‘Not on our radar’: Jerry Jones in full denial over Cowboys’ RB situation Todd Brock Jerry Jones simply doesn’t see a problem. And he can’t understand why the question keeps coming up. The Cowboys owner made his weekly call-in to Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan on Friday, and he went into full-blown denial mode when asked about the team’s current running back situation. “This is a little bit of a first for me,” he told the K&C Masterpiece show on Friday, “because I’ve never seen such made of our position and what we’re doing at that position- running back- this year and not having done this or not having done that at running back.” The Cowboys found themselves in quite a pickle over the offseason in regard to the ground game. Tony Pollard was deemed too expensive to keep and was allowed to leave in free agency. Rather than pursue one of several high-profile rushers on the open market, the Cowboys instead brought sentimental favorite Ezekiel Elliott back on a cheap one-year deal. Then the club opted not to look to the draft for any new talent at the position, deciding to go into the regular season with a committee that also included Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke. Dalvin Cook was added late in the offseason, but he has yet to make it off the practice squad after a summer of working out on his own. Given all that, the results on the field have been predictably lousy. Over two games, only eight teams have fewer rushing attempts than Dallas’s 46. They have just 170 rushing yards; only six teams have amassed fewer. They are tied for the sixth-lowest yards-per-carry average (3.7) in the league. The team’s biggest ground gain of the season so far is 12 yards, tying them with two other squads for the shortest long run. Elliott and Dowdle are dead even for the team lead with 56 yards each, but that puts them in only 49th and 50th place among all ballcarriers leaguewide. In fact, they both rank lower than every other club’s top rusher, and 17 teams- more than half the NFL- have two rushers ahead of them on the yardage list. Yet Jones was blunt: he’s not even thinking about bolstering the group. “Running back is just not on our radar as far as an area of interest,” he snapped. The 81-year-old went even further, claiming that no one in his circle of influence is even discussing the running back position as a concern. “I don’t have anybody else in the world asking me about this but some media,” Jones offered. “A few of the media have gotten out here and written some stories early about how we’re going to go with a running back in the draft or how we need a running back, and they’re trying to cover their you-know-what as we go through the season.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] He summarily dismissed the idea of activating Cook from the practice squad (and not for the first time this week), saying, “I don’t know that that will happen.” And he sounded perfectly content to stick with the rushing attack he has now, despite the uninspiring numbers posted above. So Sunday’s Week 3 contest will feature Elliott on one sideline, with the Ravens’ Derrick Henry on the other. The Cowboys could have made a move to acquire Henry in the offseason, and most observers- including Henry himself– thought it would have been an ideal match. Instead, Henry comes to town wearing Baltimore purple with a significantly better yards-per-carry average this season (4.2) than Elliott and Dowdle, and more rushing yards (130) than Elliott, Dowdle, Vaughn, and Luepke combined. But in Jones’s mind, Henry and Elliott are basically the same. “Both of these guys came out at the same time,” he said. “We’ve got a pretty good contemporary of our competition this week in Zeke Elliott. I’m pleased with what Zeke is doing.” The emperor in Dallas has no clothes. And the Cowboys have no running game. And the man in charge can’t- or won’t- admit it. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

32 Carolina Panthers (0-2) Sep 24, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) passes before being hit by Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports 31 Denver Broncos (0-2) Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) prepares to pass in the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images 30 New York Giants (0-2) New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8), is shown on the ground after being sacked by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (not shown) in the first quarter. Sunday, September 10, 2023 29 Washington Commanders (1-1) Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) calls a play at the line of scrimmage during the third quarter against the New York Giants at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images 28 Los Angeles Rams (0-2) Sep 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images 27 Cleveland Browns (1-1) Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) warms up before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Browns defeated the Jaguars 18-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] 26 Tennessee Titans (0-2) Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA;Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) under center motions against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports 25 Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images 24 Chicago Bears (1-1) Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) after turning the ball over on downs against the Chicago Bears in the third quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images 23 Miami Dolphins (1-1) Dec 25, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) stands on the field during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports 22 Indianapolis Colts (0-2) Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) rushes in for a touchdown Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, during a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston 21 Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) takes the field for warm ups prior to a Week 2 NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. 20 New England Patriots (1-1) Sep 19, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) gets sacked hard by New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) in the 4th quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images 19 Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) Dec 11, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws the ball during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean-USA TODAY Sports 18 Atlanta Falcons (1-1) Sep 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images 17 Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) Nov 5, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) reacts after a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports 16 San Francisco 49ers (1-1) Jan 22, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws during the first quarter of a NFC divisional round game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports 15 Dallas Cowboys (1-1) CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 08: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks to pass the ball in the first quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) 14 New York Jets (1-1) New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws against the Tennessee Titans during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. 13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) at the end of the Detroit Lions game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Buccaneers won 20-16. 12 Detroit Lions (1-1) Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) takes the field against Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. 11 Green Bay Packers (1-1) Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is shown during the first quarter of their game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, September 15, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 10 Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) Sep 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) behind center Bradley Bozeman (75) during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images 9 Baltimore Ravens (0-2) Jul 27, 2023; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) smiles at a fan with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken standing in the background following training camp practice at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports 8 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images 7 Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) walks off the field high-fiving fans after a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-9. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] 6 Arizona Cardinals (1-1) Oct 11, 2020; East Rutherford, New

NFL Week 3 Injury Report: Final updates on Cowboys Jake Ferguson, Trevon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb vs Ravens K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys are trending in the right direction when it comes to player availability for Sunday’s crucial early season contest. In danger of dropping to 1-2 on the young season, the Cowboys have a rather extensive injury report this week for having played just two games. Fortunately it looks like many of the players who have appeared on the reports throughout the week are preparing to play, including tight end Jake Ferguson who missed last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. Dallas’ passing offense ground to a halt with only CeeDee Lamb giving the team much of anything until garbage time in the 44-19 blowout. Without Ferguson as a seam threat, the team bogged down once again, leading to four Brandon Aubrey field goals. Lamb missed practice earlier in the week, but it looks like both are going to be at Dak Prescott’s disposal against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. In fact of the 14 players listed this week, 11 of them have No Game Designation, meaning they are completely good to go. The other three players are listed as questionable. WR Jalen Brooks (Ankle): Questionable Wednesday: N/A | Thursday: Limited | Friday: Limited DT Mazi Smith (Back): Questionable Wednesday: DNP | Thursday: DNP | Friday: Limited TE John Stephens (Hamstring): Questionable Limited throughout the week WR CeeDee Lamb (Ankle): No Designation Wednesday: DNP | Thursday: Limited | Friday: Full TE Jake Ferguson (Knee): No Designation Wednesday: Limited | Thursday: Limited | Friday: Full S Malik Hooker (Shoulder): No Designation Wednesday: Limited | Thursday: Limited | Friday: Full CB Trevon Diggs (Foot): No Designation Wednesday: DNP | Thursday: Limited | Friday: Full DE Marshawn Kneeland (Calf): No Designation Practices in Full all week RG Zack Martin (Knee): No Designation Wednesday: Limited | Thursday: Full | Friday: Full WR Brandin Cooks, LB Eric Kendricks, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, DE Tyrus Wheat were all held out Wednesday for non-injury reasons For the Baltimore Ravens, they will be without guard Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, who will be out for personal reasonss. WR Deonte Harty (Calf), OLB David Ojabo (Quad) and CB Nate Wiggins (Neck/Concussion) are all questionable. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Emmitt Smith believes Cowboys need more depth at wide receiver amidst offensive struggles Madison Tenenbaum It’s only Week 3, but it’s safe to say that Cowboys fans are already worried. Fingers are pointed primarily at the defense following Sunday’s Week 2 loss versus the Saints, and rightfully so, after they allowed 44 points and nearly 200 rushing yards— awful. But we can’t let Dallas’ somewhat anemic offense, who has struggled for two straight weeks now, off the hook so easily. Sure, they put up 33 points on the Browns, the league’s #1 ranked defense in 2023, but the Cowboys got to those 33 points mostly thanks to Pro Bowl kicker Brandon Aubrey’s four made field goals, as well as a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown by KaVontae Turpin. In a recent interview with Sports Seriously, Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith did not hold back when it came to his former team’s struggles on the attacking side. “Offensively, we’ve got to get it together. The best thing we’ve got going for us right now is our special teams, and that’s kicking field goals,” Smith said. Scoring touchdowns is the ticket in this league, and field goals aren’t going to cut it. Meanwhile, Dak continues to struggle with explosive chunk plays, which could be due to the lack of depth at the wide receiver position. After CeeDee Lamb, and then TE Jake Ferguson, when healthy, there’s a huge drop-off. When asked if the Cowboys should go out and get more help at wide receiver, Smith couldn’t have been quicker to say yes. “Most definitely. No disrespect to Brandin Cooks or Jalen Tolbert, but somebody needs to emerge. It’s easier to just contain CeeDee through zones and limit his throws down the field, so someone else has to emerge as that legit go-to threat outside of CeeDee Lamb, and with Ferguson out, it’s making things really tough.” Additionally, Smith thinks that the running back depth chart leaves a lot to be desired. “They aren’t putting an emphasis or a focus on it. In the Cleveland Browns game, they went up against a very solid defensive front and we ran the ball effectively with Dowdle and Zeke— and we threw the ball effectively off of some of those runs. Unfortunately in this game against the Saints, the Saints were scoring at such a high pace, we couldn’t keep up with it, so when that happens, the run game suffers. You try to slow the game down by running the ball, but if you aren’t running effectively, that makes things even worse.” Smith is right— and It’s hard to imagine Dallas surviving this season without an immediate boost in offensive production. There are ways to resurrect it, whether that be with scheme or personnel changes (maybe it’s time to bring up Dalvin Cook from the practice squad?!), but they can’t afford to force the issue. And as of now, no one can escape the blame. The Cowboys’ offense is struggling in all phases and everyone seems responsible.

Pressure, Prescott or Peers? What ails the Cowboys’ offense the most? reidhanson The Cowboys stand an even 1-1 entering Week 3 and yet it feels like things are borderline disastrous in Big D. Coming off a 44-19 loss to the underdog Saints, the panic is understandable. The Cowboys were utterly humiliated at home for the second time in as many games there. The defense once again imploded to a Shanahan-schemed offense and the offense spit and sputtered their way into a near meaningless existence. Much has been written about the Dallas defense and their many deficiencies this season. The Cowboys’ irresponsible handling of the defensive tackle position combined with the players’ front-runner tendencies and total lack of discipline is enough to populate a novel in and of itself. Its complete ineptitude has allowed the offense to skate by in some of the scrutiny this week when really it deserves an equal share. Some may be surprised to hear that the Cowboys offense has quietly limped itself to a No. 24 ranking in 2024. The absence of a respectable running game certainly plays a part, as does the slow development of the many young Dallas receivers, but the bulk of the blame falls on the offensive line’s inability to handle pressure, and the quarterback himself. Standing just 0.001 point ahead of the hapless Giants in total EPA/play and last in the entire NFC East in EPA/dropback, the Cowboys’ vaunted passing attack has begun the new season a shell of its former self. Their struggles with pressure this season is, in many ways, to be expected. The Cowboys rebuilt two-fifths of their offensive line using 2024 draft picks. One of the picks was regarded as a project player and the other was asked to move to a position he’s never played before. Cooper Beebe, the center, has gotten off to a solid start. He’s handled the transition to the middle well and has plus potential in both phases of the game. The left tackle Tyler Guyton isn’t off to such hot start. Mike McCarthy has done a solid job of protecting Guyton as much as he can, but the rookie can’t get help all the time. Terence Steele’s struggles at right tackle haven’t helped things either, since Steele is still more liability than asset in pass protection. The combination of Guyton and Steele has understandably put Dak Prescott’s head on swivel. Prescott isn’t just getting standard pressures but he’s facing the most quick-pressures in the NFL as well. With six unblocked pressures occurring in less than 1.5 seconds, the offensive line has been suffering significant pass protection breakdowns. Prescott isn’t without blame. The NFL’s highest paid player is 21st in completion percentage above expected. For reference he was top 10 in the NFL just a season before. Some of that performance can be linked to the pressure, but even when he’s not under pressure he’s been less than his previous brilliant self. Prescott’s -0.262 EPA in overall non-pressure situations ranks 31st in the NFL; just a hair above Bryce Young. His play from inside a clean pocket (non-rollouts) isn’t much better, earning a similar ranking at the bottom of the league. Some of this can be ascribed to PTSD since pass protection breakdowns can have carryover effects. Too many pressures can make even the coolest QBs permanently skittish in the pocket. No one escapes the blame in Dallas right now. The Cowboys’ offense is struggling in all phases, and everyone seems responsible. Maybe a scheme change can fix things. Maybe a strategy change is needed. Maybe a larger sample size is all that’s needed and things will just bounce back on their own. But for anything to improve the offensive line has to handle their pressure better and Prescott simply has to play better. [affiliatewidget_smgtlocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

CeeDee Lamb shockingly underused in Cowboys offense in 2024 reidhanson It’s no secret the Cowboys offense runs through star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb these days. Dallas’ $136 million man boasts the NFL’s second-highest annual salary for a non-quarterback (tied with Joey Bosa) and is coming off an All-Pro season where he led the league in receptions (135). Splitting time outside, inside and even out of the backfield, Lamb has been a weapon on short routes, deep routes and as a ball carrier. While he’s only run the ball three times for 25 yards, he’s managed two first downs, just one shy of running back Ezekiel Elliott’s first down total this season. As a pass catcher Lamb ranks 15th in the NFL with 151 receiving yards, and 28th with nine receptions. Those totals are certainly respectable through two weeks, but they are not what anyone has come to expect from the Cowboys’ top weapon. sam hoppen With a target share just under 23%, only seven teams have a No. 1 WR with a smaller share than Lamb’s. In fact, multiple teams have secondary WRs with larger target shares than Lamb and one team, the Jets, even has their No. 3, Allen Lazard, with a larger target share than Lamb. Lamb’s modest target rate isn’t by design but likely an accidental byproduct of the intended design. The Cowboys want to target him a ton but unlike many top teams, Dallas doesn’t have a clear WR2 on their roster. Brandin Cooks plays the role, but he’s struggled to live up to true No. 2 status since joining Dallas a season ago. There’s hope Jalen Tolbert can take the next step and lock down the WR3 spot, but his gains have been slow, and his snaps have been split up to this point. The Cowboys don’t have a great secondary option and that’s allowing opponents to focus in on Lamb and force Dak Prescott to spread the ball elsewhere. So, the offense is designed to flow through Lamb but since not enough was done over the offseason to keep defenses honest, the Cowboys’ top-heavy WR corps is getting keyed on. There’s still a lot of season left and plenty of time for players like Cooks and Tolbert to hit their stride as complementary WRs. Getting Jake Feguson back from injury will help as well since, in many ways, he’s the No. 3 option on offense and a player whose work underneath opens things up for Lamb over the top. At this point it is just something to monitor. The Cowboys’ offense goes as Lamb goes so Lamb’s slow start somewhat explains Dallas’ 24th ranked offense (EPA) through two weeks. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.