Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images The 2025 Dallas Cowboys opponents, both home and away, are officially set. The sun has officially set on the 2024 Dallas Cowboys season and at long last the misery that it was has reached its conclusion. While this past season was hardly a fun one for the Cowboys. it was still a Dallas Cowboys football season. It is hard for those to be bad, this one certainly tried its hardest, and we are all around here because we love this team so much. It is likely that you are already looking forward to next season on some level and wondering whether or not Dallas can turn things around in 2025. If that is possible they are going to have to live up to quite the challenge as their opponents for next season are pretty stout. Here are all 17 opponents, both home and away, for the 2025 Dallas Cowboys. A couple of notable things about next season’s opponents: Patrick Mahomes will visit AT&T Stadium to start for the first time. Mahomes technically visited during his rookie season with the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2017, but you will recall that Alex Smith was KC’s starter. Dallas won that game, but not before the Tyreek Hill “hail mary” at the end of the first half. The Raiders franchise moved to Las Vegas for play in the 2020 season (remember that Jason Witten was a part of that inaugural team) and have played the Cowboys since then in a game that took place in Arlington on Thanksgiving Day in 2021. Notably, Dallas will visit Las Vegas for a regular season game for the first time in 2025 as the last time they visited the Raiders came late in the 2017 season at Oakland, the infamous index card game. Dallas is also set to visit some places that it has not been in over half a decade as they will make trips to Denver, Chicago and Detroit. If you are into planning road trips those are some places that have not come around in some time. On the subject of road trips, or just information in general, we have gone ahead and noted the last occurrence of each home and away opponent for the Cowboys. Sometimes certain games tend to happen around the same time of year, but obviously nothing is predictable. Of the 17 games that the Cowboys will play next season an incredible 10 of them will come against playoff teams from this season: Washington Commanders (2), Philadelphia Eagles (2), Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos. For what it’s worth six of those ten games will take place at home meaning only two home games next season will not be against 2024 playoff teams. Here’s to next season being much better than last.
Long-term questions at 3 key positions among biggest takeaways from Cowboys, Commanders
Eliminated from the postseason weeks ago, the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have much to play for in Week 18, tangibly speaking of course. Players and coaches don’t tank but management decisions, such as starting Trey Lance over Cooper Rush at quarterback, can play a part in achieving the same result. Making his first start since 2022, Lance went 20 for 34, posting 244 yards through the air with no touchdowns or interceptions. He came close to both, throwing a near pick on his first drive of the game and missing a wide-open Rico Dowdle late as the running back ran across the end zone. It was a tightly contested game and required a come-from-behind touchdown in the final seconds, but the Commanders claimed the win by a final score of 23-19. The loss moved the Cowboys to a 7-10 record and officially placed them in offseason mode. Dowdle’s strong season ended in decent, yet unspectacular fashion, running for just 72 yards on a 3.3 yards/carry average. As a pending free agent, it’s not yet known if this was his last day in a Cowboys uniform or if it’s a sign of more games to come. Hunter Luepke, a fullback in title, made the case for a bigger role as a ball carrier next season. He carried the ball three times for 15 yards, looking like the second coming of Mike Alstott for a brief moment. Even Deuce Vaughn got in on the action, rushing for a 6.2 yards/carry average in what could be his last game in Dallas. So much is now up in the air at the RB position. But there were plenty more takeaways to be had in the Cowboys’ Week 18 loss to Washington, but sadly, they weren’t very clear takeaways. Unclear OT forecast . Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Tyler Guyton continued to rotate in and out at left tackle. The Cowboys bizarre strategy of grooming their top rookie draft pick seems more like a punishment than an organized process. Guyton has frustrated coaches with his technique and propensity to pick up penalties. Two more penalties in Week 18 brings the rookie to 14 on the season. It’s two less than the league worst, which is absurdly high since Guyton has only started 11 games. Asim Richards also saw action and once again produced up and down results. He blew enough blocks to cast doubt on his future. Does he have starter potential or is he nothing better than a swing tackle? They really don’t know yet. It would have been nice know one way or the other on the two young OTs but all they gave Dallas this week is more questions heading into the offseason. Dynamic duo Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Osa Odighizuwa and Micah Parsons give the Cowboys quite the inside-outside pairing on the defensive line. The two explosive pass rushers offer Dallas a variety of options. Both can play from a variety of techniques and pass rush through a variety of gaps. They can twist and stunt with the best of them and they feed off each other, offering the Cowboys a great combo to work with. Unfortunately, Odighizuwa is a free agent, and the Cowboys may not be willing to pay him to come back. If the Cowboys only had a stout presence to pair with Odighizuwa on the inside, they could have unlocked even more production from their free agent to-be. Mazi questions . (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) Mazi Smith’s rookie season was historically poor. The Cowboys top draft pick failed in every phase of the game, and if it wasn’t for his draft status, he probably wouldn’t have been retained in Year 2. Smith didn’t play great in his second year, but he was certainly serviceable. In Week 18 Smith offered more of the same, looking like a decent rotational defensive tackle but not someone who looks like a starter. This is really a big win considering what he looked like in 2023. On most defenses, Smith would slot somewhere around DT4 but his draft status may influence the Cowboys to consider him Plan A at starting DT heading into the 2025 offseason. [afilliatewidget_smgtolocal] Conclusion (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) The 2024 season was effectively over the day Dak Prescott fell to a season-ending injury early in November. Sadly, the Cowboys couldn’t take advantage of this oddly useful situation, failing to derive long-term conclusions on various young players. It’s left many unanswered questions at positions like OT, RB, DT and WR. Related articles . (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Long-term questions at 3 key positions among biggest takeaways from Cowboys, Commanders
Eliminated from the postseason weeks ago, the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have much to play for in Week 18, tangibly speaking of course. Players and coaches don’t tank but management decisions, such as starting Trey Lance over Cooper Rush at quarterback, can play a part in achieving the same result. Making his first start since 2022, Lance went 20 for 34, posting 244 yards through the air with no touchdowns or interceptions. He came close to both, throwing a near pick on his first drive of the game and missing a wide-open Rico Dowdle late as the running back ran across the end zone. It was a tightly contested game and required a come-from-behind touchdown in the final seconds, but the Commanders claimed the win by a final score of 23-19. The loss moved the Cowboys to a 7-10 record and officially placed them in offseason mode. Dowdle’s strong season ended in decent, yet unspectacular fashion, running for just 72 yards on a 3.3 yards/carry average. As a pending free agent, it’s not yet known if this was his last day in a Cowboys uniform or if it’s a sign of more games to come. Hunter Luepke, a fullback in title, made the case for a bigger role as a ball carrier next season. He carried the ball three times for 15 yards, looking like the second coming of Mike Alstott for a brief moment. Even Deuce Vaughn got in on the action, rushing for a 6.2 yards/carry average in what could be his last game in Dallas. So much is now up in the air at the RB position. But there were plenty more takeaways to be had in the Cowboys’ Week 18 loss to Washington, but sadly, they weren’t very clear takeaways. Unclear OT forecast . Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Tyler Guyton continued to rotate in and out at left tackle. The Cowboys bizarre strategy of grooming their top rookie draft pick seems more like a punishment than an organized process. Guyton has frustrated coaches with his technique and propensity to pick up penalties. Two more penalties in Week 18 brings the rookie to 14 on the season. It’s two less than the league worst, which is absurdly high since Guyton has only started 11 games. Asim Richards also saw action and once again produced up and down results. He blew enough blocks to cast doubt on his future. Does he have starter potential or is he nothing better than a swing tackle? They really don’t know yet. It would have been nice know one way or the other on the two young OTs but all they gave Dallas this week is more questions heading into the offseason. Dynamic duo Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Osa Odighizuwa and Micah Parsons give the Cowboys quite the inside-outside pairing on the defensive line. The two explosive pass rushers offer Dallas a variety of options. Both can play from a variety of techniques and pass rush through a variety of gaps. They can twist and stunt with the best of them and they feed off each other, offering the Cowboys a great combo to work with. Unfortunately, Odighizuwa is a free agent, and the Cowboys may not be willing to pay him to come back. If the Cowboys only had a stout presence to pair with Odighizuwa on the inside, they could have unlocked even more production from their free agent to-be. Mazi questions . (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) Mazi Smith’s rookie season was historically poor. The Cowboys top draft pick failed in every phase of the game, and if it wasn’t for his draft status, he probably wouldn’t have been retained in Year 2. Smith didn’t play great in his second year, but he was certainly serviceable. In Week 18 Smith offered more of the same, looking like a decent rotational defensive tackle but not someone who looks like a starter. This is really a big win considering what he looked like in 2023. On most defenses, Smith would slot somewhere around DT4 but his draft status may influence the Cowboys to consider him Plan A at starting DT heading into the 2025 offseason. [afilliatewidget_smgtolocal] Conclusion (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) The 2024 season was effectively over the day Dak Prescott fell to a season-ending injury early in November. Sadly, the Cowboys couldn’t take advantage of this oddly useful situation, failing to derive long-term conclusions on various young players. It’s left many unanswered questions at positions like OT, RB, DT and WR. Related articles . (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
2025 Dallas Cowboys free agents: All players, names and what you need to know
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Here are all of the Dallas Cowboys players set to be free agents this offseason. The season is officially over for the Dallas Cowboys and at long last we are free from the way that 2024 trapped this team and the fanbase. All eyes are now fixated on the 2025 season for us, and there is a lot of work that this team has to do before they get there in September. Among the most important things for the Cowboys to tend to soon enough will be the waters of free agency. While Dallas is unlikely to venture much into the uncharted territory of external free agency, they are known to tread in the pool of their own players from time to time. Here are all of the players on the Cowboys set to become free agents this spring. There are some serious names here, obviously Zack Martin and DeMarcus Lawrence stand out. Given that they were drafted over a decade ago now it is fair to wonder if their careers are over in general or if they are just over with this team. Clearly time will tell. Among the UFAs (unrestricted free agents) Jourdan Lewis, Cooper Rush and Osa Odighizuwa jump out as the most notable players who many would want to see return. Rush feels possible, although whoever the coaching staff is clearly matters there, and Lewis may be down for another year with the Cowboys after this much time served. Given that Odighizuwa has had a career year it is fair to wonder whether or not he has priced himself out of Dallas’ range of comfortability. You will note that several players are listed as RFA. These are restricted free agents. These are players who are subject to tenders from the Cowboys which allows them the ability to match an offer based on the level of tender that they apply. It feels safe to say this will only really matter with KaVontae Turpin, but obviously we will see. There are also a few exclusive rights free agents which are players who the Cowboys can very easily bring back if they want to based on the way that contracts in the NFL work. Dallas has the ability to offer the ERFA tender to them so it is possible that this works out for say Brock Hoffman or Juanyeh Thomas. As noted throughout, whoever is the head coach and whatever their staff looks like will be rather important in determining who returns and who departs from this list. Who do you feel like the Cowboys absolutely need to bring back?
Instant Analysis: Which Cowboys free agents should be brought back in 2025?
RG Zack Martin ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 30: Zack Martin #70 of the Dallas Cowboys leaves the field after a win against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) The future first-ballot Hall of Famer will have $27M of dead money spread across 2025 ($10M) and 2026 ($17M) if he isn’t extended beyond this next campaign. Bring Back? If he doesn’t retire, let that man find a team that wants to win. DE DeMarcus Lawrence SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 08: DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) The 32-year old, 10-year vet will have $7.5 million in dead cap hit in 2025 unless he returns to the team. He’s indicated he isn’t ready to retire and wants to play again. Bring Back? How is he not in Washington the first week of March? The Cowboys have prepared to replace him for several years, with Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland picks on Day 2 of their respective drafts. If Lawrence wants to return cheap, yes. Anything over $7 million a year, let him go. WR Brandin Cooks ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 23: Brandin Cooks #3 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after a touchdown in the game against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) Cooks’ will count against the 2025 cap as well, $4 million, due to his void year that was used to stash cap hit. Bring Back? Naw. RB RIco Dowdle Dec 24, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) rushes with the ball during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports Bring Back? Yes. Dowdle has proven his UDFA Day-1 supporters (read: this writer) correct down the stretch of the season, cracking the 1,000-yard milestone despite a RBBC approach most of the year. WR Kavontae Turpin (RFA) Oct 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (9) reacts after returning a punt for a touchdown that was called back because of a penally in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports Bring Back? Yes he absolutely should get a 2nd round qualifying offer. But get him a coordinator who isn’t afraid to use him on offense or the $5 million cost isn’t worth it. Three-year deal with $10.5 million guaranteed seems to make a ton of sense. DT Osa Odighizuwa Jul 31, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) during training camp at the Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge playing fields. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports He’s still yet to break out statistically, totaling a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2024, but he’s always among the leaders in interior DL pressures. Bring Back? This might be the toughest one. Agent OO97 is continuously near the top of the interior list, but with so much edge talent, to never convert that into sacks feels like his pressure numbers are the result of their work, but the cause of their benefit. I’d let him walk. QB Trey Lance ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 30: Quarterback Trey Lance #15 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) So much to walk and talk about with Lance and the fact he isn’t playing despite Prescott being on the shelf for the last two weeks. Bring Back? For $3 million or less. QB Cooper Rush Aug 19, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Bring Back? We’re just going to drop this off here. Punter Bryan Anger Nov 19, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Dallas Cowboys punter Bryan Anger (5) during pregame warm ups against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports Bring Back? No. Too expensive. They should go for it every fourth down anyway. CB Jourdan Lewis Nov 4, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis (27) runs back a fumble for a touchdown against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Lewis returned on a one-year deal to continue his career in Dallas. Will he return with a fourth Cowboys’ contract? Lewis is one of those players who has excelled under every staff. He should be one of those, “I can’t believe he got to be with Dallas for life” guys. Bring Back? Yes. LB Eric Kendricks Oct 29, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Eric Kendricks (6) enters the field before the game against the Chicago Bears at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports If Kendricks has an interest in continuing to play, I like him as a backup and continued mentor for the linebacker corps, even without Mike Zimmer as the DC. The loss of DeMarvion Overshown for most of 2025 makes this a no-brainer. Bring Back? Yes. ST CJ Goodwin LANDOVER, MARYLAND – JANUARY 08: C.J. Goodwin #29 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on January 08, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) Bring Back? No. LS Trent Sieg Jul 27, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys long snapper Trent Sieg (43) during training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Bring Back? Yes. OT Chuma Edoga Jul 27, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys tackle Chuma Odoga (71) during training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River
Dallas Cowboys trail Washington Commanders entering final quarter of season
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys are down entering the season’s final quarter. 3rd Quarter As they deferred to start the game the Cowboys began the second half receiving the ball. They put together a lengthy drive that took up about half of the third quarter, but ultimately they had to settle for another field goal. Washington took over for the first time in the second half and sent Marcus Mariota out at quarterback for Jayden Daniels. It was noted that this was a non-injury decisions which signaled that Washington was fine living for another day, one to come for them in the playoffs. Mariota made some pretty quick work and some of it was thanks to a huge gain off of a free play that the Dallas defense gave up. Ultimately he found Zach Ertz for a touchdown to give the Commanders their first lead of the game. The quarter ended with Dallas threatening after Deuce Vaughn put together his finest work of the season on the drive. 2nd Quarter Early in the second quarter it looked as if another possession for the Cowboys was going to stall out… it actually did technically. After Dallas punted away to Washington they benefitted from a muffed punt and receovered it near the redzone. Ultimately the Cowboys had to settle for another field goal which doubled their lead. Washington seemed committed to not doing much on offense and punted again. Keep in mind that while they obviously knew they were playoff-bound that they played their starters in this game. Stop me if you have heard this before… the Cowboys were forced to punt it away. That kind of game. Finally the Commanders were able to score some points, although they dropped an easy touchdown before doing so. Washington put up a field goal with just under five minutes left in the half that narrowed the gap. The next Cowboys possession crossed midfield around when the two-minute warning came. Dallas faced a 4th and 1 and decided to go for it with Hunter Luepke, clearly in the name of coming away with points before halftime. Dallas got down near the goal line and went for it on fourth down in the final seconds of the half. Trey Lance had an amazing bit of scrambling to keep the play alive, but ultimately under threw Rico Dowdle and no points were found. 1st Quarter The game began with Washington on offense, a matter that Micah Parsons seemed to take personally. Parsons got after Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels early on and in the process reached double-digit sacks on the season. This marks the fourth straight season in which Micah has had double-digit sacks, making him the fifth player in NFL history to do it. All told the Cowboys stifled Washington and forced a punt. This set Trey Lance and Co. up to work and they had a bit of success doing it. Trey hooked up with a handful of wideouts early on and the Cowboys were able to put a Brandon Aubrey field goal on the board to take the lead. Defensively the Cowboys kept form and forced another Washington punt. Unfortunately they got nothing done and punted it right back. But then Washington did the same! The quarter ended with Dallas holding the ball for the third time and with a lead at their back. 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 With the offseason up next for the Cowboys all eyes will be fixated on what the team is going to do at the head coach position. NFL News Relevant To The Cowboys If the Commanders lose this game they will visit the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs; however, with a win the Commanders would set up a situation where Philly would host the Green Bay Packers. Nothing will make last season’s playoff loss for the Cowboys better, but Green Bay doing the same to the Eagles would not hurt. Up Next For The Cowboys The offseason begins.
5 potential landing spots for Mike McCarthy after his Cowboys contract expires
One of the biggest assumptions during the last two months of discourse surrounding the Dallas Cowboys is that Mike McCarthy returning to be the head coach is centered around Jerry Jones’ willingness to bring him back to the fold. The narrative has been that after Jones decided to bring a lame-duck McCarthy back in 2024, it was to prove whether or not he was capable of leading the franchise to postseason success. After a floundering 3-5 start saw the loss of QB Dak Prescott for the season, Dallas fell to 3-7 before getting some momentum after effectively being eliminated from the playoff chase. At that point, conversation turned towards league rumors the team’s competitive effort (read: the Cowboys remained a draw and conversation piece that made Jones money) could lead to Jones keeping McCarthy around. Only, it’s not solely on Jones. McCarthy’s contract expires on January 14. It’s a two-way street. Even if Jones wants McCarthy back, he can see what else is out there around the NFL where he might get a chance to coach another organization. McCarthy is loved by his players, why wouldn’t another organization looking to solidify things want to move in that direction? It’s hard to envision him wanting to sign on to be the coach of the New York Jets for a couple reasons. One, Aaron Rodgers. Two, Woody Johnson might just be the most problematic owner in all of the NFL. Other jobs that could open up like with the New York Giants or the Cincinnati Bengals are intriguing, but for now, here’s a handful of situations which could make sense for McCarthy to move on to. 5 Indianapolis Colts A black Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on the turf Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, during a game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. There is a huge question mark surrounding what will happen not just at the head coaching position with Shane Steichen, but also the GM role in Indy. If Jeff Ballard is out, there’s almost assuredly going to be a head coaching change, and if he stays it could be under the edict of getting a new coach. With Anthony Richardson failing to develop and having some leadership issues, McCarthy would make a strong hire here. 4 Las Vegas Raiders Dec 26, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A general view of a Las Vegas Raiders helmet outside of Allegiant Stadium before the game against the Miami Dolphins. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports While McCarthy is a Western PA guy through and through, after living in the Dallas circus for five years, there’s really no team culture that should be off the table. The life in Las Vegas is certainly different from anywhere else, but the idea of drafting a new quarterback and having someone like McCarthy to guide his early career should be enticing for any ownership group. If they move on from Antonio Pierce as many suspect, this could be a landing spot. 3 New England Patriots Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports Could Jerrod Mayo really be one and done? It’s not out of the question as the Patriots entire process has been an abject failure and Bill Belichick’s harsh words about the effort of the team after his departure may be ringing in Robert Kraft’s ears. The one thing that is known is that Drake Maye looks like the real deal and getting a veteran head coach with pedigree could be just what Kraft is looking for. Kraft would seem like a hands off owner compared to Jones, and for an organization that has won recently, and a lot, increasing the interest of someone like McCarthy. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars Jan 28, 2018; Orlando, FL, USA; A view of the helmet of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey (20) on the sidelines against the NFC in the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports There seems to be a lack of direction under Shad Khan with the Jaguars enjoying a couple rare seasons of success under Doug Pederson only to regress to the norm in 2024. The club has paid, handsomely, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and there is likely going to be another offensive guru headed to the Sunshine State to try and straighten him out. Whether or not it’s a veteran or a hot shot is the question, but if Khan wants to stay on the proven history path, McCarthy would be on his short list if available. 1 Chicago Bears Oct 14, 2018; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A Chicago Bears helmet and gloves sit on the field prior to the game between the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports This one seems way to brilliant of a match. The Bears love safe and tradition and after the Matt Eberflus debacle, turning to a former NFC North emporer makes a ton of sense. McCarthy knows how to coach for cold weather, and his ability to turn Dak Prescott into a MVP-caliber signal caller seems like the perfect type of relationship match for a young Caleb Williams.
Cowboys Point/Counterpoint: The Mike McCarthy question finally deserves an answer
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Here’s to having a resolution on Mike McCarthy sooner rather than later. The Cowboys have one game left in the 2024 season and it means just about nothing. The Commanders will be playing their starters as they could see an improvement in playoff seeding with a win on Sunday, but that’s about it. The Cowboys could opt to play some of their backups, notably Trey Lance, in this one. No firm announcements have been made regarding Lance or anyone else for this game, but whatever happens it will likely be a very forgettable exhibition for Dallas. Except, of course, for the potential that this is the last time we see Mike McCarthy stalk the sidelines of AT&T Stadium. It’s been a talking point all year long, but in a few days we will finally get an actual decision – one way or the other – on the head coach and his expiring contract. With that in mind, our own David Howman and Tom Ryle tackle, once and for all, the most frequently posed question: should the Cowboys keep McCarthy, or let him walk? David: My answer will surprise no one as I’ve remained consistent on this position all year long. Mike McCarthy should be given a contract extension as soon as possible, and even then it will be a whole year too late. Letting a coach go into a lame duck season is never a smart idea, yet Dallas has now done it three times in the last decade. Despite being a lame duck, and despite losing just about every impact player to injury for at least a few weeks at a time, McCarthy has kept this team afloat. Just when the team looked like it was about to collapse after Dak Prescott was lost for the year, the Cowboys won four out of five and, realistically, should’ve won five straight. The players were battling for McCarthy, and an ever-growing list of them have come out publicly to endorse him. Ditto for Mike Zimmer. I don’t understand how you can look at the way this team plays for their head coach and think the right move is to hold the door open for him on the way out. Tom: I do agree that McCarthy has done a good job the past few weeks, but that rather overlooks the fact that the season was pretty much lost already. Yes, there were injuries, and the lack of depth is not his fault, but the team played dazed and confused for almost three months, and that is on him as well. There are additional problems. The offense still can look stale and predictable at times, and clock management is often baffling. But I believe there are other reasons that he is not coming back, centering around the ownership. There’s no doubt Jerry Jones pays attention to what is said in the media. And it probably galls him to keep being blamed for the state of the franchise, no matter how accurate the assessment. McCarthy is the prime candidate to take the fall for this season. For whatever reason, it always looked like he was being set up for failure, although that may just have been a symptom of the lack of aggressiveness that has plagued offseasons in Dallas for years. Still, Jerry isn’t going to fire himself, and it may be too hard to stick with McCarthy and take some heated criticisms. Firing the head coach looks like the owner and GM is doing something, even if it is more illusory than anything. David: If that ends up happening, though, the Cowboys will be tasked with finding a new head coach. That brings the question of who even wants this job at this point. Everyone saw the way McCarthy was set up to fail, then saw the way he rallied his team and how much all of his players lobbied for him to stay. No coach wants to walk into a job where 1) their boss isn’t going to support them, and 2) all of the players wish the last guy was still around. On top of that, the expectations in Dallas are always sky high, whether that’s realistic or not. Let’s be real: Ben Johnson isn’t coming here. All reports indicate he’s very interested in the Bears job, but also that Johnson wants to bring his own GM with him. That isn’t happening in Dallas. Mike Vrabel had a lot of roster control in Tennessee, and will likely want the same in his next job. All signs point to him being the most coveted candidate this cycle, after the choosy Johnson, so you have to figure Vrabel finds a job elsewhere that gives him the control he seeks. So who is a realistic target, then? You’re pretty much left with a bunch of first-timers, whether it be Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik or Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen or Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. The Cowboys haven’t hired a head coach without prior head coaching experience since Dave Campo, and that’s for a reason. Letting McCarthy and Zimmer go would already be horrible for the locker room, but the prospect of replacing them with a good coach that can actually succeed is just another point in favor of keeping the current staff together. I’m not sure there’s a clear upgrade out there, and I think Jerry will see it the same way. Tom: Your argument is logical, although this isn’t really about logic. I agree that the luster is off the Dallas head coaching job. But there are a bunch of head coaches who are about to be fired, or already have been, and I have complete faith in Jerry’s ability to convince himself one of them would work just fine. Heck, there are some broadcasters who might not mind taking another crack at things. Having been away from the game could even make them less concerned with Jerry’s, um, eccentricities. Something else to keep in
Cowboys news: Dallas keeping options open with Mike McCarthy
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Your Sunday morning Cowboys news. Cowboys Rumors: Team Doing ‘Homework’ on HC Candidates amid Mike McCarthy Buzz – Adam Wells, Bleacher Report Cowboys are doing their due diligence on other coaches ahead of Black Monday. Even though Jerry Jones has left the door open for Mike McCarthy to potentially return next season, the Dallas Cowboys are keeping their options open with the regular season coming to an end on Sunday. Per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Cowboys have started doing “homework” on potential candidates if they either don’t bring McCarthy back or can’t agree to terms on an extension before his contract expires on Jan. 14. Jones has already said nothing that happens in Week 18 is going to have an impact either way on McCarthy’s status. “The hay is in the barn, really, as far as our staff is concerned and the qualities of each of the coaches. I don’t think that something that would happen out here Sunday would impact where we are going to be as we go forward,” Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan (h/t Fox 4 News). “It doesn’t have any effort on my part to look and see the positives of what we’ve had as a team under Mike McCarthy.” The expiration date on McCarthy’s contract is notable because it gives the Cowboys a window of nine days after Sunday’s season finale to exclusively negotiate with him and deny potential requests from other teams that might want to speak with him. The Bears are one of three teams that currently have a coaching vacancy, along with the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. Other jobs that could become available include the Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants. The real reason why Cowboys seem undecided on Mike McCarthy’s future – Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire Uncovering the real reason for Dallas being unsure of what do with head coach. The idea of Jerry Jones still being undecided on the future of Mike McCarthy sounds preposterous. Jones has nearly five full seasons of data with McCarthy to reference so it’s unlikely one more seemingly meaningless game is going to sway the Dallas Cowboys’ owner in either direction. If Jones values regular season success most, he should be thrilled with McCarthy. McCarthy had posted three consecutive 12-win seasons as head coach in Dallas and routinely ranked at the top of the league in offense, which just happens to be his bread and butter. Bringing McCarthy back under this circumstance should be a no-brainer. If Jones prioritizes postseason success, he should be severely disappointed in his head coach. Despite being handed a ready-made Super Bowl contender, McCarthy hasn’t been able to do any better than the coach who failed before him. He’s routinely lost in embarrassing fashion and has been out-schemed in nearly every instance. Under this circumstance letting McCarthy walk would be a no-brainer. It seems the only thing this situation can’t be is an undecided matter, yet a deeper look at the coaching carousel this offseason may make the case for just that. Major multimillion dollar corporations rarely make a change at CEO unless they have a better option in mind. Unless they’re simply looking for a scapegoat for a particularly bad situation, they only make a move if it’s for an upgrade. If the Cowboys were seeking to achieve the former (scapegoat) they probably would have cut bait with McCarthy after the debacle against Green Bay last postseason. Whereas if the Cowboys are more focused on an upgrade, they are probably just waiting for a more promising alternative to pop up this winter. Cowboys’ veteran has choice words ahead of free agency – Mario Herrera Jr., Inside the Star Cowboys impending free agent speaks candidly before the final game of the season. CB Jourdan Lewis is one of the most consistent players the Cowboys have had on defense since he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Dallas was much maligned for this draft because it was the infamous Taco Charlton draft, but nobody pays attention to the absolute gem the Cowboys drafted in the 3rd round of the same draft. Lewis didn’t make the Pro Bowl this season, but that won’t dull his shine. He has had a great season, recording 66 tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, 1.0 sacks, 7 passes defensed, and one interception. Dallascowboys.com writer Patrik “No C” Walker caught up with Lewis and asked him about his pending free agency as a cornerstone of the Cowboys defense. Lewis’ answer should make Cowboys fans feel good. Once you start focusing on things {ahead of you}, you start missing things that are right on front of you. We still have a week of preparation to beat Washington, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t understand the value in this game for me and the value in the offseason, but I still have to focus on what’s right in front of me. That’s how you get to have a good season–focus on what’s in front of you. That’s what I plan to do this week. Lewis is human, and although he tried to deflect, I find it hard to believe he hasn’t thought of his upcoming free agency. His response is exactly why the Cowboys should want him back on the team until he’s ready to retire. His no-nonsense, business approach to the game should be envied by all other players. Cowboys doghouse: 2024 RB plan in Dallas was doomed from the start – Matthew Lenix Jr., Blogging the Boys Better late than never, but the Cowboys botched their running back depth chart terribly . The Dallas Cowboys had a ton of issues heading into last offseason. One that was at the forefront was the running back position and what their plan was going forward. Tony Pollard was set to be a free agent, and the 2024 NFL Draft had quite the selection of players at running back that
Is Jayden Daniels playing today? Update for Commanders quarterback in Week 18
Is Jayden Daniels playing today? Update for Commanders quarterback in Week 18 K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys season is mercifully coming to an end. Sunday of Week 18 will allow a miserable campaign to come to an end. While many fans are focused on exactly where the Cowboys will land in draft order, there’s still a age-old rivalry to add a chapter to. This week, the Cowboys take on the Washington Commanders who are locked into the playoffs already, but unsure where they will slot in the bracket. Currently the No. 6 seed, Washington wants to avoid having to travel to Philadelphia (No. 2) and would rather square off with the Los Angeles Rams or NFC South winner if possible. To do so, they’ll need to avenge Dallas’ Week 12 victory where the two combined for a 40-point fourth quarter that was one of the season’s best games despite the Cowboys’ lackluster season. And to do that, the Commanders will not be able to use Week 18 as a chance to rest before the wild-card round. Washington will need all hands on deck, including presumptive offensive rookie of the year, QB Jayden Daniels. Daniels must play in this contest and he will take the field to put the finishing touches on his stellar rookie campaign. With the myriad of injuries to their secondary, it’s going to be a difficult task to corral the Washington passing game, meaning Daniels will have a chance to add to his 3,530 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. For those in fantasy football playoffs that extend to Week 18, this is a crucial sure thing, especially when considering Daniels’ prowess as a runner. It would take the biggest rushing game of his career, but Daniels just ran for 127 yards in last week’s win over Atlanta. 136 yards would give him 1,000 on the ground this season. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
