Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images AFTERNOON GAMES LET’S GO. More NFL action in the late afternoon slot. This is an open thread for game chat.

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Let’s have a good Sunday. The Cowboys play tonight, so enjoy some other NFL games. This is an open thread for game chat.

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Here are our bold predictions for Cowboys/Bucs. The Dallas Cowboys are back in action on Sunday night as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While this game does not mean much for the Cowboys, Tampa Bay is currently leading the NFC South and needs this win to maintain their division lead. Before the two teams square off, here are three bold predictions for the matchup. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images 1)Mike Evans continues his hot streak, recording 150+ receiving yards and a touchdown Even at age 31, Buccaneers’ wideout Mike Evans is still producing at a consistently high level. Evans has been less than 100% almost all season, but despite the nagging injuries, the wideout has had another productive season. On the year Evans has caught 52 passes for 749 yards and nine touchdowns. After missing three straight games during the middle of the season, the veteran has been at his best in Tampa Bay’s last four games. Evans’ production has played a large part in the Bucs making a strong playoff push, catching 26 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns over that four-game span. This week, Evans has a chance to continue his hot streak against a Cowboys’ pass defense that has struggled to slow down elite wide receivers. When Dallas faced a Bengals team with star receiver Ja’Marr Chase two weeks back, the All-Pro wideout had a dominant day, recording 14 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Evans will follow suit and have a big day in his home state, going over 150 receiving yards for the second straight week. Perry Knotts/Getty Images 2) DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis both record interceptions Fresh off signing a three-year, $100M deal last March, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has had a very productive season. The former number-one pick ranks third in the NFL with 32 passing touchdowns and fourth in passing yards with 3,617. Mayfield is also in the top 10 in EPA + CPOE (0.133), EPA/Play (0.184), and Success Rate. (51.5%) If there’s one thing Mayfield has struggled with during this breakout season it’s been protecting the football. The 29-year-old has thrown 14 interceptions this year, which is good for the second most in the league. Mayfield also leads the league in interceptable passes (23) and is second in danger plays. (34) While the Bucs are on a four-game winning streak, Mayfield has thrown five interceptions during this span. With his multi-interception games against the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay has overcome his mistakes due to the talent gap between their team and the opponent. This week, they face a Cowboys team that is good enough to take advantage if Mayfield continues to make these mistakes. Mayfield continues to be extremely aggressive, leading to a pair of Dallas interceptions. DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis both join the pick party as Baker records his third multi-interception game in the last four weeks. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 3) Jonathan Mingo scores his first NFL touchdown Last week against the Carolina Panthers we saw 24-year-old wide receiver Jalen Brooks score the first touchdown of his young NFL career. This week, another wideout will follow suit, and that guy will be Jonathan Mingo. Mingo has not made much of an impact after being acquired from Carolina at the trade deadline, but this is the week he finally makes a play. Late in the third quarter, Dallas throws Mingo a jump ball in the end zone that the 6’2 wideout comes down with, scoring the first touchdown of his NFL career.

Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports Your Sunday morning Cowboys news. Could Mike Zimmer return to Cowboys in 2025, even if McCarthy doesn’t? – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire The Cowboys defense has played better the last few weeks. Could they retain their defensive coordinator if the team says goodbye to Mike McCarthy after the season? One of the more interesting aspects of the 2024 debacle was the fallout of losing Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator. Quinn had been sought after since pretty much the moment he was hired in Dallas as his impact on the Cowboys‘ defense was quick and obvious. Thanks to the addition of first-round phenom Micah Parsons, Quinn’s approach was run by top-tier young talent, which highlighted his approach and ability to direct. Quinn both passed up on and was passed over for several vacancies he interviewed for across 2022 and 2023, but with things looking ready to implode in Dallas he finally moved on, joining Washington. The problem was, the Mike McCarthy coaching staff he left behind had seemingly worn out their lifelines and were only signed for 2024. That, among several other factors, led to the hiring of Mike Zimmer to a one-year deal to take over the defense. It’s been long assumed that Zimmer’s fate would be part and parcel with McCarthy’s. If the Cowboys met the edict and advanced to an acceptable postseason point, the staff as a whole would see new contracts, including Zimmer. With the way the season started, t was pretty clear the main cogs in the coaching staff would all be clearing out their offices. Dallas was horrible on both offense and defense, the team looked disinterested and seemed to be playing out the string by October. But a funny thing has happened since that point. While lip service is being paid to the possibility McCarthy could get a new deal, that likely isn’t happening. But Zimmer on the other hand, that’s becoming more intriguing week by week. Week 16 Rooting Guide: How the Cowboys keep their 0.1% chance at the playoffs alive – Mario Herrera Jr., Inside the Star With the even the slimmest of playoff chances still alive for the Cowboys, here who you root for and against today. New York Giants (2-12) over Atlanta Falcons (7-7) The Atlanta Falcons will have a new quarterback under center despite still being in the hunt for the 7th and final playoff spot in the NFC. QB Kirk Cousins has been benched in favor of rookie 8th overall pick Michael Penix Jr. New York has cycled through quarterbacks this season, and even released maligned QB Daniel Jones after not seeing improvement. They are on the hook for most of his contract, but are also in line for the first overall pick in the draft. A victory here doesn’t make sense for them, but crazier things have happened. New York Jets (4-10) over Los Angeles Rams (8-6) Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are officially eliminated from playoff contention, but they can still play spoiler to teams like the Los Angeles Rams. They still have games left versus division rivals Buffalo and Miami, and they can spoil Buffalo’s seeding while eliminating Miami altogether. Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams lead the NFC West against all expectations. Los Angeles had a mass exodus of impact players, and were expected to be in a rebuilding season. Instead, they sit atop their division with a deep playoff run in their sights. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2) over Washington Commanders (9-5) Philadelphia already defeated the Commanders a few weeks ago. It was a one possession game in Philadelphia, but this time they play in Washington. Hurts and the offense are playing lights out, and look to extend their 10-game winning streak, the longest in the league. The Washington Commanders currently hold the 7th and final Wildcard spot for the playoffs, and a loss to the Eagles would probably knock them out of that spot in favor of the Falcons or Cardinals. They cannot afford a loss, but the Cowboys need Philadelphia to win their 11th straight. Cowboys Announce Ominous Trevon Diggs Move Among 5 Roster Changes – Mike Fisher, Athlon Sports As expected. the team placed Trevon Diggs on season-ending injured reserve as well as a few corresponding transactions. Saturday marks the official end of the season for Trevon Diggs as he faces a challenging climb back to health for 2025. Meanwhlle, buddy Micah Parsons is trying to help their Dallas Cowboys get healthy now. Dallas has officially moved Diggs onto the Reserve/Injured list after his serious – one report says “ominous’ – knee injury that requires bone graft surgery …and and the club has signed CB Andrew Booth to the active roster. Dallas also elevated center Dakoda Shepley and linebacker Darius Harris from the practice squad for tomorrow night’s game against Tampa Bay. Meanwhile and he has his 2024 season-closing personal goals in place as well. So he’s not going to let a flu bug get in the way of any of that … right? The Cowboys on Friday released their official injury report in preparation for the “Sunday Night Football’’ visit from the Tampa Bay Bucs, and to the surprise – or maybe shock? – of many in Cowboys Nation, Micah’s name is on the list. Parsons is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at AT&T Stadium due to an illness. Should the news be especially concerning for 6-8 Dallas as it limps through a season in which Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, Trevon Diggs and likely DeMarcus Lawrence are among those injured and out for the year? Cowboys hot topic: Osa Odighizuwa’s good play could price him out of Dallas – Matthew Lenix Jr., Blogging the Boys Could this Dallas defensive tackle raise his price too high for the Cowboys? The Dallas Cowboys are trying to close the 2024 season on a positive note and have successfully done so at the moment with three wins in their last four games. Although they won’t

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images This business side of the NFL can’t be ignored here. The Dallas Cowboys are trying to close the 2024 season on a positive note and have successfully done so at the moment with three wins in their last four games. Although they won’t make the postseason, it is good to see them showing heart and resolve with all the injuries and misfortune they’ve had. However, once these season ends in January, the page will turn to offseason activities, which includes free agency. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones has already mentioned that the team will have a tight offseason when it comes to spending. While that’s not surprising in the slightest with how things go in Dallas, it also puts the future of some of the top guys on the roster in question. One in particular, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, is a big one to monitor. Back during the summer, Odighizuwa made it clear what he wanted to do was sign an extension with Dallas while having his best NFL season to date. The former third-round pick has certainly done the best season-to-date thing. So far this season, Odighizuwa has already tied a career-high with four sacks and set a career mark with 22 quarterback hits (nine more than any other season). He’s also equaled his best year with 31 hurries and has set a new career-high in pressures with 51. His 79.0 pass-rush grade ranks ninth for all defensive lineman in 2024 per Pro Football Focus. This is great for Odighizuwa because he has certainly upped his value. With what he’s done this season, and the steady progression in his play, Odighizuwa is possibly looking at commanding a deal around $5 to $7 million annually. If he finishes strong in the last three games, he could be looking at double-digit numbers per year. As good as it is for him, it may be the opposite for Dallas. The Cowboys do like to keep the players that they draft and develop into star or contributing players. Unfortunately, especially when it comes to Stephen Jones specifically, it always comes back to the salary cap, or at least it’s used a reason not to pay guys big dollars. The Cowboys put themselves in these positions by waiting to pay players, much like they did with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Those deals could have and should have been done earlier to put the Cowboys in a better position as far as the cap. There are plenty of ways to manipulate the cap, but Dallas tends to stand firm on being frugal. If Odighizuwa is to hit the market, teams will come calling. Although he’s a bit undersized at 280 pounds, Odighizuwa uses his wrestling background to get tremendous leverage and drive much bigger offensive linemen into the backfield. He’s solid against the run, and he helps keep linebackers clean, and teams that see themselves as contenders will be willing to pay him for those services and pay him well. It would behoove the Cowboys to value defensive tackles as a high priority for once during the offseason and bring Odighizuwa back. However, with the way Dallas handles contracts, don’t be surprised if the 2024 campaign is his last with the Cowboys.

Kara Durrette/Getty Images Our latest mailbag features plenty of questions about the Dallas 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. “Which Dallas players, coaches and front office personnel are worthy of receiving coal in his stocking for Christmas?” (@MrEd315 on Twitter) Mike: I’ll take the low hanging fruit on this one and say Jerry Jones. This has nothing to do with his rant on radio, nothing about his recent comments about the team, simply because of how Jerry handled the offseason. By not engaging in free agency and restocking the missing parts to the roster that left for other teams he set this team up for hardship. We all had to grin and bear what he did and endure the tough start to the season which was solely on his choice alone. Empty the coal room for that one. Dana: The layup answer would be Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones for how they handled player acquisition this season after claiming that they would be “all-in”. That is definitely cause for landing on Santa’s naughty list. However, Santa should be delivering a massive stocking full of coal to whoever let the “running back by committee” experiment drag on for as long as it did. Whether that was a Mike McCarthy decision or it came from the guy at the top, Rico Dowdle should have been named the lead back much earlier in the season. As Tony Romo said in his retirement speech, “football is a meritocracy”, or at least it is supposed to be. “Can the Cowboys still make the playoffs if they finish 9-8? If so, what needs to happen?” (@CowboyMania93 on Twitter) Dana: Where the Cowboys stand right now, they are not eliminated from the playoffs but there is a less than 1% chance that they make the seventh seed in the NFC. The Cowboys would need to win out to even have a chance. Three teams in the NFC North already have 10 or more wins so it is likely that two of the wildcard spots would be in the NFC North, leaving only one more in the conference. That would mean that the Commanders need to lose out, and the second place teams in the NFC West and NFC South to lose a few games to stay at nine wins or under. Obviously if that happens there would be tie breakers involved for the 9-8 teams but it is highly unlikely that it would even get to that point. Start one, sit one, cut one- Rico Dowdle, Osa Odighizuwa and Micah Parsons. (Dean Jones on Facebook) Mike: Ouch! This is maybe the toughest question we’ve had on the mailbag. Rico Dowdle in the last three weeks has been the most productive running back in the league. For a team and an offense that has struggled to run the ball this year that makes this fact even more impressive. Let’s not let Dowdle go anywhere right now and keep him doing what he’s doing best. Start Dowdle. Micah Parsons has proven without a shadow of a doubt that he is the straw that stirs the drink on defense. This Cowboys defense looks so different with him back on the field and he’s such a threat to contain it opens up the field for the rest of the defense. With so many starters on defense having Parsons missing would be another huge loss. But I’m cheating here and saying Parsons can sit, purely on the basis that news came out Friday he’s dealing with an illness. Let’s rest him up and have him fully fit for Week 17 and 18 which are division rivals. Osa Odighizuwa has been one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL and last week he was the cornerstone of the defensive line that put Bryce Young under intolerable levels of pressure. He’s an outstanding talent but here is the problem. Talented defensive tackles are hard to come by which them expensive, seriously expensive. Cut Odighizuwa, use that money to give Parsons his extension and let’s draft the next big time three-tech in the draft. A sad end to this since Odighizuwa is a quality player. Dana: This is a really tough question when all three players have been doing very well for the Cowboys this season, but here it goes. Start: Micah Parsons – There is never really a scenario where I wouldn’t start Parsons. He makes life very difficult for opposing offenses and is a complete game wrecker that they have to account for. It is clear that he has evolved into a great leader for the defense as well. Sit: Osa Odighizuwa – He is only sitting for a very short time to catch his breath. He has been stellar this year and had one of his best games last week against the Panthers. Cut: Rico Dowdle – Dowdle no doubt earned the role of lead back for the Cowboys this year and has done a great job elevating the run game since taking on that role. However, RB is a position that is more easily replaceable as long as the offensive line is gelling. While that replacement may not be on this roster currently, one could be found through free agency or the draft.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Taking one last look at the Bucs side of things. 5 Bucs to Watch Against the Cowboys – Brianna Dix, Buccaneers.com Two stellar Bucs defenders could leave disrupt Dallas’ gameplan. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to Texas for a Sunday Night Football showdown in Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 22 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. The Buccaneers have won the past two regular season meetings, with the most recent victory coming in Week One of the 2022 slate in Dallas. Tampa Bay is coming off a dominant 40-17 victory over the Chargers in Week 15 that allowed the Bucs to hold on to sole possession of first place in the NFC South. At SoFi Stadium, Tampa Bay’s offense recorded the most points (40), most total yards (506) and most rushing yards (223) against the league’s top-scoring defense. Meanwhile, the Cowboys had arguably their most complete win of the season since Week One against the Panthers in Week 15. Dallas won 30-14 and Mike Zimmer’s defense sacked Bryce Young six times, while posting two interceptions and forcing two fumbles. Here are five players to observe following kickoff on Sunday Night Football: Vita Vea Bucs’ nose tackle Vita Vea is tied with linemate Calijah Kancey for the team lead with 6.0 sacks. He has been a formidable force in the interior, wreaking havoc. In three career games against the Cowboys, Vea has racked up 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hits and four tackles (two for loss). He consistently splits double teams and overpowers centers/guards. The 347-pound menace is light on his feet and routinely pummels linemen at the point of attack. Vea has range down the line of scrimmage and without nine-time Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin in the Cowboys’ lineup (injured reserve), he will vie to take advantage on Sunday in primetime, carving up the middle of Dallas’ offensive line. His double-team pressure rate ranks seventh in the league (11) among defensive tackles with 400-plus snaps and Vea will be on the prowl in prime time. Lavonte David In seven career games against Dallas, Lavonte David has tallied 62 tackles (six for loss), 2.0 sacks, four quarterback hits, three passes defensed and one fumble recovery. At the age of 34, David is playing with elite play recognition. Against the Chargers in Week 15, David had a stellar day with 12 tackles (one for loss), 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hits on Justin Herbert. He became the first player this season to record a game with 12-plus tackles, three-plus quarterback hits and 1.5-plus sacks. He sets the tone in Tampa Bay and is adept at covering tight ends, blitzing through the A-gap and flattening guards to get into the backfield to make tackles. David has a knack for making plays on the football and is Mr. Consistency for the Bucs. With outstanding range and ability to diagnose and trigger, David solidifies Todd Bowles’ defense. On Sunday, David will go up against Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle. Dowdle posted a career-high 149 yards on the ground in Week 15 against the Panthers, marking his third straight 100-yard rushing performance. He is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and pairs vision with burst. Dowdle is able to quickly determine cutback lanes and transitions from evading tacklers to finish mode with ease. Bucs at Cowboys: What To Watch For In Week 16 – Bailey Adams, PewterReport.com Tampa is priming for a playoff push when they visit Arlington on Sunday. The 8-6 Bucs head into Jerry World in Week 16 to match up with the 6-8 Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Tampa Bay has won four straight games and will be looking to make it five straight, which would get the team closer to locking up a fourth consecutive NFC South title. For the Bucs, it may be as simple as continuing to let the ground game carry them in this week’s matchup. The Dallas run defense has been better as of late, but it’s still allowing 136.1 yards per game, which ranks 29th in the league. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen may want to lean on Bucky Irving and Rachaad White in this one, especially with the way that duo – and especially Irving – finished last week’s win against the Chargers. Tampa Bay’s offensive line is mauling in the run game, and the big heavies will be ready to roll again in primetime. As much as the run game might be able to propel the Buccaneer offense, Baker Mayfield also needs to play a clean, turnover-free game. Nothing will rile up the home crowd on Sunday Night Football quite like a potential game-swinging turnover, so Mayfield needs to avoid the mistakes in this one. And if he does turn the ball over, he needs to snap back quickly like he did against Los Angeles. Mayfield threw a second-quarter interception before going on to finish off a four-touchdown day that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He’ll be looking to get in a rhythm with Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton early on to set the tone right. For Tampa Bay’s defense, the big keys are getting after Cooper Rush and containing both CeeDee Lamb and Rico Dowdle. Lamb is the type of receiver who can take over a game, and the Bucs can’t let that happen on Sunday night. Shutting Dowdle and the Cowboys run game down may be just as important, though, as the defense’s ability to neutralize the Chargers on the ground last week played a huge role in their dominant performance. The better Todd Bowles‘ defense can stop the run, the more it’ll be able to pressure Rush and force him into some costly mistakes. Bucs’ 39 TD superstar predicted to be franchise tagged – Andrew Parsaud, SportingNews.com Tampa’s number 2 receiver my not get a new deal this year. One major decision the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to make in the offseason