Cowboys Star CeeDee Lamb Delivers Bad News Ahead of Giants Matchup

Cowboys Star CeeDee Lamb Delivers Bad News Ahead of Giants Matchup

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Heavy on CowboysDallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb is dealing with multiple injuries.

The Dallas Cowboys are dealing with injuries ahead of their Thanksgiving Day showdown against the New York Giants, including star receiver CeeDee Lamb, who enters the matchup noticeably hobbled.

Lamb has been battling multiple injuries but has remained a key presence on the field. While he initially suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder earlier in the season, that hasn’t caused him to miss any games. However, his recent setbacks are unrelated to the shoulder. Lamb has been listed as limited on the injury report for the past two days, dealing with back and foot issues.

“This is definitely one of the toughest years as for me body-wise,” Lamb said after Tuesday’s practice.

Lamb inked a four-year, $136 million extension prior to the start of the season. He’s notched 841 yards on 77 catches with four touchdowns. And now he’s navigating the rest of the season without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, who is out following hamstring surgery.

But Lamb has no intention of missing time. He’s committed to being on the field.

“That ain’t stopping nothing that’s for sure,” Lamb said of his injuries keeping him on the sideline.

Cowboys QB Cooper Rush Also Limited With Knee Injury

Lamb is not the only notable name dealing with an injury during the short week. Quarterback Cooper Rush has been limited due to a new knee injury he suffered against the Washington Commanders.

“He’s got some work to do, but I think we’re gonna be fine,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.

Rush is coming off two solid performances after a miserable debut as the starter in place of Prescott. He’s passed for 600 yards, three touchdowns and an interception over his last two starts against the Commanders and Texans.

Rush was much more efficient in his latest performance, completing 75% of his passes and posting a career-high QB rating of 117.6.

“I thought Cooper did a great job managing the game. I thought the run game teed up some completions for him and he was very decisive,” McCarthy said. “Clearly, it was his best game so far this year.”

Lamb was impressed with Rush but still wants to see more out of the offense.

“Pretty good,” Lamb said while assessing Rush. “Obviously, I feel like we could’ve scored a lot more, but his two touchdowns are definitely a confidence booster within the next few games that we have coming up.”

Cowboys Still Hungry for Wins Despite Losing Record

Dallas will likely need to run the table and get some help to keep their postseason hopes alive. Despite a 4-7 record, the team’s competitive fire in the locker room hasn’t wavered.

“I’m not done yet. I don’t plan on tanking,” Cowboys star Micah Parsons said after the game. “If the higher-ups are looking for a draft pick, I hope that’s ruined, because we got a lot of football left to play. As long as I’m a part of this team, we’re always going to fight.”

There is certainly an argument that the Cowboys should start planning for next season and try to get in the best position to draft a top prospect. But Dallas isn’t done yet. They’ll look to pick up a second straight win on Thanksgiving against the Giants.

J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He graduated from Arizona State and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SBNation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote

McCarthy: Cowboys hungry for Thanksgiving win after ‘wild’ victory vs. Commanders 

FRISCO, Texas — To put it plainly, the Dallas Cowboys needed a win like lungs need air and gills need water. They went on to mount the best and most impressive defensive outing of the season on Sunday to help accomplish that feat against the Washington Commanders on the road, buying just enough time for the offense and special teams to detonate as well.

The way it snowballed from a low-scoring jabfest to an all-out assault of haymakers by both teams in the waning seconds of the battle — a total of 41 points scored in the fourth quarter alone, including not one, but two kickoff returns for touchdown by the Cowboys and a missed extra point attempt by the Commanders that might’ve forced overtime.

It was bedlam.

“That game yesterday, in the fourth quarter, was as wild as any game I’ve ever been a part of,” said head coach Mike McCarthy on Monday, also offering praise for the resilience of his bunch in a season owned by Murphy’s Law. “I think, as a whole, they’ve just done a great job and it starts in the preparation phase, and just really staying the course. … They’ve done a really nice job in staying the course and preparing.”

As they move to 4-7 on the season and a chance to push to 5-8 only four days later, just six games remaining in the regular season, McCarthy isn’t taking any time to enjoy what happened in the nation’s capital.

Neither he nor the team can afford to.

“Clearly, if you need a definition of urgency, we’ve definitely had it here over this last month and, frankly, I’m just thankful and really happy for the players — to have some success that they work so hard to achieve,” he said. “The fight has definitely been there. … [But] we’re still pretty far down in the valley of adversity right now. We’ve made one step in the right direction, so we’ve still got a lot of climbing to do.

“It was great to get some wind under our wings, but this Thursday’s game comes on you so fast. It really does. … That’s really where my mind is and my heart is, too.”

Having once again defeated the Giants earlier this season, the Cowboys will look to deliver yet another sweeping blow to Big Blue in a contest that looks wildly different on paper for both clubs this time around.

“We really need this game,” McCarthy said. “The urgency is there, and we’ve got a long ways to go.”

The journey of a thousand miles, and whatnot.

Cowboys’ KaVontae Turpin makes ‘fastest player’ claim after viral TD return

The Cowboys’ return specialist did not hold back his confidence on his greatest strength

Dallas Cowboys return specialist/wideout KaVontae Turpin made a bold claim about himself a day after his viral kickoff return touchdown against the Washington Commanders. Head coach Mike McCarthy‘s team had a shocking victory at Northwest Stadium on Sunday as backup quarterback Cooper Rush had his best performance of the year.

Turpin’s 99-yard touchdown return sealed the upset in a play where the 2022 United States Football League MVP showcased his trademark speed. In a quote to Dallas Cowboys insider Ed Werder, Turpin showed confidence in his biggest strength.

“I have always been the fastest person on this planet. That’s how I feel. I feel like I’m the fastest player in the NFL.”

KaVontae Turpin has given the Dallas Cowboys a much-needed spark

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

To save everyone time from searching it up, KaVontae Turpin ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash on his pro day in 2019. That is a blazing time but by no means the fastest ever in that event. To compare, Xavier Worthy currently holds the record among NFL players in the 40, running 4.21 seconds at the 2024 NFL Combine. Despite that difference, a 40-time is never the best indication of a player’s speed. 49ers icon Jerry Rice famously ran a 4.71 time for this event and went on to look way faster than that in pads.

Nevertheless, Turpin made everyone else on the field look like they were in slow motion in this viral play. The touchdown return is the TCU alum’s second of the season, the other being on a 60-yard punt return against the Cleveland Browns. Turpin additionally has caught 21 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Looking ahead, the Cowboys will need Turpin to consistently showcase his speed to stay competitive over the next few weeks. Mike McCarthy is firmly on the hot seat for a team decimated by injuries, and the Cowboys will need to win out to realistically stay in playoff contention. Still, the next four games for Dallas are very winnable. Over the next month, “America’s Team” will host the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers.

After those games come two pivotal late-season matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. It’s a tall task to ask Dallas to win out, especially with star quarterback Dak Prescott out for the season. However, the Cowboys came into the Commanders’ game as heavy underdogs and won. Maybe this one victory can spark one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory. Still, whether Mike McCarthy and company can pull off an early Christmas miracle remains to be seen.

Dylan Fine focuses on NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas.

Cowboys’ Cooper Rush lands on injury report ahead of Giants Thanksgiving clash

Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush finds himself on the injury report ahead of the team’s Thanksgiving matchup.

The Dallas Cowboys will be looking to pick up their second-straight win when the face the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. However, that would become more difficult if quarterback Cooper Rush was injured.

Rush was limited on Monday due to his knee injury, via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. He was among 16 players the Cowboys listed on their injury report.

However, it doesn’t appear as if Rush is facing a long-term ailment. Clearly he has some bumps and bruises. But head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t expecting his knee injury to keep him out of Dallas’ Thanksgiving matchup, via Josh Tolentino of Lone Star Live.

“He’s got some work to do,” McCarthy said. “But I think he’ll be fine.”

Rush is coming off his first win as an NFL starter, as the Cowboys defeated the Washington Commanders 34-26 in Week 12. The quarterback completed 24-of-32 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Both of Rush’s touchdown throws came in a hotly contested fourth quarter.

By winning that game, Rush has extended his leash on the Cowboys’ QB1 role. With Dak Prescott out for the season, it isn’t necessarily the most precarious leash. But it does give Rush an opportunity to prove what he can offer as a starting quarterback.

Austin Seibert identifies real culprit behind painful blunder vs. Cowboys

After his Week 12 performance, Rush is now completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 813 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Barring injury or another meltdown, he seems likely to hold off Trey Lance for the remainder of the season.

While the win moved Dallas to just 4-7 on the year, they don’t want to leave Thanksgiving empty handed. The Giants are one of their most storied rivals, and every game is personal.

Having Cooper Rush on the field at least gives the offense a sense of continuance. It still won’t reach the levels it did under Prescott. But Rush has at least proven he can lead the Cowboys to win. Of course, only if he’s healthy.

Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist covering NFL and MLB news for ClutchPoints. He has a degree from Central Connecticut State and previously wrote at Shore Publishing.

Cowboys vs Commanders: Cooper Rush’s career day helped offense get back on track

Cooper Rush was awesome on Sunday.

Not many things have gone right this season for the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas’ defense, which was ravaged by injuries after the first three weeks of the season, has started to turn a corner a bit as they’ve gotten healthy. The defense has been playing better, more competitive football, but before yesterday’s game against the Commanders, the same could not be said about Dallas’ offense.

The Cowboys’ offense, which led the league in points scored two of the past three seasons, was a mess even before Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. After Prescott’s departure, things got even worse. In their past two games, Dallas scored a total of 16 points and turned the ball over seven times. This didn’t present much optimism for the matchup against a 7-4 Commanders team. But for the first time in weeks, we saw the Cowboys’ offense have sustained success on Sunday.

Dallas finished the day with 34 points as a team, although only 20 came from the offense. While 20 offensive points isn’t a great feat, there was a night and day difference in their offensive attack this week versus last. The Cowboys had success on the ground and through the air, and finally were able to move the ball down the field consistently. If it wasn’t for some special team mishaps, Dallas’ offense could have been responsible for 26 points.

A big reason the Cowboys were able to have success on offense was the performance of quarterback Cooper Rush. The veteran quarterback had really struggled in his first two starts of the season, but he completely flipped the script on Sunday. Rush put together the best overall performance of his NFL career, completing 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Rush’s 117.6 Passer Rating was a career-high, as was his 75% completion percentage.

Dallas Cowboys QB Cooper Rush was 24/32 for 247 yards had 2 touchdowns against the Washington Commanders.

Rush registered an average time to throw of 2.38 seconds, the quickest by a Cowboys quarterback in a game this season.

Against man coverage specifically, Rush was 8/11 for…

— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) November 24, 2024

Among all qualified quarterbacks in Week 12, Rush finished in the top 12 in EPA + CPOE (0.128 10th), EPA/Play (0.175 12th), and Success Rate (52.5% 6th). Rush wasn’t Patrick Mahomes back there, in fact he was still far from it, but he was decisive with his throws, protected the football, and made much better decisions than we’ve seen from him in weeks past.

Cooper Rush to Jalen Tolbert to give Dallas the lead in DC

— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024

Is Cooper Rush capable of replicating this performance moving forward? Probably not, but it was still nice to see him, for at least one week, put together a performance he and the Cowboys’ offense could be proud of.

In a lost season, Dallas’ offenses needed this in a big way. This performance will give them some confidence as they enter the final six games of the regular season.

Cowboys undrafted player had a career day in week 12

straight game because Trevon Diggs was ruled out, a undrafted defensive player for the Cowboys was attacked all day yesterday, and he had a career game against the Commanders.

Josh Butler was picked on by the Commanders’ passing game all day.

But in the end, Butler held his own, and then some. He was credited with a team-high 12 tackles. He also had a sack on Jayden Daniels and had three pass deflections.

DaRon Bland 2.0?

Okay, fine. I am jumping the gun. DaRon Bland was drafted in the 5th round, but did not come into his own until last season. Maybe this could be the start of Butler.

Even when Diggs comes back to play opposite DaRon Bland, the Cowboys might have found another playmaker in Butler, who had been on the practice squad most of the season.

In those three broken up passes Sunday, tied the most pass breakups by an undrafted Cowboys player since 1994. The last undrafted Cowboy with three pass breakups in a game was Sterling Moore in 2013 against Green Bay (12/15).

He attended my favorite college, Michigan State. Butler redshirted his first season at MSU.

As a redshirt freshman in 2016, he garnered snaps in 11 games, primarily on special teams.

As a sophomore in 2017, he started four games and collected 12 tackles. As a junior, he started five games, with 10 tackles and three passes defended. During his senior season in 2018, he started seven games, missing time due to injury.

He bounced around a bit before landing with the Cowboys. He played in the Spring League in 2021 for the Conquers of the development, then the Michigan Panthers for the USFL.

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He started 11 games for them in 2023 and tallied 29 tackles. Man, something about the Cowboys finding these players in these other leagues. Maybe they should keep doing that instead of drafting busts.

I have a strong feeling that Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer are going to be brought back next season, and I am already getting sick thinking about it.

Contract

Some folks may not know all the ins and outs of Butler, but this season is the perfect chance to see what the Cowboys have in these players.

They need to figure out who will be able to make an impact in 2025, because at 4-7, they are playing for a draft spot. I was not a fan of that win yesterday, because of this, but Butler was a bright spot maybe going forward.

Josh Butler signed a 2 year , $1,755,000 contract with the Cowboys including an average annual salary of $877,500. In 2024, Butler will earn a base salary of $309,169, while carrying a cap hit of $309,169.

He is under contract until the end of 2025. That bolds well for a secondary that could be good if healthy next season with Diggs, Bland and Butler. Leaving Lewis in the slot.

It is not like Butler will save the season or maybe even help in 2025, but he got attacked like crazy yesterday and played awesome.

It is a bright spot for this team, but I think Washington has come back to earth a bit, they peaked early, and lost to a team that should not have beaten them.

The Cowboys have a quick turnaround this week as they play the Giants on Thanksgiving. Another game they are going to win.

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New York might be the worst team in football. That would put the Cowboys at 5-and-7, not an ideal record for a team who needs a high draft pick.

Butler will probably get work again like this if Diggs is out, but even if he returns, Butler has earned the right to see the field a bit more going forward.

Video Shows Commanders Linebacker Punching Cowboys Center During Week 12

The Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys recently faced each other in a Week 12 match, with the latter coming out on top. During that game, though, Washington’s Frankie Luvu was caught punching a center Brock Hoffman as things got intense on the field between them.

Just recently, the Cowboys defeated Washington with a score of 34-26, marking a significant turnaround for the Cowboys after a frustrating five-game losing streak. The game, held at Northwest Stadium, was a rollercoaster of emotions, especially in the chaotic final minutes where the teams combined for an astonishing 31 points.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The first half was uneventful, with the Commanders leading 7-3 at halftime. However, the action picked up dramatically in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys capitalized on a fumble by Washington tight end John Bates, allowing them to extend their lead. Washington fought back, scoring a touchdown to narrow the deficit, but Dallas answered with a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown by KaVonte Turpin, showcasing their special teams’ prowess.

Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a stunning 86-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin with just 21 seconds left, bringing Washington within one point. However, Austin Seibert’s missed extra point proved costly, as it would have tied the game. Seibert, visibly upset, took full responsibility for the miss, highlighting the emotional stakes of the match.

Cooper Rush led the Cowboys with a solid performance, completing 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards, throwing touchdowns to both Jalen Tolbert and Luke Schoonmaker. The Cowboys’ defense was also instrumental, forcing two turnovers that helped seal their victory.

This game not only ended the Cowboys’ losing streak but also left the Commanders in a precarious position regarding their playoff hopes. With the Thanksgiving matchup against the New York Giants looming, Dallas aims to build on this momentum, while Washington will need to regroup quickly to avoid further setbacks.

Washington Commanders’ Frankie Luvu Punches Dallas Cowboys’ Brock Hoffman During Week 12 Match

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

During the match itself, things got heated between Luvu and Hoffman, leading to the former throwing a punch. This can be seen in a video .

🚨WILD:  defensive back PUNCHES A  LINEMAN IN THE HEAD… no flag thrown by the refs.

🤯🤯🤯

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 24, 2024

Hoffman, filling in for Zack Martin, played a crucial role, both offensively and defensively. His physical play frustrated Luvu, who retaliated with a punch. He responded on social media, emphasizing the Cowboys’ dominance in the game.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This win was particularly significant as it marked the first matchup against former coach Dan Quinn. Overall, the Cowboys demonstrated resilience and strength as they get a crucial win against Washington.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

‘It Is… NO GOOD!’ Fox Announcers Deliver Incredible Call of Bizarre Closing Sequence in Washington-Dallas Game

Elation immediately followed heartbreak Sunday when the Washington Commanders scored a miracle touchdown before missing the game-tying PAT.

With just 33 seconds left in the game, the Commanders trailed the Dallas Cowboys 27-20. Quarterback Jayden Daniels threw the ball deep to receiver Terry McLaurin. After catching it at the Commanders’ 40-yard line, McLaurin found enough space between Cowboys defenders to sprint past them and into the end zone to make it 27-26. All the Commanders needed was a successful extra point to tie the game and most likely send the game into overtime.

That was apparently much easier said than done. A low snap somewhat disrupted the rhythm of kicker Austin Seibert, resulting in the ball being kicked just outside the left upright.

“For the tie, low snap, it is — no good!” Fox announcer Joe Davis said. “And the worst special teams day in history has a fitting finish!”

Analyst Greg Olsen struggled to find the words.

“I’m not even sure what we just watched,” Olsen said. “The improbability of all of this happening for this finish to be possible — but it starts with a bad snap. It’s low. [Tress Way] does a good job getting it down, and–.”

As Davis noted on the broadcast, Seibert had not missed an extra point all season. On Sunday, he missed two.

“After an 86-yard miracle to Terry McLaurin,” Davis added, “a missed extra point and a missed opportunity for [head coach] Dan Quinn and the Commanders.”

Cowboys exposing Dan Quinn’s Commanders as frauds is best part of 2024 season

Take that, Dan Quinn!

Dallas Cowboys v Washington Commanders / Timothy Nwachukwu/GettyImages

What an absolutely wild game in Landover!

The odds were literally stacked against the Dallas Cowboys for Sunday’s rivalry game versus the Washington Commanders. They were 10-point underdogs against the Dan-Quinn-led brigade for the first time in more than two decades and managed to pull out a thrilling 34-26 victory behind enemy lines.

As much as the victory may ruin Cowboys fans’ hopes of landing a top-five pick, beating Quinn in Washington after all of the trash-talk that from former Dallas players during the week is without question the apex of an otherwise forgettable 2024 season.

It looked like Cooper Rush’s touchdown to Luke Schoonmaker was the knockout punch. After Washington responded with a quick score, KaVontae Turpin seemed to ice the game with an electric 99-yard kickoff return.

The Cowboys tried to milk the clock after Washington kicked a quick field goal, but Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected for an 86-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left only for Austin Seibert to miss the game-typing extra point. Juanyeh Thomas then put the icing on the cake by returning the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown.

Cowboys expose Dan Quinn, Commanders as frauds in stunning Week 12 victory

Not only have wins been hard to come by this season, but moral victories have been few and far between.

The Week 1 win in Cleveland proved to be a mirage as the Browns have one of the worst records in the league, even with their Thursday night win over Pittsburgh. Speaking of the Steelers, the Cowboys barely squeaked by them in Week 5. They played sloppy against the Giants the following week. Even in wins there hasn’t been much to feel good about.

The injury bug is another miserable footnote on the 2024 season. Already without their franchise quarterback and Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys ruled out future Hall of Famer Zack Martin, All-Pro guard Tyler Smith, star cornerback Trevon Diggs and Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson for Sunday’s game.

That makes this win all the more gritty and impressive.

That brings us to all of the off-field dramatics spawned by Jerry Jones. Threatening to have local radio hosts fired, overpaying for Jonathan Mingo, throwing Dak Prescott under the bus on more than occasion, blind faith in Ezekiel Elliott, refusing to put up curtains at AT&T Stadium. Beyond lousy week-to-week performances, the off-field distractions have been just as hard to put up with.

Losers of two in a row, the Commanders HAD to have this game. It wasn’t a must-win by definition, but by dropping to 7-5 they have virtually handed the Eagles the NFC East crown. They have also breathed new life into teams looking up at them in the Wild Card race: the Rams, 49ers, Seahawks and Buccaneers.

There might not be many more wins left on the schedule, but exposing Quinn’s Commanders as frauds and potentially derailing Washington’s season is a remarkable result for Mike McCarthy’s group.

Draft position be damned. Enjoy this win, Cowboys fans. We deserve it.

Commanders’ offense gets taste of its own medicine in torrid loss vs. Cowboys

Jayden Daniels / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders lost a rollercoaster game to the Dallas Cowboys in part because of a faulty kick operation that resulted in Austin Seibert missing a game-tying extra point in the final minute. But that is not the primary reason they were undone.

They lost in part because they could not contain kick returner extraordinaire KaVontae Turpin, who we noted before the game is the most dangerous player the Cowboys currently have. But that is not the main reason they lost.

They lost in part because they made far too many mistakes. They missed two extra points. They allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns. The Commanders committed eight penalties to Dallas’ four and turned the ball over three times to the Cowboys’ one.

And yet, none of those mistakes explain why the Commanders dropped a game they desperately needed to win, at home, against a team that had lost five straight.

Commanders offense was bullied in the trenches vs. the Cowboys

The primary reason that the Commanders lost to the Cowboys is because they were physically dominated by a Dallas defense that entered the game among the worst in the league in most important statistical categories.

The explosion of offense in the final quarter made Washington’s numbers for the game look respectable. But make no mistake, when Washington was in a position to seize control of the game in the first half, the unit failed to do so.

By the time they began to make plays, it proved too little, too late.

Consider the following plays:

On Washington’s first play from scrimmage, Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith manhandled his former teammate Tyler Biadasz. It resulted in Commanders’ running back Brian Robinson Jr. sustaining an injury that would severely limit him throughout the game.

On Washington’s second play, right tackle Andrew Wylie missed a blitz pickup that forced an incomplete pass from Jayden Daniels.

After a successful Daniels run, the entire line failed to move the Cowboys defensive front, resulting in a short Austin Ekeler run. The veteran ran a sweep on the following play. Pulling left tackle Brandon Coleman did not block anyone and the backfield threat was stopped for no gain by cornerback Jourdan Lewis.

On the first play of the second quarter, with Washington in Dallas territory after recovering a fumble, Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons ran right past Washinton’s right guard Sam Cosmi and forced another incompletion.

Then, on the first play after Washington had blocked a Cowboys’ punt and again had the ball in Dallas territory, left guard Nick Allegretti failed to sustain his block on tackle Osa Odighizuwa. Robinson was stuffed for no gain.

Two plays later, Cosmi was late getting out on a screen pass. This allowed Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston to rip the ball out of Robinson’s hands for an interception.

That’s seven key first-half plays on which Washington’s offensive line was beaten – physically, mentally, or both. The Commanders began three first-half drives in Dallas territory, and two others on their own 32 and 42.  With all that sensational field position, they scored three points.

That is why the Commanders lost.

This game should have been out of reach by halftime. In the first half, Washington’s offense totaled 113 yards. They averaged a paltry 3.8 yards per play.

The Commanders were even worse at passing the ball, averaging just 2.9 yards per attempt. They allowed three sacks and three tackles for loss. Dallas blitzed often and Daniels was running for his life.

In the last two weeks – losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles – the Commanders’ offensive line did not play well. That can be explained by the fact that both Pennsylvania squads have outstanding front sevens on defense. That is not the case with the Cowboys.

Outside of Parsons, the Cowboys do not boast elite talent across their defensive front. Yet they still controlled the game.

There are other culprits in the loss. Washington’s play-calling and offensive rhythm seemed oddly drab. The defense followed a stretch of good plays with some blown assignments or undisciplined penalties. They never generated much pass pressure on Cooper Rush and Jeremy Chinn was exposed in coverage.

All of that contributed to the loss. But in the end, Washington was simply physically dominated in the trenches on offense.

Some inspired play late made the final numbers look pretty good. But when the game was asking to be won in the first half, the Commanders’ offense, and primarily the offensive line, was simply not up to the task.

for Cowboys in wild win over Commanders

Sunday was an impressive day for the Dallas Cowboys.

Well, the Dallas Cowboys managed to pull out the win on the road despite being massive underdogs to Dan Quinn and his Washington Commanders. They did so in the most bizarre fashion, too, with an explosive fourth quarter for both sides. That complicates some of the grading scales here, but it was a generally good outing across the board for Dallas.

Quarterback

Cooper Rush just had his best game of the year, although it isn’t exactly saying much. Still, Rush completed 75% of his passes for 247 yards, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. He also threw two touchdowns and, for the first time since becoming the starter, did not turn it over.

Rush’s production wasn’t just dink-and-dunk football, either. Rush had a handful of deep shots, including one completion of 41 yards to Jalen Brooks that set up the game-tying field goal right before halftime. It wasn’t a perfect game from Rush, but it was darn near close to it.

Grade: A

Running backs

On the whole, Rico Dowdle had a very productive game. He finished the day with 86 rushing yards on 19 carries, averaging a very healthy 4.5 yards per carry. His only real blemish was a fumble, but Dowdle had several explosive and powerful runs outside of that.

Beyond Dowdle, though, the Cowboys didn’t get much production from their run game. Ezekiel Elliott put up six yards on three carries and CeeDee Lamb’s lone carry was stopped for a gain of one. Trey Lance came in for one play, a speed out to the right, and he was tackled for a loss of three.

Grade: B+

Pass catchers

The Cowboys made it a point to get CeeDee Lamb involved early, with five of his 12 targets on the day coming on the first two drives of the game. Lamb was productive too, with 10 catches for 67 yards and a whole host of chain-moving receptions.

That opened things up for others, too. Jalen Tolbert caught a touchdown, Jalen Brooks had a huge reception, and both Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford ripped off a few big plays here and there. Still, there were several drops and plays left on the field that prevent this group from a better grade.

Grade: C+

Offensive line

The Commanders came into this game as a defense that wasn’t generating pressure at a very high rate but did convert those pressures to sacks at one of the best rates in the league. Then, the Cowboys ended up being down two starters at either guard spot.

So the fact that Rush was only sacked once with just two knockdowns is impressive. Similarly, the offensive line did a good job of creating some holes for Dowdle, though they also got beat bad on several stuffed run plays. All things considered, it was a good day for the unit, though they can do better.

Grade: B

Run defense

The Commanders entered this game as one of the better rushing teams in the league, which isn’t surprising with their three-headed monster of Jayden Daniels, Brian Robinson, and Austin Ekeler. But Dallas did a good job of bottling up the run, as Washington’s running backs totaled just 57 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Daniels, on the other hand, was a little harder to contain. The sensational rookie quarterback led the team in rushing with 74 yards on just seven carries, though 25 of those yards came on two scrambles. On designed runs, Daniels still averaged 9.8 yards per carry, which is not exactly ideal.

Grade: B

Pass rush

Daniels’ mobility makes him a very difficult quarterback to rush against. Only nine quarterbacks had been pressured less coming into this one than Daniels, whose ability to evade rushers has greatly helped this offense.

Consider it a massive win that Dallas managed to sack Daniels four times, and they were routinely in his face with eight knockdowns. Mike Zimmer had Daniels’ head spinning in the first half, especially, with his wide variety of simulated pressure looks. This was a glimpse into the potential of this defense under Zimmer.

Grade: A+

Pass coverage

At long last, DaRon Bland made his season debut, and it helped the Cowboys put up a great game in the secondary. Daniels rarely went Bland’s way, instead targeting Josh Butler a ton. However, Butler was up for the challenge, forcing a handful of incompletions and very nearly coming away with an interception on a deep shot.

The defense did pick Daniels off twice in this game too, though one was the result of a jarring hit from Chauncey Golston while the other came on an end-of-game Hail Mary. Still, Daniels had a hard time stretching the field the way he likes to. The only thing keeping the Cowboys from a perfect grade here is their bad coverage on the Hail Mary to Terry McLaurin.

Grade: A

Special teams

In the first half, the special teams unit was cruising to an F grade. Brandon Aubrey’s first field goal attempt was blocked, and his second try just missed. Bryan Anger also had a punt get blocked. And Aubrey even drew a penalty at the start of the third quarter for not kicking the ball into the landing zone, which gave Washington a short field.

But this unit came up big in the second half. Aubrey hit two field goals and, unlike the Commanders kicker, made all his extra points. KaVontae Turpin housed a kickoff 99 yards for a score in a pivotal moment of the game. And Juanyeh Thomas recovered an onside kick before returning it for another touchdown, icing the game. It was a very uneven game from this group, so I can’t give them a top grade, but the good definitely outweighs the bad here.

Grade: B+

Coaching

Mike McCarthy followed up one of his worst game plans ever with one of his best. He had Rush dealing in this game and Dowdle had one of his best games of the year. The ability to feed Lamb early opened things up for others the rest of the game, and McCarthy knew exactly where to attack his former coordinator’s coverages.

Defensively, Mike Zimmer’s unit was excellent in their pass rush plan and did an admirable job against the run and through the air. They came away with three takeaways in total and sacked Daniels four times, the second-most he’s had in a game all year. The only real criticism here is how the coaches handled things in crunch time, particularly when Dallas was trying to run the clock out and then the coverage decisions on that Hail Mary. Still, those are nits to be picked at a later time.

Grade: A

Cowboys’ miscues in Washington explain why the season is on the brink

The Dallas Cowboys went into Washington and took down the rival Commanders behind a nearly dominant performance from the defense. I’ll be honest, if any defense was going to thrive today, I would have put my money on Dan Quinn’s bunch facing Cooper Rush and a rash of backups.

Somehow, the Cowboys were on top when the clock hit all zeroes on Sunday afternoon, finishing off the Commanders by the score of 34-26 and moving on to a Thanksgiving date versus the New York Giants with a 4-7 record.

If you had watched only the first half, you’d be even more surprised at the end result. Dallas did not put any points on the board until the final seconds of the half when Brandon Aubrey knocked a 46-yard field goal through the uprights with three seconds left on the clock.

Despite the win, the Cowboys had several head-scratching plays and miscues that explain why this season is on the brink. In a season of evaluation, I find it important to still point out the cracks in the foundation that have been causing structural issues for the entire team.

Special Teams Weren’t So Special

Special Teams Coordinator Jon “Bones” Fassel’s bunch did not play their best game in the first half yesterday, and could have single-handedly lost the Cowboys the game with their early miscues.

The defense was playing lights out, holding rookie phenom Jayden Daniels and the Commanders to just three points in the first half, but it could have been much worse because of the special teams.

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Even the offense was surprising us by moving the ball down the field early on, but right on par with the rest of the season, they had trouble closing out drives with touchdowns, instead leaning on Brandon Aubrey’s leg. The bad part is that one leg is not the only piece in the kicking process.

After driving down the field on the opening drive, Aubrey lined up for a routine field goal, but it was blocked by Washington. I wasn’t at the stadium, but my family and I were watching from home, and the air was sucked out of the room after that block. It just felt like a “here we go again” situation.

The defense held, the offense drove down the field again, and Aubrey lined up to tie the game at three. This time, the rush looked to affect his kick and the Commanders nearly got home for a second consecutive block. Aubrey’s kick hit the right upright, and they went without points once again.

After another lost possession (Dowdle’s lost fumble), the Cowboys’ next drive fell short of midfield, and P Bryan Anger trotted out for a punt. The blocking scheme again failed, and Anger’s punt was blocked.

Three opportunities, and three utter failures for the special teams unit to start the game. I will give credit for not one, but two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the second half, but the miscues can’t be overlooked.

Questionable Play Calling

I don’t have a full game’s worth of plays I did not like, especially because I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that the offense put up 332 total yards, but there were a handful of plays that made me scratch my head.

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There were two play calls in the first half that made me want to take McCarthy’s tablet and slam it on the ground myself. Ever since I was a little kid, I have never forgotten my coaches telling me to run the ball downhill. I know NFL players have other-worldly speed, but I don’t believe in running parallel to the line of scrimmage in short-yardage situations.

McCarthy called two such plays in the first half that ended up costing the team points. The first play was a 2nd & 1 from the Washington 13-yard line on the first drive of the game. He called a jet sweep to WR CeeDee Lamb that former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong blew up four yards in the backfield.

WR Jalen Tolbert dropped a pass right over the middle that would have resulted in a 1st down, and then Aubrey’s kick was blocked. Why run a play with the possibility of losing four yards when you can just fall forward one yard for a first down?

The next questionable play call was on the very next drive. Down 3-0 and once again moving the ball down the field on offense, the Cowboys faced a 3rd & 2 from the Washington 21-yard line. McCarthy called a pitch sweep to the right that had Dowdle running parallel to the line of scrimmage until the Commanders’ defense caught up with him and brought him down for a three-yard loss.

Aubrey’s ensuing kick clanged off of the right upright, and another drive ended without points. The Cowboys were aided in this game by the fact that the Commanders did not perform up to their current standard either, and Dallas found the spark in the second half to pull away.

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The Cowboys might be able to overcome miscues like this again on Thanksgiving versus the Giants, but with games versus the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Eagles still on schedule, they need to get it cleaned up for any chance at the playoffs.

However, McCarthy has been promising discipline for five years, so I don’t expect it to suddenly appear now.

Dino Nuggets? Nah, How ‘Bout Them Cowboy Nuggets?

A portion of the proceeds from “Cowboys Nuggets” will be donated to The Salvation Army.

How ’bout them nuggets? Courtesy of Tyson Foods

Game day snacking just took a turn for the fanciful. The Dallas Cowboys have teamed up with Tyson Foods to create star-shaped chicken nuggets that are now available at local retailers and at AT&T Stadium during home games. This way, no matter how hard the Cowboys let you down, your inner child will be entertained.

After all, as any child will tell you, chicken nuggets hit differently when they’re cut into a fun shape. Dino nuggets are a classic, but the nugget pantheon also includes everything from Mickey Mouse to letters and numbers to “spooky nuggets” shaped like ghosts and pumpkins.

The standard lumpy oval variety we’re all familiar with just doesn’t cut it anymore. People want to express themselves through their nuggets and the Cowboys aren’t the only sports entity to catch on to this.

Tyson has also partnered with the University of Arkansas to create Razorback nuggets. Funny enough, Arkansas is Dallas Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones’ alma mater. These sporty nuggets not only make eating dinner more palatable to fussy toddlers, but also drill in that home team loyalty while they’re young.

Clearly, themed nuggets have a more exciting track record than the Cowboys this season.

If you don’t have that sense of whimsy, there’s still a good cause attached to this collaboration that might get you on board. Tyson Foods will donate $1 to The Salvation Army for every purchase of Cowboys Nuggets throughout the holiday season, up to $100,000.

“Everyone knows that good food and football go hand in hand, so we hope the Tyson Dallas Cowboys Nuggets find a place on game-day menus across the region,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement to the press. “Being able to now offer our fans another way to fuel their fandom, while also benefiting The Salvation Army, is a winning play for all of us.”

That’s all the permission we need to eat off the kids’ menu.

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants: Date, kick-off time, stream info and how to watch the NFL on DAZN

The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants go head-to-head this weekend as both look to avoid finishing bottom of the NFC East division in a Week 13 encounter.

Neither side harbours hopes of a postseason campaign now, and with 4-7 and 2-9 records respectively, are far and away out of the picture for the winter.

But there is still stubborn pride on the line for both teams as they prepare to tussle over the Thanksgiving weekend, and they will be determined to deliver the goods.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants.

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants date, start time

The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giantsare due to face off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 28.

That means it will be a 1:30 p.m. start for those watching on the west coast, while it will take place at 9:30 p.m. the same day in the United Kingdom.

The Cowboys arrive on the back of a key win against the Washington Commanders, but the Giants endured further misery against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Where is Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants?

This game is due to take place at AT&T Stadium, located in the city of Arlington, close to Dallas, Texas.

Opened in 2009, the 80,000-capacity venue hosted Super Bowl XLV as well as two editions of WrestleMania, and Jake Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson this month.

How to watch Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots on DAZN

Every NFL game during the 2024 regular season and playoffs — including the Super Bowl — is available worldwide on DAZN, excluding the United States and China.

DAZN is the only place to watch NFL Game Pass International, with access to every regular-season NFL game and every playoff matchup. That’s 335 games per season, and each game is available live* and on demand.

NFL GPI will be available through the DAZN app either as a standalone subscription or an add-on to an existing DAZN package to customers worldwide**, excluding the United States and China.

* In the United Kingdom, up to two Sunday games per week will air on DAZN on a 24-hour tape delay.

** Viewers in Canada can access all NFL content through their regular DAZN subscription.

Did these 9 minutes just save the Cowboys’ season?

For 51 minutes on Sunday afternoon, it looked like the tank was in and then the final nine minutes played out.

You are not alone this morning if you’re still trying to process the final 540 seconds of the Dallas Cowboys 34-26 win. Just imagine what the Washington Commanders are going through right now.

With the Cowboys clinging to a 10-9 lead after three quarters, many were just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Waiting for the big mistake, the blown coverage, the turnover, which would hand Washington a win.

But this is football in 2024. Nothing makes sense and nothing ever happens like you expect.

Even after Brandon Aubrey, who’d had one field goal attempt blocked and just missed on another, drilled his second field goal for a 13-9 lead with a little over eight minutes left, we waited.

Then, with five minutes left, Luke Schoonmaker hauled in a 22-yard pass from Cooper Rush for a 20-9 lead.

Suddenly, we all started thinking this game was over and Dallas was going to cruise to the win after all.

But this is football in 2024. Nothing makes sense and nothing ever happens like you expect.

In the final three minutes of this game, there would be four touchdowns, a two-point conversion, two extra points, and a field goal put up on the board.

Two of the touchdowns came on kickoff returns of 99 yards by KaVontae Turpin and 43 yards by Juanyeh Thomas for the Cowboys.

But the play that determined the outcome came after Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard score with 21 seconds left.

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Austin Siebert lined up for the potential game-tying extra point. The kick went wide left.

Down 27-26, the Commanders tried an onside kick, and Thomas returned it for the score with 14 seconds left.

Still, Washington had one more chance to tie the game.

When Daniels heaved his final pass toward the endzone, visions of his Hail Mary win over the Bears flashed through our minds.

Fortunately, Israel Mukuamu hauled in the pass to end the wild game.

Are The Cowboys Back?

It’s just one win and the Cowboys are still in jeopardy of finishing the season under .500.

But it was a win, over a divisional rival. Sometimes that one small, first step is all that is needed for a team to get hot.

Dallas does have winnable games against the Giants, Panthers, and Bengals ahead. Tampa Bay and Washington will be tough outs.

But that next-to-last game of the regular season in Philadelphia will be the biggest hurdle to clear.

The Cowboys, at most, can afford just one more loss over the next six weeks if they want to make the playoffs.

Whatever they did to gather themselves on Sunday and leave victorious they’ll need to do every week from now on. If they do, we’ll look back at the last nine minutes as the time when Dallas saved its season.

By The Numbers

It was the first game in the modern NFL era that featured two kickoff returns, two missed extra points, a blocked field goal and a blocked punt.

The 41 combined points scored in a single quarter was not, surprisingly enough, an NFL record. I could find anything about the record for the final nine minutes of a game.

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I would not be shocked to discover that no other game has ever seen 41 points in the final nine minutes.

The victory snapped the Cowboys’ five-game losing streak. It also guaranteed that the Cowboys will finish the year with no worse than a .500 record on the road.

They’ll try for their first win at home in their sixth game at AT&T this year on Thursday against the lowly Giants.

Washington has dropped its third straight game after starting the year 7-2.

All three losses for the Commanders have been by eight points or less.

The Cowboys are now 42-23 all-time in Week 12 games, 10-14 on the road. They are 13-4 against the Commanders in Week 12 contests.

It was the third straight Week 12 victory for the Cowboys.

Against Washington all-time, Dallas is now 79-48-2 and 36-31 when the contests are played in D.C.

Scoragami/Prediction Updates

We have a new Scoragami entry for the Dallas Cowboys!

The 34-26 final on Sunday was the first regular season or playoff game in 1,059 contests to end with such a score. It is the 420^th different final score in Cowboys’ history.

In Sunday’s pregame preview, I picked Washington to win, especially with all the injured players remaining behind in Dallas.

But in my preseason prediction post, I had the Cowboys winning this game to get to 4-7. And Dallas is now 4-7.

So, we’ll call it a draw and move on to the Giants at home on Thursday.

We’re going to need a bigger turkey.

And Then There Was One

Say hello to the Oregon Ducks. They are the No. 1 ranked team in college football.

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They’re also the only remaining undefeated team in the FBS after Notre Dame knocked off Army during a wild Saturday.

Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M were all upset, sending the SEC into chaos. Texas and Texas A&M will meet this Saturday to determine who plays Georgia for the SEC title.

The selection committee is going to have a lot of fun sorting out the 12 teams for the playoffs.

Down in the FCS, Montana State is also undefeated and will likely move up to No. 1 this week. North Dakota State was in the top slot with a 10-1 record.

The Bison’s only loss had been to Colorado until Saturday. South Dakota scored with 12 seconds left to upend the Bison 29-28.

The Heisman Should Go To

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty should be the runaway winner of the Heisman Trophy this year.

Colorado’s Travis Hunter has been getting hyped up because of his two-way play. But the Broncos are 10-1 and tops in the Mountain West because of Jeanty.

The Buffaloes are now 8-3, and should be 7-4 if North Dakota State had played a hair better in the teams’ season-opener.

Hunter is flashy. Jeanty is everything the Heisman is supposed to be about.

10 thoughts on the Cowboys 34-26 wild victory over the Commanders

These teams always battle each other and this one got a little crazy!

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Washington Commanders 34-26 on Sunday, ending the Cowboys’ five-game losing streak and pushing Washington’s losing streak to three. It was low-scoring at first, but then things suddenly changed at the witching hour. It was a roller-coaster of emotions as the back and forth was a different game script than we have grown accustomed to this season. Here are 10 thoughts on this unexpected Cowboys victory.

1. TOTAL MADNESS

It’s hard to explain what we witnessed. In a game where points were initially hard to come by, the floodgates opened in the fourth quarter. The score was just 10-9 entering the fourth quarter. Little did we know what was in store for us. With just over five and a half minutes left in the game, the two teams then combined for 38 points, five touchdowns and a field goal.

Luke Schoomaker touchdown with 5:16 left

Zach Ertz touchdown with 3:02 left

KaVontae Turpin touchdown with 2:49 left

Austin Seibert field goal with 1:40 left

Terry McLaurin touchdown with 0:21 left

Juanyeh Thomas touchdown with 0:14 left

It was total madness.

2. SO MANY BIG SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYS

Never have we witnessed such an assortment of big special teams plays. This game featured a blocked field goal, a blocked punt, missed extra points, and unconventional kickoffs returned for touchdowns. The Cowboys were on the wrong end of the plays early as both the blocks came against them, but their luck turned around with two late kickoff returns for a touchdown. First, KaVontae Turpin, who initially fumbled the kickoff, put on a nice Madden-like spin move and returned it 99 yards for the touchdown. Juanyeh Thomas added another touchdown when he jumped an onside kick and took it to the house, although he would have been better served to just go down. But hey, at that point, who cares anymore?

3. BRANDON AUBREY’S FEDEX JINX

We all remember how rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey entered the season finale a perfect 35/35 in field goals last year. All he needed to do was to make it through one more game to wrap a bow on a perfect rookie season. Alas, it was not to be. Oddly enough, Aubrey’s first career “miss” came when the Commanders snuck through the left side and blocked it. Just like that, he was perfect no more. The bad luck continued as his next kick doinked off the goalpost. Aubrey returned to the scene of the crime only to have the same sequence occur. A blocked kick followed by a doink of the goalpost. He even kicked a worm burner that didn’t make it to the landing zone, giving the Commanders the ball at the 40-yard line. There’s something about FedEx field that messes with Aubrey’s mojo.

4. BIG PLAY KAVONTAE

When Luke Schoonmaker caught a 22-yard touchdown to go up 20-9, it looked like that iced the game for the Cowboys. But as we know, that was just the beginning. Washington answered back on their next drive and cut the lead to three points with just over three minutes left to play. It was starting to look like a Cowboys collapse was on the way. Thankfully, Turpin answered with his big kickoff return. It was the second straight week that the Cowboys have had a touchdown of 60+ yards and both came from Turpin.

5. TOTAL BREAKDOWN

After the Turpin touchdown, the game was for all intents and purposes, over. But no. The Cowboys had to make things exciting. On the very next play from scrimmage, Jayden Daniels hit McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown where Cowboys defenders took terrible angles and didn’t even touch him. It was even more pathetic than the end-of-half play from Tyreek Hill and the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2017. It was quite a gut punch to an otherwise strong performance by the Cowboys’ defense.

6. MAKE-SHIFT OFFENSIVE LINE

Speaking of strong performance, the Cowboys’ make-shift offensive line did a great job on Sunday. They were without their two All-Pro linemen, Zack Martin and Tyler Smith, and instead had to rely on two rookies (Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe) and three undrafted free agents (Terence Steele, T.J. Bass, and Brock Hoffman). Surprisingly, this group held up well. Cooper Rush had plenty of time to operate and completed 75% of his passes, the highest completion rate of any game he’s ever started. Rico Dowdle finished with 86 yards on 19 carries for 4.5 ypc. That’s not too shabby with a broken-down offensive line.

7. ENOUGH WITH THE HIGH SNAPPING

The rookies weren’t without their mistakes. Guyton had a couple of mental penalties resulting in being pulled a couple of times. Also, Beebe, who is having a great rookie season, has the occasional high snap. Honestly, considering he didn’t play center in college, we’re surprised this has happened more, but it is something that has shown up a little recently.

8. NICE SHOWING FOR JOSH BUTLER

Another depth guy who showed up in this game was cornerback Josh Butler. For the second straight game, the Cowboys have put their trust in Butler. Even with Trevon Diggs out with an injury, they made rookie Caelen Carson a healthy scratch, putting a lot of faith in Butler. He didn’t disappoint. He finished the game with 12 tackles, three pass breakups and a sack.

9. GOOD DEFENSE OR BAD OFFENSE?

For most of the game, the Cowboys defense played extremely well. Washington’s running backs couldn’t run the ball and Jayden Daniels was picked off twice. The Cowboys’ defense had three takeaways, their most all season. Is it possible that Mike Zimmer’s defense is turning a corner? Maybe. But as we mentioned in our 5 things to watch piece, Kliff Kingsbury offense has had a history of slowing down as the season progresses. Is it possible that the Commander’s offense is turning back into a pumpkin? Maybe there’s a little of both, but it was nice to see the Cowboys D come to play in this one.

10. BITTERSWEET

The Cowboys won a football game and played some good football doing it. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but there will be positives from this game that can be carried over and that’s huge. Of course, good things come with a price. In a season that isn’t likely to result in bonus football in January, this Cowboys win hurts their draft position. And when they’re picking in the top 10, that’s a big deal. Additionally, beating the Commanders helps the Philadelphia Eagles take a step closer to winning the division. Yeah, the win feels nice, but we’re going to need a shower afterward.

3 winners (and 4 losers) from Commanders defeat vs. Cowboys in Week 12

This was a torrid afternoon at the office.

Fans were expecting the Washington Commanders to steamroll the Dallas Cowboys and finally turn the tide of this storied rivalry. What followed was their most disappointing performance of the season en route to a third-straight loss.

The Commanders now find themselves at 7-5 with their postseason aspirations hanging by a thread. This was the clearest sign yet of how much hard work remains despite a promising start to general manager Adam Peters’ long-term plan for growth.

Questions are now being asked. Accusations of having a fraudulent record were quick to arrive following the defeat. The Commanders were double-digit favorites heading into the contest, so to lose in this manner was deeply concerning.

This is a time for big characters and stern resolve. It’s a good group with the right blend of youth and experience, but the confidence that exuded from the Commanders earlier in the campaign has vanished, replaced by tentativeness and poor execution at the worst possible time.

A huge effort is needed to turn things around. Before then, here are three winners and four losers from Washington’s dismal reverse to the Cowboys in Week 12.

Winners and losers from Commanders’ defeat vs. Cowboys in Week 12

Loser No. 1

Commanders offensive line

After an encouraging first half of 2024, things are coming apart for the offensive line. They are banged up and disjointed, which is a far cry from what rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had in front of him earlier in the campaign.

The Dallas Cowboys’ defensive front was eager to gain the early advantage. Once they achieved this feat, Mike Zimmer’s unit kept their foot on the gas and made life extremely difficult for the Washington Commanders’ protection.

Daniels was sacked four times, and things could have been a lot worse had it not been for the signal-caller’s elusiveness. The Commanders couldn’t get any legitimate push in the run game. This was arguably the most concerning element of the equation when one considers how lackluster Dallas has been in this key discipline.

This group desperately needs the bye week to rest, heal up, and adjust heading into their crucial stretch of games down the stretch. But one big effort is needed before then against stud defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and the Tennessee Titans.

Commanders’ offense gets taste of its own medicine in torrid loss vs. Cowboys

It was a day to forget for Washington’s offense.

Jayden Daniels / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders lost a rollercoaster game to the Dallas Cowboys in part because of a faulty kick operation that resulted in Austin Seibert missing a game-tying extra point in the final minute. But that is not the primary reason they were undone.

They lost in part because they could not contain kick returner extraordinaire KaVontae Turpin, who we noted before the game is the most dangerous player the Cowboys currently have. But that is not the main reason they lost.

They lost in part because they made far too many mistakes. They missed two extra points. They allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns. The Commanders committed eight penalties to Dallas’ four and turned the ball over three times to the Cowboys’ one.

And yet, none of those mistakes explain why the Commanders dropped a game they desperately needed to win, at home, against a team that had lost five straight.

Commanders offense was bullied in the trenches vs. the Cowboys

The primary reason that the Commanders lost to the Cowboys is because they were physically dominated by a Dallas defense that entered the game among the worst in the league in most important statistical categories.

The explosion of offense in the final quarter made Washington’s numbers for the game look respectable. But make no mistake, when Washington was in a position to seize control of the game in the first half, the unit failed to do so.

By the time they began to make plays, it proved too little, too late.

Consider the following plays:

On Washington’s first play from scrimmage, Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith manhandled his former teammate Tyler Biadasz. It resulted in Commanders’ running back Brian Robinson Jr. sustaining an injury that would severely limit him throughout the game.

On Washington’s second play, right tackle Andrew Wylie missed a blitz pickup that forced an incomplete pass from Jayden Daniels.

After a successful Daniels run, the entire line failed to move the Cowboys defensive front, resulting in a short Austin Ekeler run. The veteran ran a sweep on the following play. Pulling left tackle Brandon Coleman did not block anyone and the backfield threat was stopped for no gain by cornerback Jourdan Lewis.

On the first play of the second quarter, with Washington in Dallas territory after recovering a fumble, Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons ran right past Washinton’s right guard Sam Cosmi and forced another incompletion.

Then, on the first play after Washington had blocked a Cowboys’ punt and again had the ball in Dallas territory, left guard Nick Allegretti failed to sustain his block on tackle Osa Odighizuwa. Robinson was stuffed for no gain.

Two plays later, Cosmi was late getting out on a screen pass. This allowed Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston to rip the ball out of Robinson’s hands for an interception.

That’s seven key first-half plays on which Washington’s offensive line was beaten – physically, mentally, or both. The Commanders began three first-half drives in Dallas territory, and two others on their own 32 and 42.  With all that sensational field position, they scored three points.

That is why the Commanders lost.

This game should have been out of reach by halftime. In the first half, Washington’s offense totaled 113 yards. They averaged a paltry 3.8 yards per play.

The Commanders were even worse at passing the ball, averaging just 2.9 yards per attempt. They allowed three sacks and three tackles for loss. Dallas blitzed often and Daniels was running for his life.

In the last two weeks – losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles – the Commanders’ offensive line did not play well. That can be explained by the fact that both Pennsylvania squads have outstanding front sevens on defense. That is not the case with the Cowboys.

Outside of Parsons, the Cowboys do not boast elite talent across their defensive front. Yet they still controlled the game.

There are other culprits in the loss. Washington’s play-calling and offensive rhythm seemed oddly drab. The defense followed a stretch of good plays with some blown assignments or undisciplined penalties. They never generated much pass pressure on Cooper Rush and Jeremy Chinn was exposed in coverage.

All of that contributed to the loss. But in the end, Washington was simply physically dominated in the trenches on offense.

Some inspired play late made the final numbers look pretty good. But when the game was asking to be won in the first half, the Commanders’ offense, and primarily the offensive line, was simply not up to the task

“More Than One?!” Cowboys Announce Massive News Prior To Commanders Matchup

The Dallas Cowboys (3-7) hit the road to take on the Washington Commanders (7-4) on Sunday.  Dallas will be looking to steal a win against a division rival who is vying for a playoff spot.  However, Dallas could be even more short handed than they already are heading into this one.

October 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin (70) during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Here is a look at Dallas’ full injury report

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Cowboys’ official website sparks frenzy of Daniel Jones rumors

Daniel Jones was cut by the New York Giants on Friday, and the quarterback quickly landed on the roster of a division rival.

Well, sort of.

Shortly after the Giants issued a statement announcing they had parted ways with Jones, fans noticed something very surprising on the official website of the Dallas Cowboys. Jones temporarily had his own page as if he were on the Cowboys’ roster.

The Cowboys currently have Daniel Jones listed on their website

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) November 22, 2024

It is unclear if the Cowboys were hacked, but it seems highly unlikely that someone intentionally added Jones to their website. Jones will first have to clear waivers before any team is free to sign him. There have also already been reports that Dallas is not pursuing the former No. 6 overall pick.

The Cowboys will face the Giants on Thanksgiving Day. Fans have already expressed disappointment in the potential quarterback matchup for that game, so you can understand why the thought of a revenge game for Jones is so appealing. That does not mean it is going to happen.

Dallas Cowboys Make Quick Choice On Daniel Jones

The New York Giants officially ended their experiment with Daniel Jones on Friday, and the Dallas Cowboys were a rumored destination for the quarterback. After demoting the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft to QB4 in practice this week, the Giants released Jones.

The former standout quarterback for the Duke Blue Devils will hit the waiver wire, but because of his contract, the 27-year-old is expected to land in free agency for a team to sign this season.

Per Nick Korte, there are good incentives for teams to sign Jones. A team that signs the veteran quarterback this season would get compensatory pick credit if Jones leaves in free agency to sign with another organization as a backup or starter.

Just catching up to hearing that Daniel Jones was cut, so maybe this has been said already, but as the Comp Pick Guy I should note that if a team signs him this season, they can get compensatory pick credit for him next season—& even backup QBs usually get paid enough to qualify.

Daniel Jones could help a team add draft capital

Sep 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (94) sacks New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Korte suggested the Dallas Cowboys would be a logical option.

“In this regard, I think the Cowboys make a lot of sense for Jones’s next destination,” Korte wrote. “They have an immediate need at QB, and they care about compensatory picks a lot. It would also make the Giants/Cowboys game on Thanksgiving actually barely worth watching.”

In this regard, I think the Cowboys make a lot of sense for Jones’s next destination.

They have an immediate need at QB, and they care about compensatory picks a lot.

It would also make the Giants/Cowboys game on Thanksgiving actually barely worth watching.

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) November 22, 2024

The 3-7 Cowboys are starting backup quarterback Cooper Rush with Dak Prescott out for the season with a hamstring injury. The Cowboys have been outscored 68-16 in Rush’s last two starts. Adding Jones and a future draft pick would make sense for a team that needs to rebuild in 2025.

The Dallas Cowboys are not interested in Jones

Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) takes the snap from center John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61) in the first half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Per NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Cowboys are not interested in adding Jones.

For those oasking, I’m told the #Cowboys are not currently pursuing QB Daniel Jones, per source.

— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) November 22, 2024

That could change over the weekend. Dallas is traveling to play the 7-4 Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws the ball against the Carolina Panthers in the second half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury presser: “Dallas is a big challenge”

Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Whitt Jr speak to the media before practice

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury met with the media on Thursday to discuss Washington’s offense and the upcoming game against the Dallas Cowboys.

LIVE: OC Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media before practice

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 21, 2024

On what has prevented the offense from executing and on how to improve:

“In what regard?

Obviously, the Thursday night game was not our best, but when you just overall execution, you say? Yeah, I think there’s a lot of things played [into that]. Two really good defenses first off, and then, just having the ability to be on the practice field to continue to get reps together and build.

I think this is the first week we’ve been able to do that consistently as a unit, put in a full week. And so hopefully that pays off, but [we] still had a chance in the fourth quarter — our guys battled even when weren’t playing our best, which I appreciated. But, just nailing the details, calling better plays. I mean, overall, collectively as an offense we can be better and I think a week of real practice will help that.”

On anything specific or different that he is focusing on with QB Jayden Daniels this week:

“Yeah, I think you just give back to the basics, the fundamentals, and really hone in on those. I think anytime you have a couple games that aren’t to maybe the level we all want to be at, you narrow the focus and it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s nail the footwork, let’s nail the reads, progressions, the base stuff and start there’. And, he’s the guy who, when he is working at it, he works really hard, he’s very focused and so this week has been good to see him back out there going full speed and getting the reps that I think will help us play at a higher level.”

On his reaction to an opposing defense exposing offensive tendencies, specifically with WR Terry McLaurin, and on if he changes the offense as a result:

“Oh, okay. Yeah, I can’t tell you that…because then teams may use it against me, especially this week, but yeah, definitely gotta get him the ball more.

On what he would take from his coaching experience here to any next opportunity in the league:

’Yeah, I think I definitely have a new perspective and being around [Head Coach] DQ [Dan Quinn] and just the way he carries himself, the consistency in his approach, his attitude, the way he treats players. He puts the players first in everything he does. You come in on Monday, win, lose or draw and it’s the same guy.

And I think that being from my seat, being able to step back and see it from the 10,000 foot overview after being in that seat for 10 straight years has really helped me kinda see what I would want to be and who I’d want to be if I ever chose to do that again.”

On what having all the running backs enables him to do offensively:

‘Yeah, I think [Brian Robinson] and Austin [Ekeler] are a great combo, and obviously when Jeremy [McNichoI] has had his opportunities, he’s done really well. And then [Chris Rodriguez] did a nice job when he got his number called. So those guys feed off each other, they push each other really well.

Being able to have Austin, some of that pass game stuff, what he does after catch has been really impressive — then B-Rob for the tough yards in between the tackles — he’s a physical runner, so it definitely helps our attack be more balanced when we have all those guys healthy and going full speed.”

On what the offensive line’s health means for this week’s game:

‘Yeah, Dallas is a challenge, there’s no doubt. They’ve been a team that’s played at a high level for a long time. I know their struggles because of injuries, things of that nature recently. But, anytime we can get that O-line feeling healthy and have the depth we’ve had and have six and seven guys that we know we can rotate through and play at a high level, it definitely helps our confidence as a unit.”

On how he avoids burnout in the industry after being a head coach at a relatively young age:

“I always just brought it back to the players, but definitely, especially going to your alma mater, and you’re 33 and it’s a small college town and not a lot of things to do, not a lot of ways to have stress release, so I just focused on the players. I always found that anytime it feels like it’s getting hard or it’s tough, you just bring it back to them and that has always centered me.

Same deal being here. If we had a tough day or whatever, it’s sometimes Monday and Tuesday when the players aren’t around as much, it’s tough. And then you get them here and you feel, all right, here we go. It feels right.

So I think if you make it about players and process and you can always come back to those things, then you have an ability to never get too high or too low.”

On if the lack of practice or strong opposing defenses impacted the pass game the most in the last two games:

”Kind of, yeah. I think you just take it for what it is on both accounts. The passing game has gotta be precise and you gotta be out there going full speed with your receivers to nail it. And then you’re playing against two good defenses that make it a challenge, even if you are full speed, even if you’re on point with everything.

So I think you take both into account and you just focus on what you feel you can do to get better. You don’t buy into one or the other too much and say, ‘Oh, it was this scheme’, or ‘It was just that we didn’t practice’. You say, how do we get better when we do get the chance to practice?”

On if he had to change any calls due to Daniels’ rib:

‘I’m not gonna divulge what we did while he was, I would say more banged up, but hopefully we play better this week. I’ll just say that [laugh].”

On accounting for Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons:

”Micah’s a game wrecker. He’s one of those,

I thought [Eagles DT] Jalen Carter had a tremendous game against us. He was awesome and put us behind the chains several times and Micah is the guy who can do the same thing. If you don’t have a plan for him every snap, it takes one snap for him to take the ball away and all of a sudden, it can be a long day.

So he’s the guy you gotta have a plan for. He is dynamic, plays hard, and, yeah, he’s one of the handful guys in the league that can really change a game by himself.”

On if the last two games shakes Daniels’ confidence:

“No, he’s pretty much who he is. I mean, he’s competitive as all get out, and like I said, for him to put us in that position in the fourth quarter in both games to even have a chance to win, I thought was really impressive. And he’s very tough and very competitive and I know he earned a lot of respect from his teammates just by battling the last few weeks.”

On what he knew coming and what he has learned now about C Tyler Biadasz:

“I didn’t [know him before], but we were thrilled to get him. He comes from Dallas where I know he was really well coached and his college program there, Wisconsin was really well coached and he’s had success everywhere he’s been. And I think that that’s the thing that jumped out to me. They won a bunch of games when he was at Wisconsin, won a bunch when he was at Dallas. And so he’s used to winning. He expects to win and he brought that attest to with him here.”