Cowboys Injury Report: Preparations for the NFC Championship Round K.D. Drummond Why are you here? Are you unaware that the Dallas Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs? They don’t even have a head coach at the moment… Come on, man. I know it was a difficult year, but if you checked out in October I know you didn’t just resurface thinking that the club turned things around and made it farther than they have in 33 years. Did you? Yikes. Okay, because we’re friends, here’s an update on the high-visibility Cowboys who had season-ending injuries. QB Dak Prescott, hamstring: Prescott’s recovery is ongoing, but he is expected to be ready for OTAs. DE Sam Williams, ACL: Williams was hurt in training camp, which means he will miss OTAs but should be able to participate in at least a portion of 2025 camp if there are no setbacks. DE DeMarcus Lawrence, foot: There was speculation that Lawrence might return at the end of 2024, which leads to speculation the free agent will be on some team’s field for OTAs in 2025. LB DeMarvion Overshown, ACL, MCL, PCL: Overshown’s injury was catastrophic and it was first thought he would likely miss all of 2025, but after surgery there was some hope he could return in the midst of the regular season. CB Trevon Diggs, articular cartilage: Diggs’ knee injury robbed him of the back end of the season and is reported to keep him out of the lineup through the offseason schedule and training camp, with a hopeful return by the start of the regular season. OG Zack Martin, Ankle: Martin is a nine-time Pro Bowler and contemplated retirement prior to the 2023 season. As a free agent, he might sit out the spring and wait to sign with a team until later in the year, if at all. That might not have anything to do with his ankle.

Jason Garrett Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports What’s old is new again! Jones loved his former coach so much he brought Garrett on as offensive coordinator before hiring his head coach. Once Garrett ascended to the big chair, Jones gave him an extension after only one winning season. At the end of that contract, Jones didn’t even have the heart to fire Garrett, letting his contract ran out and ambiguity ran wild before the Cowboys started a coaching search that eventually landed them Mike McCarthy. Garrett amassed a respectable 85-67 record over the course of nine full seasons and had just one losing year, when he lost quarterback Tony Romo for almost the entire 2015 campaign. The biggest problem with Garrett was his playoff success, he went just 2-3 and never made it past the divisional round of the playoffs. The veteran coach then moved on to be the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, a gig which he was fired from before he could finish out his second year with the team because the unit was so bad. Nicknamed ‘The Clapper,’ Cowboys fans never embraced Garrett, but Jones loved him, making him a perfect fit to return! Eric Bieniemy Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Once considered one of the hottest coaching candidates out there, the offensive coordinator had a long string of success under Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite having one of the best offenses in the league during his five years with the Chiefs and interviewing for head coaching gigs, he never got offered one. Bieniemy left Kansas City and became the OC for the Washington Commanders, which saw their offense finish in the bottom third of the league in total yards and points in his only year there. The veteran coach landed on his feet in the college game, being named the assistant head coach and OC for UCLA in 2024. Under Bieniemy, the Bruins had one of the worst offenses in FBS, scored a measly 18.4 points a game, and he was informed he would not be back after the season. Jones always seems late to the party and hiring Bieniemy a few years after he was a hot candidate would be very on brand for the Cowboys. Adam Gase Emilee Chinn/Getty Images Another former hot shot offensive coordinator, but unlike Bieniemy, Gase got his shot at a head coaching job. The OC built his reputation by working with Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning, who had the best passing season in NFL history when he threw 55 touchdown passes in 2013. Through Manning’s success and endorsement, Gase was hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2016, where he coached for three seasons and went 23-25, going to the playoffs just once without winning a postseason game. A few weeks after Gase was fired from the Dolphins, the New York Jets hired the offensive minded coach. In the introductory press conference, Gase had a strange look in his eyes that inspired many memes in his honor, and things got worse from there. Gase won just nine games in two seasons before being fired. That was the last time Gase held a coaching job of any kind, which makes him perfect to bring out of the woodwork to lead the Cowboys. Stephen Belichick Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports If the Cowboys wanted to hire legendary coach Bill Belichick, but waited too long to pull the trigger, Jones could always do the next best thing and hire his son. Stephen Belichick coached with his dad for 12 seasons as a defensive coach in some capacity before being hired by the Washington Huskies as their defensive coordinator in 2024. In his only season as a DC in college football, Belichick’s defense was a middle of the road unit that allowed almost 24 ppg, but did finish second in all FBS in passing defense, giving up just 166.5 yards through the air. Belichick followed his father to North Carolina, where he’s currently the defensive coordinator, but he can easily be released from his deal if it means he gets an NFL job. If it fails, the Cowboys use it as a bridge to hire Bill Belichick. He’s never been close to an NFL head coaching job, but that doesn’t matter. If hiring the dad is off the table, hire the son. It’s worked wonders for Jones and his family. Jerry Jones himself Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Jones finally gets what he wants and hires himself as the next head coach. Now, Jones can take the unprecedented step of being the owner, GM and coach all at the same time. He’s mentioned no one else can do as good a job as he’s done as the general manager, now he can take it to the next level. After all, who could possibly be a better option? Jones already has a say in who the team drafts, signs in free agency and plays, why not control the entire empire from the field and make the decisions on game day! Jones won’t have to make too many adjustments to his schedule either, he already does an interview after the games and twice during the week, so the logistics are all set up. With this move, Jones gets to control it all, just like he’s always wanted!

Brian Schottenheimer’s coaching mentors are a valid cause for concern for Cowboys fans reidhanson NFL folks are always talking about coaching trees. Much like musicians, early influences and coaching mentors play a key part role in the style, strategies and ultimate goals of developing coaches. Bill Walsh’s coaching tree was extensive throughout the late 1980s, Mike Holmgren’s coaching tree spread wide in the 1990s, and today it’s Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree that dominates the league. Brian Schottenheimer, one of the top coaching candidates to land the Dallas Cowboys’ head coaching job, doesn’t come from such an inspiring tree. While the name Schottenheimer sounds of NFL royalty, his list of coaching mentors aged about as well as an avocado. It’s a notorious list of coaches for all the wrong reasons and a cause for concern from an already dejected Cowboys fanbase. Brian Schottenheimer, son of Marty Schottenheimer, was born to an NFL family. His father, famous for a brand of football dubbed “Marty-ball”, was the antithesis of progressiveness during his day. When the rest of the NFL was embracing some form of West Coast offense or Air Coryell offense, Marty Schottenheimer was authoring an attack that focused on the running game, essentially using the passing game only as an extension of the running game. It was controversial and archaic even then because it moved opposite of trends and in a direction the NFL as a whole has abandoned even to this day. Brian Schottenheimer got his NFL start as offensive coordinator working under Eric Mangini in New York. He then stayed on after Mangini was fired to work under Rex Ryan. In all he coached the Jets for six years. He leaned on a run-heavy approach that saw some success, but bucked NFL trends. After the Jets he moved to St. Louis to work for Jeff Fisher. While he again enjoyed moderate success, he generally coached a conservative offense. Eventually he landed in Seattle to coach under Pete Carroll. The Seahawks were a highly efficient offense during his time there but again, it was a team that was built around the defense and ran a throwback style offense. It’s worth noting there were rumors it was Russell Wilson who nudged him out of town, presumably because of the offense that was being run. His last stop before the Cowboys was that infamous 2021 season under Urban Meyer in Jacksonville. Things were extremely dysfunctional so it’s difficult to read anything into his time there. Running through his list of coaching mentors, a list that features Mangini, Ryan, Fisher, Carroll and Meyer, is truly a cause for concern to many Cowboys fans. All of his coaching mentors have name recognition and various reputations but none of them are known for their offensive acumen in the NFL. It’s very likely the best and most creative offensive mind Schottenheimer worked for in the NFL was McCarthy in Dallas. And McCarthy isn’t exactly known for his creativity or grasp of the modern game these days. The idea of Schottenheimer leading a list of head coaching candidates for the Cowboys is curious to put it kindly. He comes from a notorious family and has worked under an uninspiring list of coaches, many of which have fallen on the wrong side of history. Schottenheimer worked mostly in the background with the Cowboys so it’s possible he’s developed under the radar. But his coaching tree of mentors is worrisome and the Cowboys’ interest, in what has been historically his style of football, is head scratching. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

This position coach hire will be every bit as crucial as next Cowboys coordinators reidhanson The Dallas Cowboys coaching staff is in state of flux. With the entire 2024 staff no longer under contract, all are free to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Who the Cowboys bring in as replacement coaches is anyone’s guess at this point. Jerry Jones is playing things close to the vest and everyday seems to feature a new headline grabbing frontrunner. The head coaching position deservedly draws the most attention from fans and media. He’s the figurehead on top of the coaching pyramid and likely the first domino to fall. Offensive and defensive coordinator spots have been getting their fair share of attention as well. They’re often the play callers and provide the details on their respective side of the ball so those positions are pivotal. But there’s a position coaching position that carries just as much importance as those coordinator spots and that coach isn’t getting nearly enough attention in Cowboys Nation right now; offensive line coach. No position coach is more important to Dallas this offseason than that of the offensive line coach. It’s a position coach that directly impacts both phases of the game on offense. A good offensive line keeps the quarterback upright and healthy, and the defense off the field and fresh. It’s historically been the identity of the Cowboys’ offense, and it should be no surprise the vast majority of playoff teams this winter rank highly in offensive line play. The Cowboys have invested significantly in the offensive line the past few years, using high draft picks and signing young players to big deals. If Zack Martin retires or leaves this offseason like many suggest, the oldest starting lineman on the team will be just 27 years old. Getting a good teacher and a proper scheme in place is critical to their development. For the last two seasons it was Mike Solari leading the unit. Solari came with a bit of a checkered past and never truly overcame that reputation in his two years in Dallas. Cooper Beebe, the Cowboys new rookie center, did well under Solari, but Tyler Guyton, Beebe’s rookie counterpart, struggled immensely at left tackle. The unit, as a whole, was dangerously poor in pass protection and it wasn’t until later in the season when they started to click as run blockers. The man before Solari was Joe Philbin. Philbin had a special way of doing things and if a player fit his profile, Philbin was great. But even he let players slip through the cracks. Credited with developing Terence Steele, Philbin hit gold when he turned an undrafted rookie into a starting offensive tackle. Steele has struggled in the years since Philbin and the right tackle now faces a premature contract termination this offseason. The Cowboys interior offensive line looks solid heading into 2025, even if Martin leaves, but the two bookends at OT are anything but solid. Finding a coach who can develop viable linemen at tackle is critical to the Cowboys’ future. Neither of Dallas’ expected starters played well in 2024 with Guyton grading 73rd out of 81 and Steele grading 43rd out of 81. If a new coach can get these players to discover their potential, he will be worth his weight in gold. The fastest way for the Cowboys offense to return to dominance is with the offensive line. Finding a coach who can develop Dallas’ young players, run a scheme that fits with the unit’s talents, and grow the line into a position of strength, is every bit as important as finding the right offensive or defensive coordinator. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Cowboys next DC must have this one trait or nothing else will matter reidhanson The Dallas Cowboys are completely unsettled in their coaching ranks. Presumably conducting due diligence at the head coaching position, the Cowboys want to figure out who is the top of the pecking order before they can settle in at the coordinator positions. But it’s never too soon to identify desirable the key traits the Cowboys defense needs. Whoever takes over on the defensive side will be Dallas’ third coordinator in as many years. The Cowboys’ defense has been a mixture of dysfunction and turmoil as of late, and finding the right kind of coach is critical to their ability to turn things around. In Dan Quinn’s last season in Dallas, they routinely fell apart against their better opponents, culminating in a postseason implosion against Green Bay. Mike Zimmer replaced Quinn, and his first year started disastrously, with the Cowboys ranking as one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They eventually rebounded when the schedule softened, but still struggled in multiple areas, particularly defending against the run. The most optimistic takeaway from the 2024 season is that players stepped up their discipline. With less freelancing and more gap discipline, the Cowboys started looking like a real defense that could play sound football. They lacked team health and in overall talent, but they showed signs of improvement which is reason for optimism. All of that improvement could hit a snag with the expected departure of Zimmer. Zimmer’s no-nonsense demeanor brought accountability to the defense. It’s something the next leader of the Cowboys defense needs to possess in order to keep things moving in the right direction. If the Cowboys want to compete against the best and give their team a chance to compete in the postseason in the coming years, they need to bring in a disciplinarian who can pick up where Zimmer left off. Scheme, personnel preferences and alignments almost take a backseat to this. Discipline and accountability are what this defense needs so they can develop the right way, and with any luck, be trustworthy when things matter most. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Hopefully, NFL’s divisional playoff round taught Cowboys, Jerry Jones this important lesson reidhanson Failures provide great learning opportunities for NFL teams. Whether that’s applied to the 10 losses the Dallas Cowboys endured during the regular season, or used as an educational tool while the playoffs continue without them, it’s a good way to squeeze value out of an otherwise disappointing situation. The NFL’s divisional playoff round gave Dallas a view of what top teams looks like nowadays. For a franchise that’s been accused of being stuck in the past, that kind honest look could be useful as the Cowboys move forward into the offseason. The Raven and Bills, Rams and Eagles, Commanders and Lions, and Chiefs and Texans all squared off over the weekend to show the world just how good the very best are. A constructive analysis would show the Cowboys how great teams are constructed and what conference championship-bound teams look like. The Ravens and Bills matchup on Sunday is a beautiful illustration of what championship teams should look like. Both teams are coached by some of the best minds in the game. John Harbaugh has been at the helm in Baltimore since 2008. He’s consistently put the Ravens in contention year after year and is the second-longest tenured head coach for a reason. Sean McDermott has found similar success with the Bills in Buffalo. He’s been with his team the fourth longest in the NFL. McDermott’s top offensive mind, Joe Brady, is one of the hottest names on the head coaching candidate list for a reason. He’s innovative, accomplished, and adaptable. Both teams are also loaded with talent. Not only are the offenses deep and multidimensional but their defenses rank in the top 12 in EPA/play allowed. It has created an environment that doesn’t require any one player to carry the team. Josh Allen won the day throwing for just 127 yards. It’s hard to imagine a game in which Dak Prescott could throw for 127 yards and win. That speaks to the roster around him and to balance of talent in Buffalo. The Eagles beat the Rams with a quarterback throwing for just 128 yards. Like Allen and the Bills, Philadelphia’s All-Star team didn’t require their QB to do more. Similar to Allen, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts adds a running element that makes up for any deficiencies in passing. But even adding Hurts’ 70 yards on the ground, the winning QB still contributed less than 200 yards. The Chiefs-vs-Texans was arguably the least balanced matchup of the weekend. Kansas City was clearly the better team on Saturday and it showed in the box score. All-Pro QB Patrick Mahomes threw for just 177 yards in his nine-point victory, and didn’t need hero ball to win because the team around him was good enough to do it as a unit. The Commanders and Lions game was a certified shootout where both teams slung the ball around to the tune of 76 combined points. But just like all of the examples above, the QB with the most passing yards lost the game. Obviously, some of that is a natural byproduct of a trailing team needing to pass more to catch up, but with the exception of the Commanders, the teams that leaned on their QBs the most, lost, and the teams that asked their QBs to do the least, won. Despite six of the eight divisional teams fielding QBs who are making top-of-the-market money, these franchises are constructed to win as a well-rounded team and does not rely on hero ball from their QB. This isn’t a plea to build a team around a ground game. Nor is this a callback to “defense wins championships.” It’s about team building. Successful teams find good coaching staffs. They find high-end QBs and aren’t afraid to pay them. They draft well and they sign good players in free agency so they can make a deep and well-rounded roster. They don’t put the weight of the franchise on any one or two entities. They treat the team like a team. That’s something the Cowboys front office should take note of. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Report: Cowboys, former position coach have ‘expressed mutual interest’ in HC candidacy Todd Brock The Cowboys’ current head coaching search is turning into a homecoming parade for a multitude of former players and assistant coaches who have spent time previously wearing the star. Among the candidates who have been discussed- albeit with wildly varying degrees of seriousness- are Kellen Moore, Deion Sanders, Jason Witten, Aaron Glenn, Mike Zimmer, and Brian Schottenheimer, all of whom have been on Jerry Jones’s payroll in one position or another over the years. Now add Anthony Lynn. Ed Werder of WFAA reports that there is “expressed mutual interest” between Lynn and the Cowboys for the team’s current head coaching vacancy. But despite a desire by both sides to meet, any talks will have to be delayed, as the job Lynn currently holds has him a little busy this week. Lynn served on Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington this season as the Commanders’ run game coordinator and running backs coach. He’ll be preparing this week to square off against the Eagles with a Super Bowl berth on the line. He knows the divisional rivalries well; one of his first NFL jobs was in elsewhere in the NFC East, in Dallas during the Bill Parcells regime. An ex-running back himself who played six seasons with the Broncos and 49ers, Lynn is a McKinney native who played his college ball at Texas Tech. After three seasons in Denver as a special teams assistant and two in Jacksonville as RB coach, Lynn found himself back in the Lone Star State as the Cowboys’ running backs coach for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Under Lynn, the Cowboys’ rushing attack finished 13th in the league both seasons, with Julius Jones and Marion Barber III as the team’s one-two punch out of the backfield. The team made the postseason in Lynn’s second year with the club, losing to Seattle in the wild-card round on Tony Romo’s infamous mishandled hold of a 19-yard-field goal. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Lynn left Dallas when Parcells did, landing in Cleveland as the Browns’ RB coach. Stints with the Jets and Bills followed, with assistant head coach duties being added to his plate at both stops. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in Buffalo when Greg Roman was fired early in the 2016 season and then took over as Bills interim head coach late in the season when Rex Ryan was axed. That led Lynn to get his first official head coaching job, with the Chargers in 2017. He lasted four seasons in Los Angeles, compiling a 33-31 record and going 1-1 in playoff games. Since then, Lynn served as Lions OC in 2021 and 49ers assistant HC/RB coach in 2022 and 2023 before joining Quinn in Washington. The Commanders’ ground game this season ranked in the league’s top five in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards per carry. Quarterback Jayden Daniels led the team with 891 rushing yards, while Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, and Chris Rodriguez all finished with triple-digit yardage numbers for the year. And Washington’s deep playoff run will no doubt boost the 56-year-old Lynn’s chances of getting another crack at a head coaching job, whether it’s in Dallas or elsewhere. “Anthony Lynn is a way better football coach than maybe people give him credit for,” Ryan said of his former assistant on ESPN on Monday. “Jerry is going to be comfortable with him. He’s been in that organization for a while; I think that’s important. Anthony would know what he’s getting into. … Anthony Lynn, I think, makes perfect sense here.” “He is a dang leader of men,”added Ryan. But before the Cowboys can talk to him about leading their men in 2025, Lynn will be leading his current burgundy-and-gold-clad troops in a battle for the NFC title and a trip to the Super Bowl.