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

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Cowboys season will come to a merciful end on Sunday afternoon. For all intents and purposes, the Dallas Cowboys are in offseason mode. It feels like an afterthought of all afterthoughts that this team must go through the motions of four more quarters on Sunday afternoon from AT&T Stadium against the Washington Commanders to officially get there. By the end of it, win or lose, they will finish with a losing record for the first time since 2020 and make way for both the rival Commanders, and the Philadelphia Eagles team that took full advantage of Dallas just going through the motions in week 16, to represent a division in the playoffs that the Cowboys won just a year ago. It isn’t just the sudden realization that four quarters is all that stands between the Cowboys and entering an untimely offseason that makes the 2024 season a failure. Despite some bleak playoff hopes that emerged after Cooper Rush managed to win four of his five starts from weeks 12 to 16, the notion that the start of the offseason would be the most welcome sight for this team has been around from nearly the start of the season. This was not a team fielded to be competitive at a level consistent with the 12 wins earned in the previous three seasons. Now, the laundry list of reasons why that was the case are about to be under the microscope for months on end, and there is nothing a preseason-esque season finale against the Commanders can do about it. In fact, the Cowboys already provided a small glimpse into what activity will look like in the offseason earlier this week, where roster moves and coaching changes are all that’s happening. It came at a position close to the forefront of reasons this team regressed so much in 2024. The Cowboys released RB Ezekiel Elliott, ending his second stint in Dallas before it could technically complete another full season. Elliott had not carried the ball more than 10 times or rushed for over 30 yards since a week eight loss at the 49ers, which dropped the Cowboys to 3-4 and ultimately sealed their fate as a losing team. It was the second of what ended up being five straight losses, and the last full game for QB Dak Prescott, both of which Dallas never recovered from at any point. In the Cowboys’ only wins against playoff teams or those still in contention (@WAS, @PIT, and vs. TB), Elliott carried the ball a total of ten times and averaged 2.4 yards per carry. Even by the low expectations set for Elliott based on one year in New England playing for an offense devoid of any surrounding talent, the Cowboys having to admit re-signing a former top five draft pick was a crippling move for their run game is a harsh reality. Not only does it come wildly too late to do anything about the results of this season, but it is also another version of a late admittance that Rico Dowdle should be the top option out of the backfield. Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The only good things the Cowboys could take from their last eight games started by Rush is evaluation of the entire roster for the future. Playing just one game where the idea of Dowdle coming off the field to waste plays for Elliott is out of the question shows that they haven’t been fully aligned in this evaluation process, but is at least a small step in the right direction of getting back on track. Nobody is denying the Cowboys getting better running the ball in 2025 is one of the clearest areas in need of improvement, whether that’s with a first-round talent like Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty or a more economical choice. The team’s opportunity to evaluate the future of their passing game has obviously been hindered since losing the highest paid QB in the league. The Cowboys also got a glimpse of their wide receivers playing without top dog CeeDee Lamb in Philadelphia, and the results can’t make the end of this 2024 campaign come soon enough. This leaves the run game as the last aspect of the offense that might actually be worth watching closely against the Commanders. Not only because it will be another featured game for Rico Dowdle, but because Dowdle can expect to receive handoffs from Trey Lance instead of Cooper Rush at some point. It was reported on Friday that the Cowboys’ third string QB is expected to play more than he has all season to close out the year. The Cowboys have once again seen enough from Rush to feel comfortable with him as Prescott’s primary backup, and now seemingly want to get some final looks at Lance – in case he has any future prospects in Dallas. Lance will be a free agent after the season, meaning the Cowboys would have to use this meaningless Commanders game as well as seven other pass attempts from earlier in the year to decide if bringing him back makes any sense. With the combination of Lance’s mobility and ability to attack defenses on the edge and Dowdle’s quick burst running between the tackles, the Cowboys may find some answers here against an aggressive Dan Quinn lead Washington defense. The Commanders are coming off an overtime win at home against the Falcons where opposing quarterback Michael Penix and running back Bijan Robinson were able to keep the defense off balanced in a similar way. Robinson finished the game with 90 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. In the Cowboys’ previous win at the Commanders, Dowdle carried 19 times for 86 yards. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images The Cowboys aren’t likely to change their entire ‘bread and butter’ on offense moving forward to be a read-option type team in their approach to running the ball, not after seeing Prescott suffer a season ending

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images The latest in Q&A for the Cowboys Every week, we take questions on X (Twitter) and Facebook about Dallas Cowboys players and other issues surrounding the team. So let’s get right into it. “Would you like to see Al Harris get the defensive coordinator position?” (@Warrenjess on Twitter) Mike: I was very critical of Mike Zimmer for most of the season, mostly down to the fact the Cowboys defense looked lost and leaked like a sieve. As the season drew on, and especially down the stretch, the defense actually looked good and in some cases elite. The pressure and sack totals speak for themselves and that came on mostly after the second half of the season. Where Zimmer failed was in the run game and Dallas has always had this weakness. Defending the run this year has been bad and that reason alone will be why Zimmer will struggle to keep his job. Is Al Harris a good replacement for Zimmer? Harris certainly had the players respect and he’s a players coach for sure. You look at how the defensive backs talk about Harris and what they think of him and that’s telling on his coaching type. That coaching type makes for good coordinators as Harris would get the most out of players and make them play above the rim. Over to you Jerry Jones. Dana: I would like to see Al Harris back in any sort of capacity, whether the Cowboys decide to move on from Mike Zimmer or not. There is no doubt that he is an excellent defensive backs coach and the players love him. However, Zimmer got dealt a very bad for his only season under contract as defensive coordinator and the defense showed some really positive improvements once they were a bit healthier. I wouldn’t be opposed to giving Zimmer another shot with a new contract either. Regardless, I hope Jerry finds a way to keep Al Harris on this staff for 2025. “In your opinion, how will the fate of Mike McCarthy & the rest of the coaching staff play out?” (@MrEd315 on Twitter) Mike: Mike McCarthy may have actually found a way to remain as head coach beyond this season. The game that maybe sealed his future was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game. The Dallas team was missing a large number of key starters and facing a solid Tampa Bay team that was pushing for a playoff spot. Yet McCarthy got that team to find a way to win. That might be enough to keep him in Dallas. Has it all been pretty this year with him? No, but he’s been trying to right the ship with one hand tied behind his back with injuries and the other tied back with Jerry’s lack of roster moves in the offseason. For the rest of the coaching staff, I feel guys like Mike Solari have had their time and won’t return. Mike Zimmer returning is very iffy, that will depend on McCarthy. Dana: I’m not so convinced that the decision is completely in Jerry Jones’ court. Mike McCarthy has recently found a new agent and there are multiple teams that could be interested in a new head coach with a Super Bowl on his résumé. That being said, it does seem like a McCarthy return is the most likely outcome at this point. McCarthy wants to stay in Dallas if the deal is right and on the other side of the coin, Jones needs to ask himself: if not McCarthy, who? Regardless if the McCarthy is back with the Cowboys or not, it will surely be an interesting story to follow in the next few weeks. “Out of the players who have had to stand in for those who have been injured, who has been the best and who has surprised you the most in a positive way?” (@Craig Sykes on Facebook) Mike: The first name that springs to mind was Josh Butler. As Cowboys fans waited for DaRon Bland to return followed by losing Trevon Diggs, it was Butler who stepped in and looked extremely impressive. He led the team in tackles against Washington which helped the team get a surprise victory on the road and of it wasn’t for injury this cornerback position wouldn’t look so bad (and have to watch Andrew Booth). Another one who surprised who stepped in due to injury has been Marist Liufau. His playmaking abilities on defense has been fun to watch and the future looks bright for the young linebacker and seeing him develop this season has been an exciting highlight. Dana: One of the more exciting guys to watch this season was Marist Liufau. He saw a lot of snaps in the later part of the season due to DeMarvion Overshown’s injury and he did a great job showcasing the type of player he is. He is a very physical, hard-hitting linebacker that attacks the ball to create turnovers. In back-to-back games in December, he forced two fumbles and logged 1.5 sacks. In the three games since Overshown’s injury, Liufau has had 16 total tackles. Fans should be excited about having LB’s like Overshown and Liufau together once Overshown is healthy.

Peter Casey-Imagn Images Here are our bold predictions for Sunday’s game. The Dallas Cowboys wrap up their regular season on Sunday afternoon as they face off against the Washington Commanders. Before the two teams go head-to-head, here are three bold predictions for the regular-season finale. Kara Durrette/Getty Images 1) Rico Dowdle eclipses 100 rushing yards in a game for the fifth time this season What a second half of the season it has been for Cowboys’ running back Rico Dowdle. After being handed the reigns to take over as Dallas’ lead back, Dowdle has been one of the most productive running backs in the league since Week 11. In those six games, Dowdle has totaled 605 rushing yards on 120 attempts, the second-most in football behind only shoo-in All-Pro Saquon Barkley. Dowdle also has the second-most explosive runs (16) and D15+ yard runs (7) during this span. The former undrafted free agent has been a true difference maker on Dallas’ offense and has made it abundantly clear he is more than capable of being a number one back on a competitive team. This week, Dowdle gets a favorable matchup against a Washington defense that is bottom-six in defensive rush EPA (-0.015) and total rushing yards allowed (2,187). The Commanders’ defense has given up 140 or more rushing yards seven times this season, and that number will go to eight on Sunday afternoon. Dowdle caps off his outstanding second half with one of his most productive games of the season, recording 130 rushing yards and a touchdown. Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images 2) KaVontae Turpin records the first multi-touchdown game of his NFL career In the past three weeks, we’ve seen the Cowboys finally start to use KaVontae Turpin in different ways on offense. Over that three-game span, Turpin, who was named to his first Pro Bowl this week, has totaled seven rushing attempts for 56 yards, averaging an extremely impressive 8.0 Y/A. Turpin’s game-changing speed was on display when Dallas lined him up as a running back, and he’s been very close to breaking a few huge runs. It’s only a matter of time before he uses that breakaway speed to take a run all the way, and that will happen this Sunday. The 28-year-old breaks a 20+ yard touchdown run in the first half to go with a receiving touchdown in the second half, recording the first multi-touchdown game of his NFL career. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images 3) Trey Lance records his first touchdown pass in three years It’s been a long time since Trey Lance has completed a touchdown pass in a regular season game. You’d have to go all the way back to January 2nd, 2022 against the Houston Texans to find the last time Lance achieved this feat. Three long years have separated Lance and his last TD pass, but on Sunday afternoon he’ll finally break the streak. With this game meaning virtually nothing for Dallas, they’ll turn to Lance early in the second half to give him some playing time. The young quarterback takes advantage, throwing his first touchdown pass as a Cowboy to KaVontae Turpin.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys mishandled this issue immensely. 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 Dallas could have chosen from. When free agency came, the Cowboys let Pollard walk and sign with the Tennessee Titans. They also went through the entire draft without selecting a running back and signed Nathaniel Peat as an undrafted rookie free agent. They brought in veteran Royce Freeman to compete, and signed former first-round pick Ezekiel Elliott for his second stint with the organization. Lastly, back in August, the Cowboys signed veteran Dalvin Cook to their practice squad. By the time the regular season came around, Peat and Freeman were no longer on the roster. This left the Cowboys with Elliott and Cook, two veterans that had seen better days. Deuce Vaughn, who hadn’t consistently shown anything yet, was also on the roster. Then, there was Rico Dowdle, who hadn’t proven that he could consistently stay healthy. That wasn’t exactly an ideal situation at the running back spot. What made this situation so frustrating is that it was completely avoidable. Although the Cowboys didn’t have a fourth-round selection, there was plenty of running back talent on the board in the first three rounds, and not getting one was a total lack of evaluating the room as a whole. However, that was the way Dallas wanted to move, which would once again put more responsibility on quarterback Dak Prescott and the passing game. Elliott got the start in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns, and to his credit, he looked pretty decent running for 40 yards on 10 carries. Over the next four games, though, Elliott averaged less than three yards per carry in three of them. Meanwhile, Dowdle put up over four yards per carry in each, which included an 87-yard performance in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is around the time that Elliott voiced his frustration with his role with the team. As a result, although he averaged five yards per carry against the Detroit Lions the next week, Dowdle only got five attempts while Elliott got eight. Mind you, he only amassed two yards per attempt. The Cowboys offense was already limited with a lack of talent and no real plan when it came to running the ball, but to purposely not use your most effective runner didn’t make any sense. Dowdle didn’t play against the San Francisco 49ers due to an illness. The Cowboys finally smarten up and made Dowdle the unquestioned lead back in November, which is when he took off. He goes into the final week of the season with four 100-yard games in the last five weeks, and he’s also hit the 1,000 yard mark for the year. While that’s great for Dowdle, seeing as he’s in a contract year, he may have priced himself out of Dallas with how frugal they are in free agency. So, if he is to go elsewhere, the Cowboys will once again be left in dire straits at the running back position. It’s pretty simple for the Cowboys. They can’t let the 2025 NFL Draft go by without getting a running back. In fact, they may even need to consider double-dipping at the position with how deep it is and how much they need quality talent in the room. The only thing is, the Cowboys need to fill a lot of holes, and they don’t make a lot of moves in free agency, which makes the draft where they do the most damage. They’re without a fourth-round pick again in 2025. So, it will be interesting to see how they address the needs or if they value the running back spot to invest seriously in it. Building a roster is difficult enough in the NFL, and the Cowboys have made it harder on themselves when it comes to having a quality rushing attack.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images It would be wise for the Cowboys to get ahead of some extensions this offseason, Tyler Smith among them. When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, many criticized the pick, considering him a developmental project at best. Three years later, Smith has been named to his second Pro Bowl and has one second-team All-Pro nomination. Smith was thrust into the starting lineup his rookie year, but out of emergency with left tackle Tyron Smith going down for half the season with an injury. He spent his second season as a left guard, and that started to earn him respect as one of the NFL’s best young offensive linemen, getting nominated for his first Pro Bowl. #Cowboys Tyler Smith has allowed just 10 pressures in 1-on-1 pass-blocking matchups for a 3.5% pressure rate. That’s the lowest among left guards this season and the 2nd-lowest among all left guards since 2018 with at least 200 pass-blocking snaps, per NFL Pro. Pro Bowler pic.twitter.com/8wdCVVIdm3 — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) January 2, 2025 With Zack Martin on injured reserve and his future with Dallas and the NFL in question, Smith has emerged as the next man up to lead the offensive line room filled with young players. Terence Steele has the most experience, but Smith has become a captain-like figure in handling business on and off the field. “Being in the o-line room, being around the great guys that I have [been around],” Smith said during an interview back in training camp. “They imparted on me a lot of knowledge. It’s my job to pass that knowledge on and continue to make sure that the standard of our room is held long after I’m gone and especially while I’m here.” The Cowboys have a lot to figure out this offseason, and at the top of that list sits the question of who will be the team’s next head coach and how much money Micah Parsons will command. However, outside of those two glaring questions, the front office should consider signing Smith to a long-term extension as soon as possible. Not only will he need to be what the o-line is built around for the foreseeable future, but contracts for the offensive guard position are not getting any cheaper. In the 2024 offseason, Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson signed a four-year. $84 million deal. That contract is the richest at that position in NFL history. Dickerson has been one of the league’s best, but Smith has been right up there regarding consistent dominance in the trenches. Offensive line play has become more mainstream over the last few years, making more eyes visible on how important the position has become. Specifically at guard, the versatility needed to be excellent in run blocking and pass blocking is critical. Teams with dominant guards aren’t letting them walk out the door, like the Eagles, Dickerson, and the Washington Commanders with Sam Cossmi. The only 2025 free agent at the guard position of note is Zack Martin, who could be retiring at the end of the year. Outside of the future Hall of Famer, there aren’t many other names who could re-set the market at the position, but that doesn’t mean other teams will not look to extend their in-house with the bubble building around guard salaries. Smith has all the boxes that must be checked to warrant a long-term deal: Pro Bowls, All-Pros, a leader in the locker room, and high-caliber play between the tackles. The Cowboys can pick up his fifth-year option for 2026, pushing him to hit the market to 2027. However, depending on what happens over the next two offseasons, signing an All-Pro, multi-Pro Bowl guard could cost nearly $27 million a year. The Cowboys have tried to get ahead of negotiations with their own before, as recently as Trevon Diggs, Terence Steele, and all the other premier offensive linemen like Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin in the past. If they want to figure out who will be the building blocks for the next era of Cowboys football, having Tyler Smith locked up would benefit everyone.