Sometimes the box score tells you a lot about how a game actually went. When Saquon Barkley went off for 167 yards last December against the Cowboys, that’s about all you needed to know. But in other games, the stats can be very deceiving. In the aftermath of Dallas’ season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, […] Sometimes the box score tells you a lot about how a game actually went. When Saquon Barkley went off for 167 yards last December against the Cowboys, that’s about all you needed to know. But in other games, the stats can be very deceiving. In the aftermath of Dallas’ season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, you really do have to look beyond these numbers to understand how this one unfolded. On the surface, Dak Prescott only threw for 188 yards and no scores while CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 110 yards. Superficially, you could assume that Prescott had a rough night and Lamb was the only thing keeping Dallas afloat. But if you watched, you know that was hardly the case. Prescott looked better than he ever did in 2024. His passes were on point, he was alert in the pocket, and his command of a new offense seemed sound. The ball was where it needed to be on almost every throw, but his receivers were not finishing the plays. Prescott looked healthy and like the 2023 MVP runner-up again. In most games, it was more than enough for the Cowboys to be competitive. Even on Thursday night against the champs, they were in it right to the end. The real problem was the receivers, and particularly #88. His solid fantasy stats aside, Lamb’s most impactful contribution was four game-killing drops. The last one was the most forgivable; a desperation heave on fourth down that Lamb had to lay out to try to catch. But before that, he bobbled a deep shot that hit him right in the sweet spot and another that would’ve converted a 3rd-and-10. Nothing about those drops was due to the quality of the pass or even a great defensive play; it was just a bad night for an otherwise great player. We can’t leave Jake Ferguson unscathed here. Before Eagles safety Reed Blankenship cleaned his clock, Ferguson was already bobbling a potential touchdown. He might not have held on to it once Blankenship got to him, but his poor initial attempt to catch it made the hit a moot point. In fairness, George Pickens and KaVontae Turpin weren’t really at fault. On only six total targets between them, they threw in five catches for 48 yards. Pickens had a tough catch on the final drive and also drew a big DPI flag that bailed Dallas out of a 2nd-and-23 situation, setting up one of Javonte Williams’ touchdowns. They didn’t get many opportunities to shine, but they made the most of them when they did. We also see this between the two running backs. Miles Sanders only needed four carries to hit 53 rushing yards, but it took 15 for Javonte Williams to reach 54. But if you watched the game, you know that it was Williams who consistently showed vision and the power to create extra yardage. Sanders benefitted from a well-blocked run lane and did his part to make it a big play, but did nothing with his other touches. His fumble far outweighed the positive, ending that very same drive. Most of us probably didn’t have a problem watching this nationally televised game, unless you couldn’t stay up for the weather delay. So what we’re saying here may not be news to you. But it’s a good illustration, for those times you may not get to watch, of how the stats can lie. On paper, Dak Prescott had an arguably bad night. But in reality, he was playing some of his best ball while other players let the opportunity to beat Philly slip through their fingers. Hopefully, only one of those things continues. 0 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Scores & Results

The anticipation for game one of the NFL season is unlike any other feeling for most football fans. The anticipation for the Cowboys week one game against the defending Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, made things even more exciting. With Dak Prescott back in the lineup and George Pickens added to the offensive fold, […] The anticipation for game one of the NFL season is unlike any other feeling for most football fans. The anticipation for the Cowboys week one game against the defending Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, made things even more exciting. With Dak Prescott back in the lineup and George Pickens added to the offensive fold, all eyes were on Brian Schottenheimer coaching in his first game as a head coach in the National Football League. Schottenheimer has had plenty of experience calling plays in the NFL, but September 4th, 2025 was the first time he was able to take the field as a head coach. Today we will take a deeper look at how Schottenheimer did as a play-caller and head coach in the Cowboys week one loss to the division rival Eagles. Play-calling There has been a lot of conversation around the Cowboys offensive identity this offseason. After disappointing showings in the preseason, many fans were expecting more of the same from the Cowboys offense in 2025. Boy were they wrong. Let me preface this by saying things could change quickly, but after one week Brian Schottenheimer proved to be the real deal. First off, the Cowboys use of motion skyrocketed in week one of the 2025 season from where they have been under Mike McCarthy. On Thursday night, the Cowboys’ offense ran motion/shifts on 42% of their plays which would have ranked fourth in the NFL last season. This is coming off a season in which the Mike McCarthy led offense ran motion at a 29th highest rate in the NFL. Motion is one of the easier avenues to open up advantages for offenses in the NFL and the Cowboys did an excellent job of creating clear pictures pre-snap and larger windows post-snap for the Cowboys offense. Along with the use of motion, the Cowboys showed a good amount of play-action in week one as well, something they ranked near the bottom half of the league in last year. With the use of motion and play-action, the Cowboys did not have a three-and-out in week one and ended the game with a 81.5% series success rate. We must also not forget to shout out Klayton Adams work as well when it comes to grading play-calling. Adams’ presence was felt in the Cowboys running game, especially in the first-half showing some pretty big differences in success rate throughout the game for the Cowboys rushing attack. Play-calling Grade: A- Game Management For such a tight game, there were not as many crucial management decisions to grade Schottenheimer on in his first game at head coach. The few we will discuss may not seem like much, but gives us all something to keep an eye on as the season progresses. On the Cowboys final drive before halftime, the Cowboys were able to drive 53-yards down the field and kick a 53-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21-20 heading into the half. On the final few plays of the first half, Schottenheimer elected to use his third, and final timeout, after a nine-yard completion to George Pickens over the middle of the field. NFL coaches normally elect to spike the football to stop the clock in that situation and keep their timeout to use right before attempting the field goal. In this case, I actually agree with Schottenheimer’s decision to burn the final timeout with the football on the Eagles 45-yard line with 0:15 seconds left in the half. If the Cowboys do the opposite, they are likely burning another four-to-six seconds off the clock to set up the spike, and allowing the Eagles to play their defense straight up against the Cowboys offense with a timeout to spare before the field goal. With no timeouts remaining, the Eagles played things how most defenses would, covering the boundary and not allowing the Cowboys to get out of bounds to stop the clock. Needing five-to-seven more yards to feel very comfortable about the field goal attempt with Brandon Aubrey, the Cowboys offense perfectly executed a 10-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb in the middle of the field and stopped the clock with a spike with three seconds to spare. The other topic of conversation came from the Cowboys final drive right before the two minute warning in the fourth quarter. On fourth and three at the Cowboys 45-yard line, Schottenheimer elected to run the clock down to the two minute warning, instead of hurrying up to get a play off on fourth down to get an additional clock stoppage. Just like the other decision, I agreed with Schottenheimer’s approach. With the game on the line on fourth down, getting the timeout at the two minute warning allows the Cowboys offense to reset and make sure they have their best play call dialed up with a chance to win the game coming out of the two minute warning. After the fourth down attempt went through Lamb’s hands, plenty of Cowboys’ fans wanted the additional timeout in their pocket to try and get the ball back if the defense was able to stand up against the Eagles offense. In this instance I would place more value on the ability to get in the perfect play call on a key fourth down in a have-to-have-it situation than getting clock stoppages and having to go the length of the field (with how Braden Mann was punting the ball) for a touchdown with zero timeouts if Dallas was able to get another stop after the failed fourth-down attempt. Game Management Grade: B+ Conclusion All-in-all it is hard to ask anything more of Brian Schottenheimer in his first game as a

Every week here at Blogging the Boys, we’ll spotlight the biggest college matchups and the players who could soon wear the Star. If you want to get a jump on who might help America’s Team in the years to come, this is your weekly college football guide. GAME OF THE WEEK This matchup features two iconic […] Every week here at Blogging the Boys, we’ll spotlight the biggest college matchups and the players who could soon wear the Star. If you want to get a jump on who might help America’s Team in the years to come, this is your weekly college football guide. GAME OF THE WEEK This matchup features two iconic programs with newfound offensive weapons. Oklahoma is riding the wave of QB John Mateer’s record-setting debut, and Michigan is showcasing a promising freshman quarterback of their own alongside a powerful rushing duo. With College GameDay on-site, national spotlight, and implications for College Football Playoff positioning, it’s one of the marquee games of Week 2. Game Overview Matchup: Michigan Wolverines (15) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (18) September 6, at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Stadium. Kickoff Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST) Oklahoma favored by 3.5 points Mateer set an Oklahoma school record for passing yards in an Sooners debut. He completed 30-of-37 passes for 392 yards and three touchdowns. Player Watch Michigan: Derrick Moore, DE Moore is the embodiment of raw speed fused with explosive power off the edge. At 6′3″ and around 256 pounds, he bursts into gaps with athleticism that routinely leaves linemen trailing. The main critique against Moore is not effort, it’s polish. His burst is elite, but when he’s met with a well-anchored blocker, his pass rush often stalls. Think of Moore as a live wire that’s unstoppable at times, electric by nature, and captivating to watch. He brings an energy to the Michigan defense that’s infectious, setting the tone from the first whistle. There’s an impatient beast within him, ready to attack, chase, and dismantle. If he sharpens his craft, adds technical counters, refines hand usage, and layers in brute strength, he could evolve into much more than just a spark plug. Justice Haynes, RB Haynes brings an electrifying blend of burst, power, and vision to Michigan’s backfield. A transfer from Alabama with a pedigree as a high school five-star standout, he lit up his Michigan debut by rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries. Beyond the box score, Haynes thrives in space, his low center of gravity, physicality, and open-field agility make him dangerous every time he touches the ball. His issues lay in pass protection and route concepts as a receiver. While his physical tools and yards production are evident, offensive coaches will want to see growth in his blocking technique and ability to read blitzes, critical for three-down responsibilities. Oklahoma: R Mason Thomas, DE Thomas emerged as a dominant force for Oklahoma’s defense last season. Featuring in all 13 games, he led the team with nine sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and added two forced fumbles and two recoveries, cementing his presence as a game-wrecking edge rusher. He possesses elite explosiveness off the edge (clocking a 4.62-second 40-yard dash), which highlights his rare twitch and burst for his size. Though explosive and high-motor, Thomas plays with a compact, but not elite frame, with room to pack on strength and mass to better anchor against the run and bully blockers. Refining his hand technique and counter-moves will be key to translate his athleticism into consistent production at the next level. Gracen Halton, DT Halton is a concentrated, small but explosive tackler, who brings plenty of heat from the interior. His 2024 play showcased his ability to not just participate in chaos, but manufacture it. With added strength and broader technique, Halton has the upside to become an interior disruptor who runs entire blocking schemes off their feet and forces offenses to game-plan around him. Deion Burks, WR Burks plays with high energy, route finesse, and speed. He turns short throws into explosive plays and immediately opens up space for his teammates. If he continues to strengthen his technique and add physicality, he has the tools to become a dependable slot threat and a creative nightmare for defenses, a quick-cut maestro with deep-play potential (think Hollywood Brown). Smooth, dynamic, and never predictable, Burks is the kind of player opponents must game-plan around, not just plan for. His last game against Illinois State, Burks caught seven passes for 88 yards and touchdown, he even added a 14-yard rush. Iowa vs Iowa State (16) Week 2 gives us the Cy-Hawk Showdown as the Iowa Hawkeyes head to Ames to face the Iowa State Cyclones in the annual rivalry game. Under the guidance of head coach Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes are looking to rebound after a narrow 20–19 loss to Iowa State in 2024. Despite leading at halftime, Iowa couldn’t capitalize on key opportunities. As for the Cyclones, led by head coach Matt Campbell, they enter the game with momentum after a thrilling win over Kansas State in Week 0 followed by a huge 55-7 win against South Dakota. Game Overview Matchup: Iowa vs. Iowa State(16) September 6, at Jack Trice Stadium Kickoff Time: 12:00 p.m. (EST) Iowa State favored by 2.5 points Iowa State aims to continue its dominance in the rivalry and extend its winning streak against the Hawkeyes. Player Watch Iowa: Gennings Dunker, OT Dunker is part gentle scholar, part earth-moving enforcer, basically a rare blend of intellect and gristle. He anchors Iowa’s right side not through flash, but through finish, each play marked by violent control and mental clarity. If he can polish his pass-blocking nuances and adjust to elite speed-rusher tactics, he projects as a zone-heavy scheme anchor, or a guard in pro systems who brings both smarts and nastiness. Aaron Graves, DT Graves is the kind of defensive tackle who operates best when everyone else follows his rhythm. Rugged, reliable, and mentally sharp he combines physical toughness with quiet

CeeDee Lamb candid about drops vs. Eagles – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The All-Pro won’t let Week 1 ruin his confidence. Prescott also doesn’t feel the need to pull his No. 1 receiver to the side for a long dialogue of any sort, especially seeing how hard he’s already being on himself. “There wasn’t a big, […] The All-Pro won’t let Week 1 ruin his confidence. Prescott also doesn’t feel the need to pull his No. 1 receiver to the side for a long dialogue of any sort, especially seeing how hard he’s already being on himself. “There wasn’t a big, long talk we needed to have,” Prescott said. “He took ownership and accountability. He shut me up in the same sense of taking accountability. It wasn’t just those plays. There are throws I want back. But it’s Game 1, and he’s a guy who’s gonna make those plays. We’re not gonna get down on him or lose confidence in him, by any means. “He will make those plays [in the future].” To that point, Lamb himself sounded as if he was equal parts disappointed and seething, seeing opportunities to break the game open when it mattered most literally slip through his fingers on more than one occasion. So much so that he issued a warning to the entire league. “I will tell you that if you think I’m not coming back 80 times harder than this — you’ve got another thing coming,” the four-time Pro Bowler said. ”… God has a mysterious way of humbling folks, and I did come in with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. Lesson well learned. I deserve everything that comes with it. … The [drops] down the stretch really hurt me a lot because I’ve prayed for those types of things. But, again, it’s Game 1. I’ll be back. I just hope everybody else is ready.” Cowboys, Jerry Jones praise Brian Schottenheimer after debut despite loss – Chris Bumbaca, USA Today Brian Schottenheimer passed with flying colors in his first game as head coach. PHILADELPHIA — The opening night reviews are in. And if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is the No. 1 critic for Brian Schottenheimer, then the first-year head coach shouldn’t have much to worry about. Even if his team came out on the wrong side of a 24-20 decision on the road to the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. “He had this team ready to play,” Jones said after the game. “He had them prepared on all sides of the ball. He had them mentally ready to play. I’m just sorry that when it got down to it and we needed to make those plays we didn’t get ‘em made. But we all know we played a good team out there tonight. “I give Brian, I give his staff all the credit in the world.” Micah Parsons-less Cowboys emerge from narrow loss to Eagles with same unanswered questions – Mike Jones, The Athletic The more things change the more they stay the same. PHILADELPHIA — Sam Williams had Jalen Hurts right where he wanted him. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback had broken the pocket and eluded two Dallas Cowboys defenders. But Williams — one of the young defensive ends charged with collectively filling the massive shoes left behind by the All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons — had the angle on Hurts on that early-second quarter third-down play deep in Dallas territory. The third-year pro lunged at Hurts and even got his hands on him. Williams had the quarterback. But then he didn’t. Hurts — apparently still donning the cape that he wore last February en route to Super Bowl MVP honors — squirted free of Williams’ grasp, zigged this way, zagged that way and picked up a first down. Two plays later, with all of his receivers covered, Hurts again spotted daylight and outraced Cowboys defenders 8 yards to the end zone for his second touchdown of the first half. It was, as it turned out, that kind of night for the Cowboys, who aimed to kick off another franchise reset with an upset victory, but instead fell 24-20 to the NFC East rival Eagles Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Williams had his narrow misses (including another in the fourth quarter). But that was basically the theme of the night for Dallas. Quarterback Dak Prescott and his offense repeatedly appeared on the verge of something big. But then came hiccups in the form of an ill-timed penalty, a third-quarter Miles Sanders fumble in Philadelphia territory or dropped passes by leading wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Multiple times. Lamb recorded a game-high seven catches for 110 yards. But he also had four uncharacteristic drops, including two on the Cowboys’ final possession, which began with 3:02 left and victory within reach and ended with the ball bouncing off the wideout’s outstretched hands on fourth down with two minutes left. “Like they say, this game is a game of inches,” Williams said, summing up the night and all of the woulda-coulda-shoulda moments. “But, we’re just gonna keep going, and eventually, you know, we’re gonna get there. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so at the end of the day, we’ve got to worry about the Giants now. This game is over. We’re gonna go review it, and then it’s over.” Cowboys failed to open Eagles’ gifts, but still left Philly with a nice surprise – Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News The Cowboys can certainly hold their heads high after a tough season-opening loss. The name Ben VanSumeren probably means as much to you as it does to me, which is to say very little. But he’s the Eagles’ only fullback and they lost him for the night Thursday when he hurt his knee on the opening kickoff. He’s the one who was lying on the ground and being attended to when Dak Prescott and Jalen Carter had their unusual spit-off, which resulted in the Eagles losing their most disruptive defensive player

The Dallas Cowboys lost on Thursday. A loss is a loss. They are 0-1. It was a division game and losing it carries a little more weight than ones that occur outside of the NFC East. We all understand the facts of the matter. A week and half to assess how to be better will […] The Dallas Cowboys lost on Thursday. A loss is a loss. They are 0-1. It was a division game and losing it carries a little more weight than ones that occur outside of the NFC East. We all understand the facts of the matter. A week and half to assess how to be better will help, but it stands to reason that the way Dallas looked and played will provide the biggest boost. Even before the Micah Parsons trade there were people thinking this group was going to bottom out in 2025, and once he was dealt things really jumped the shark in that sense. This isn’t any kind of “watch out, the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl” thing, but it’s plausible to feel like this team could win somewhere between 9 and 11 games and challenge for a playoff spot. Heck, if the NFC East proves to not have a repeat winner like the last 20 years have shown, then who knows how weird things get there. One week at a time. While it is and was disappointing that a star player like CeeDee Lamb did not deliver, the most important thing beyond Dak Prescott playing well is that Brian Schottenheimer looked like the man for the moment. Schotty had the offense moving and grooving before the weather delay sucked all energy out of the building, and what’s more is he had the team ready to ride in the aftermath of the Parsons trade and all of the drama that has been swallowing this team for the last six weeks. Consider that the Cowboys were, by some oddsmakers’ assessment, 8.5-point underdogs in this game. They never trailed by more than four, the margin they ultimately lost by, which means the spread was over 100% incorrect. Anyone who has watched the Cowboys for some time knew that this felt off. This is a group that has always shown the ability to challenge and be relevant (not saying this is the goal), but we all began to wonder if the off-the-field things had finally taken too much of a toll. Maybe the back-breaking straw was found. That appears to not exactly be the case. The NFL season is incredibly young and a lot will happen that will change how we feel. But do you not believe that the Cowboys will win more games than they don’t? It is frustrating to acknowledge how good the Philadelphia Eagles are, but nobody else is them. You can make an argument that, despite what lurks around the Thanksgiving time, that the hardest game of the season is now over for the Cowboys. No environment will be like what they were in on Thursday night in the City of Brotherly Love. Moral victories are hard to take in so let’s not call it that. But as the dust settles on this, last year’s Week 1 win on the road against the Cleveland Browns comes to mind. This is purely my personal opinion, but I cannot recall a season that carried such obvious poor results around the corner as 2024. Everything about that year was broken. Let’s not re-hash it. But that win at Cleveland provided a brief band-aid on the wound that tore open immediately after and never got any dressing again. This game at Philadelphia feels like the opposite of that. It seems like we examined the wound, acknowledge that it is real and needs time to fully heal, but most important we identified signs of healing taking place. The darkest part of the night is behind us, for lack of a better term. Here’s to a sunrise being around the corner. 0 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Roster