It is normal to feel a little nervous about a road game when you’re only 2-2-1. Dallas is favored by three points despite CeeDee Lamb still being out, but Dallas has shown both the good and bad this year, and you never know which one will show up. Carolina is 2-3, but they’ve yet to […] It is normal to feel a little nervous about a road game when you’re only 2-2-1. Dallas is favored by three points despite CeeDee Lamb still being out, but Dallas has shown both the good and bad this year, and you never know which one will show up. Carolina is 2-3, but they’ve yet to lose a game at home this season, beating the Falcons and Dolphins. Does that make anyone more nervous about this one? Let’s see what our writers think. When Carolina has the ball Bring the seatbelts Former Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle went off last week in his first start of the year, topping 200 yards on the day, and proceeded to tell his former team to “buckle up” for this week. Brian Schottenheimer then jokingly said his team would bring their seatbelts. They’ll need to, though. Carolina is one of the better rushing offenses in the league right now, whether it’s Dowdle or banged-up starter Chuba Hubbard. And while Dallas has been generally decent against the run this year, they gave up several huge plays last week after Jack Sanborn went down. They’ll need to be on their best against the run to keep this Panthers offense from doing what they do best. When Dallas has the ball Run, run, run The Cowboys are firing on all cylinders right now, offensively speaking. Dak Prescott is building a strong MVP case with the numbers he’s put up with CeeDee Lamb on the sidelines. But this week should be an outlier. The Panthers are undefeated at home for a reason: their field conditions are downright painful for visitors. That makes everything harder on opponents, but cutting and running routes are especially difficult. That’s not to say the Cowboys shouldn’t throw the ball at all, but if I were calling plays, this is one game where I’m leaning on Javonte Williams more than normal. And, thankfully, the idea of leaning on Williams is actually a really good one. Now onto the predictions from your BTB writers… Tom Ryle (3-1-1): It’s hard to call a game a ‘trap game’ for a 2-2-1 team, but this one worries me a tad. I still think the Cowboys will take care of business on the road. Cowboys win, 31-23. Matt Holleran (4-0-1): When the schedule first came out, I always thought this could be a troublesome game for the Cowboys. I still think that today. The Panthers aren’t a playoff team, but they are better than the Jets. I think their defensive front will give Dallas fits in the run game and it will be a battle to move the football on the ground. In the end, I see Dallas’ offense making one more big play than Carolina to give them the win. Give me the Cowboys, 23-20. Mike Poland (2-2-1): The Panthers defense have managed to rack up a grand total of 5 sacks this year on defense, that ranks last in the NFL. The Cowboys offensive line, however, has allowed only 7 sacks, that’s fourth fewest. And the crazy part is the Panthers entire edge rusher unit combine for just one sack. That means Dak should have more time to find the likes of Ferguson, Flournoy and Pickens and chew the defense apart. With the Cowboys defense finding form last week that should give the unit confidence this week heading into a team that’s run-first. Providing they come out in the same manner as last week this is a big Cowboys victory and take two consecutive road wins. Cowboys go 3-2-1 and win 35-20. Brian Martin (3-1-1): The Panthers are so far undefeated at home, but they haven’t squared off against an offense like the Cowboys. Even shorthanded they didn’t skip a beat last week against the Jets and with reinforcements on the way they should easily outscore QB Bryce Young and Company. Score prediction: Cowboys 37, Panthers 17. Jess Haynie (3-1-1): While Carolina benefits from playing at home and against the Dallas D, it won’t be enough to answer Prescott, Pickens, and the Cowboys’ hot offense. Cowboys 37, Panthers 27. David Howman (2-2-1): I said before the season that I was a believer in this Panthers team, specifically head coach Dave Canales. I still feel that way, but the Cowboys have also looked (thus far) to be every bit what I expected them to be too. Considering I had this as a win for Dallas before the season, I still feel that way. I do, however, think it’ll be a close one. Field conditions are less than ideal, and the Panthers have some real talent. I think this will be a physical game dominated by the rushing attack on both sides, but I see Dak Prescott making just a couple impact plays to tip the scale in the Cowboys’ favor. Cowboys win, 24-20. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The Dallas Cowboys face the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Dallas is looking for its first win streak of the season. The Cowboys went on the road last week against the New York Jets and played their most complete game of the season in a 37-22 win. The Cowboys offense kept doing their thing which […] The Dallas Cowboys face the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Dallas is looking for its first win streak of the season. The Cowboys went on the road last week against the New York Jets and played their most complete game of the season in a 37-22 win. The Cowboys offense kept doing their thing which is racking up points. But they did it with a new leader in catches and yards for the game, Ryan Flournoy. This week, watch out for more of Jake Ferguson as the Panthers really struggle to check tight ends. Perhaps the most important thing to come out of the Jets game was the Cowboys pass rush finally waking up. Five sacks against Justin Fields and many more hits and pressures wrecked the Jets offense. If the front four can repeat that this week against Bryce Young, the Cowboys should come out of the game as winners. Info for the game. Cowboys vs Panthers game info Important links: Cowboys depth chart | Roster Date: Oct 12, 2025 Game time: 1:00 PM EST Location: Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium TV channel: FOX Coverage Map: 506 Sports Radio: 105.3 The Fan | SXM Streaming: Fubo Cowboys record: (2-2-1) Panthers record: (2-3) Odds: Dallas -3, courtesy of FanDuel Prediction: Cowboys 34 – Panthers 17 Enemy blog: Cat Scratch Reader Twitter: @BloggingTheBoys Facebook: Please Like us! See More: Dallas Cowboys Game Information

When the Cowboys take the field this Sunday, it’ll be their third straight year facing the Panthers in Carolina. Even with a new coaching staff in Dallas, that lends itself to some familiarity with this squad, especially on defense, where defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has been for all three games. Evero has been one of […] When the Cowboys take the field this Sunday, it’ll be their third straight year facing the Panthers in Carolina. Even with a new coaching staff in Dallas, that lends itself to some familiarity with this squad, especially on defense, where defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has been for all three games. Evero has been one of the rising stars in the coaching ranks for a while now, viewed by many as a future head coach. He famously turned down the Broncos interim head coaching gig when Nathaniel Hackett was fired in 2022, and instead went to Carolina as the defensive coordinator. Through his first two years running the Panthers defense, Evero hasn’t had much success. His first year in Carolina, which saw Frank Reich fired midseason, finished with the defense 26th in EPA/play allowed and 32nd in defensive DVOA. Last year, the defense finished 32nd in EPA/play allowed and 30th in defensive DVOA. That’s not what you want to see, but the Panthers also had a litany of injuries on defense last year. By the end of the year, they had lost seven starters to season-ending injuries, with Pro Bowl nose tackle Derrick Brown going down in the season opener. Brown is now back in action and leads the team in sacks, and Carolina went to work to upgrade the defensive roster around him: in the offseason, they added six new players that have all become key contributors on that side of the ball. The result: modest improvement, but nothing extraordinary. Carolina ranks 21st in EPA/play allowed and 27th in defensive DVOA. To understand the defensive struggles, it’s important to understand Evero’s scheme. He’s a Vic Fangio disciple through and through, coaching under him with the 49ers and later becoming right-hand-man to fellow Fangio disciple Brandon Staley while with the Rams. As such, Evero’s scheme is built on playing with a light box and committing defenders to pass coverage, routinely using two deep safeties to keep everything in front of the defensive backs. As with any scheme, there are pro’s and con’s to the approach. Evero’s scheme fundamentally asks a lot from his defensive line and safety groups. The defensive line must generate pass rush to force quarterbacks into throwing shorter passes, as well as hold their own against the run with such a light box, while the safeties have to trigger downfield from far away to make plays after the catch and keep those short passes short. Therein lies the problem for the Panthers. Nobody has fewer sacks than them, and their pressure rate is tied with the aforementioned Staley’s Saints unit for second-worst in the league. Opposing receivers are averaging 3.8 yards of separation at the catch point against this defense, tied for fourth-most in the league; again, that’s a feature of the coverage scheme, but it’s a problem when the Panthers are also giving up 513 yards after the catch. Against the run, the defensive line hasn’t been getting it done either. They’re stuffing the run on just 12.5% of run plays, sixth-lowest in the league. They’re now going up against a Cowboys offense that has the lowest rate in the league of runs that get stuffed. That hardly bodes well for them. So when the defensive line can’t get pressure or stop the run, and the coordinator refuses to help them out with blitzes or loading the box more – Carolina ranks in 25th in blitz rate and 27th in stacked box rate – what else is supposed to happen? The Panthers know their scheme well by now, but Evero isn’t getting adequate enough production to run the scheme effectively. Sooner or later, something has to give. This week may be their most challenging yet. Dallas is red-hot offensively, torching defenses through the air and on the ground. They’re averaging 187 passing yards a game just on plays where there’s no pressure and 7.3 yards per carry against light boxes. Things don’t look good for this Carolina defense right now. See More: Dallas Cowboys General

It feels weird to have this much optimism around a team that’s just 2-2-1, but that’s where we are with the Cowboys. Their offense is cooking, the defense showed signs of life last week, and the team is favored in a road game with the Panthers this week. Things may be trending in the Cowboys’ […] It feels weird to have this much optimism around a team that’s just 2-2-1, but that’s where we are with the Cowboys. Their offense is cooking, the defense showed signs of life last week, and the team is favored in a road game with the Panthers this week. Things may be trending in the Cowboys’ favor as of late, but it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. Let’s take a look at their penalty numbers before getting into the officiating assignment for this week’s game. Cowboys Penalties Week by Week Cowboys Penalties Penalty Yards Opponent Penalties Penalty Yards at Eagles 4 42 9 110 vs Giants 12 106 14 160 at Bears 4 25 6 41 vs Packers 11 95 7 53 at Jets 11 91 10 61 Total 42 359 46 425 The Cowboys have now gone consecutive weeks with 11 penalties, and it’s their third time in four games with double-digit penalties. After sitting outside the top 10 in penalties for the year, they’ve now leapt into a tie for the fifth-most flags; more concerning, they’re fourth in total penalty yardage. Special teams continues to be an issue here, too. The offense is 19th in penalties, the defense is 16th in penalties, but special teams is second in the league in flags drawn. Coincidentally, the Titans – led by John “Bones” Fassel – is the one unit more penalized than Dallas. As for the Panthers, they’re one of the more disciplined teams in the NFL, currently drawing the fifth-fewest penalties. They have yet to draw double-digit flags in a game and have just one game with more than 60 penalty yards. Odds seem good those streaks continue with this week’s officiating crew. John Hussey is one of the longest-tenured officials in football, having joined the NFL all the way back in 2002 as a line judge. He became a head referee in 2015 and is now in the midst of his 11th season leading his own crew. That gives him a pretty sizable career of how Hussey calls games, over which he’s developed a reputation for helping the home team. Last year marked the first time since 2017 that Hussey’s crew did not finish the year with more penalties called on the visitor, though it was narrow, with just six more flags on the home team. Prior to that, his crew usually finished with considerably more flags thrown on the road team; so far this year, he’s called seven more penalties on the home team. It’s possible that Hussey is changing his tendencies, though that’s usually uncommon for referees as tenured as he. A breakdown of Hussey’s games this year offers a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy: he officiated a Titans game in Tennessee in Week 2 that saw the Titans – and that horribly undisciplined special teams unit we mentioned before – flagged six more times than their visiting opponent. That game sticks out as a real statistical anomaly. One thing that has been materially different this year, though, is the on-field impact of Hussey’s calls. Known to be a boon for the home team’s winning chances, Hussey has seen the home team go 107-56 under his watch before the start of this season. However, the home team is 2-2 so far this year, with several surprises. In Week 1, the Bills staged an epic comeback over the Ravens; backup Mac Jones led the 49ers to a win over the Cardinals; and the Commanders just upset the Chargers. Not only that, but the home team is 1-3 against the spread with Hussey on the call this year, which seems to suggest home teams aren’t getting the usual boost they have in the past. That’s a comforting trend for the Cowboys, but the fact remains that the Panthers don’t draw the flag too much. The Cowboys offense leads the league in first downs gained by penalty, but Carolina is giving up the fewest first downs by penalty, just two. In the same vein, the Panthers are tied for sixth in gaining first downs that way. The Panthers are a very disciplined team so far this year, and the Cowboys haven’t been one in recent weeks. Hussey may no longer be the harbinger of doom for visitors, but his presence and extensive track record is anything but a positive for the Cowboys. See More: Dallas Cowboys General

The Cowboys look to win their third game of 2025 with another of what’s becoming an annual trip to Charlotte, NC, to meet the Panthers. Only their tie result with Green Bay has Dallas slightly above Carolina’s current 2-3 record, so this could be a close one. Based on how the Panthers’ season has gone […] The Cowboys look to win their third game of 2025 with another of what’s becoming an annual trip to Charlotte, NC, to meet the Panthers. Only their tie result with Green Bay has Dallas slightly above Carolina’s current 2-3 record, so this could be a close one. Based on how the Panthers’ season has gone so far, which Cowboys players could have big days, and who might struggle? BUY QB Dak Prescott With Prescott now in the early MVP conversation based on his hot start, projecting him to have another good day isn’t a hot take. But it’s especially logical given that the Panthers just allowed strong performances from Tua Tagovailoa and Drake Maye in their last two games. Even just after losing Tyreek Hill to injury, Tagovailoa went off for 256 yards and three touchdowns against Carolina last Sunday. The Panthers’ defense is actually not bad in overall rankings, 12th in yards allowed per game and 18th in points. But those are more from their early games, especially a Week 3 shutout of the Falcons, and not reflective of the last two. Also, Carolina has arguably the league’s worst pass rush with only five sacks so far this year. And three of those just came last week against the Dolphins. If Prescott has time to breathe in the pocket, he can carve up even the better defenses at his current level of play. Carolina has been more susceptible to the pass, especially lately, so it could be a day to let the offense go through Prescott more than Javonte Williams. And if Dallas is worried about Rico Dowdle’s revenge, the best defense may be their own explosive passing attack. WR George Pickens We saw last week that Dak doesn’t have to rely on Pickens to keep the offense moving. If not for their 43-yard touchdown hookup, Pickens would’ve had just one catch for 14 yards on the day. That doesn’t seem likely in Carolina, though. With CeeDee Lamb still out, Pickens should have a strong day given how other number-one receivers have performed recently against the Panthers While Carolina does have one of the league’s top corners in Jaycee Horn, that didn’t stop Jaylen Waddle from getting six catches for 110 yards and a score last week. The Panthers also allowed New England’s Stefon Diggs six catches for 101 yards in Week 4. Even in an otherwise awful offensive day for Atlanta, Drake London still managed 55 yards on five catches. Clearly, if an opponent wants to feed their top receiver, Carolina hasn’t been able to do much about it. After Ryan Flournoy’s huge day in New York, this feels like a good week for Pickens and Prescott to resume the potent connection we saw against the Packers. DE Dante Fowler Fowler seemed like a new man against New York, terrorizing Justin Fields throughout the day. Panthers QB Bryce Young has been sacked at least once in every game, and in two games was taken down three times. If the Cowboys’ pass rush has found an improved methodology, and didn’t just benefit from playing the Jets, they have a decent shot at proving it in Carolina. Of course, if the Panthers also saw Fowler’s play and decide to focus on him, the big day could come from James Houston or maybe Donovan Ezeiruaku. But Houston has his own budding reputation, which has been more consistent so far this year, and could be the guy opponents are more concerned about. That’s why we’re leaning more toward Fowler this week. It also helps that the Panthers’ standout right tackle Taylor Moton will be out with an elbow injury. SELL RB Jaydon Blue This might seem strange given Miles Sanders just went to IR, but we don’t see a breakout game here Blue. As mentioned above, the passing game may get higher volume this week. And given how well Williams is playing, it will be hard to keep feeding him. Blue only got four carries last week despite a lopsided score. With KaVontae Turpin expected to miss another week, he could still get time on special teams and in a few unique offensive packages. But the slow start to the rookie’s career could easily continue in Carolina. Other WRs While the Panthers have been generous to opponents’ top receivers, the rest of them have tended to be quiet. After those top wideouts, the next best passing targets have been teams’ starting tight ends. So while this is good news for Jake Ferguson, it could mean Ryan Flournoy has to come back down to earth this week. It also doesn’t seem that Jalen Tolbert will be getting a turn in the spotlight. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Being shorthanded last week against the New York Jets didn’t seem to affect the Dallas Cowboys play much, if any. Although several starters were sidelined with injuries, players stepping in for them rose to the occasion and had been games for themselves. To earn another “W” in the Week 6 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, […] Being shorthanded last week against the New York Jets didn’t seem to affect the Dallas Cowboys play much, if any. Although several starters were sidelined with injuries, players stepping in for them rose to the occasion and had been games for themselves. To earn another “W” in the Week 6 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, these players may need to have another repeat performance. DE James Houston He is not Micah Parsons, but James Houston has turned himself in to the Cowboys best pass rusher through the first five weeks of the 2025 NFL season. He currently leads the team in QB sacks with 3.5, coming on strong as of the last two weeks with 2.5 sacks. He continuously harassed QB Justin Fields last week, sacking him 1.5 times, and hopefully picks up where he left off against the Panthers this week. Houston has a good chance of picking up a couple more sacks considering QB Bryce Young has been sacked nine times already this year. LB Shemar James The Cowboys were trying to ease Shemar James into the NFL by playing it mostly on special teams and in certain packages on defense. That of course all change last week when Jack Sanborn exited the game early in the second quarter against the Jets with a concussion. James was then thrust in the starting lineup and ended up leaving the team in tackles (17). With Sanborn still in concussion protocol, Dallas’ rookie fifth-round pick this year could be in line for his first start against a Panthers. Fingers crossed he picks right back up where he left off. WR Ryan Flournoy Without both CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin in the lineup last week due to their injuries, Dallas needed someone to step up and help replace their production and Ryan Flournoy answered the call. The second-year receiver hauled in six passes for 114 yards and adding another 10 yards on the ground on two carries on end-arounds. His unexpected big day caught nearly everybody by surprise, but the Panthers won’t overlook what he accomplished last week. Flournoy’s connection with Dak Prescott could possibly lead to another big day. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

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. (For teams previously covered in other weeks, we move down […] 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. (For teams previously covered in other weeks, we move down the depth chart, giving you more insight on other draft candidates) GAME OF THE WEEK Autzen Stadium is about to sound like a two-minute drill with the national spotlight parked in Eugene as number three Oregon hosts number seven Indiana in a game that feels every bit like playoff game. Think Cowboys logic here, win the edges, protect the rock, and own third down. Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers need to stay on schedule in the noise and land a couple of explosive plays to keep pace. The Ducks’ blueprint is much clearer by operating on third down, avoid the turnover bug, and score when in the red zone. It’s Autzen loud, it’s heavyweight fast, and it’s decided in the margins. Prediction for this game is Oregon 35, Indiana 27. Game Overview Matchup: Indiana (7) vs. Oregon (3) October 11th, at Autzen Stadium Kickoff time: 73:30 p.m (EST) Oregon favored by 7 points This is a pure playoff litmus test for both teams Player Watch Indiana: Fernando Mendoza, QB Think of Mendoza as the guy with the clicker, he keeps the offense on time and punishes any busted coverage. In Curt Cignetti’s scheme he’s the efficiency engine with quick decisions, quiet feet, ball out on time with just enough juice downfield. If the offensive line stays clean and the explosives keep popping, you’re talking early-round buzz, exactly the sort of timing-and-anticipation passer Cowboys fans love to see. Elijah Sarratt, WR Sarratt is the “Dak-friendly” type big receiver with a huge frame, stronger hands, and veteran pacing that turns 50/50 balls into 70/30s. He wins with body positioning on slants, digs, and back-shoulders, then churns extra yards like a tight end in a wideout’s jersey. Not a pure burner, but he stacks corners with savvy and punishes soft zones who also steals a few red-zone fades. Plug-and-play chain-mover with Sunday traits. Oregon: Dillon Thieneman, S Thieneman is the center-fielder Cowboys fans always beg for at safety with calm eyes, clean angles, and click-and-close range that shuts the lights on deep shots. He’s a take-the-ball, not just tackle-the-catch safety and communicates coverages, erases crossers, and keeps the roof on without needing constant help. More glide than sledgehammer, but if the catch-point nastiness keeps climbing, you’re looking at a plug-and-play single-high safety who lets the defense sleep easy over the top. Iapani Laloulu, C “Poncho” Laloulu is the kind of plug-and-play pivot Cowboys fans love who’s thick through the hips, steady with the calls, and downright mean on double teams. He’s bounced between guard and center and now steers an Oregon front that rarely leaks pressure.He maintains clean pockets, on-schedule runs, and a center who identifies the picture fast. He won’t wow you with flash, he wins with leverage, timing, and just enough range to climb and finish. Oklahoma (6) Texas The Red River steps onto center stage as Texas and number six Oklahoma collide at the Cotton Bowl in front of a perfectly split sea of burnt orange and crimson. This game is all about the trenches and don’t hand away easy yards. Oklahoma rolls in unbeaten with a defense tightening the screws and an offense that wants clean pockets and fast tempo. Texas counters with Arch Manning’s big arm and a front seven built to muddy run lanes and force third-and-long. This one is all about communication, explosive plays, and special-teams field position. Final score predictions for this one, Oklahoma 28, Texas 23. Game Overview Matchup: Oklahoma (6) vs. Texas October 11tb, at Cotton Bowl Kickoff time: 3:30 p.m (EST) Texas favored by 1 point This years Red River Rivalry has Texas out the top-25 AP rankings and a loss here could cement the season as a complete failure Player Watch Texas: Trey Moore, OLB Moore is pressure-in-a-can. He wins with snap anticipation, leverage, and a nasty long-arm that forklifts tackles, turning third-and-long into a dead end. He’s not a sprinter, but he’s crafty with angles, counters, and finishes show up every week. In short, a true edge hybrid who widens the blitz options and keeps a defense on the front foot. Oklahoma: Sammy Omosigho, LB Omosigho plays like a guided missile with linebacker pads. He’s a former safety and plays with length, real thump, and closing speed that jumps off the screen. At 6’1”, 235 pound, he’s already flashing this season while rotating inside, and the Sooners’ staff clearly wants more of him. With more snaps comes more chaos. His calling card is timing and there’s legitimate blitz juice on tap. Add a little more shed-through-contact against guards and you’ve got a what the future the WILL linebacker is moving toward, and is tailor-made for a pro defense that values speed on the field. Jaydn Ott, RB Ott is a point-and-shoot” runner that plants then bursts upfield . He’s built for wide zone and shotgun looks, with enough glide to turn a crease into a chunk and enough receiver polish to live on swings and screens. You won’t mistake him for a goal-line bulldozer, but in space he stacks yards. Keep the workload steady and the blitz pickups tidy, and you’re looking at a modern RB2 who juices tempo, keeps the call sheet on schedule, and sneaks explosives into the weekly script. Alabama (8) vs. Missouri (14) Game Overview Matchup: Alabama (6) vs. Missouri (14) October 11th, at

Javonte Williams candid about choosing Cowboys, 2025 resurgence – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys and Williams were a match made in heaven. On playing alongside such a loaded roster on offense: “I like it a lot. We’ve got playmakers at every position. It’s probably one of the first times I had this many superstars on […] The Cowboys and Williams were a match made in heaven. On playing alongside such a loaded roster on offense: “I like it a lot. We’ve got playmakers at every position. It’s probably one of the first times I had this many superstars on the same team, but we’ve just gotta keep it going.” On meshing so quickly with Klayton Adams: “It’s just the schemes — how he draws it up. I mean, everything that they say in practice, it seems like it comes true in the game, so I just listen to them throughout the week, and then just go out and execute on Sundays.” On the Cowboys passing on Rico Dowdle and seeking him instead out in free agency: “I probably wanted to come just as much as they wanted me [here]. It all worked out and I’m glad it did. I’m glad I came, and I’m glad I’ve got the teammates I got.” Cowboys RB Miles Sanders to have season-ending surgery on knee – Todd Archer, ESPN The veteran won’t play another snap in 2025. FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders needs season-ending surgery on his left knee, executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Friday. Sanders dealt with a knee issue for a good portion of training camp but played in the first four games, picking up 117 yards on 20 carries. He did not play last week and was not able to finish practice on Wednesday. According to multiple sources, Sanders will undergo a chondral tissue graft surgery in which pieces of bone and cartilage are transplanted into the affected area to improve the joint function. Cornerback Trevon Diggs had the same surgery last January. Sanders signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys as a free agent worth $1.337 million after spending the previous two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Cowboys’ under-the-radar weapon: OC Klayton Adams and his improved run game – Jon Machota, The Athletic Adams has turned the Cowboys into one of the NFL’s best teams in terms of running the football. Adams got on Schottenheimer’s radar in 2021 when coaches he knew around the league spoke highly of the Indianapolis Colts’ tight ends coach. “They just said, ‘Turn on the film,’” Schottenheimer said. Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus knew Adams well from their time together with the Colts. “He did an outstanding job (in Indianapolis),” Eberflus said. “I know how smart he is. Going against him, he’s a heck of a guy that can design the runs, really create angles, mismatches, wide holes before contact. (Creating) yards before contact — he’s great at doing that. And he’s got all the schemes. He’s got the gap schemes and the zone schemes and really understands principles of defense to take advantage of angles.” Eberflus added that the simplicity of what Adams does makes him so effective, which especially helps in a game like the Cowboys played last Sunday, when four offensive line starters were out and Dallas still ran for 180 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. “He doesn’t ask the players to do a bunch of things,” Eberflus said. “He asks them to do the same things over and over again. But the way he dresses it up, that makes it hard for the defense.” Adams, 42, played center at Boise State until he graduated in 2004. He then worked as a college coach for the next 14 years, making stops at Western Washington, Sacramento State, San Jose State and Colorado. His focus was on the offensive line and tight ends. His first NFL opportunity came with the Colts in 2019 as an assistant offensive line coach before eventually coaching their tight ends. Adams seems hesitant to take too much credit for Dallas’ run-game turnaround. The same could be said of the way the Cowboys were able to overcome all of their injury issues last Sunday in New Jersey. “I feel the same way coming out of it that I did going into it,” he said. “This is the National Football League, and when you’re asked to do something, it’s an opportunity. So you need to go in and do a good job. Kudos to those guys for going in and taking advantage of their opportunity. Kudos to Schotty for calling a really good game kinda based on what he knew going into it, not that we had to change very much. Also, I think you always give a lot of credit to the quarterback because when he’s on the field, you got a shot.” Cowboys injuries: CeeDee Lamb, Jack Sanborn ruled out, Tyler Smith questionable – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys The Cowboys continue to battle through a laundry list of injuries. The Dallas Cowboys are a mash unit given all the injuries they have sustained. However, Dak Prescott and the offense have maintained a blistering pace offensively even without CeeDee Lamb and multiple starters on the offensive line. As the Cowboys enter the weekend, their expansive injury reports this week, with many players limited in practice, remain inconclusive after Friday’s practice. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gives hefty praise for QB Dak Prescott – Tyler Reed, SI.com This is certainly a mouthful considering the other quarterbacks than have played in Dallas under Jones. The Dallas Cowboys have a great chance to get back above .500 with their Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Last week, the Cowboys looked the best they have all season in their dominant win over the New York Jets. The biggest reason behind the Cowboys’ success this season has been the play from quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott has looked like one