joe Mixon, Cooper Rush hit KaVontae Turpin on a slant that busted wide open for a 64-yard touchdown. Each team proceeded to trade field goals, and by the time we hit the two-minute warning the Texans only led 17-10. When Brandon Aubrey lined up for a 40-yard field goal, the Cowboys had a very real chance to trim the lead before getting the ball out of the halftime break. But Aubrey, who’s been so money all year long, hooked it just enough to doink off the goalposts. A sharp move from the kicker of a team that definitely isn’t losing on purpose. In truth, Aubrey’s plant foot slipped. All tongue-in-cheek jokes aside, the Cowboys stayed alive in this one for much longer than they had any right. Rush played better than he did a week ago, but his limitations remain the same. The backup quarterback completed 63.6% of his whopping 55 pass attempts for 354 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. That’s more than triple what he averaged last week. CeeDee Lamb, who played despite being listed as questionable heading into Monday night, had a productive game. He caught eight of his 12 targets for 93 yards, including one impressive sideline catch in tight coverage. Jake Ferguson left the game early with a concussion, which meant an increase in snaps for both Luke Schoonmaker and rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford. Both played well, with Schoonmaker catching six passes for 56 yards – including a few really tough ones through contact – and Spann-Ford had 42 yards on four catches. Still, though, this offense continued to have issues. Rush threw a terrible pick on a play where Lamb was easily knocked off his route by a passing defender. Rico Dowdle managed just 28 rushing yards on 10 carries despite facing a Texans defense that’s struggled against the run all year. And the offensive line fell apart in the second half, quite literally. Zack Martin left the game with an injury just a play after getting badly beaten for a sack. Tyler Guyton left the game too, with Asim Richards replacing him at left tackle a week after starting in place of an injured Guyton. And Terence Steele did a rousing routine with Texans edge rusher Danielle Hunter where Steele pretended to be a pair of saloon doors and Hunter was the gruff cowboy who effortlessly walked right through them. Rush was sacked a total of five times on the night, including a strip sack that turned into a defensive touchdown. The Cowboys defense, though, played admirably in this one, particularly in the second half. Stroud looked uncomfortable all game long, and Mike Zimmer got the ball out of his hands early a few times with some creative third-down pressure looks. Houston didn’t score a second-half offensive touchdown until there were three minutes left in the game, a testament to what this unit is capable of. That was with two starting cornerbacks missing, too. DaRon Bland still hasn’t played all year, but Jourdan Lewis was out for this one too. In their places were Israel Mukuamu and Josh Butler, the latter of whom was signed from the practice squad and named the starter just hours before kickoff. All things considered, this was a good game from the defense. It wasn’t enough, though. The Cowboys opted to take Brandon Aubrey’s 64-yard field goal off the board due to a Texans penalty on the kick, and then later the drive resulted in a failed fourth and short attempt, leaving the Texans’ lead at 20-10. The next time the Cowboys offense took the field, they fumbled it twice and Houston scored a touchdown. Things unraveled from there. Not much in this game was terribly surprising, except for maybe how hard the Texans tried to lose this one. The Cowboys kept things close through three quarters, but then they fell apart. Which is exactly how a team that only has draft positioning to think about should want to play, not that anyone is accusing these Cowboys of intentionally losing games. If this season has taught us anything, it’s that these Cowboys don’t have to try to lose games.
Cowboys news: Losses, injuries, and pieces of AT&T Stadium roof pile up in 34-10 loss to Texans
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports The latest Dallas Cowboys news off of a primetime loss. Texans-Cowboys on ‘Monday Night Football’: What We Learned from Houston’s 34-10 win – Nick Shook, NFL.com The opportunities for the Cowboys to get a home win are slipping away. A two-touchdown first half from running back Joe Mixon and a stellar defensive showing, keyed by a Derek Barnett strip-sack that he turned into a score, got the Houston Texans back on the winning track. Snapping a two-game skid, the Texans won the Battle of Texas on Monday night, defeating the host Dallas Cowboys, 34-10. While Houston got back to its winning ways, the Cowboys continued a trying season, losing their fifth in a row and falling to 0-5 at home. Cowboys close AT&T Stadium roof for MNF after piece of metal falls onto field – Staff, 105.3 The Fan The night went from bad to worse before the game even began for the Cowboys on Monday night. The Cowboys’ staff began to open the retractable roof just after 4:00 p.m. central on Monday. About 20-25 minutes into its opening, a piece of sheet metal “about five yards long and a yard-and-a-half wide” came down from the roof and landed near one of the end zones, Cowboys sideline reporter Kristi Scales told Eric Chiofalo and Bryan Broaddus on the Cowboys pregame show on 105.3 The Fan. Scales said she saw the piece of metal wafting down from the sky and land in a corner of the field between one of the goal lines and the 10-yard line. No one was injured. The Cowboys elected to close the roof for the rest of the night as a precaution due to high winds North Texas was experiencing on Monday afternoon. This would have been the 8th time the team played with an open roof and closed doors. Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson suffers concussion against Texans – Todd Archer, ESPN.com Already very limited on offense, the Cowboys were without TE Jake Ferguson for most of the night after he suffered a concussion. Ferguson had one catch for 11 yards on the Cowboys’ first possession and was not targeted again before his injury was announced. Ferguson entered the game as the Cowboys’ second-leading pass catcher behind wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Without Ferguson, the Cowboys have Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Princeton Fant at tight end. They combined for 10 catches in the first nine games of the season. Fant was elevated from the practice squad Monday with fullback Hunter Luepke inactive because of a calf injury. Ferguson suffered a sprained knee in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns and did not play in the Week 2 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Of the Cowboys’ 22 starters in the season opener, 11 players have missed games because of injuries, including quarterback Dak Prescott, who was placed on injured reserve Monday after undergoing season-ending hamstring surgery last week. 3 thoughts on Dallas Cowboys inevitable loss to Texans: 5th straight setback, still winless at home – Clarence Hill, AllDLLS.com The Cowboys were forced into a hopeless, one-dimensional passing offense versus the Texans defense. Here are three thoughts on the loss to the Texans: 1. The passing stats of Cooper Rush made no sense. Rush completed 32 of 55 passes for 355 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the game. That would seem logical in a game that was long out of reach. But going into the fourth quarter, Rush had 39 pass attempts to just 13 rushing attempts for the team. And the Cowboys were down just 20-10 after three quarters. While most of the attempts were short passes, that is simply not the kind of game Rush is going to win. He had an awful interception in the first quarter that took points off the board and many off target throws that were simply out of his wheel house. It didn’t help that the Cowboys had little success when they did run the ball. Rico Dowdle had 28 yards on 10 attempts. Of course, as the Cowboys have said many times this season. He didn’t enough opportunities. Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Texans: Dallas blown out again 34-10 for fifth straight loss – Jess Haynie, Blogging The Boys It’s copy and paste for the Dallas Cowboys amidst their five-game losing streak right now. 4th Quarter Things went from bad to worse in the final quarter. Houston’s offense was held to another punt, but then the Cowboys shot themselves in both feet. Cooper Rush was sacked by Derek Barnett and fumbled, which OT Tyler Guyton grabbed and tried to run with. He was quickly swarmed and had the ball knocked out again, and Barnett finished the play with a recovery and touchdown. That was about it for meaningful moments in this game. The teams traded punts, Dallas turned it over on downs, and the Texans took advantage of a short field with Mixon’s third touchdown of the night. The beat-up Cowboys suffered more injuries in garbage time. Tyler Guyton left the game with a shoulder injury after that failed fumble recovery, and then both Zack Martin and Tyler Smith went down on a later drive. Dak Prescott’s reaction to terrible fake punt sums up laughingstock Cowboys – Mike Luciano, The Landry Hat For the second time in three weeks, the Cowboys failed on an early fake punt that reeked of desperation. Prescott, watching from the stands as he recovers from his injury, had a look of stunned silence on his face. The Cowboys season isn’t just getting flushed away, but it’s getting flushed in utterly comedic fashion, making it all the more painful. Dak’s reaction to the fake punt from the ESPN broadcast pic.twitter.com/XrwwmxqeIB — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 19, 2024 The Cowboys got immediately bailed out on the next possession, as CJ Stroud threw an interception on fourth down. That doesn’t mean that Dallas is in a position to take over this game, as Houston punched them in the mouth
Overmatched Cowboys add more injuries to insulting play in fifth straight loss, 34-10 to Texans
Overmatched Cowboys add more injuries to insulting play in fifth straight loss, 34-10 to Texans K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys placed QB Dak Prescott on injured reserve prior to Monday night’s contest against the Houston Texans. The Week 11 move was anticipated for the last several weeks, but the fact it took so long to make was a significant admission. There’s no cavalry coming, so the need for the roster spot wasn’t really a pressing issue for the 3-6 Cowboys. Make that 3-7, as the club was once again in a street fight without any weapons in falling to the Texans 34-10. The club’s fifth straight defeat came with the required number of head scratches and face palms pretty much from the onset of the game. Dallas gave up big plays, turned the ball over and had a myriad of new injuries to keep piling on the miserable season. Dallas saw three different starting offensive linemen leave the contest with injuries, along with their starting tight end. Jake Ferguson suffered a concussion early on, and then the second half saw Tyler Guyton, Zack Martin and Tyler Smith all get knocked out; the latter two within three plays of each other. With Cooper Rush continuing to struggle to push the ball downfield on a regular basis, the Dallas defense was once again asked to do something they were incapable of doing. The Houston offense scored on a 77-yard opening play that was called back, but were undaunted with numerous big plays. CJ Stroud released the ball quickly, often finding his returning star WR Nico Collins, on the way to 257 passing yards. He didn’t throw for a score, but it wasn’t necessary with RB Joe Mixon adding three touchdowns on 109 rushing yards. In comparison Rush threw for over 300 yards, but Mike McCarhty’s non-existent commitment to the running game saw Dallas rush just 16 times compared to over 50 passing attempts. The Cowoys offense remains disfunctional as the team lost their sixth straight home game Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys vs Texans recap: Social media reaction to another embarrassing beat down
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Cowboys fans are understandably unhappy again this week. The Houston Texans had never beaten the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T stadium, but on Monday Night Football that changed. The Texans helped Dallas keep things close for a while but they soon pulled away in the fourth quarter and left Cowboys fans frustrated and upset. Here’s what social media had to say as the game developed. It looked bleak to begin with. Lots of empty seats AT&T Stadium. lots of red too — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) November 19, 2024 The game started and Nico Collins took the ball to the house on the first play. Cowboys were saved by a flag. Don’t let that flag distract you from the awful angles from the safeties — Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) November 19, 2024 Texans drive with ease down the field and finish with a Joe Mixon touchdown. Gonna be a long long night. #Cowboys — Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) November 19, 2024 MIXON. 45-YARD TD. : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Z3C33tMXWN — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 Longest rushing touchdown against Dallas this season. Feels like that may be the first of many records coming tonight #DallasCowboys — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) November 19, 2024 A fight broke out which is telling of the Cowboys players frustration levels. A scuffle breaks out after the ensuing Texans kickoff. KaVontae Turpin and Markquese Bell get into it with Texans CB M.J. Stewart. No flags but a lot of pushing and shoving. — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 19, 2024 Cowboys try a fake punt. Cowboys fail the fake punt. John Fassel what are you doing man — RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) November 19, 2024 Houston then goes for it on fourth down and Malik Hooker makes the catch. Malik Hooker with the interception and the Cowboys’ defense makes the first big play of the game. At least for the home team. — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 19, 2024 Malik Hooker INT! pic.twitter.com/O5nSwRrmhY — Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) November 19, 2024 Cooper Rush gives it right back. nails on a chalkboard, this offense is — John Owning (@JohnOwning) November 19, 2024 Joe Mixon scores another touchdown. Texans turn the Cooper Rush interception into Joe Mixon’s second TD of the game. It’s Houston, 14-0, with 49 seconds left in the first quarter. — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) November 19, 2024 Joe Mixon scores his second TD of the first quarter! : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/VCbhNs0BOh — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 Second quarter started with bad news on Jake Ferguson. Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson (concussion) has been ruled out. — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 19, 2024 KaVontae Turpin for 64 yards and a score. KaVontae Turpin with a catch and run and the Cowboys are back in this game. It’s a 64-yard touchdown reception. — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 19, 2024 64-yard house call : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN : Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1e pic.twitter.com/86VgER4mlC — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 19, 2024 Brandon Aubrey gets on the score sheet with a field goal. Brandon Aubrey from 53 yards. Piece of cake. — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) November 19, 2024 The Cowboys don’t deserve to win this game But the Texans deserve to lose it — David Howman (@_DH44_) November 19, 2024 Dallas in the redzone, it’s fourth down and Mike McCarthy goes for it. Fails for the second time. I guess Mike McCarthy doesn’t have anything to lose and you might as well be aggressive, but taking points off the board with a backup QB just felt like asking for trouble. I don’t *really* hate it because what the hell. but yeah I think I’d have just taken the fg. — David Helman (@davidhelman_) November 19, 2024 After that decision on 4th & 2… https://t.co/Q5Pw0HitRr — Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) November 19, 2024 Texans defense cause the fumble and score off a whacky play. Guyton allowed a sack and lost a fumble on the same play. — Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) November 19, 2024 TEXANS FORCE TWO FUMBLES ON THE SAME PLAY. AND RETURN IT FOR THE TD! : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/t1vZ27JVXv — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 LOTS of Dallas Cowboys fans filing out of AT&T Stadium. There’s 12:31 left in the game on Monday Night Football. — RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) November 19, 2024 Guyton goes down injured, then Zack Martin, then Tyler Smith. Zack Martin and Tyler Smith are hurt in the same sequence. Not good for the interior OL for Dallas. T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman in the game. — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 19, 2024 Things are just sad for this team. Dallas penalized for 12 men on the field. — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 19, 2024 Think about how difficult it is to do this THIS MANY GAMES IN A ROW https://t.co/RSi4u24NGc — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) November 19, 2024 Mixon scores a third touchdown. Joe MIxon scores his third TD of the night! : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/LpthbVMZsk — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 A tough night. Texans fans having a good time. pic.twitter.com/LcCCVYuRMA — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 19, 2024
Mike McCarthy calls baffling gameplan in loss to Houston Texans
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Mike McCarthy had a rough Monday night performance. The Dallas Cowboys lost yet another game on Monday, this time losing to the Houston Texans 34-10. The Cowboys were underdogs heading into the game, as they likely will be for every game the rest of the season except maybe against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving and the Carolina Panthers on December 15. When a team is facing the landslide of injuries that Dallas is, it’s important to have a well-coached game to overcome the lack of talent available. Mike McCarthy did everything in his power to make life more difficult for the Cowboys on Monday. The first glaring mistake was running a fake punt early in the first quarter. On their own 30-yard line, punter Bryan Anger threw a pass short of the line to gain which set the Texans up for the first touchdown of the game. THE #COWBOYS ARE AWFUL Cowboys tried a fake punt from their own 30 yard line… it failed miserably setting up the Texans to go up to scores in the first quarter. It is the second failed punt by Dallas in just a couple weeks. pic.twitter.com/XsrqqRpdCa — MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 19, 2024 His second glaring mistake came in the second half when he took points off the board but failed to re-capture those points when the opportunity presented itself. Kicker Brandon Aubrey had just drilled a 64-yard field goal, bringing the Cowboys within seven points. However, McCarthy chose to accept a penalty committed by the Houston Texans which took the field goal off the scoreboard and gave Dallas a new set of downs. They were then unable later to convert a fourth-down attempt, ultimately coming away with zero points on the possession. Knowing how bad the Cowboys offense had been up to that point, it felt questionable to not take the field goal the second time and make it a one-possession game instead of going for it on fourth down. The most glaring problem with McCarthy on Monday wasn’t a single play. Nor was it the consistent penalties and poor play-calling. QB Cooper Rush finished the game with 55 pass attempts. That is simply absurd. When Rush had success as a starter the last time Prescott was hurt, it was because he was able to be a reliable ‘game-manager’ at the position. He didn’t throw for a ton of yards, but he made the right plays. Forcing any quarterback to throw 55 times in a game is a recipe for failure, but Rush hasn’t shown that he has the arm talent to consistently stretch the ball down the field. Despite McCarthy saying earlier in the week that RB Rico Dowdle would receive more carries, he finished with just a mere 10 on Monday night. The Cowboys run game wasn’t very effective in fairness to McCarthy, but they didn’t scheme ways to get guys like KaVontae Turpin the ball in space on jet sweeps. They did utilize CeeDee Lamb a little in this way, but they could have been more creative running the ball then calling the same stale scheme. And that doesn’t even mention the possibilities if they would have given Trey Lance some opportunities. The Cowboys are facing an uphill battle the rest of the season without their starting quarterback. However, their head coach continues to hurt them more than help them, and is making his seat even warmer come this offseason.
4 big takeaways from Cowboys getting throttled by Texans in Week 11
Play design matters . (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) KaVontae Turpin isn’t a great receiver, but Mike McCarthy gave him an easy play to work with on his 64-yard TD catch. It was a simple slant route from a spread formation using his speed to take it to the house. His breakaway catch and run was over 22 mph, which according to Next Gen Stats is the fastest of any player this season. This factoid is an indictment on a coaching staff that’s targeted him just 28 times and given him just five carries prior to tonight. Speed kills in the NFL and the Cowboys haven’t used their fastest killer enough on the offensive side of the ball this season. Effort remains Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Jerry Jones once begrudgingly fired Wade Phillips midseason because he believed his team had given up on the head coach. It seemed clear from the start of the season the only way Mike McCarthy would meet the same fate is if he gave Jones the same cause. Say what one will about this roster, but this team has not quit. Young players and veteran alike were working hard for the blue star on Monday Night Football. It was especially good to see Trevon Diggs lead blocking for Malik Hooker on the first half interception. Diggs gets heat for his disinterest in tackling, and rightfully so, but it’s not because of selfishness or lack of physicality. Cornerbacks just don’t like to tackle players twice their size. Diggs showed he has plenty of fight in him even if he’s not hawking balls play after play. On Turpin’s long catch and run, it was Rico Dowdle downfield blocking with extra effort. The 2024 Cowboys may not be very disciplined in their assignments, but they aren’t quitters and that’s something to rebuild around. Throws beyond the sticks Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Cowboys offense obviously suffered an enormous loss when Dak Prescott was lost to a hamstring injury for the rest of the season. In previous years, Cooper Rush was up to the task and the offense was able to survive. But in 2024 it’s behind a rebuilding offensive line and alongside a stripped-down receiver corps, making it a difficult task. Throws beyond the sticks is a great way to gauge an offense’s trust in the passing game. Not all offenses are designed to create run after the catch and Mike McCarthy’s offense is a perfect example of such an offense. Throwing beyond the sticks is a required element in his offense yet he was extremely hesitant to unleash Rush. Excluding the final two minutes of each half, Rush threw just nine passes beyond the sticks upon first review; less than 50% were completions, and one resulted in an interception. To re-sign or not re-sign, that is the question , Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) Chauncey Golston, the Cowboys’ third round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has developed into a real NFL player this season. There’s a world where he’s even a key player on a legit playoff caliber defense. He keeps his assignments, plays the run, and works hard for scrappy pressures. He’s not a pass rusher but he’s not a liability on passing downs either. Injuries have forced the Cowboys to give him opportunities this season and they’ve been rewarded for playing him. The only problem is Golston is a free agent in 2025. With so many players making big money on the roster, it will be tough for the Cowboys to justify middle class level contracts like him, but Golston might be cheap enough and solid enough to justify it this winter. He’s a free agent to watch. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Related articles
Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Texans: Dallas battles back, trail 17-10 at the half
Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Follow along with the action for Cowboys vs Texans 2nd Quarter The next quarter opened with bad news; TE Jake Ferguson was ruled out of the game with a concussion from the previous drive. But the offense found something to feel good about when Rush hit KaVontae Turpin out of the slot for a 64-yard touchdown! 64-yard house call : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN : Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1e pic.twitter.com/86VgER4mlC — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 19, 2024 After a muffed kickoff return that put them on their own 8-yard-line, the Texans went 77 yards thanks largely to a 37-yard pass to Mixon. The drive stalled out in the redzone, but Houston did come away with three points off a short field goal. Dallas got well within Brandon Aubrey’s range on their next possession, setting up the answer with his 53-yard field goal. As it turns out, it gave Aubrey another line in the history books. Brandon Aubrey made his 20th career field goal of 50-or-more yards and also became the first kicker in NFL history to make 10 field goals from 50-plus yards in consecutive seasons. — Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) November 19, 2024 The Cowboys’ defense stepped up on the next drive, holding Houston to 19 yards and forcing a punt. It gave the offense time to get down into scoring position and another field goal attempt. But Aubrey’s plant foot slipped and caused a miss from 40 yards out, his first miss at home since joining Dallas. Houston went three-and-out on their next possession, punting the ball with just 37 seconds left on the clock. The Cowboys took some shots down the field but didn’t get far, and ultimately headed into the locker room with a 17-10 deficit. 1st Quarter Houston started with the ball and it felt like they’d set a dominant tone right away. The first play was a 77-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins that got called back on a penalty. But the Texans kept rolling and eventually scored on a 45-yard run by Joe Mixon. JOE MIXON 45 YARDS TO THE HOUSE! pic.twitter.com/oCIE50hZ51 — ESPN (@espn) November 19, 2024 The Cowboys gained just 19 yards on their first possession and then attempted another poorly executed fake punt. Bryan Anger lofted the ball to Juanyeh Thomas behind the 1st-down marker and the Texans stopped him, getting the ball back in excellent field position. But a bad throw by C.J. Stroud fell in the lap of Malik Hooker, giving Dallas some life. Malik Hooker picks off Stroud on 4th down! : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/obnLz5ZDXQ — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 Dallas hot-potatoed the momentum right back to Houston on the next drive. After a couple of positive plays from Jake Ferguson and CeeDee Lamb, Cooper Rush hit Texans’ CB Derek Stingley Jr. for the interception. Derek Stingley Jr. will take that! : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/DCS5SLN4vC — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 The Texans marched again, including a 4th-down conversion in the redzone, before capping the drive with another Mixon touchdown. Joe Mixon scores his second TD of the first quarter! : #HOUvsDAL on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/VCbhNs0BOh — NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2024 Follow Blogging The Boys Everywhere Follow Blogging The Boys on X (formerly Twitter) Follow Blogging The Boys on Instagram Follow Blogging The Boys on Facebook Subscribe to the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel Notable Recent News The Cowboys are going deep into the bench tonight with wide receiver Ryan Flournoy getting his first start. Recently traded-for Jonathan Mingo is also expected to play, indicating lesser roles potentially for Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin (with Jalen Brooks inactive) as Dallas tries to shake up its stagnant offense. Injury Updates CB DaRon Bland will not play tonight as the All-Pro continues recovering from a preseason foot injury. Dallas is likely playing it safe with Bland given the state of their season. Jourdan Lewis will also be out with a neck issue, leaving the Cowboys very thin at cornerback. FB Hunter Luepke is also inactive with a reportedly minor calf injury. NFL News Relevant To The Cowboys The Giants have benched QB Daniel Jones, looking to avoid any injury that could trigger clauses in his contract. Dallas will likely see Tommy DeVito in the Thanksgiving game. Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks, who many Cowboys fans pined for in the 2024 Draft, is expected to finally make his debut for the Panthers this Sunday. Brooks has been rehabbing from an ACL surgery last year which hurt his draft stock, but was generally considered the best prospect in the class. Up Next For The Cowboys Dallas finally has its first 2024 meeting with the Commanders. Washington isn’t riding as high after two losses and losing NFC East control to the Eagles, but they’re still in a much better place right now than the Cowboys. Hosting their struggling rivals should be good medicine for the Commanders and more misery for America’s Team.
