In the popular video game from my childhood, Star Wars Battlefront II, there’s an opening line from the narrator during the campaign mission “A Line in the Sand” that summarizes where the Dallas Cowboys are at. This is it men… No retrats. No excuses. The Cowboys have no choice but to keep pushing and have zero […] In the popular video game from my childhood, Star Wars Battlefront II, there’s an opening line from the narrator during the campaign mission “A Line in the Sand” that summarizes where the Dallas Cowboys are at. This is it men… No retrats. No excuses. The Cowboys have no choice but to keep pushing and have zero margin for error. Before Monday night, Dallas’ playoff hopes were on life support after losing to the Detroit Lions. Thanks to the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert, there are signs of life. The Philadelphia Eagles’ loss on Monday Night Football puts them at 8-5. With that loss, the Cowboys’ playoff chances have increased to ten percent and eight percent to win the division, per The Athletic’s playoff simulator. This wouldn’t be the first time in the last decade that the Cowboys tried to win out on the way to the playoffs. Dallas tried to do so in 2015, when Tony Romo returned from a collarbone injury. Seems fitting that the Cowboys find themselves in a similar position on their tenth anniversary of trying to manipulate their own destiny. Here are five things Dallas needs to do if they want to “run the table” in the final month of the season. First point: Take Kenneth Murray off the field Before the trade deadline, this same column pointed out the Cowboys needed to make a move at linebacker and say goodbye to Kenneth Murray. Dallas did trade for a starting-caliber linebacker in Logan Wilson, but while he’s trying to get up to speed, it’s been a timeshare in the middle between him and Murray. Murray has had his moments this season, but the terrible play at times on the field just outweighs any good he’s shown. In the clips above, if you watch No. 59, there are a few plays where he takes himself entirely out of the play. You can’t have a middle linebacker who is purposely avoiding contact. Maybe that’s what he’s being told to do, but if that’s the case, Brian Schottenheimer needs to really look hard at the coaching staff on that side of the ball. Last week, Schottenheimer said he’s liked what he’s seen from Murray and Wilson and that they would continue to share snaps in the middle. Schotty will never throw his players under the bus, but he can’t believe that statement. Murray’s Pro Football Focus grade on defense this season ranks 57th out of 59 starting linebackers who have played more than 50 percent of the snaps. Instead, the starting linebackers should be Wilson and DeMarvion Overshown, with Marist Liufau and Shemar James sprinkled in. Second point: Keep leaning on the passing attack If the Cowboys hope to run the table, it’ll be on the shoulders of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens. In recent weeks, Dallas’ rushing success rate has dropped, and they are not as effective running the ball with Javonte Williams as they were at the start of the season. That doesn’t mean Dallas should abandon the run entirely, but when the team has two alpha wide receivers on the outside like they do in Pickens and Lamb, that’s where the ball should go. Pickens has been everything the Cowboys have hoped for and more. When healthy, Lamb is still one of the top five players at his position. Those two aren’t the only playmakers that have developed in the passing game. While Pickens was virtually erased from the matchup against the Lions, Ryan Flournoy emerged yet again as a strong No. 3 wide receiver. He was Prescott’s go-to receiver on Thursday night when Lamb went out with a concussion. It was the second time this season that Flournoy went over 100 yards in a game. Prescott has his choice of where he wants to go with the football and should have some favorable matchups in the final four games. Dallas is averaging 275.5 yards per game through the air, and Prescott leads the NFL in passing yards with 3,637. If Lamb is good to go for Sunday night, Dallas shouldn’t pivot from what’s working. Third point: Change the approach on special teams People don’t usually blink twice when a team makes a change at their special teams coordinator position. However, losing someone in John Fassel has been palpable. “Bones” is one of, if not the best, special teams coaches in the league, and when he left to join the Tennessee Titans this offseason, whoever Dallas replaced him with would not be as good. Dallas hired Nick Sorensen, the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, to lead their special teams unit. Before joining the Cowboys, Sorensen held the same title just one time in his coaching career back in 2021 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Whatever he’s been teaching has to change. Against the Lions, their special teams coverage on kickoffs and punts gave the Detroit offense favorable field position, and it was one of the main reasons they lost the game. KaVontae Turpin was also flagged in back-to-back games for having an invalid fair catch signal, something rarely seen in the NFL. On kickoff returns, Turpin averaged 35.4 yards per return in 2024. This year, he’s averaging 25.8 yards. That’s almost a ten-yard difference in starting field position for the offense. Something has to change on special teams because it’s an area of the game that might not be flashy, but the Cowboys have too much talent in that area to not be one of the best in the league. Fourth point: Figure out the best three at cornerback After sitting out Thursday night, Trevon Diggs has an opportunity to come back on Sunday night, and the

Jerry Jones on Cowboys playoff chances, George Pickens’ play, more – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com The Los Angeles Chargers kept the Dallas Cowboys playoff hopes alive. With Philadelphia dropping to 8-5 after a 22-19 loss in overtime to the Chargers on Monday night, the Cowboys now sit one and a half games behind the Eagles for […] Jerry Jones on Cowboys playoff chances, George Pickens’ play, more – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com The Los Angeles Chargers kept the Dallas Cowboys playoff hopes alive. With Philadelphia dropping to 8-5 after a 22-19 loss in overtime to the Chargers on Monday night, the Cowboys now sit one and a half games behind the Eagles for the lead in the NFC East. Jones was excited about the fact that the chance is still there. “Real excited. They didn’t have to put any field in the plane, I just flew up here on my own…” Jones said of his reaction to the game. “I know it’s cliché, but we’ve got to concentrate on the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. That’s a big game for us. Boy, you see you need to stay in there every play, every play is meaningful right at this particular time, and we’ve sure got a shot at this thing.” Should Dallas win all of their last four games, Philadelphia would need to lose two of their remaining four games in order for the Cowboys to capture the division for the second time in the last three years. No concerns with George Pickens There was a lot of conversation surrounding WR George Pickens’ effort in the loss against the Detroit Lions last Thursday, something that Jones warned to be “very careful” in terms of criticizing him about. On Tuesday, he made clear again that he had no issue with Pickens’ performance. “Just so that I’m real clear about it: I don’t have the concern about the debate about what George Pickens did or didn’t do in that game. I don’t have that kind of concern about him as far as his competing and helping us win football games on the field, at all.” On Monday, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he and Pickens spoke about a social media post Pickens made in response to former NFL CB Richard Sherman, who said Pickens looked “disengaged amongst other things, and did not disclose the details of the conversation but did say: “I love watching the guy play football.” Dallas Cowboys’ playoff odds might be better than you think after Eagles ‘ loss – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Here’s where things stand entering Week 15 around the Cowboys playoff hopes. Entering Week 15 of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys are firmly on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff picture. But despite a 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions last Thursday that dropped the team to 6-6-1, the path for the Cowboys to make the playoffs is not as unrealistic as you may think. Simply put, the Philadelphia Eagles’ 22-19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night was huge. While the result only boosted the current odds for the Cowboys from 7% to 11%, it created a path that Dallas was already keen on going down over the final four weeks. If Dallas wins its final four games — home vs. the Vikings (5-8), home vs. the Chargers (9-4), at the Commanders (3-10), at the Giants (2-11) — the Cowboys will have a 54% chance of making the postseason, according to the Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator. Essentially, it becomes a toss-up that is mostly dependent on Philadelphia (8-5) losing at least two more games the rest of the way. The Eagles’ schedule sees them host the Raiders (2-11) and travel to take on the Bills (9-4), along with a home-and-away split with the Commanders. Philadelphia is favored in each contest aside from the trip to Buffalo. However, the Eagles have begun to falter. They have now lost three straight games and have not won a contest by more than one score since Oct. 26. The easiest path to the playoffs for the Cowboys is by winning the NFC East. But what if the Eagles take care of business? If Philadelphia loses just one game instead of two while the Cowboys win out, Dallas’ odds to get in sit at 26%. That path would require at least two teams ahead of the Cowboys in the NFC wild-card race to crash and burn. Those teams include the Seahawks (10-3), 49ers (9-4), Bears (9-4) and Lions (8-5). The two teams to watch closely in that scenario: San Francisco and Detroit. While the 49ers should take care of business against the bottom-dwelling Titans on Sunday, their remaining schedule sees them play current playoff teams in the Colts (8-5), Bears and Seahawks. Losing all three would move the 49ers below the Cowboys if they win out. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott providing bikes to dozens of students for Christmas – Paul Wedding, WFAA Dak Prescott continues to show why he was Walter Payton Man of the Year. Dozens of North Texas students are riding into next year on new bicycles thanks to Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott and his Faith Fight Finish Foundation teamed up with Raising Cane’s to provide 50 new Cane’s-branded bikes and helmets to students of all ages. They put together a Christmas-themed event with reindeer and fake snow to give the bikes away. The Cowboys quarterback said it was amazing to see and reminded him of memories of getting his own bike for Christmas as a child and his first time riding a bike. “Maybe that’s gonna be this for some of these kids,” Prescott said. Prescott said he is where he is today because of his parents and that he understands some of these children don’t have that. “This is one of my favorite events we do every year, being able to just give to these kids and understanding how tough and the different circumstances

There are four more games promised on this Dallas Cowboys season. While the team has frustrated us at a lot of points this year, certainly last Thursday night, we should hold these close to our heart as the offseason can be long. Maybe that doesn’t sound appealing to you. It makes sense that you want […] There are four more games promised on this Dallas Cowboys season. While the team has frustrated us at a lot of points this year, certainly last Thursday night, we should hold these close to our heart as the offseason can be long. Maybe that doesn’t sound appealing to you. It makes sense that you want to see this team reach the playoffs and that them potentially not doing so in consecutive seasons (for what would be the first time since 2019-2020) is the overpowering sentiment. There is no wrong way to feel here. As we look to the rest of this season though, it is quite possible that the Cowboys win all four of their remaining games. Minnesota Vikings Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Commanders (Christmas Day) at New York Giants It stands to reason that Dallas will be favored by oddsmakers in all four of these games. They may not be if they had to visit the Chargers, but given that the game is at home that will help. Should Dallas win out that would put them at 10-6-1 and mean that they won 6 out 7 to close the season following the bye. That would be objectively impressive. And if they do this and pick up the proper help they would win the NFC East. Do you think it’s possible, though? See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

It has been an up and down season for the Dallas Cowboys here in 2025. Sitting at 6-6-1 with slim odds of making the postseason, Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as the Cowboys head coach has felt solid, but still lacking. Let’s be clear, the Cowboys record as of today has very little to do with […] It has been an up and down season for the Dallas Cowboys here in 2025. Sitting at 6-6-1 with slim odds of making the postseason, Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as the Cowboys head coach has felt solid, but still lacking. Let’s be clear, the Cowboys record as of today has very little to do with the lack of Cowboys offense, but one glaring issue has continued to crop up over the last four games. In those games, the Cowboys offense has put up a combined total of 118 points (29.5 PPG). But one area of concern is how often this Cowboys offense is starting off very slow during their scripted play sequence. For those not familiar, the first 15 plays or so are scripted leading up to the game in practices. Think of it as more of a rehearsal. Those first two to three drives should be the best offensive plays for the team each game, yet the Cowboys have only scored one touchdown in the first three drives of their last four games. In the last four weeks, the Cowboys have had almost the same result on their first offensive play of the game. Against the Raiders, the Cowboys started the game with a Javonte Williams run behind Tyler Smith for a gain of two. Against the Eagles the Cowboys started off the game with a Javonte Williams run behind Tyler Smith for a gain of two. Against the Kansas City Chiefs the Cowboys started off the game with a Javonte Williams run behind Tyler Smith for a gain of four. And finally, against the Detroit Lions the Cowboys started off the game with a Javonte Williams run behind Nathan Thomas for a gain of four. It’s no secret that the Cowboys offensive line has had their fair share of struggles in pass protection in 2025. Starting off the opening drive averaging just three yards on first down in their last four games, is putting the Cowboys in second and long scenarios far too often. When you take into account the amount of penalties the team is currently committing as well, you are setting yourself up for failure. While the Cowboys didn’t get hurt by the slow starts in three of their last four games, the slow start was a key factor in dropping the game to the Detroit Lions on last Thursday. While the odds are not great to make the playoffs, the Cowboys will need to go 4-0 in their final four games and get some help along the way. They can help themselves by avoiding slow starts on offense and changing up their scripted play sequence to be a bit more aggressive out of the gate. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

After what seemed to be a season-crushing loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football, the Los Angeles Chargers cracked the door back open for the Dallas Cowboys to make a run at the NFC East. The Cowboys still have plenty of work to do, needing to sweep the rest of their schedule that […] After what seemed to be a season-crushing loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football, the Los Angeles Chargers cracked the door back open for the Dallas Cowboys to make a run at the NFC East. The Cowboys still have plenty of work to do, needing to sweep the rest of their schedule that includes the Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants, but trailing the Philadelphia Eagles by a game-and-a-half, the Cowboys playoff hopes could very well lay in the hands of old friend Dan Quinn. Over the next four weeks, the Eagles will see the Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders twice, and the Buffalo Bills. It’s quite simple, the Cowboys finish the season 4-0 and the Philadelphia Eagles lose two more games and the Cowboys are NFC East Champions. The Cowboys could afford to drop one more game, but then the Eagles would need to lose three of their remaining four. With four games left, the Philadelphia Eagles will play the Washington Commanders twice. Despite the Commanders 3-9 record, Washington has played the Eagles tough in recent years. The Commanders could be without their starting quarterback in one or both of the matchups depending on what head coach Dan Quinn decides to do with Jayden Daniels and his non-throwing arm injury. But even if Daniels does not play, Marcus Mariota has played well for the Commanders in starts so far this season. Needing two more losses from the Eagles, one Washington Commanders win would be a huge help with a road trip to Buffalo still on the Eagles schedule. With the Raiders coming up next week, most are banking on a bounce-back game for the Eagles. While that is more likely than not, we must bring up the Eagles 2023 collapse that feels awfully familiar to this 2025 season so far for Philadelphia. In Week 17 of 2023, the 11-4 Eagles dropped a game to the 3-12 Cardinals that helped the Cowboys clinch the NFC East. That Week 17 game in 2023 feels eerily similar to the Eagles matchup with the Raiders coming up this week. The reality here is the Eagles are currently spiraling, dropping their last three games in rather embarrassing fashion. With Jalen Carter likely sidelined for a few more weeks, the Eagles offensive line dealing with injuries, and Jalen Hurts struggling to generate any sort of offense, the Cowboys window is cracked open. They will need to handle their business and get a little help along the way, so let’s hope that our old friend Dan Quinn can help us out with two more games on the schedule against Philadelphia. See More: Dallas Cowboys Playoffs

When expectations meet reality the results can sometimes be disappointing. Such is the case with the Dallas Cowboys 2025 season and expectations many fans had for some of the young players projected to have a big impact with the organization this year. For whatever reason though, things didn’t play out the way fans hoped. Today, […] When expectations meet reality the results can sometimes be disappointing. Such is the case with the Dallas Cowboys 2025 season and expectations many fans had for some of the young players projected to have a big impact with the organization this year. For whatever reason though, things didn’t play out the way fans hoped. Today, we look at three of the young players many fans expected to play a significant role with the Cowboys this year only to fall well below expectations. With only four games remaining on the regular-season schedule and the playoffs looking unlikely, the future expectations of these young players is clouded in mystery moving forward. RB Jaydon Blue Jaydon Blue was a fifth-round draft pick for the Cowboys this year and arrived in Dallas with some pretty high expectations. He was expected to provide an explosive element to the offense as both a runner and receiver, but that has sadly never materialized. Instead, he’s been a healthy scratch the majority of the season, suiting up only four times so far this year. To date he’s rushed for only 65 yards on 22 carries and has added only one catch for five yards through the air. That’s nowhere near the production many expected from him. The rookie out of Texas was expected to be heavily involved in the Cowboys offense this year. Many expected him to challenge for the lead back, but instead he’s continued to tumble down the depth chart as the season progressed. We’ve seen Malik Davis get re-signed and lock down the RB2 position behind Javonte Williams and the recent addition of Israel Abanikanda is further proof Blue is in the doghouse. A once bright future now seems murky at best unless something changes dramatically. LB Marist Liufau Marist Liufau was the 87th overall pick in the third-round by the Cowboys in 2024. As a rookie last year he had a pretty solid season playing in all 17 games, starting nine of those contest. He finished his rookie year with 50 combined tackles, 1.5 QB sacks, and four tackles for a loss. He showed enough promise last year many believed he had the talent to develop into a starter in his second year, especially with Matt Eberflus’ background coaching linebackers. Sadly, not only did that not happen, but he seemed to regress in his sophomore season. So far in 2025, Liufau has only four starts on the season and has seen his role on defense steadily declined since the Cowboys bye week. Not only has his playing time taken a hit, but he also seems to have fallen further and further down the LB depth chart. Some of that is due to the trade for Logan Wilson and the return of DeMarvion Overshown, but his tumble from a potential starter to mostly a special teamer this year makes one wonder about his future. Is he a third-round bust or is there still hope for him at what seems to be a position of need next year? WR Jonathan Mingo The Cowboys acquired Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers last season for a fourth-round pick. While they overpaid for the former second-round WR, there was still hope he could be a contributor. In eight games and one start last season Mingo only managed five catches for 46 yards with the Cowboys after arriving via trade. He never really seem to settle in or find a offensive role for himself last year, but there was hope he would do more with a full offseason in his second year in Dallas. Mingo has only managed to play a total of 20 offensive snaps in two games with the Cowboys so far this season after spending the majority of the year on injured reserve with a PCL sprain in his right knee. Had he been healthy the entire year he may have been more productive, but to date he’s only been targeted once in the passing game with zero catches. As things stand right now he’s at best WR5 on the depth chart and has a lot to prove if he wants to climb many higher next season. Expectations for him moving forward continue to diminish. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Sean Martin, and Tom Ryle.  Have all playoff hopes diminished after the Detroit loss? Or do you still have a small bit of hope? Mike: You’re talking […] Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Sean Martin, and Tom Ryle. Have all playoff hopes diminished after the Detroit loss? Or do you still have a small bit of hope? Mike: You’re talking to Mr. Positive here so the way to put this is the Cowboys playoff hopes aren’t dead, but they’re on life support. The path to postseason hopes are very narrow. The team has to stack wins immediately, literally zero losses between now January. To do that we need to see the team clean up early-down efficiency, and convert red-zone trips at a touchdown rate north of 60% while staying at least +1 in turnover margin. Defensively, where to start here after watching the Lions game. Stopping explosive plays is a first and start getting a better pressure rate, much better rush-lane integrity is needed, and at the top of Santa’s wish-list would be much better tackling. If Dallas takes care of the next two weeks and flips those situational edges, they have a chance. Sean: Just because the Eagles have made a similar collapse to the one that will be needed for the Cowboys to reach the playoffs, there’s a small bit of hope still to be had. The loss to the Lions wasn’t just a letdown in the way the defense regressed, stars didn’t play like stars, and turnovers didn’t go Dallas’ way, it also exposed areas where the Cowboys frankly don’t deserve to be a playoff team. The struggles at linebacker and safety are ones that can’t be addressed until the offseason, and were both letdowns against a Lions offense built to expose these spots. Tom: Like Sean, I also saw the Detroit loss as evidence Dallas doesn’t belong in the playoffs. It also supports the idea that we made too much of the wins over Philadelphia and Kansas City, a couple of teams that don’t feel at all like the dominant forces of recent seasons. I have no hope really, but can’t discount the possibility of a lot of things going just right. The NFL is just a bit confusing with very few powerhouses. Still any trip to the playoffs would almost certainly be short lived. I will be pulling for the Cowboys to win out. I just don’t think it would be enough. Howman: I hate to invoke the words of a certain aging quarterback, but everyone just needs to R-E-L-A-X. The Cowboys needed some help to make the playoffs going into Detroit, and they still need some help. Do they need a little bit more now? Sure. But is this thing over? Absolutely not. Mike: There was way too many explosive plays allowed. Detroit turned play-action crossers and perimeter screens into chunk gains that flipped field position, created cheap points, and kept them ahead of the sticks. Dallas’ rush-lane sloppiness and a load of poorly executed tackles fed those explosives, compounding the damage. Early-down stalls on offense didn’t help, and special teams flops also didn’t help, and that meant Dallas spent the game chasing Detroit. Sean: I’ll go with early down inefficiency, because that is the base reason for the difference in explosive plays between the Lions and Cowboys on Thursday night. The Cowboys defense did need to find a way to tighten up on the back end, or get more pressure on Jared Goff, to limit these plays, but it is not easy when the Lions are ahead of the chains and can lean on not one but two running backs. Jahmyr Gibbs really hurt the Cowboys in these situations. The Cowboys haven’t been able to get their own running backs involved in the pass game at all this season, and that hurt them in this loss too. Factor in the highs and lows from George Pickens, the loss of CeeDee Lamb, and Jake Ferguson’s fumble and it all made the difference in this team’s latest comeback attempt falling short. Tom: My feel is this was another defensive collapse. Even with their issues the offense scored 30. But the Lions only punted twice all game. Eberflus had no answers. And don’t forget that Detroit averaged 32.6 yards per kickoff return for a whopping total of 261. That’s a ton “hidden” yardage. Even when Dallas put points on the board the Lions faced short fields to respond. Howman: It may be overly simplistic or a cop out but I think this team just ran out of gas. They had two very hard fought wins over two very talented teams and it didn’t look like they had much left in the tank once they got to Detroit. I think we’ll see a much better version of this team when they come out of the mini bye. Mike: Minnesota’s offense is built on isolation shots to the boundary, so start in split-safety, bracket Justin Jefferson on every down while keeping strict rush-lane integrity so Aaron Jones cannot make chunk gains. Sean: The Vikings have not looked at all like the Vikings that I think many Cowboys fans are familiar with over the last few seasons, so the top priority needs to be just keeping it that way and taking care of the ball on offense. Against another familiar opponent for DC Matt Eberflus to call plays against, seeing the Cowboys win this game up front, get a better pass rush, and set up the offense to control the game would be a great sign in a road opportunity. Tom: Stay fundamentally sound. I think the Cowboys have enough of a talent

Cowboys’ Schottenheimer: ‘Personnel adjustments’ coming for this struggling unit – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire The Cowboys kickoff coverage unit is really poor this year. The Cowboys’ kickoff coverage, however, is struggling mightily. They’re making life significantly harder for the Dallas defense before they even take the field, having given up the fourth-most kickoff return […] Cowboys’ Schottenheimer: ‘Personnel adjustments’ coming for this struggling unit – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire The Cowboys kickoff coverage unit is really poor this year. The Cowboys’ kickoff coverage, however, is struggling mightily. They’re making life significantly harder for the Dallas defense before they even take the field, having given up the fourth-most kickoff return yards in the league so far this year. It was especially problematic versus Detroit in Week 14, with the unit allowing 261 yards on eight kick returns. On those eight kickoffs, the Lions’ average starting field position was their own 36.5-yard line. The Cowboys would actually have been better off having Aubrey blast the ball through the back of the end zone on every kickoff. Detroit’s two final (and most important) kick returns- the ones that came as Dallas was legitimately mounting their comeback- put the ball at the Lions’ 41 and 49 respectively, giving their offense a massive head start on the touchdowns they eventually scored on both possessions. Detroit’s Jacob Saylors averaged 28.2 yards on his five kick returns last Thursday; Tom Kennedy notched over 35 yards on all three of his tries and got a game ball for the Lions. Asked Monday how he intends to reverse that costly trend over the final month of the season, Schottenheimer acknowledged that giving the defense a better start via field position is critical. “We need to do that, number one,” he said plainly in the day’s press conference. “The kickoff coverage leverage has not been very good. We’ve lost contain. The way it’s all set up now is: if my left arm is free, I’ve got to keep my left arm free. Guys are trying to make plays, and the way you cover kicks well is to have everybody do their job, stay in their lane, keep their contain, play with the [correct] arm free. We haven’t done that. We’ll be looking at maybe some personnel adjustments as well.” The coach did not elaborate on who special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen might intend to swap out on kick coverage duty, but they have the rest of the week to figure it out. RB Javonte Williams’ future in Dallas may not extend beyond the next few games – Brian Martin, Blogging The Boys Javonte Williams has been really good in his first year as the Cowboys lead back, but the shuffling in the backfield may not be over. It’s nearly impossible to know which pending free agents the Cowboys brass plan to prioritize in a few weeks when the 2025 NFL regular-season comes to an end. One player whose future may be murky after the season is running back Javonte Williams, who has been a pleasant surprise for the Cowboys this year and an important part to their offensive success. But, is he part of the organization’s future plans? Given the position he plays and the value of the Cowboys brass has placed on the position recently, it doesn’t bode well that Javonte Williams will be part of the organization beyond the 2025 season. He’s been one of the more productive running backs this year, which might have pushed his market value out of the range the Cowboys are comfortable spending on the position. As of right now, Williams’ projected annual salary on an extension is approximately $6.7 million according to spotrac.com. The Cowboys haven’t spent that kind of money at RB since they used the franchise tag on Tony Pollard and before that the long-term extension they gave Ezekiel Elliott. After those two they went the cheap route with Rico Dowdle in 2024 and Javonte Williams this year. Will they go the cheap route once again in 2026? There’s simply no way of telling right now, but given the recent history it seems more likely than not that’s the direction they may go. That doesn’t mean Williams is unworthy or that it’s an easy decision to make. That’s just the nature of the business and the running back position has been one of the Cowboys have been wary of spending too much money. So, despite already rushing for over 1,000 yards (1,022) and scoring double digit touchdowns (nine rushing, two receiving) and not showing any injury concerns, No. 33 still may be playing his last games in a Cowboys uniform over the next month. QB Report Cards for 2025 NFL Week 14 – Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report The Cowboys scored 30 points without Prescott playing an “A” game, yet it wasn’t enough at the Lions. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys Score: 44-30 loss vs. Detroit LionsStat Line: 31 of 47 for 376 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions Dak Prescott may have thrown for 376 yards, but it wasn’t close to enough against the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys offense didn’t really get moving until late in the third quarter. By then, it was already too late. Prescott put up numbers even though he didn’t have much of a chance behind an offense line missing left tackle Tyler Guyton. The Lions sacked Dallas’ quarterback five times and hit him on 11 more occasions. “He’s sore,” Schottenheimer said of Prescott. “He should be sore after getting hit that much and that’s—again, we talked a lot about it, we have been one of the best teams in the league at protecting him, and so kudos to them. They did a great job. We’ve got to look at how we protected up front, and certainly there were issues because you can’t have your quarterback taking those kinds of hits and be successful.” A couple of interceptions didn’t help matters. Still, Prescott was forced to take on too much, particularly after wide receiver

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, but they were able to pick up some help on Monday night to make it hurt a little bit less. Shout out to the Los Angeles Chargers for beating the Philadelphia Eagles. Seriously. This is huge. It took overtime, but it happened! The Cowboys’ […] The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, but they were able to pick up some help on Monday night to make it hurt a little bit less. Shout out to the Los Angeles Chargers for beating the Philadelphia Eagles. Seriously. This is huge. It took overtime, but it happened! The Cowboys’ loss to Detroit coupled with the little bit of help (being generous) they received across the rest of Week 14 made their hopes of a Wild Card spot seem all the more improbable. There is a strong argument to be made that the most probable path left for Dallas is as the NFC East winner and that potential reality became more possible thanks to the Chargers beating Philly. In order for the Cowboys to win the NFC East at this point they have to win out and pick up two more Eagles losses. Remaining Eagles games: Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders at Buffalo Bills Washington Commanders Had the Eagles won then Dallas would have needed another loss from this group which would have been hard to imagine. This is why Monday night’s result is so big. While the Cowboys did lose last week the idea of them holding up their end of this bargain carries legitimate possibility. Remaining Cowboys games: Minnesota Vikings Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Commanders at New York Giants The Cowboys will have to face these same Chargers next Sunday. Hopefully they keep up with the plan to help Dallas win the NFC East then, too. See More: Dallas Cowboys Playoffs