The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced its list of Modern-Era Players nominated for inclusion in the Class of 2025. Of the 167 players up for a bronze bust this year, 16 are eligible for the first time, including one Cowboys great. Center Travis Frederick is in good company, with Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Marshawn Lynch, and Adam Vinatieri among the other first-time nominees. A screening committee will pare the list down to 50 names in mid-October before 25 semifinalists (and then 15 finalists) are named ahead of the selection meeting that will determine next year’s class. Of the 167 nominees, only three to five will be chosen for enshrinement, as per Hall of Fame bylaws. Here’s a look at the former Cowboys who have taken a first but important step toward Canton. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] QB Tony Romo LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 22: Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys throws a pass in the first quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on December 22, 2013 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) The undrafted free agent out of Eastern Illinois didn’t get a combine invite and did nothing more than serve as the holder for placekicks for his first three pro seasons. But after a Week 7 game in 2006 when he replaced an ineffective Drew Bledsoe, he quickly became one of the most beloved Cowboys ever. Over the next 11 seasons, he would amass more than 34,000 yards, throw for 248 touchdowns, and lead 28 fourth-quarter comebacks- all franchise records- en route to four Pro Bowl nods and six playoff appearances. OC Travis Frederick HONOLULU, HAWAII – AUGUST 17: Travis Frederick #72 of the Dallas Cowboys calls the offensive line reads during the preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at Aloha Stadium on August 17, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) Frederick was a first-round draft selection in 2013. Considered by some draft analysts to be a reach at the time, the Wisconsin native started every game over his first five seasons and earned a Pro Bowl nod in the last four of them. He met with considerable adversity in 2018, though, when a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome cost him the entire 2018 campaign. Frederick returned in 2019, once again starting every game and being named to the Pro Bowl, before announcing his retirement in spring of 2020. OT Erik Williams Jan 30, 1994; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Erik Williams (79) in action against the Buffalo Bills during Super Bowl XXVIII at the Georgia Dome. The Cowboys defeated the Bills 30-13. Mandatory Credit: James D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports “Big E” was on track to be perhaps one of the greatest offensive linemen in Cowboys history until a serious automobile accident sidelined him for the back half of his fourth NFL season. He returned to the field in 1995 and played another six seasons, although most believe he was never the same player. Nevertheless, Williams helped the dynasty teams of the ’90s win three Super Bowls, and he personally earned four Pro Bowl nods and was named a first-team All-Pro three times. DT La’Roi Glover HONOLULU – FEBRUARY 12: La’Roi Glover #97 of the NFC looks on during the 2006 NFL Pro Bowl against the AFC on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The NFC won 23-17. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) A onetime fifth-round draft pick by the Raiders in 1996, Glover really earned his reputation during a five-year stint in New Orleans before joining the Cowboys in 2002. He played for Dallas for four years- appearing in every single game over that time- and was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his seasons in Dallas. LB Ken Norton Jr. Dec 16, 1989; E. Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Ken Norton Jr. (51) tackles New York Giants running back Maurice Carthon (44) at Giants Stadium. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports The son of a former heavyweight boxing champ, Norton was a second-round pick out of UCLA in 1988. He proved to be an instrumental part of the team’s turnaround from 1-15 doormats to back-to-back Super Bowl winners, earning two rings with the Cowboys before moving to San Francisco to claim another. Norton went on to a second career in coaching and is currently the Commanders’ linebackers coach. Safety Darren Woodson 7 Sep 1997: Defensive back Darren Woodson of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Cardinals won the game, 25-22. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport Woodson is a Hall of Fame nominee for an incredible ninth time, even though his achievements over his 12-year career should have punched his ticket to Canton long ago. The franchise’s all-time leading tackler. Three-time Super Bowl champ. Five-time Pro Bowler. Four-time first-team All-Pro. Ring of Honor member since 2015. Woodson is a two-time finalist for Canton. Others with notable Cowboys experience DALLAS – AUGUST 31: Kicker Mike Vanderjagt #13 of the Dallas Cowboys looks to the scoreboard during the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on August 31, 2006 at Texas Stadium in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) RB Eddie George LB Keith Brooking Kicker Mike Vanderjagt
Cowboys DT Jordan Phillips claims ignorance about wrist injury, move to IR
Cowboys DT Jordan Phillips claims ignorance about wrist injury, move to IR Todd Brock The NFL mandates that teams release practice reports that chart which players are limited by injury and to what extent. To those outside the building, an appearance on the report by a player can cause some confusion, especially if that player seemed fine during the most recent game and there were no reports of an injury suffered during practice. But it seems one Cowboys defender’s inclusion on first injury report of Week 3 is coming as a surprise, even to him. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who was just acquired by the team a month ago, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with what the Cowboys have identified as a sprained wrist. Phillips says that’s news to him. “I don’t know,” he answered when asked how the injury came about, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “That’s above my pay grade. You have to ask the people making the decisions.” The former second-round draft pick did have surgery last season while with the Bills to repair a dislocated wrist suffered in a win against Dallas, but when asked by reporters midweek if his wrist was “good,” Phillips responded “yes.” “It is what it is, I guess,” he continued. One official said the team is being cautious with Phillips. Phillips played 19 defensive snaps Sunday versus New Orleans but did not record any official statistics. He assisted on a lone tackle and logged one quarterback hit in the season opener at Cleveland. His PFF grade stands at 29.6, among the lowest grades in the league among defensive linemen. One play from the Week 2 loss showed the 330-pound Phillips being pushed around badly and ultimately getting flung into the feet of both safety Malik Hooker and cornerback Trevon Diggs nearly ten yards downfield. Another replay showed Phillips getting away from his blocker on a pass play, but instead of going after Saints quarterback Derek Carr, he inexplicably turned around and re-engaged with New Orleans offensive tackle Trevor Penning, who was still on the ground. Clarence Hill Jr. and Joseph Hoyt of DLLS Sports point out that Phillips was acquired in a trade that also netted the Cowboys a 2026 seventh-round draft pick, but only if Phillips played two games for Dallas. His appearance on the field Sunday officially checked that box. And now Phillips will miss at least four games with a wrist injury that he claims not to know anything about. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Carlos Watkins, who played defensive tackle with the Cowboys in 2021 and 2022, was signed off the Commanders’ practice squad as a likely replacement. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Micah Parsons plans attack on Lamar Jackson while serving lunch at Post Malone’s Cowboys spot
Micah Parsons plans attack on Lamar Jackson while serving lunch at Post Malone’s Cowboys spot Todd Brock After a rough performance from his team over the weekend, Cowboys linebacker/edge rusher Micah Parsons took out some of his frustrations on some unsuspecting fast-food patrons on his off day. And based on how he attacked the lunchtime rush at a Dallas restaurant, Lamar Jackson might want to take notice. Parsons spent a chunk of Tuesday afternoon at Raising Cane’s Post Malone x Dallas Cowboys Restaurant, a co-branded location of the chicken finger chain that swaps the company’s usual red-and-yellow color scheme for Cowboys blue and silver and also gets patrons up close and personal with memorabilia from the popular singer/songwriter and die-hard Cowboys fan. But even while gearing up for his first shift at the drive-thru window, Parsons was already looking ahead to the Baltimore Ravens and his first-ever meeting with the two-way threat leading their offense, quarterback Lamar Jackson. “In terms of what he’s accomplished in this league, he’s probably the best dual-threat quarterback in league history. Two-time MVP, Heisman winner, multiple playoff runs,” he told Cowboys Wire, one of the media outlets on hand for the event. “What he’s accomplished so far is truly admirable.” DALLAS, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 17: Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons works “Shift” at Raising Cane’s in Dallas, serves up ONE LOVE to Cowboys Nation at Raising Cane’s Dallas on September 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s) In just his seventh pro season, Jackson has already amassed enough passing yards to put him in the NFL’s all-time top 150. But what makes him lethal is his equally-prolific rushing ability; he’s got two 1,000-yard seasons on his résumé and owns a career per-carry average of over six yards. And with the Ravens coming in to AT&T Stadium surprisingly winless over two games, Jackson will be even more of a danger for Parsons and a Cowboys defense that had absolutely no answers for the Saints last Sunday. “With Lamar, you’ve got to find a way to keep him in the pocket, don’t let him get those extra runs, keep extending play,” Parsons explained. “It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do. You’re going to need all 11 guys on the same page.” The uber-competitive Parsons brought that same mindset with him to Raising Cane’s, where he jumped behind the counter and did his usual bouncing from position to position. He went from the fryer to the drive-thru to handing out box combos with his trademark speed and hustle, urging his coworkers to keep up and even barking orders of his own at more than a few shocked customers in an effort to keep the line moving. Parsons says he’s actually no stranger to the food service industry, having worked at the Hersheypark theme park while growing up in Pennsylvania. But he did admit he would have liked to recruit at least one of his Cowboys teammates to help sling chicken and fill to-go receipts. “I would definitely bring Trevon Diggs,” Parsons laughed. “He’s very handsy. He’s going to be able to help me control the huddle.” Parsons called his midday fast-food shift a chance to “restart, reset, and refocus” after Week 2’s demoralizing 44-19 home loss to the Saints. After going on his podcast and attributing the team’s no-show to a lack of effort from some, the 25-year-old said he was “determined to get this thing right,” and said he would follow through on his offseason promise to step up and be more of a leader in the locker room. He said the self-scout starts with him. He had just three tackles on the afternoon. “For me personally, I look at my mistakes, look at how I could have done better, look at how I can lead better. Hold myself accountable, as I would anybody else,” he said. “Push my guys throughout the week- wherever I felt like their preparation was off, the detail was off. Because we’ve got to fix that, get back to the basic fundamentals.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer have said they don’t believe effort was the problem with the unit on Sunday. McCarthy explained that the Saints “finished better than we did,” and Zimmer- blaming quicker starts off the snap from the New Orleans offense- said, “Really, most of the guys I didn’t coach up good enough.” Parsons, however, isn’t ready to pin Sunday’s shortcomings on the coaching staff. “At this point in our careers, if you’ve got to motivate someone to go onto that football field, they’re probably in the wrong sport.” Motivation to excel has clearly never been an issue for Parsons, whether it’s on the gridiron or manning the drive-thru. And after whipping his Raising Cane’s team into shape on Tuesday, he’ll set his sights on doing the same for his Cowboys squad in time for Sunday. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Star Points: Cowboys RBs still searching for identity, Jerry reluctant to elevate Dalvin Cook
Updates: Jerry Jones on Dalvin Cook’s status :: The Mothership Link With the Cowboys ranked 25th in the league in rushing so far this season, some are calling for Cook to be activated for the Ravens game, but Jones made it sound unlikely. “I don’t necessarily see a change that would involve Cook this week,” he said during a Tuesday radio call-in. Cook last played with Baltimore at the end of last season. Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle’s postgame message is indicative of a major problem :: A to Z Sports Link When asked about the identity of the Cowboys’ running back group, Dowdle said he didn’t have an answer since “we haven’t had a lot of at bats at the plate.” For Dowdle, arguably the starting running back on the team, to not have even a typical we want to be physical-type answer to describe the identity of the team’s position group, it’s disappointing at best. Cowboys should be ready for ‘different challenge’ from Ravens, former NFL head coach says :: Dallas Morning News Link Former Ravens coach Brian Billick believes the Cowboys will see a lot of Derrick Henry up the middle on Sunday, with every run increasing the likelihood that they’ll get suckered when Lamar Jackson eventually takes off around the edge. “You better put eight people in the box,” he said. “You better make sure you keep Lamar in the pocket because that’s the thing that’s gonna get you beat.” Cowboys clearly regret passing on cheap RB who now leads the NFL in rushing :: The Landry Hat Link J.K. Dobbins was a popular name for Cowboys fans hoping the team would make a splash in free agency this past offseason. Instead, he signed with the Chargers and currently leads the league with 266 yards on just 27 attempts, a whopping 9.9 yards-per-carry average. He is also tied for first in explosive runs, second in yards after contact per attempt, and tied for fifth with 11 first downs. Oh, and he’s playing for a fraction of what the Cowboys are paying Ezekiel Elliott. Cowboys’ defense still can’t slow Shanahan coaching disciples :: ESPN Link Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was just the latest branch of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree to come crashing down on the Cowboys. Of the past nine games against a “Shanahan offense,” the Cowboys have lost seven. One common denominator? Rushing attacks that the Cowboys have proven incapable of stopping. Doomed to Repeat? Cowboys’ offseason inaction resulted in spectacularly similar results :: Cowboys Wire Link Every misstep the Cowboys make this season will be followed by the frustrations of the fanbase over a wasted offseason of not doing enough to improve the roster through outside means. The strategy in Dallas seems to be “just play better,” despite not actually getting markedly better at either defensive tackle or running back. Sunday showed how that philosophy will pay off. Analyzing Cowboys snap counts: Where was DeMarvion Overshown? :: The Athletic Link Mike Zimmer explained that Overshown’s underuse on Sunday was calculated: “He’s coming off an ACL, missed all of spring, didn’t really get out there until we got to OTAs. He’s working his way back in and that will continue to go forward as we go. He’s going to get plenty of reps.” Zimmer also wondered aloud if he perhaps asked Micah Parsons to do “too may different things” versus the Saints, negatively impacting some of his defensive teammates. Good, Bad, Ugly: Defensive meltdown, WR3 candidates figured prominently in Cowboys’ Week 2 :: Cowboys Wire Link The defense obviously bears the brunt of this week’s bad and ugly labels, but there were problems offensively, too. One receiver who had impressed during the summer took a serious step back, and while quarterback Dak Prescott valiantly tried to spark a comeback, his play in Week 2 cannot be completely beyond reproach. On the bright side, Brandon Aubrey unlocked a dangerous new weapon within his one-man arsenal. NFL power rankings roundup: Where do Dallas Cowboys place after week 2 of the season? :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link The Saints loss cost the Cowboys all those spots they had gained after their impressive season-opening win. A sampling of power rankings from various outlets has Dallas typically slotted between 11th and 18th leaguewide, although Yahoo Sports plays outlier by ranking them a surprising sixth. Apparently Jerry Jones has amnesia of recent times Cowboys endured regular-season whoopings :: Cowboys Wire Link Jones chose to brush off Week 2’s beatdown by intimating that it very rarely happens to the Cowboys. Actually, Jerry, they’ve been embarrassed by New Orleans, Buffalo, and San Francisco in just their last 14 regular-season contests. And that doesn’t even count January’s total playoff collapse at home versus Green Bay. Cowboys preseason trade compensation finalized after first two weeks of season :: Blogging the Boys Link Jordan Phillips being on the gameday roster for the Cowboys’ first two games means Dallas will give up a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Giants and then get New York’s seventh-round selection. It had already been determined that the Cowboys will not get a seventh in 2026 from Kansas City once the Chiefs released Peyton Hendershot earlier in the week. Giants sign former Vikings’ kicker who hit 61-yard game-winner against them in 2022 :: CBS Sports Link With Graham Gano suffering a hamstring injury delivering Week 2’s opening kick, the Giants missed a PAT and then failed a pair of two-point conversions. The team has signed veteran Greg Joseph off the Lions’ practice squad as Gano goes to injured reserve. The Giants host the Cowboys in Week 4’s Thursday night game on Sept. 26.
Doomed to Repeat? Cowboys’ offseason inaction resulted in spectacularly similar results
Doomed to Repeat? Cowboys’ offseason inaction resulted in spectacularly similar results reidhanson The Cowboys’ heavily scrutinized inactivity over the offseason will not be soon forgotten. Not after the defense offered up a near identical performance to the game that ended their season last January. Not after the Cowboys fell to 1-1 following a 44-19 loss to a New Orleans team they were expected to handily beat. Not after the Cowboys just showed the world they’re destined for the same outcome in 2024 as they suffered the year before. And year before. And year before. Amidst redefining the phrase “all in,” Jerry Jones declared from the start of the offseason, the 2024 season would be about rolling the same group back and demanding better results. Internal improvement rather than team upgrades would then be theme of the offseason. Some level of churn would be expected through free agency and the draft, but generally speaking the plan was to just play better. Critics pointed to the wide-open NFC and the window of opportunity currently facing the Cowboys. They pointed to clear and obvious deficiencies on the roster and how those weak links threaten to give the Cowboys the same results again, regardless of improved play elsewhere. Jones stood fast, refusing to open the checkbook for anything new other than a bargain. Even coaching vacancies were filled with the smallest commitment possible for Jones. Signed to a rare one-year deal, Jones added Mike Zimmer to take over for the recently departed Dan Quinn (Washington, not heaven). The defense suffered an epic collapse in Quinn’s last game and the hope was a disciplinarian like Zimmer may be able to spark improvement, even if the personnel changes were minor. The defense got their first big test in Week 2 against the high-flying Saints. Under Klint Kubiak, New Orleans ran an offense similar to that of the 49ers and Packers. Hailing from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, New Orleans manhandled the Dallas defense in a way that seemed all too familiar to Cowboys fans. The Cowboys’ whole “just play better this time” strategy didn’t appear to pay off. Just like San Francisco and Green Bay before them, New Orleans easily put up over 40 points on the vaunted Dallas defense. The Cowboys’ minor personnel changes, coaching changes and scheme changes didn’t seem to make the slightest difference. Perhaps the critics were right after all and the Cowboys really did need to upgrade at a couple positions of obvious weakness. Defensive tackle has been, and continues to be, a point of contention on the Cowboys. Dallas is extremely thin on their defensive interior and their various Band-Aids and retreads have done little to help their cause. The Shanahan wide zone scheme stretched and sealed the Dallas defensive line with ease, resulting in huge gains and utter dominance all afternoon. Without a single disrupter on the interior, the Cowboys were again easy fodder for a Shanahan offense. The Cowboys needed to add a high-level disrupter to their interior over the offseason. There were plenty available. But Jones didn’t want to add new investments, so the Cowboys opted to make other, more affordable, adjustments. Predictably it offered the same results. The offensive side of the ball suffered a similarly predictable outcome on Sunday. The lack of investment at the running back position and pass-catcher was felt significantly. With Jake Ferguson out in Week 2, the Cowboys were without reliable downfield options not named “CeeDee Lamb.” And with the RB group unable to pull their own weight in the ground game, Dallas became one-dimensional in the worst way. It shouldn’t be surprising the areas the Cowboys refused to improve in free agency produced similar results. While RBs and run-stopping DTs aren’t considered premium positions requiring top investment, they aren’t positions that can be neglected to the degree the Cowboys have neglected them. Nothing that happened on Sunday is surprising. It’s just the product of poor strategy and inadequate personnel. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Apparently Jerry Jones has amnesia of recent times Cowboys endured regular-season whoopings
Apparently Jerry Jones has amnesia of recent times Cowboys endured regular-season whoopings K.D. Drummond Sir, can you be serious for five seconds, please? Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke to 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, and while there may be some actual substance to his thoughts buried deep in there, one quote making the rounds around Cowboys Nation is so ridiculous it deserves to be highlighted. Longtime beat reporter Clarence Hill, Jr. of All City DLLS tweeted out a snippet that is so tone deaf it has to be highlighted. Following Sunday’s debacle at AT&T Stadium, the 2024 home opener where the Cowboys were throttled 44-19 by the New Orleans Saints, there’s a sense of “same-old Cowboys” floating around. Jones is looking to squash that notion and in what is now his normal flubbing of media appearances, stuck his foot deep in it. Jerry Jones has a bright side to the Cowboys embarrassing blow out loss to the Saints: “If we’ve got any albatross around our neck, it’s that we’ve been a good-to-very-good team during the season over the last 4-5 years with Mike and we haven’t done well in the playoffs. So let’s trade some challenges during the season for doing well in the playoffs, if you want to look at it that way.” – @1053thefan Apparently Jones has been Men-in-Blacked about what happened in Week 15 last season in Buffalo when the Bills dominated McCarthy’s boys 31-10. Or Week 5 when Kyle Shanahan lambasted the troops 42-10. While it’s true that Dallas has had regular season success, winning 12 games each of the prior three seasons, and they are normally the team blowing an opponent out, somehow forgetting that they’ve been blown out now three times in their last 14 contests is remarkable. No, Jerry, fans don’t want to look at it that way. They would like to not lose in such a fashion AND also get postseason wins.
Good, Bad, Ugly: Defensive meltdown, WR3 candidates figured prominently in Cowboys’ Week 2
As famously predicted in song, the Saints sure came marching into Arlington this past Sunday. But the jazz standard’s lyrics never mention that they’d then go on to steamroll over the high-flying Cowboys once they got there. The defense was downright awful on Sunday- against both the rush and the pass- and, incredibly, their performance looks even worse on a film re-watch after the fact. But there were problems on the other side of the ball, too; one receiver who had impressed during the summer took a serious step back, and while quarterback Dak Prescott valiantly tried to spark a comeback, his play in Week 2 cannot be completely beyond reproach. Believe it or not, though, there were a few silver linings to be found. Luke Schoonmaker played well in place of the injured Jake Ferguson, a small-school project finally started to show what the team saw when they made him a third-round draft pick, and Brandon Aubrey unlocked a dangerous new weapon within his one-man arsenal. The team- and Cowboys fans, too- may be content to just burn the tape from Week 2’s 44-19 no-show, but first, we’ll take one more look back to dig into the good, the bad, and the ugly from Sunday’s holy smackdown at the hands of the Saints. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Good: Jalen Tolbert proving worth the wait The third-year receiver out of South Alabama was M.I.A. as a rookie and only started to blossom in his second season last year. On Sunday, he was one of the few bright spots for the entire Cowboys roster. Tolbert caught six of his team-high nine targets for 82 yards and made two huge plays on the same third-quarter drive. His impressive 39-yard grab converted a third down to put the offense inside the Saints’ 10, and then he hustled back to a loose ball three plays later to salvage the possession and turn a surefire turnover into a field goal try. Playing the most snaps of any Dallas receiver in Week 2 and turning in three of the team’s seven longest plays, he may now be the staff’s clear-cut preference at WR3. Bad: Defense had no answers for Saints run game Reports of Mike Zimmer having definitively fixed the Cowboys’ run defense were, it turns out, greatly exaggerated. After a solid season opener in Cleveland, the D-line let the Saints march all over them in Week 2. Twenty-nine-year-old Alvin Kamara, who hadn’t rushed for over 100 rushing yards in a game since the 2022 season, notched his fifth-highest total ever with 115 and scored three touchdowns on the ground. (He added 65 yards and another score as a receiver out of the backfield, too.) And it wasn’t just a great day for the five-time Pro Bowler; Jamaal Williams, Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed, and Chris Olave all averaged at least 4.3 yards per rushing attempt against Dallas on Sunday. That is very concerning, with Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson on deck. Ugly: Missed throws early dig even deeper hole To be crystal clear, Dak Prescott was not the reason the Cowboys got steamrolled. But several of his 12 incompletions on the day happened to come at brutal moments and severely hampered the team as they tried to play catch-up with a New Orleans offense that scored touchdowns on their first six possessions. Especially disappointing were the deep-ball misses: one to Rico Dowdle and another to Tolbert on their opening drive, one to Jalen Brooks that was intercepted (more on that one later), and multiple misfires to CeeDee Lamb. All were in the first half; any might have scored and sparked a turnaround before things got out of hand. Prescott and Lamb did connect on the gorgeous 65-yard touchdown catch-and-run, but that was more a byproduct of Lamb’s post-grab slip-and-shake move than anything. Prescott’s 69% completion percentage was certainly serviceable, but in a track meet of a game, the drops stood out. Good: Brandon Aubrey is positively weapons-grade If the Cowboys were to name a team MVP after two weeks, it’s Aubrey. The second-year kicker knocked all four of his field goal tries through, with a 38-yarder being the shortest. Cowboys fans don’t have to think too far back to recall a time when a 38-yarder was a little dicey; now anything from 60 yards and in is practically considered a gimme for the ex-soccer star. But despite personally scoring 54% of the team’s points so far in 2024, Aubrey is also acing the league’s new dynamic kickoffs. His squib shot to start the game was perfectly placed in the corner of the landing zone, pinning the Saints at their own 20 instead of the 30. (Not that it deterred them from scoring.) As he and John Fassel continue to experiment with kickoff strategies and Aubrey dials in his ball placement, opponents will likely have to regularly contend with poor starting field position. Bad: Jalen Brooks doesn’t help his cause in WR rotation The 2023 undrafted free agent had, by all accounts, a fantastic camp and was earning the trust of Prescott and his Cowboys coaches. He may have lost a good bit of it Sunday. On a gotta-have-it drive late in the second quarter with the offense driving toward a potential touchdown that would have kept the game in reach, Brooks slipped on an in-route and watched New Orleans cornerback Paulson Adebo haul in the pick instead. It was a gutting beat at the worst possible time. The Saints went on to score again, and the rout was on. From the Fox booth, Tom Brady said he wouldn’t go back to Brooks again in the game. Prescott did (right away, actually), and the South Carolina product reeled in the pass for a 10-yard gain. But it proved to be his only reception of the day, and Brooks ultimately didn’t help himself in the Cowboys’ crowded WR3 rotation. Ugly: Cowboys’ lack of pressure on Carr Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak managed to not only expose the Cowboys’ run defense,
Cowboys Headlines: Micah calls out losing effort, DeMarvion disappears, Ferguson to return Week 3?
Cowboys defense has no excuse for ‘unacceptable’ no-show performance against Saints :: The Athletic Link To a man, Cowboys defenders vowed that Sunday’s effort would not be repeated. “We didn’t come to play today,” Trevon Diggs said. They’d better come next weekend, with the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry paying a visit. If the Cowboys’ run defense doesn’t improve, things have the potential to get dire in a hurry. Micah Parsons calls out the effort of Cowboys teammates in Week 2 loss :: SI.com Link “The effort was not there by all 11. The basic fundamentals of the game of football was not there,” Parsons said on his podcast. He did include himself in the criticism, adding that watching the game film was difficult. Parsons explained that he is determined to “get this thing right” moving forward. Saints/Cowboys postgame analysis :: Cowboys Wire McCarthy ‘disappointed’ after Cowboys’ loss to Saints: ‘We need to learn from it’ :: The Mothership Link “We have a lot of work to do. We looked like a young, inexperienced football team at times, and that was my first impression when I finished watching all three phases,” McCarthy said Monday. The coach said several of the team’s younger players were responsible for some of the mistakes, and he called on the veterans to step up and “help pull us through those moments.” The Cowboys’ defense lost the game. The offense could lose the season. :: D Magazine Link The Cowboys are one of the best teams in the league when they have a lead. But Sunday showed what happens when they’re chasing points. A dozen of Dallas’s 19 measly points came from Brandon Aubrey. Week 2 was likely an anomaly for the defense, but has the team done enough to beef up their offensive weaponry? Mike Zimmer fixed Cowboys’ defense after the Pickle Juice Game. Can he can do it again? :: Dallas Morning News Link Zimmer’s first game in his first stint as Cowboys’ DC was the infamous “Pickle Juice Game” against the Eagles in 2000. “I fixed it after that,” Zimmer said. “If I hadn’t fixed those [issues], I wouldn’t be standing here today.” Zimmer was reluctant to blame Sunday’s loss on a lack of effort from his players. DeMarvion Overshown’s snap count will make Cowboys fans more livid with Mike Zimmer :: The Landry Hat Link Overshown was brilliant in Week 1 in Cleveland and ended the day as the Cowboys’ leading tackler. But he was kept bottled up by his own defensive coordinator for a large part of Week 2. His snap count dropped from 44 plays to just 18 in a move that most fans saw as indefensible. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the game, but it was tough to watch the Saints run rampant across the middle with Overshown standing on the sideline. Cowboys’ Dak Prescott refuses to see troubling similarities between 2 blowout losses :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link Sunday’s loss felt eerily similar to the Cowboys’ no-show versus Green Bay in the playoffs, but Prescott downplayed any talk of a trend. “We’re talking two completely different teams. A whole different defensive coordinator. You’re talking new players in new different positions, particularly on offense,” Prescott said. It sure felt the same for fans. Should failing Cowboys move up RB Dalvin Cook from practice squad? :: Athlon Sports Link Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle have proven a near wash in their early returns, each totaling 56 yards on 16 and 15 carries, respectively. The Cowboys have wanted to allow Cook time to ramp up on the practice squad, but if they don’t more out of their existing options, Cook’s time may need to come sooner rather than later just to see if there’s a spark. Former sub-.500 Cowboys QB is somehow starting in NFL again after No. 1 draft pick benched :: Cowboys Wire Link Andy Dalton didn’t do much as the Cowboys’ starter in 2020, going just 4-5 in relief of Dak Prescott after his horrific leg injury. Dalton went on to spend a year in New Orleans and then one in Chicago before latching on with the Panthers last season. Now 36, he’ll be a starter once again with Bryce Young being shown to the bench by head coach Dave Canales. Cowboys expect to have TE Jake Ferguson (knee) in Week 3 :: 4 for 4 Link Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said the tight end was “real close” to playing versus New Orleans, but “the expectation is for him to be back” in Week 3. Luke Schoonmaker played well in his place, catching all six of his targets for 43 yards. Chiefs to waive TE Peyton Hendershot :: ProFootballTalk Link The former Cowboy was traded to Kansas City in August. He played just seven special teams snaps on Sunday in his Chiefs debut; he drew a fine while inactive in the season opener for shoving an opponent on the sideline. Now the Cowboys will not receive their 2026 conditional seventh-round draft pick from the Chiefs. NFL Week 3: Cowboys home underdogs to winless Ravens; betting lines, over/under :: Cowboys Wire Link Two straight blowout losses in front of the home crowd isn’t a good look, and Vegas has reacted accordingly. Dallas is a one-point host underdog for their Week 3 meeting with Baltimore. The over/under is set at 47.5 points.
Former sub-.500 Cowboys QB is somehow starting in NFL again after No. 1 draft pick benched
Former sub-.500 Cowboys QB is somehow starting in NFL again after No. 1 draft pick benched K.D. Drummond Andy Dalton, come on down! The Carolina Panthers have a new head coach in 2024. Hired because of how well he did in the Baker Mayfield reclamation project in Tampa Bay, Dave Canales has apparently already seen enough out of Bryce Young. The 2023 No. 1 overall selection out of Alabama, who the franchise traded their 2024 first-round pick and a star receiver away in order to draft, is now out. Dalton is in. Dalton, the former starter in Cincinnati with the Bengals, was an injury fill-in for the Cowboys back in 2020 when starter Dak Prescott went out with a horrific leg injury after just five starts. Dalton led the Cowboys to a 4-5 record, and famously inspired very little loyalty from his troops in Dallas. Dalton was absolutely shredded on a slide in a game against Washington in late October that season with a diabolical hit to the head. Not a single teammate raised much of a fuss with the opposition over the hit. When Dalton was signed in the 2020 offseason, stop reading if you’ve heard this before, some disgruntled fans thought he should replace Prescott as a starter. He threw for 2,170 yards with 14 touchdowns against 8 interceptions in the 10 games he was a legit part of. Prescott of course signed the following offseason despite the injury to a deal worth $40 million a year. That mantle has since been passed on to first Cooper Rush and then Trey Lance, and Prescott has since signed a new deal now worth $60 million a season. Following 2020, Dalton spent a year with the New Orleans Saints (6-8) and another with the Chicago Bears (3-3) before latching on with the Panthers last year. He went 0-1 in 2023 and is now going to be the starter for the foreseeable future. In his time with the Bengals he accrued a 70-61-2 record as a starter, being named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2011 and again in 2014 and 2016. Pulling the plug just two games into the season for a second-year quarterback seems a bit premature for Canales. Dalton certainly gives the club a better chance to win, and a better chance to evaluate the rest of the team, but pretending like a roster missing talent at every level is a marginal starter away from competing seems a bit reactionary. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys Studs and Duds: Did anyone or anything look like a vibe in Sunday’s debacle?
Cowboys Studs and Duds: Did anyone or anything look like a vibe in Sunday’s debacle? Mike Crum After 16 straight home victories, the last two Dallas Cowboys games at AT&T Stadium have looked identical, but not in a positive way. Like the loss to the Green Bay Packers, the game was a lopsided blowout early. The New Orleans Saints put up a touchdown on their first six drives, scoring 44 points overall in a blowout that showed little resistance. The Dallas offense scored points on five of their first six drives, but it was a battle for almost every yard they gained. In the second half, they were too far behind to be impactful on offense without a viable rushing attack to help a passing attack, which was limited by the loss of Jake Ferguson. Being blown out in the home opener makes it challenging to find good performances and easy to find poor ones, but even a loss like this has some people who still shine around the myriads of terrible plays shown this week by Dallas. Duds: Cowboys pass defense Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Saints’ pass offense was efficient and dominant on the road. Derek Carr had just 16 attempts, only three pass catchers had more than one catch, but all three averaged over 20 yards per reception. Carr threw for 15 yards per reception, had two touchdown passes, and was only sacked once. The top three pass catchers accumulated 10 receptions on 13 targets for 242 yards and two scores. It was an embarrassing performance from a defense with plenty of talented players. The Shanahan offensive scheme has been difficult for Dallas, and new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer also failed his first test. Studs: First half passing offense ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 15: Dak Prescott #4 and CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrate a touchdown during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) The Cowboys’ offense tried to keep the game competitive early, even with the Saints scoring 21 points on their first 12 plays. Dak Prescott was 17-23 for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception, scoring on five of their first six drives. The interception was courtesy of a slipping receiver. Dallas scored 16 points in the first two quarters, putting them on pace for 32 points overall. That would be enough to win most games, but it would’ve still lost to the Saints’ first-half scoring. The offense was competitive early, but the defense could never get a stop to give them a chance at a comeback. Duds: Cowboys rushing defense Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) takes a pitch from quarterback Derek Carr (4) in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Alvin Kamara was the most dominant player on the field today at AT&T Stadium. He ran for 115 yards and three scores on only 20 attempts, but the run defense was a dud for more than just Kamara’s performance. Dallas allowed five players to rush for at least 4.2 yards per attempt, including specialist Taysom Hill and both starting receivers. The top area of concern in the Prescott era has been run defense and it showed itself again in Week 2. Studs: K Brandon Aubrey Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey (17) kicks a field goal against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Brandon Aubrey might be the best kicker in the league in his second season in the NFL. Dallas continued to move the ball offensively, and Aubrey made kick after kick to help put points on the when they stalled out. He went five for five on kicks, making four field goals from 52, 38, 48, and 40 yards. Aubrey is a huge weapon for the Cowboys, and he helped keep Dallas in the contest for as long as he could. Duds: Red-zone offense Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) hands off to running back Rico Dowdle (23) in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images If Dallas scored touchdowns on every drive they were held to a field goal, they’d still have lost by two scores. The offense wasn’t an issue in this game because the defense was so poor that the good early offense became meaningless. On a macro level, looking ahead, the Dallas offense has to score more touchdowns. Going 0-3 in the redzone will cost them every time, but hopefully, as the rookie offensive linemen and young weapons develop, the team will get better. A miscommunication cost Dallas four points early when Prescott missed a wide-open CeeDee Lamb in the endzone for a 29-yard score. Dallas would end up in the red zone a play later, but the drive stalled, leading to a field goal. A pass to Ezekiel Elliott came up short, putting Dallas behind the chains, and then the Saints caused a strip sack to stop another redzone drive. Getting better in this area could be a key to more competitive games. You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.