Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images What would you say is the biggest thing you have learned about the Cowboys lately? The Dallas Cowboys got back to their winning ways with a 30-14 beatdown of the Carolina Panthers. For the first time with quarterback Cooper Rush at the helm, the Cowboys scored three offensive touchdowns and never let the Panthers in the game. Rico Dowdle continued his hot streak with his third consecutive game over 100 yards. They only had one reception a piece, but Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks both scored touchdowns in Week 15. All-Pro Micah Parsons is simply back in his bag after missing four games with an ankle sprain. He had two sacks against the Panthers, making it his third multi-sack game in the last six weeks. Chauncey Golston stacked yet another impressive performance, and Osa Odighizuwa keeps playing his best football, which could price himself out of the Cowboys range once free agency comes about. Simply put, it was one of the best overall performances by Dallas in 2024 on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys still need a mini-miracle to make the postseason. However, they have won three of their last four games, which is testament to their resolve. As they get set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, here’s three things we have learned about the Cowboys entering Week 16. Marist Liufau looks comfortable and confident As devastating as the season-ending injury to second-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown was, it opened up an opportunity for Marist Liufau to put his thumbprint on the Cowboys defense. He got off to a great start in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits. However, he got to start against the Panthers, and he responded by tying a career high with five tackles and he also had a forced fumble. Liufau has no hesitation when he recognizes a play, and he shoots downhill with force every time he sees someone with the ball. It’s all about reps at this point with Liufau, and he still has three more games to go this season. With Overshown likely to miss at least most of 2025, if not more, Liufau will be needed immensely next season. So, these games are great learning experiences for him. CeeDee Lamb is quietly having another All-Pro type season CeeDee Lamb put up nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown against that Panthers, and it put him in the Cowboys record books. Lamb became the first player in Dallas to have four 1,000-yard seasons in his first five years, and he also joined Hall of Famer Michael Irvin as the only Cowboys with four consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. The former first round pick is quietly third in the NFL in receptions (94) and yards (1,089). Keep in mind that he has played without Dak Prescott since Week 9. Putting up great numbers with Prescott is on the field is a given, but to continue to produce at the highest level with a guy who is limited like Cooper Rush just speaks to how good Lamb is. Brock Hoffman is making a case to be Zack Martin’s successor Sadly, the Zack Martin era is likely coming to an end, and the Cowboys have to think about the future of the right guard position. Brock Hoffman, who has taken the reigns there, is playing excellent football. Hoffman has logged 315 snaps in 2024, and he hasn’t allowed a sack yet. Also, he has only given up one quarterback hit and two pressures. It’s not just at guard that Hoffman has shined, though, as he’s played 109 snaps at center and 19 at left guard as well. The Cowboys shouldn’t let Hoffman’s play stop them from upgrading with a new player in the draft. Even if they do, whoever comes in will have to fight for the job because Hoffman is not only skilled, but he plays with a grit and toughness that is needed in the trenches, and he could very be the starting right guard in 2025.

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images The Cowboys defense is playing really well right now. Previously we broke down the offenses for this week’s upcoming game for the Dallas Cowboys. Now we dive back into the position battleground, this time looking at how the defensive positions and special teams stack up against each other. DEFENSIVE LINE Besides to Rico Dowdle breaking out, the next big thing on this Cowboys roster that has really impressed as the season has progressed is the Cowboys defensive line. Osa Odighizuwa has played so well recently he may have priced himself out of Dallas’ price range to return next season. His 51 total pressures ranks third-most among defensive tackles this year and his pass rush win rate of 15.1% ranks ninth. Micah Parsons, even though missing four games this year, ranks fifth in total pressures among defenders and fourth in sacks. It’s an outstanding performance and it’s been overlooked thanks to talk about him being traded. Chauncey Golston has looked strong these past few weeks and also Marshawn Kneeland picking up the loose ball last week was good to see. The Cowboys in the last three weeks have generated the most sacks and allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards against them, all showing the arrow is firmly pointed up for this defensive line. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line has allowed the 11th-fewest rush yards against them this year but in the last three weeks they allowed only 67 rush yards per game, that’s insane efficiency. In terms of pass rush, Tampa ranks 11th in total sacks this year and have totaled 133 pressures, which is less than Dallas but still ranks the sixth-most. But this defensive line in the last three games has generated the sixth-fewest sacks showing it’s slowing down slightly. Defensive tackles Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey both lead the team with six sacks, that ranks 39th among defenders. Logan Hall is the team’s best edge defender with four sacks. With more sacks and pressures this Cowboys defensive line wins against the pass. But they falter in terms of defending run (although it’s looking improved lately). These lines are split. Win: Push Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images LINEBACKER Marist Liufau has become the newest linebacker to make headlines for Dallas. The team lost DeMarvion Overshown (but some good news on his surgery came out this week), but then Liufau stepped up and has really started to breakout. His caused fumble against Bryce Young was great to watch, and the improvement he’s shown at becoming more instinctive at the position has really exploded the last couple of weeks. Eric Kendricks shows he’s still a menace making tackles last week, and even catching a tipped ball for an interception. Kendricks now ranks third among linebackers in total tackles. K.J. Britt may miss this week so keep watch on his practice report. He’s fourth on the team in tackles but that’s nothing compared to Lavonte David’s total. He leads the team with 104 tackles, but his production doesn’t end there. He also has five sacks, seven tackles for loss, one interception and leads the team with three forced fumbles. He’s a great linebacker. Yaya Diaby plays on the weakside and has two sacks and 41 tackles. From the SAM linebacker position the team has Joe Tryon-Shoyinka who has 23 tackles and two sacks. Conclusion:This is an another tight contest here. Both linebacker corps have stepped and played well, the edge could go ever so slightly to Dallas thanks to Kendricks efforts, but that’s balanced out by Lavonte David and his production numbers. Win: Push Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images DEFENSIVE BACKS The Cowboys are lucky to have Jourdan Lewis as he’s been the steady ship on what was a rocky ocean for the Cowboys defense early in the season. The front office, for all its faults when it comes to contract negotiations, actually made a smart move with Lewis and managed to keep him on the cheap. Although Kendricks was credited with the interception, it was Lewis that made the athletic play on the ball for Kendricks to make the catch. He’s a great corner and his veteran presence has been solid this year for the defensive backs. Trevon Diggs’ news before the game stated he would be out for around eight months, that makes him ready to return as training camp looms on the horizon. Last week, DaRon Bland allowed zero catches and had a 39.6 passer rating allowed when targeted. Tampa has a weakness and that’s its secondary. They have been hit at the position by a string of injuries and lost three cornerbacks to injured reserve. But this week both starting safeties, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Mike Edwards, are questionable to play. They have allowed the fifth-most passing touchdowns and the third-most passing yards this season. To add to that, no other team has allowed more receptions on defense than Tampa Bay, and it’s by some margin. As for interceptions, they have made the fourth-fewest. Jamal Dean is the cornerback to watch, he’s one defensive back that can get the job done so targeting away from him would be a good start. Conclusion:The Cowboys secondary has managed to keep going and step up with injuries recently. Many players on this Cowboys roster have been lost this season and the secondary is one position that got the injury bug badly. For the Bucs, the same can be said but their statistics speak for themselves. Cowboys have allowed less passing yards and touchdowns.Win: Cowboys Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images SPECIAL TEAMS Brandon Aubrey once again made pressures kicks at distance look like easy play. He made all three extra points and hit three field goals last week, one from 52-yards. He’s an easy choice for the Pro Bowl this year. Chase McLaughlin is continuing on from his good performance from last year. He’s missed only two field goals from 27 attempts this year. The two misses came from attempts of over 50 yards. There’s

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images Sunday night feels big. Things have been looking up for the Cowboys lately, winning three of their last four and keeping a razor thin sliver of hope alive for the playoffs. That could all change this week, though, when they take on the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football. There are two ways the Cowboys could be officially eliminated from postseason contention this week. If the Commanders beat or even tie the Eagles in their 1 PM ET matchup on Sunday, that would do it. Philadelphia is currently a 3.5-point favorite on the road, so it’s going to be close in that regard. Assuming an Eagles win, though, the Cowboys would still need to beat the Buccaneers in order to still be able to realistically say they have something to fight for. That presents its own challenge, as Tampa Bay is hitting its stride right now. The Buccaneers have won four straight to move to 8-6 and a one-game lead over the Falcons in the NFC South race. Head coach Todd Bowles is on the verge of making it three straight division titles in as many years, though his team cannot clinch anything this week. Still, it’s been a triumphant turn for Tampa Bay. They’ve been hit with the injury bug a few times, losing Chris Godwin for the year earlier in the season. They also lost four in a row – to the Ravens, Falcons, Chiefs, and 49ers – all by one score. The loss in Kansas City came down to overtime, an impressive feat in its own right. Since then, the offense – led by Baker Mayfield – has found its rhythm while the defense has returned to form somewhat. They had a close call, needing overtime to beat the Panthers, but logged wins against the Giants, Raiders, and Chargers by a combined margin of 61 points. Their most recent game, a blowout of the Chargers, was easily the most impressive. To hammer home just how good Tampa Bay has been recently, consider this: since Week 12, they’re second in the NFL in team EPA/play, behind only the Bills. They’re getting hot at the right time, but so are the Cowboys. In that same span, Dallas is tied for ninth in team EPA/play. Is that enough to make this a real game? Sportsbooks don’t seem to think so. The Buccaneers are currently 4.5-point favorites as the road team, so Vegas doesn’t have much faith in the Cowboys. That’s fair, as the Cowboys’ last four opponents have a combined record of 20-36. Dallas has objectively played better in recent weeks, but they haven’t been doing it against the cream of the crop. The Buccaneers may not be the cream of the crop either, but they’re up there. Coming into this game, they’re seventh in offensive DVOA, and Mayfield is playing especially well after signing an extension last offseason. The quarterback is ninth in EPA/play and third in completion rate. His gunslinger tendencies are still there, as Mayfield is second in the league in interceptions and fifth in turnover-worthy play rate, but he’s also third in touchdowns and fourth in yards. The defense, run by Bowles himself, has been playing much better in recent weeks but still isn’t the force it usually is. The secondary has been especially susceptible, and only two defenses are giving up more passing yards per game. That should be a concern for Tampa Bay as they now go up against CeeDee Lamb, who’s on a hot streak right now despite catching passes from Cooper Rush. When you look closely, there is a genuine path to victory for the Cowboys. They’ll need to play really efficient football on both sides from start to finish, but the Buccaneers are far from invincible. We’ve seen the Cowboys rise to the occasion in recent weeks, so perhaps we’ll see a similar effort Sunday night in a must-win game.

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images The latest in Dallas Cowboys news heading into the weekend. Micah Parsons ends all speculation on possible holdout, future with Cowboys – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Micah Parsons still plans to attend offseason practices with the team, regardless of his contract extension status. “I’ve got to be around the guys,” he said. “There’s going to be rookies, there’s going to be free agents — guys that come here — you don’t know who’s going to be there, so there’s a chemistry part and people know what you can do, but people also got to see it from a leader aspect. So I still gotta be there for that part.” It’s a more evolved side of Parsons that’s emerged over the version that chose to sidestep voluntary workouts (then again, “what do voluntary mean?”) to this point, as the drive to become one of the definitive leaders of the team continues to dig itself deeper into the heart and mindset of the former first-round pick. “I definitely think I need to be here in camp because, honestly, when so much of the defense is surrounded by your play and your presence, and others are getting lined up based off of you, I need to be here so that way I can get these guys accordingly,” said Parsons. “We can rush together, build that chemistry. “So I think it’s of extreme importance that I’m back at OTAs, minicamp [etc.].” […] “It would just be nice to be surrounded by good players, you know what I mean?” he said. “Players that are going to help you win championships. To me, having $40 million and being chipped every play and slid two with three, four people — I don’t think that sounds too fun. So, to me, it’s about people that can keep making a difference and, obviously, we’re going to get Sam [Williams] back; and we’re going get some of [others] back. “We’ll see how it breaks down, but I want to keep as many guys as possible, however they’re going to make the cap work.” Cowboys Today: The growing relationship between Micah Parsons and Mike Zimmer – Jon Machota, The Athletic Micah Parsons has been vocal in his support for Mike Zimmer and is campaigning for him to return in 2025. “We do have a good relationship,” Zimmer said. “He came up to me during the game (Sunday) and said, ‘We need to run this.’ And I said, ‘Dude, it’s the two-minute drill. Can you just relax? It’s starred on the sheet right here. You see it?’ And he was like, ‘OK, OK, OK.’ He means well. And he’s very smart. He’s brilliant.” How has Parsons shown that brilliance? “A lot of different ways,” Zimmer said. “Not just football. It’s the things we talk about. We went to dinner one night over here (by The Star) just me and him. Just talking about life and his background and my background, things like that. He’s very smart. He’ll come up to me, and he’ll say, ‘This would be a good thing to do.’ (A play) where he can get a free shot somewhere.” The Cowboys’ front office has been pleased with the job Zimmer has done taking over a defense that was called by Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn the previous three seasons. Like with Quinn, Zimmer has been finding ways to move Parsons around and maximize his abilities. What does the Cowboys’ 2025 salary cap really look like? – Todd Archer, ESPN The question surrounding the Cowboys and their participation in free agency acquisition isn’t a matter of can they do it, but will they do it. For fans, the fear is that 2025 free agency will be approached the same way as last offseason, when the Cowboys opted against adding key players to a roster in need of help. Will it be another offseason like 2024, when they didn’t consider adding star free agent running back Derrick Henry, opting to bring back an aging veteran Ezekiel Elliott instead? Will they wait to get their highest-priced extension done with Micah Parsons, the way they did with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last offseason? Will it be another spring of letting key free agents, such as Osa Odighizuwa and Chauncey Golston walk, the way Tony Pollard, Dorance Armstrong and Tyler Biadasz did last offseason? The Cowboys’ offseason plan — whom to keep, whom to extend, whom to let walk — is not finalized by any stretch. The focus remains on the final three regular-season games, but it’s not as if the Cowboys can’t multitask. “We’re always working behind the curtain, thinking about those type of things — everything we’re doing right now, how it affects next year,” Jones said. Some projections expect the 2025 salary cap to be approximately $275 million. Teams aren’t planning for the $30 million jump it took in 2024, but it will still go up. According to Roster Management System, the Cowboys have 40 players signed for 2025 at a cost of $263 million. Cap space is — to steal a term from owner and general manager Jerry Jones — fungible… …But it will remain true that if the Cowboys want to be active in free agency — if not at the top of the market — they can be. So the major question of their approach to the 2025 offseason is: Will they? Cooper Rush on tough Tampa Bay defense, fixing fumble issues – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com Cooper Rush faces another challenge this week going against the Buccaneers’ defense while cleaning up some of his mistakes. The Buccaneers’ defense has turned up the heat against their opponents in the last three game, allowing just 286.3 yards per game over that time span, the fifth best rate in the league. Part of that has come with the success Bowles’ units have with disguising coverage on the backend, something that Rush knows the Cowboys will have to figure out if they want to

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Who wins tonight… Denver or Los Angeles? The Denver Broncos play the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football. FanDuel has the Chargers as 2.5-point favorites over the Broncos. Final score prediction: Chargers 23 – Broncos 17. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Micah Parsons reiterated that he does not need to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. They are on the way. They are inevitable. Soon enough, at long last, this Dallas Cowboys season will end, and while the rest of the NFL moves on to the playoffs and crowing a Super Bowl champion, the Cowboys will be focused on 2025. It would make sense for the Cowboys to prioritize something very obvious when it comes to their priorities in the offseason, that obvious thing being an extension for Micah Parsons. Last offseason saw the Cowboys notoriously delay extensions that they wound up handing out to both CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott. That they got those extensions done in the eleventh hour, and not as soon as possible, made them as inefficient deals as they possibly could have been. The time to get these kinds of things done is as soon as you can. Unfortunately the Cowboys squandered that specific opportunity with Parsons as they did not get an extension done during his first offseason eligible (last year). This is why the Cowboys must ensure that they get a Parsons deal done as soon as possible in 2025 and according to Parsons himself, they don’t need to entirely break the bank to do it. Cowboys DE Micah Parsons made it clear that he doesn’t need to be the highest-paid defensive player. He said that would be nice, but added: “It would be nice to be surrounded by good players. Players are going to help you win championships. I want to keep as many guys as… — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 19, 2024 Parsons spoke on Thursday and stressed that he does not need to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. He joked (although it seemed serious, but in a playful way) about only needing as much to have a lake house, so there is some subjectivity involved as to what the bare minimum amount for that would be. To be frank, it is quite rare to see athletes turn down an opportunity to leverage their position into the most lucrative deals possible. Everything that Parsons said there is a dream of a statement from the front office, a group that would unlikely be as malleable on things as he appears to be. But maybe Parsons is genuine and really just wants to be a Cowboy and have certain players around him, and wants to do whatever he can to make that possible. To be clear, it is not his job to build a team around him, but if that is going to be his approach then so be it. On a different note, Parsons was asked about his rooting interests this coming weekend. Parsons is a Penn State alum and they will host SMU in the inaugural round of the College Football Playoff. Obviously SMU is geographically close to him which makes things a bit awkward. Parsons was also asked if he would be rooting for his hometown (so to speak) team in the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys need the Eagles to beat the Washington Commanders to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, but Parsons had an all-time response when pressed on the matter. (1/2) Asked Micah Parsons if he’s rooting for both his home state teams, Penn State in CFP vs SMU, Eagles vs Commanders (Dallas eliminated if WASH win): “Nah, at this point, it’s fuck Philly, now. Even if we got eliminated, like, I gotta crush Philly. Fuck them. I hate them now. — Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) December 19, 2024 Make this man a Cowboy for life!

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images There are some very interesting matchups that we will be paying attention to on Sunday night. With just three games remaining on the 2024 regular-season schedule, the roller coaster ride the Dallas Cowboys have taken us on this year is finally about to come to a stop. There’s no doubt it’s been a maddening and frustrating year as far as expectations go, but it’s something we should be pretty accustomed to as Cowboys fans. With little to play for, we can do now is sit back and enjoy the ride is much as possible. Today, we’re going to look at a few intriguing matchups to keep an eye on in this Week 16 meeting between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cowboys. Generally we try to focus some more of the matchups that will potentially sway the game one way or another, but today we chose to go with the ones on purely based on entertainment value. RB Rico Dowdle vs. Buccaneers’ run defense Rico Dowdle has a chance to hit a couple of milestones in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only is he 120 yards shy of rushing for 1,000 yards on the season, but if he has another 100-yard rushing game he will be the first Cowboys RB to have four consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Ezekiel Elliott (2016). It won’t be easy though considering Tampa Bay is only allowing 109.2 rushing yards per game this year. It’s going to be really interesting to see if No. 23 can continue to produce like he has recently. DT Osa Odighizuwa vs. Buccaneers’ C Graham Barton Over the past seven weeks there hasn’t been a better pass rushing DT in the league than Osa Odighizuwa. During that time span he has generated 32 QB pressures, the most for DTs in the league. He also currently has a total of four QB sacks this season and with one more he will set a career-high for himself. Graham Barton presents an interesting matchup for No. 97. He has only allowed one QB sack this year, but is the most penalized player at his position with 12 total penalties this season. It will be fun watching these to battle it out. CB DaRon Bland vs. Buccaneers’ WR Mike Evans Mike Evans presents an interesting matchup problem for the Cowboys. Although he has struggled with injuries throughout the season, he is coming off a game in which he caught nine passes for 159 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. Considering the Cowboys secondary is currently banged up and decimated by injuries, there’s a chance Evans could have a field day this week. It may be wise for Mike Zimmer to try to shadow him with DaRon Bland to hopefully limit his impact on the game.