Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Most Cowboys fans are expecting somewhere around 1-2 more wins this season. There are no more ways to describe how bad the Dallas Cowboys 2024 season has been. We’ve used them all up over the last few weeks. The team has a 3-6 record fore the year, but it is not just the record that has fans down on the team. The way Jerry Jones approached the offseason started the fire. The lack of free agent signings, ignoring the running back position, and the needless dragging out of contract negotiations all left fans jaded. The Jones family had finally tested the fanbase’s limits. Then the injuries started happening, coupled with the blowouts on the field, and here we are today. We are at a juncture where basically no Cowboys fan believes the franchise is headed in the right direction. Only 2% believe they are, and it’s likely that 2% was just trolling us. Based on all that pessimism, we wanted to see how many more games the team might win this season. Winning games can makes us feel better, but they also hurt draft positioning. It’s a dilemma. With eight games left on the schedule, we asked how many overall games will Dallas win this year. The overwhelming majority, 68%, said four to five. That means the belief is the Cowboys will win once or twice more this year. Will one of those wins be Monday night versus the Houston Texans? The Cowboys are currently 7.5-point underdogs to the Texans (FanDuel). Even getting that many points, almost no one believes the Cowboys will cover.

Thomas B. Shea-Imagn Images Monday night feels very big for the Texans. Houston Texans C.J. Stroud Sends Message Following 2-Game Losing Streak – Caleb Skinner, Sports Illustrated Despite their losing skid, Houston’s quarterback is still going to be aggressive. The Houston Texans currently own a 6-4 record but they haven’t quite taken off and become the team that many expected them to be before the season began after having one of the best offseasons in recent memory. The Texans have now lost two straight games to the Detroit Lions and New York Jets but remain two games up on the Colts in the AFC South. Houston’s offense has looked like they are playing not to lose rather than to win the game, making them look tight and pressured when that side of the ball is on the field. Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans wants to see more from his offense and that starts with Stroud being able to play loose and have fun while doing so. When talking to the media, Stroud commented on how Ryans’ words resonated with him. “For me, I try not to only make plays but try to take care of the football and do the right thing to win the game and sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it don’t. So that means a lot. I am not only a game manager, but I can also be a game changer. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” Stroud exclaimed. “For me, I am going to keep the swag and kind of like what I told you all last year, Steph Curry can go 0 for whatever, but he is going to keep shooting. That’s me, I am going to keep shooting. I trust in myself and trust in the talent God gave me.” The Texans have it in them to be one of the best teams in the league but they have a multitude of things to flush out on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily for them, they will get the struggling Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football to try and buck this recent losing trend. McClain: Texans need victory over Cowboys to build momentum for stretch drive – John McClain, HoustonTexans.com A win at Dallas would help the Texans get back on track for the homestretch. Beginning Monday night, the Texans play four games in a row against teams that have losing records. The Cowboys, Titans, Jaguars and Dolphins are a combined 10-27. The Texans have a comfortable lead in the AFC South. The Colts in second place with a 4-6 record, and the Texans swept the season series, giving them a three-game advantage over Indianapolis. The Cowboys couldn’t care less about the Texans’ troubles because they have enough of their own. They have a four-game losing streak. They’re winless at home and getting outscored 38-15, including by 41-8 in their last two games. They’ve played a difficult schedule, going 1-5 against teams that currently have a winning record. The Texans are a decisive favorite on Monday night despite two glaring issues. [C.J.] Stroud has been sacked 34 times, second in the NFL to Chicago’s Caleb Williams (38). Stroud is on a pace to be sacked 58 times. He was sacked 38 times as a rookie. The Texans haven’t scored a second-half touchdown in five of their last six games, including the last four. They’ve scored only 15 points in the second half of the last four games. Never has that deficiency been more significant than Sunday night when they led the Lions 23-7 at halftime and lost 26-23. “We have a bad taste in our mouth, and we’re ready to get back to work,” Ryans said this week. It’s important for us to fix us and play clean football.” “We have the team to do it,” Stroud said. “We have the scheme. We have the players. It’s up to the players to put it on the field. We have to keep our heads up (and) get the problems fixed. I believe we’re still a great team that can do a lot of special things.” They can start by beating the Cowboys in their third consecutive prime-time game to build some steam for the stretch drive that separates the contenders from the pretenders. Texans QB C.J. Stroud staying confident amid tough stretch: ‘I can be a game changer’ – Eric Edholm, NFL.com C.J. Stroud’s play has dipped recently, but his teammates still have his back. The Texans have lost three of their past four games, and Stroud’s play has tailed off in that stretch. Over the past four games, he has completed only 53.7% of his passes — nearly 15% lower than his first six games — for 794 yards, two TDs and two INTs, currently sitting at 11th on NFL.com’s Nick Shook’s QB Index after making the top five earlier this season. One reason for Stroud’s dropoff: He’s also taken 18 sacks in the past four games, compared to 16 in his first six games this season. Another factor is that Stroud’s top target, Nico Collins, has been out of the lineup since suffering a hamstring injury against the Bills in Week 5. The good news is that Collins has returned to practice and might soon be available in games for the Texans. With a 6-4 record, the sky is not completely falling for Houston. The Texans remain in the driver’s seat for the AFC South crown. They currently sit as 95% likely to make the postseason, and a win Monday at the Dallas Cowboys would push them to 98%. Stroud said his teammates have had his back and have been letting him know just that during this tough spell. “One of the biggest things is, my teammates trust me,” Stroud said. “Me and Dalton (Schultz) talked the other day, and he has the utmost respect for me and I have the utmost respect for him, and I needed to hear that. That the team still rallies

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Monday night’s rookie classes are very different. Previously we broke down both team’s offense and defense for the upcoming game between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. Now we dive back into the position battleground, this time looking at how some of each team’s rookie class stack up against each other. (Grades for each player are the overall offensive or defensive grade handed out by PFF.com) Dallas Cowboys Tyler Guyton First RoundTyler Guyton missed last week and Asim Richards stepped in. Richards didn’t do a bad job, wasn’t great either, but by comparing the two we can see how far behind Guyton is in his development based on high his high draft spot. The news is Guyton will resume his role at left tackle. Grade: 55.3 Marshawn Kneeland Second RoundOn injured reserveGrade: 54.7 Cooper Beebe Third RoundBeebe allowed his first sack in five weeks but he was more busy hoping Cooper Rush would hold onto his snap. The fumbled snap was on Rush, the replays clearly show him taking his eye off the ball. This week he has work cut out with this defensive line that is generating a lot of pressures. Grade: 60.6 Marist Liufau Third RoundLiufau came close to returning a fumble for a touchdown. Other than that, he has played 21 snaps in the last two weeks and made four tackles.Grade: 52.6 Caelen Carson Fifth RoundCarson is still figuring things out. The problem he has is that opposing offenses are targeting him a lot due to the fact he’s a weak spot, but also they are staying away from Trevon Diggs. He’s allowed 205 yards and 13 receptions off 15 targets in the last two weeks. Grade: 39.7 Ryan Flournoy Sixth RoundAgainst the Philadelphia Eagles, Flournoy was used most as an extra run blocker on offense. Other than that he was used as a key player on special teams.Grade: 78.4 (ST Grade) Brevyn Spann-Ford UDFASpann-Ford played six snaps on offense, other than that he was used primarily on special teams. This trend will likely continue.Grade: 60.5 (ST Grade) Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Houston Texans Blake Fisher Second RoundFisher is playing swing-tackle for Houston and has come in for 114 snaps this season. On 71 pass sets, Fisher has allowed ten pressures and one sack. The Notre Dame tackle was probably over-drafted here in the second round and Houston is finding that out. He was benched a number of times for the Fighting Irish, his biggest problem is oversetting or playing off his heels.Grade: 46.5 Kamari Lassiter Second RoundThe young Georgia Bulldog cornerback has played pretty well this season so far. He’s played as one of the teams starting corners and has allowed a reception rate of just 44% and a passer rating allowed of 55.2. To add to that impressive start he also has three interceptions with two coming last week against the Detroit Lions.Grade: 69.8 Calen Bullock Third RoundBullock has been the team’s starting free safety from Week 4 and has played in every game this year. He leads the team in interceptions with four and his ability to cover ground quickly and transition quickly with fluid hips has been on display.Grade: 51.5 Cade Stover Fourth RoundStover plays the TE2 role behind Dalton Schultz, so naturally he plays mostly as an extra blocker. He has made eight receptions this year for 87 yards, but his main duties are either blocking or contributing on special teams.Grade: 50.7 Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys is here. DeMarvion Overshown claims Cowboys, not Texans, run the state – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated The former third-round pick put out some bulletin board material. Heading into Week 11, the 3-6 Dallas Cowboys are set to host the 6-4 Houston Texans on Monday Night Football. Houston is favored in this one, which is fair considering the records. Throw in the absence of Dak Prescott, and it’s even more understandable that the home team isn’t expected to win. That’s not the way DeMarvion Overshown sees it though. The second-year linebacker said the Cowboys are still the “big brother” and run the state of Texas. He admits Houston is playing well but knows anything can happen on the field, especially with the right mind set. Dallas Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown on Monday night’s game between the Cowboys and Houston Texans: “When it’s the battle for Texas, especially with them having the season that they’re having, a team that they’re thinking that they run the state. “Even though it’s a down year… — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 15, 2024 Cooper Rush focused on bounceback vs. Texans, not loss to Eagles – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Rush has tunnel vision entering Week 11. The mission this week is simple in message, even if difficult in execution, as Cooper Rush and the Dallas Cowboys do all they can to somehow avoid a fifth consecutive loss at home in five tries this season but, to do so, they’ll need Rush to regain the swagger that led him to a 5-1 record prior to being handed his second loss by the Philadelphia Eagles. This time around, the Eagles were able to hold Rush to a total of just 46 passing yards, the lowest mark of his NFL career, with no touchdowns. Needless to say, the veteran quarterback expects a better showing when the Houston Texans line up on Monday Night Football. “A couple days in a row, guys have been back at it,” Rush said. “It’s the NFL. You don’t have time to [dwell] on it too much, so we’re kind of focused on Monday night. … You flush it. You get 24 hours and you’re on to the Houston Texans.” Also suffering a neck strain when attempting to recover a fumble, Rush made it clear he’s fine physically, despite being listed on the injury report this week; and he’s been a full participant. “No, we were good to go,” he said. “A little neck thing, but we were good to go and I’m feeling great now.” 5 things to watch when the Dallas Cowboys face the Houston Texans this Monday – Joe Trahan, WFAA Parsons and Rush will have plenty of eyes on them. 1. Micah Parsons talking with his play Micah Parsons was at the center of the storm following his controversial comments about head coach Mike McCarthy following the Eagles game. On his podcast Monday, Parsons said he didn’t intentionally throw McCarthy under the bus. But Parsons was criticized roundly for making it sound as if there is an issue with McCarthy’s work ethic. Then Parsons decided to skip out on his game-week media availability. I’m waiting to see how Parsons let’s his play do the talking. We all know he is an elite game-wrecker when he’s playing his best. And if what he perceived as unfair media treatment helps him find another gear, Cowboys fans will take it. Parsons and Stroud are good friends, and the Cowboys all-pro defender would love to inflict some pain on his good buddy. 2. Rush rebound It wasn’t until a couple days after the Eagles debacle that we heard QB Cooper Rush may have suffered a mild neck strain after a first quarter fumble. It would certainly help explain the lack of velocity on his throws early in the game. Rush dismissed it as no big deal and says he’s ready to go this week. Let me be clear: I’m not making any excuses for Rush. He was awful against the Eagles. It’s still hard to fathom how he completed 13-of-23 passes for just 45 yards. I’ll be looking to see the Cowboys take at least a few deep shots to try and create some explosiveness in the offense. There was zero against the Eagles and it made McCarthy’s offense ineffective, and frankly, unwatchable. Cowboys injury report: Bland, Lewis, Luepke miss practice, Carson full participant – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys Cowboys continue to have a lengthy injury report. A day after the Dallas Cowboys’ injury report looked as long as a shopping list, the Cowboys were back to work as they prepare to take on their in-state rivals the Houston Texans. After their second day of practice this week, things are still murky for the Cowboys. The very lengthy Dallas Cowboys injury report. pic.twitter.com/sUIMrBAHPt — Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) November 15, 2024 Not practicing Friday were DaRon Bland (foot), and Jourdan Lewis (neck). It has already been reported that Bland will not play this week, and Lewis’ absence for another day leaves the position thin heading into the weekend. However, we will have one more injury report tomorrow. Troy Aikman airs out on Cowboys ahead of ‘Monday Night Football matchup – Jack McKessy, USA Today The Hall of Famer was very candid on a few topics regarding his old team. When asked about McCarthy, Aikman said that the lack of empowerment the team gave the head coach – with the lack of an extension and without the power to make personnel decisions – could be affecting how the players see him. “I’ve never been in a locker room like that. I’ve not been on a team where the head coach has been on his last year of his contract. I’d like to think that that doesn’t affect how the players react or what they’re thinking, what motivates them to go out and play at the level that’s required,” Aikman said. “I’d like to

If Madden is to be believed then the Dallas Cowboys will actually win on Monday night. We have reached the middle of November and the Dallas Cowboys have yet to win a game in front of their home crowd this season. They are a far ways removed from the group last season that went undefeated until the playoff loss that broke everything, in their home building. It has been a difficult go for Dallas this season with the lack of moves over the offseason to improve the roster and the injuries once the season began that depleted the talent. When opening odds for this game came out it was not shocking to see the visiting Houston Texans favored and massively so, but this is the NFL where the unpredictable often tends to happen. Can that really occur on Monday night between the in-state rivals? As we always do we asked Madden to run a simulation of the game to see what it believes is in store. What do you know, Madden thinks the Cowboys are going to win on Monday night! It came down to some fourth quarter drama between the Cowboys and Texans in this simulation. Jalen Tolbert had a huge gain that set the team up for Rico Dowdle to punch things in for the go-ahead touchdown, after which Cooper Rush hit Jonathan Mingo (who caught a touchdown earlier) for the two-point conversion to make it a seven-point game. The Texans drove down the field in the final minute and appeared at the very least set to send things to overtime. It was then that DaRon Bland picked off C.J. Stroud to seal the game, although obviously we still have yet to see if Bland will even play on Monday night. If you are curious, here is how the Madden simulations have gone so far this season. Week 1 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Cleveland Browns, 18-17 Week 1 In Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Cleveland Browns, 33-17 Week 2 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 36-29 Week 2 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 44-10 Week 3 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 21-14 Week 3 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 28-25 Week 4 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to New York Giants, 28-21 Week 4 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat New York Giants, 20-15 Week 5 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-14 Week 5 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-17 Week 6 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Detroit Lions, 38-31 Week 6 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Detroit Lions, 47-9 Week 8 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat San Francisco 49ers, 22-7 Week 8 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to San Francisco 49ers, 30-24 Week 9 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat Atlanta Falcons, 13-10 Week 9 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Atlanta Falcons, 27-21 Week 10 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Philadelphia Eagles, 21-17 Week 10 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Philadelphia Eagles, 34-6 If it is not obvious from all of this, Madden has only correctly predicted a Cowboys victory once this season and it was the road game in Pittsburgh. The other two instances where Madden called for a win were against the 49ers and Falcons and we obviously know how those went. Here’s hoping Madden got this one right.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys may experience a slight bump in offense this week. The Dallas Cowboys will be on national television in an island slot this week as they are set to host the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football. This means that Troy Aikman will be on the call, the first time this is the case this season, which should be interesting given that he has not been shy regarding his thoughts about this year’s Cowboys team. Whether or not Aikman even has a chance to be critical of the Cowboys will depend on if the offense performs well or continues to flounder. These days the smart bet is on the latter, but you never know. Something we do every week around here is take a look at the offensive projections courtesy of our friends at NFL Pro. You will be stunned to see that the Cowboys underperformed relative to their shy expectations last week. Projected Cooper Rush vs. Philadelphia: 195.4 yards, 1.1 pass TDs, 0.9 INT, 7.2 rush yards, 0.2 rush TDsActual: 45 yards, 0 pass TDs, 0 INT, 2 rush yards, 0 rush TDs Projected Rico Dowdle vs. Philadelphia: 48 yards, 0.3 rush TDs, 2 rec, 14.4 rec yards, 0.1 rec TDsActual: 53 yards, 0 rush TDs, 3 rec, 3 rec yards, 0 rec TDs Projected CeeDee Lamb vs. Philadelphia: 5.7 rec, 72.2 yards, 0.4 TDsActual: 6 rec, 21 yards, 0 TDs Projected Jalen Tolbert vs. Philadelphia: 3.2 rec, 38.6 yards, 0.3 TDsActual: 3 rec, 14 yards, 0 TDs Projected Jake Ferguson vs. Philadelphia: 4 rec, 41.9 yards, 0.3 TDsActual: 4 rec, 24 yards, 0 TDs Interestingly, this season projections have been pretty on point for Rico Dowdle so take them how you will as far as fantasy or props are concerned. What about this week against the Houston Texans, though? What is NFL Pro calling for? Here you are. Things are a bit more promising for Cooper Rush which speaks to some potential improvement from the offense overall, although they are down for CeeDee Lamb individually. It is difficult to believe that the Cowboys could be as bad on offense on Monday night as they were last week, but to be fair we are talking about a team who has not scored a touchdown in their home building since September 22nd. If they do not score one on Monday then they will officially go over two months without doing so. That is pretty wild to think about in today’s NFL. As far as the game is concerned, the projected advantages from NFL Pro suggest it is going to be a frustrating affair. With the game being an island one, whatever happens is going to serve as some serious water cooler fodder over the week that follows. It is hard to imagine the Cowboys reaching a different level of chaos as far as general discussion is concerned, but this team continues to impress us in that regard.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports 2024 could e the last season for a few longer-tenured members of the Dallas Cowboys. The 2024 season has been a disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. Injuries, poor coaching and performance, and off-the-field issues have all plagued Dallas in this abysmal season. With 2024 all but over, the Cowboys will soon turn their attention to 2025 and try to rebound from this embarrassing year. Looking towards the future, the Cowboys have some key players set to hit the open market at season’s end. With that in mind, today we take a look at two current Cowboys who could be playing out their final few weeks in Dallas. Brad Penner-Imagn Images 1) CB Jourdan Lewis Cornerback Jourdan Lewis has been one of the few players on the Cowboys’ roster to exceed expectations this season. Dallas brought the 29-year-old back on a one-year, $2.8M deal last March and it has turned out to be arguably their best move of the offseason. Lewis has put on display quite possibly the best season of his eight-year NFL career. The former third-round pick’s 72.4 coverage grade, via Pro Football Focus, is the second-highest of his career. Lewis has allowed just one touchdown in coverage and has an 83.3 passer rating when targeted in the slot, 13th-best among qualified cornerbacks. With DaRon Bland’s injury struggles and Trevon Diggs’ up-and-down performance, it would make sense for the Cowboys to try to bring Lewis back after this season. However, with the way he has played this year, it’s almost a guarantee he will price himself out of returning to Dallas. Last offseason cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Kenny Moore, and Sean Bunting all signed three-year deals worth $8.5-$12M annually. Lewis may be primarily a slot corner, but he’s as talented and valuable as any of the three mentioned above. With the year he is having, there will be at least one team out there willing to give him a multi-year commitment at a higher price than the Cowboys are willing to offer. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images 2) DE DeMarcus Lawrence It’s hard to believe DeMarcus Lawrence is currently in his eleventh season as a Cowboy. Lawrence is tied with Zack Martin as the longest-tenured player on Dallas’ roster, and it seems almost certain this will be his final year as a Cowboy. The injury bug bit Lawrence once again this season as he was placed on IR after Week 4 with a foot injury. With the current state of the Cowboys and Lawrence’s advanced age, it’s fair to question if he’ll return this year. During his time in Dallas, Lawrence has consistently been one of the Cowboys’ best players. While he may not have always been the level of a pass-rush threat he was during his monster 2017 and 2018 seasons, Lawrence was consistently one of the best edge defenders against the run and played with an intensity and focus few others could match. From 2017 on, Lawrence finished six of eight seasons with a run defense grade of 79 or above. In 2021 and 2023 he finished first and second in the NFL in this category, recording a 92.5 and 92.2 grade respectively. The Cowboys lack edge depth so bringing Lawrence back would be a huge help in beefing that up, but much like Lewis, he’ll almost certainly price himself out of Dallas’ market. Last spring former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong earned himself a three-year, $33M contract in free agency. Even though Lawrence is significantly older than Armstrong, it’s fair to assume a contending team will be willing to give him at least the same amount of money annually ($11M) to join their team. As we’ve seen in recent years, if the contract is above $5-6M a year in free agency the Cowboys are not going to be interested, making Lawrence’s return very unlikely. It’s sad to imagine him playing for another team, but that seems guaranteed to become a reality in 2025.