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Exclusive: Giants WR Malik Nabers questionable with hip flexor injury

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2 months ago

December 7, 2024

Exclusive: Giants WR Malik Nabers questionable with hip flexor injury

Why Mina Kimes is taking the Saints over the Giants (0:36)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers hurt his hip flexor at Thursday’s practice and is questionable for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium.

Nabers, the team’s leading receiver, did not practice Friday. He was a limited participant in Thursday’s workout after suffering the injury.

“[Thursday] it happened in practice,” coach Brian Daboll said, adding that it occurred during one-on-one drills. “Again, every injury is a little bit different. Hopeful that he’ll be ready to play, but can’t say he will be or not.”

Daboll thought there was a chance Nabers would be able to play. That would be a boost for the Giants and for Drew Lock, who is expected to start at quarterback for the second straight game.

New York likely would roll with Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt on the outside at wide receiver if Nabers is unable to play. Wan’Dale Robinson will remain in the slot.

There will be a significant number of additional opportunities for them to make plays if Nabers isn’t available. The rookie is averaging 11.6 targets per game, which leads the NFL.

Nabers leads the Giants with 75 receptions for 740 yards with three touchdowns.

But he hasn’t produced at the same level since returning from a concussion in Week 7. Nabers hasn’t scored a touchdown since reentering the lineup.

The sixth overall pick in this year’s draft isn’t the only injury concern the Giants have entering this week’s game. New York (2-10) already placed star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and tight end Theo Johnson on injured reserve earlier this week.

Starting cornerback Deonte Banks (rib), linebacker Bobby Okereke (back) and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (shoulder/neck) didn’t practice this week and have been ruled out for Sunday.

Veteran Jermaine Eluemunor, who had been starting at left tackle, is doubtful with a quad injury. Defensive tackle D.J. Davidson (shoulder) is also doubtful, leaving the Giants especially thin at the position.

It’s likely New York will have to elevate or activate multiple defensive linemen from the practice squad.

“I think for guys that are getting opportunity that maybe haven’t had an opportunity, they’re excited about the opportunity for some of these young guys that haven’t played a lot of football just in the NFL in general,” Daboll said. “So, I think each person is focused on what they can do, practice how they need to practice, prepare how they need to prepare, so they can go out there and put their best stuff on tape each and every week. Whether it’s, again, a guy like [defensive tackle] Casey Rogers, who’s a practice squad defensive lineman, or [Cory] Durden, who just got here, or some of the tackles that we’ve been repping in there. We wish we had Dexter and [tackle] Andrew Thomas and those guys, but we don’t. That’s the reality of the NFL. So, they’re looking forward to the opportunity, which will be a big challenge.”

Latest News: Interesting team listed as favorite for Aaron Rodgers in 2025

Aug 26, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

There is an interesting team favored to land Aaron Rodgers if he plays in 2025 but does not return to the New York Jets.

The subject of Rodgers’ future has been an interesting one. The 41-year-old quarterback said earlier this season that he planned to play again next season. Since those comments, the Jets have continued to play poorly, and there are questions about whether the team would even want him back next season.

If Rodgers continues to play and it’s not with the Jets, the favorite to land him would be the Las Vegas Raiders.

BetOnline.ag has odds on Rodgers’ team if he plays in 2025 and it’s not for the Jets. They have the Raiders as the favorite at 5/2 odds. They have the New York Giants listed behind the Raiders at 7/2 odds.

The funniest part about Rodgers potentially playing for the Raiders is that the team just traded Davante Adams to the Jets. Could you imagine Adams working so hard to get his way to the Jets, only to see Rodgers end up in Las Vegas? Or maybe the Raiders would reacquire Adams to get the whole group back together.

The Jets have gone 1-5 with Adams in the lineup and are 3-9 overall this season. It’s not exactly encouraging that the team’s owner reportedly wanted to bench Rodgers.

Report- SB Nation Reacts Survey: Do you think the Saints will defeat the Giants on Sunday?

The New Orleans Saints will head into Week 14 on the road to face the New York Giants in MetLife Stadium. The Saints are hoping to bounce back after a loss to Los Angeles Rams in the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Giants are on a 7-game losing streak.

On paper, this should be an easy win for the Saints but nothing about this season has been easy. Players have been plagued by injuries after injuries, week after week. The latest being Tayson Hill, Tyrann Mathieu and Nick Saldiveri.

As Darren Rizzi said after the game on Sunday evening, there are 5 games left to play. This team is still hungry and has a lot of fight left in them so anything can happen especially in the NFC South.

But as always, we want to hear from you. Vote in this week’s polls and let us know your thoughts.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in New Orleans Saints fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Giants’ Malik Nabers makes NFL rookie history despite recent comments

Where is the rookie in the record books?

The New York Giants are in the basement of the NFL with a 2-10 record. They cut Daniel Jones, may have another regime change coming, and lost on Thanksgiving to the Cowboys. The one positive of this season has been the emergence of rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. The Giants announced that Nabers entered the record books after a solid game on Thursday.

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Nabers has more catches than any player through their first ten games. It’s a remarkable feat considering the poor quarterback play the Giants have had this season. The rookie recently spoke out about a lack of targets after the Week 12 loss to the Buccaneers.

“First, second quarter, I don’t get the ball. Start getting targets at the end. I mean, can’t do nothing. I started getting the ball when it’s 30-0. What do you want me to do?”

Despite his qualms about a lack of targets, Nabers is still setting records for the Giants. He has slowed down in recent weeks, as he has not had a 100-yard game since missing Weeks 4 and 5 with a concussion. That’s around when the Giants took a steep decline on offense.

Now, Nabers will be catching balls from either Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock for the rest of his rookie year. Can the Giants get him a quarterback for his sophomore year?

The Giants need a quarterback for Malik Nabers

Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

The Giants will have a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a desperate need at quarterback. If they love Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, or Quinn Ewers, Nabers will have a young quarterback to grow with. If they do not, it could be a Sam Darnold or Jameis Winston type of quarterback. While the future is unknown, it will be a better quarterback than they have now.

Giants fans do not have to look further than their own stadium to see the worst-case scenario for a Nabers-type prospect. Garrett Wilson had 1,000 yards with Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco at quarterback. They tried to get him a quarterback with Aaron Rodgers and that has been a disaster. Wilson is on pace to have his worst season in 2024, which is Year 3.

If Joe Schoen gets Nabers a serviceable quarterback, he will be one of the top receivers in the league next season. That can be someone like Darnold, who has been great for the Vikings this season. If it is a rookie, they need to feed Nabers in creative ways to keep the receiver happy and help the QB grow.

Christopher Hennessy is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints, with additional expertise in the NHL and golf. He graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022, and he has work experience at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders reporter.

Darius Slayton drops surprising admission on Giants’ Week 14 QB situation

The New York Giants are in the midst of another lost season. With Daniel Jones out the door, the quarterback situation is up in the air every week. Tommy DeVito was crushed by the Buccaneers in Week 12 and got hurt in the process. Drew Lock was scrambled by a poor Cowboys defense on Thanksgiving. When will fans find out who plays for the Giants in Week 14 against the Saints? Wide receiver Darius Slayton told ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

“The Giants haven’t decided on a quarterback yet for Sunday vs. Saints, according to WR Darius Slayton,” Raanan posted. “They should have an idea by Wednesday. Options are Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito (if healthy).”

Whether or not Slayton was supposed to tell the world about their plans this week he did, which is huge for fantasy football managers and gamblers. If you think one is better than the other for Malik Nabers in your regular-season finale, hold out until Wednesday to see who starts.

The real-life impacts of this decision are pretty nominal. Both the Saints and Giants are out of the playoff conversation in the NFC. New Orleans has played itself out of first-overall pick contention but Big Blue could still land the top overall pick.

Could the next Giants quarterback already be in the building?

There was a report that owner John Mara is committed to general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. Despite their terrible record, they could be picking the next quarterback. Jones is not an option, as he has been cut and that experiment is over. But could the future QB already be in the building?

Dexter Lawrence provides troubling injury update after Giants’ Week 13 loss

Tommy DeVito was a no-name third-string quarterback when Jones and Tyrod Taylor both got hurt. He jumped into the lineup and led the Giants to three victories when the season was lost. While it was fun at the moment, many fans now understand that he cost them draft position. When Schoen said on Hard Knocks he was interested in Jayden Daniels, that angle crystallized.

Drew Lock was a first-round draft pick in the same season as Daniel Jones. He could be a stopgap stater if the Giants do not like a quarterback in the draft and next year is a rebuilding season as well. While the future should be a priority, this could be the reality this spring for New York.

Whoever plays for the Giants against the Saints in Week 14 will likely not be the franchise quarterback. That game in the Meadowlands kicks off at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Giants land ‘quarterback of the future’ in latest 2025 mock draft

Daniel Jones is out. Now who is stepping in?

The New York Giants will be in the market for a new franchise quarterback this offseason after finally ending the Daniel Jones Era. Big Blue is in contention for a top-three draft pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft which is where they will likely find their next quarterback.

A DOMINANT VICTORY BY THE KNICKS

In the latest three-round mock draft from Pro Football Focus, the Giants landed their “quarterback of the future” with the No. 3 overall pick, ushering in a new era of Giants football.

Giants take Cam Ward in latest PFF mock draft

PFF’s Trevor Sikkema recently published a three-round 2025 mock draft, making the selections for all 32 NFL teams. For the Giants, he had quarterback on his mind, selecting Miami signal-caller Cam Ward with the third-overall pick:

“The Giants land their quarterback of the future: Ward does come with some concerns, as his turnover-worthy play percentage has been high throughout his five seasons as a starter — though his 2.6% mark in 2024 marks the lowest of his career. However, he also has a knack for delivering big-time throws and the talent to execute them. For the Giants, Ward offers a higher passing ceiling than they’ve had since Eli Manning’s tenure,” Sikkema wrote.

Ward just wrapped up a spectacular junior season in which he led Miami to a 10-2 record behind 4,123 passing yards and a nation-leading 26 passing touchdowns. His 171.1 passer rating led the ACC and he threw only seven interceptions in the campaign.

After transferring from Washington State this spring, Ward stepped in and immediately transformed Miami into a top contender. He now has three years of starting experience under his belt and has exhibited pro-level talent on film. Ward has a strong arm, poise in the pocket, and the ability to make plays off script — a valuable trait, even if it sometimes leads to head-scratching turnovers.

The biggest knock on Cam Ward is his tendency to play hero ball. But the New York Giants need a hero. Ward could be their Superman.

Giants also address two other major needs in this mock draft

In addition to Ward, the Giants addressed two other major positions of need in this three-round mock draft.

In the second round, Sikkema had the G-Men taking Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter. Cornerback is one of the biggest weaknesses in New York’s lineup right now as 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks has struggled immensely to develop into a consistent and quality starter. Opposite Banks has been a revolving door, too, making Porter a solid selection. The 6-foot-2 cover man currently ranks No. 47 overall on PFF’s Top 250 Big Board.

The Giants went back to addressing the offense in Round 3 of this mock draft, taking TCU wide receiver Jack Bech. The 6-foot-2 wideout put up 1,034 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a senior this season. He suffered a knee injury in the final game of the campaign, however, his recovery timetable should have him healthy well in time for his rookie season in the NFL.

With this mock draft, the Giants improved on both sides of the ball, brightening their future and strengthening their roster. Finding a franchise quarterback will be Big Blue’s top priority, but adding some talent around that quarterback will be the key to finding sustained success.

Giants Provide Update On Dexter Lawrence

At 2-10, the New York Giants are tied for the worst record in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Giants’ season has been essentially over for a while, and though they could be on their way toward the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, they do have a few keepers on their roster.

One of those players is defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, who was putting forth a career-best effort this season.

Unfortunately, the Giants have announced that they have placed Lawrence on injured reserve after he suffered a dislocated left elbow in their Thanksgiving Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

We have placed DL Dexter Lawrence and TE Theo Johnson on IR.

DL Cory Durden has been signed from the Rams practice squad.

— New York Giants (@Giants) December 2, 2024

As a result of having to sit out at least four games, he is essentially done for this season.

Lawrence has 9.0 sacks, 16 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss and 44 total tackles (23 solo) through 12 games, but he hasn’t had a sack since Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

He has been a fixture for New York’s defense over the past six seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl in the past two.

New York’s front seven seems solid with Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns, but it could use some help in the secondary moving forward.

The team’s biggest need is at the quarterback position, as they recently benched and released Daniel Jones after he continued to be a disappointment, and it’s clear that backups Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito simply aren’t the solution.

The one bright spot this season other than Lawrence has been rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who has 75 catches for 740 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.

Sunday Night Football Week 13: Bills vs. 49ers – How to watch, game time, TV channel, streaming

Your open thread for Sunday Night Football

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Get yourself a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers and settle in as the Buffalo Bills hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football.

The 5-6 49ers have their work cut out for them as they try to get back to .500 on the season and maybe claw their way back into playoff contention. Just about everything has gone wrong for the 49ers this year, but fortunately the NFC West is having a down year as a whole.

The Bills (9-2), meanwhile, are running away with the AFC West and are widely seen as one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Buffalo is riding a six-game winning streak and are 6.5-point favorites this week, per FanDuel sportsbook.

Will Buffalo extend their winning streak? Or will the 49ers execute the upset and start a run toward the postseason?

Chris’ pick: I’m sure the NFL schedule makers had dreams of a Super Bowl preview dancing through their heads when they scheduled this game.

But the 49ers have been savaged by injury this year and simply aren’t the team they’ve been over the previous couple years. I still expect them to put up a good fight and make this an interesting game, particularly with Brock Purdy is back as expected. However, the Bills just have too much on offense and defense — it also helps that they’re playing in Buffalo and winter has truly set in. The high will only be 34 degrees and there’s an 81 percent chance of precipitation tonight.

I’m going with the Bills at home.

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What: Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco 49ers
When: Sunday, Dec. 1st
Where: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY.
Game time: 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark (sideline reporter)
Radio: Westwood One: Ryan Radtke, Ross Tucker | SiriusXM: 88; Buffalo Bills – 225 or San Francisco 49ers- 226
Referee: Alex Kemp
Streaming: NFL +
Fanduel Sportsbook odds: Spread: Bills (-6.5 |-105) | 49ers (+6.5 | -115) Moneyline: Bills -275, Eagles +225 | Over/Under: 44.5 (Under -110, Over -110)

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Giants might roll the dice on boom-or-bust quarterback in first round

The New York Giants find themselves at a pivotal crossroads. After three years into what was supposed to be a rebuild, they appear to be in a worse position than when they started.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have failed to steer the ship effectively, leaving the team stagnant and in disarray. A complete overhaul of the front office and coaching staff could provide a much-needed fresh perspective. This would allow a new regime to make critical decisions without the pressure of fixing past mistakes—like being locked into drafting a quarterback, whether it’s the best move or not.

Owner John Mara, however, seems hesitant to clean house yet again, which means the current regime could make the call on the team’s future at quarterback. Unfortunately, the Giants’ predicament already has them cornered into taking one, even if doing so isn’t necessarily the best solution.

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Ward: The Boom-or-Bust Prospect

If Schoen and Daboll retain control, one intriguing option in the upcoming draft is Cam Ward out of Miami. At 22 years old, Ward offers tantalizing upside and has shown flashes of brilliance that make him a compelling candidate for the Giants’ future under center.

Ward’s 2024 season stats are eye-catching: 4,123 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. His 76.5% adjusted completion rate demonstrates his accuracy, and a 2.6% turnover-worthy percentage highlights his ability to minimize mistakes.

However, Ward is not without his risks. Known for playing “hero ball,” he often tries to do too much, which can lead to costly errors. That said, the best quarterbacks in the league—Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen included—frequently rely on their improvisational skills to create game-changing plays.

Ward’s pocket presence is among his best traits. He excels at buying time, keeping his eyes downfield, and finding opportunities even when plays break down. This skill would be invaluable on a Giants team that has struggled with offensive line consistency.

Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Giants’ Supporting Cast

If the Giants were to select Ward, they would provide him with a foundation of individual talent that could help his transition to the NFL. Malik Nabers, a potential superstar receiver, would give Ward a dynamic weapon to lean on. Add in promising rookie tight end Theo Johnson, whose upside is undeniable, and slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who has shown flashes of effectiveness, and the Giants might have the makings of an offense capable of competing.

Ward’s success at Miami has come in part due to a solid offensive line and his connection with standout receiver Xavier Restrepo. Transitioning to the NFL will be a challenge, especially with the Giants’ current line issues. However, Ward’s elite footwork and arm talent provide a foundation for long-term development—assuming the Giants don’t derail him, as they’ve done with other young players in the past.

Shedeur Sanders: The Safer Option?

While Cam Ward boasts a higher ceiling, some scouts argue that Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado offers a higher floor. The Giants have already shown significant interest in Sanders, attending multiple practices and games to scout him in person. Sanders has been thriving in Colorado’s offense, led by former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur. This NFL-style scheme has prepared Sanders well for the transition to the pros.

Sanders’ play style might offer more stability, something the Giants may covet given their current dysfunction. However, Ward’s dynamic, superstar tendencies may be too enticing to pass up for a team desperate for a spark.

The Decision Looms

Whether the Giants opt for the high-ceiling gamble of Cam Ward or the polished, pro-ready game of Shedeur Sanders, their decision at quarterback will define the franchise’s trajectory for years to come. The choice between Ward’s raw potential and Sanders’ reliability encapsulates the larger question facing the Giants: do they swing for the fences, or do they play it safe?

Ultimately, this decision should be made with fresh leadership at the helm. But if Mara sticks with Schoen and Daboll, the pressure will be immense, and the margin for error will be razor-thin. If they get it wrong, it could be yet another setback in what has become a seemingly endless rebuild.

Should Giants take flier on Commanders’ ex-1st round pick, who was cut Saturday?

Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes (13) celebrate a turnover against the Denver Broncos of an NFL football game Sunday September 17, 2023, in Denver.AP Photo/Bart Young

The Washington Commanders placed Emmanuel Forbes on waivers Saturday. They drafted him over fellow cornerbacks like Christian Gonzalez, Joey Porter Jr. and the Giants’ Deonte Banks in the 2023 draft.

The release made perfect sense. The 23-year-old corner’s career has been nothing short of disastrous since Washington (questionably) took him with the 16th pick nearly two years ago.

He was benched last season by ex-Commanders coach Ron Rivera, was a healthy scratch twice this season and has put up wildly disappointing numbers in his 20-game career — two interceptions and 12 passes defensed. His Pro Football Focus defense grade this season is 35.4, which ranks 207th out of 212 eligible corners.

All of that’s to say: Forbes is terrible.

But the NFL is a second chances league — especially for a player not two years removed from being a top 20 pick. And the Giants, who have an awful secondary, are exactly the kind of team that should be taking a flier on Forbes.

So, should they do it? At 2-10, they have first dibs on the waiver wire, after all.

Well, it depends on how much general manager Joe Schoen values him. We’re not talking 10s of millions of dollars here, but obviously, with guaranteed salaries of $1.3 million and $1.9 million over the next two seasons, Forbes won’t come free.

So, again, it’s all up to whether Schoen thinks that kind of commitment is worth it over the next two seasons.

If he thinks Forbers can thrive in a new environment — and show even a fraction of his college resume (14 interceptions, six pick sixes and 150 total tackles in three seasons at Mississippi State — then it would be a waiver claim well spent. As an added bonus, he’ll also face the Commanders twice per season, which would surely motivate him.

And If he doesn’t turn things around (which is the more likely outcome), he’ll at least provide an extra body for a reeling secondary as the seasons winds down.

Bottom line: Forbes might not be good, but neither are the Giants.

Malik Nabers says he ‘doesn’t care about drops,’ asks Giants QBs to ‘keep throwing (him) the ball’Nov. 28, 2024, 9:28 p.m.

Giants could be eliminated from playoffs after Thanksgiving game vs. Cowboys. Here’s how.Nov. 28, 2024, 5:00 a.m.

Might as well see if Giants DBs coach Jerome Henderson can tap into his potential in a new situation.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Giants’ handling of Daniel Jones goes from bad to worse in latest shocking twist

NFC Divisional Playoffs – New York Giants v Philadelphia Eagles / Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages

Daniel Jones’ messy departure from the New York Giants has taken another turn, with new reports shedding light on the quarterback’s treatment following his benching.

According to NBC Sports’ Mike Florio, the Giants asked Jones to “stay home” after benching him ahead of Week 11. When Jones chose to stay with the team, the organization reportedly altered his workout program, barring him from throwing and limiting his role in practice.

Jones was reportedly relegated to a scout safety role, taking individual reps behind Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and even practice squad quarterback Tim Boyle. These actions appear to have been aimed at reducing the risk of injury and avoiding the activation of a $23 million guarantee in his contract for 2025. Four days after being benched, Jones requested and was granted his release, marking an unceremonious end to his tenure in New York.

The NY Giants mishandled Daniel Jones to an embarrassing degree

The latest revelations add another layer of dysfunction to an already chaotic saga. Rather than addressing the situation transparently, the Giants seemingly tried to sideline Jones in a way that would save them from any further financial obligations. By benching him, the team made it clear he was no longer part of their future, but their decision to keep him in such a diminished role sent an even stronger message.

Jones’ fall from grace is hard to ignore.

Just last year, the Giants signed him to a four-year, $160 million deal, entrusting him to lead the franchise. Now, less than two seasons later, he was not only demoted but also stripped of meaningful practice reps. For a player who had already lost his starting job to undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito, the indignity of being used as a practice safety was a low point in his career.

The decision to limit Jones’ participation was likely informed by precedent. In 2006, the Tennessee Titans attempted to block quarterback Steve McNair from using team facilities to avoid triggering an injury guarantee. An arbitrator ruled that teams cannot deny players access to facilities while they remain under contract. The Giants seemingly followed the letter of the law but chose a method that ensured Jones would remain sidelined without breaking any rules.

While Jones’ release allowed him to move on, the Giants’ handling of the situation raises serious questions about the team’s leadership. From benching their former franchise quarterback to relegating him to a scout safety role, the organization has once again shown a lack of direction.

For fans, the handling of Jones’ exit reflects a broader problem. The Giants are now 2-10, with zero hope of turning their season around. Instead of focusing on building a brighter future, the team seems mired in mismanagement and controversy.

Jones, now with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad, has a chance to reset his career. Meanwhile, the Giants are left with another black mark on their already disastrous 2024 season, serving as yet another reminder of the dysfunction plaguing the franchise.

NY Giants releasing Daniel Jones somehow got even worse

How could it get worse, you ask?

Washington Commanders v New York Giants / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

The Daniel Jones era finally came to an end in late November when the NY Giants released him following an atrocious 2024 season. The Giants were 2-8 under Jones before Brian Daboll and the coaching staff decided to bench him and after he asked for a release, the Giants obliged, and an era that Giants fans hope to forget was finally over.

Jones decided to sign with the Minnesota Vikings because he wanted to join a playoff team and now the Vikings will get something that the G-Men never would. According to Peter Schrager, the Vikings can get a compensatory draft pick if Jones “dresses and is active for one regular season game”.

Art Stapleton did point out that “This was not an avenue available to the Giants” but it’s still frustrating for the fans. Jones didn’t work out in New York and now another team could reap the benefits from him simply just dressing for a game. The Vikings can get more draft capital for Jones while the Giants continue to get laughed at and dunked on for signing him to the extension they gave him in the 2023 offseason.

Daniel Jones continues to screw over the NY Giants

Jones’ 2022 performance paired with the G-Men making the playoffs helped get him that extension before the 2023 season. Of course, we all know now that signing Danny Dimes to the extension was a huge mistake but at the time, the Giants clearly thought the Duke product was trending in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the 2023 season was a huge bust for the Giants’ former first-round pick as he started just six games and threw two touchdown passes versus six interceptions. We all know how poorly he played in 2024 and why moving on from him was the right move but now the Vikings will be rewarded for Jones simply throwing on pads for a regular-season game.

Hopefully the Giants learned from the Daniel Jones saga and the team can get a better starting quarterback for 2025 and beyond because no one wants to go through this again.

Daniel Jones finds ideal home after hellacious NY Giants’ exit

Danny Dimes is going to need a boat for all them lakes.

Minnesota Vikings v New York Giants / Luke Hales/GettyImages

Daniel Jones has landed in Minnesota. The former New York Giants quarterback, recently released after a turbulent tenure in New York, has signed with the Vikings.

This move gives Minnesota extra depth behind Sam Darnold as they prepare for a playoff run, while Jones gets a much-needed reset under one of the league’s most respected offensive staff.

Daniel Jones is taking his talents to the Minnesota Vikings

The #Vikings have only have one QB under contract in 2025. This gives the team and Jones a chance to work together over remainder of the season, while keeping all options open, including re-signing Sam Darnold. J.J. McCarthy’s recovery remains on schedule. https://t.co/OK0J5I3dlo

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 27, 2024

For Jones, this marks the end of a frustrating chapter with the Giants. After being drafted sixth overall in 2019 and once seen as the franchise’s long-term answer, Jones’ time in New York was marred by inconsistency and mismanagement. Ironically, his career highlight came in 2022, when he led the Giants to a playoff win over Minnesota.

However, that success was fleeting. This season, Jones was benched for Tommy DeVito and ultimately released after five up-and-down years. Even with New York picking up $11.8 million of his salary, the 27-year-old still has plenty to prove.

The Vikings and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah played this perfectly. On the surface, signing Jones might draw some laughs, but it’s a calculated move with almost no downside.

Worst case scenario: The Vikings pay Jones just $375,000 this year to serve as a backup to Sam Darnold for their playoff push. Once the season ends, Jones is free to sign elsewhere, and Minnesota could be eligible for a compensatory draft pick – a huge bonus for a team with only three picks in the 2025 draft.

Best case scenario: Jones thrives under head coach Kevin O’Connell’s guidance, earning a spot as the team’s long-term backup behind rookie J.J. McCarthy, who’s recovering from a knee injury. If Sam Darnold takes a bigger contract to start elsewhere in 2025, the Vikings will already have a cost-effective QB depth chart in place.

From the Vikings’ perspective, this is a classic low-risk, high-reward play.

For Jones, this is the perfect opportunity to reset his career. Minnesota offers him stability, a fresh system to learn, and time to develop without the pressure of starting. The Vikings’ coaching staff, led by O’Connell, has a track record of maximizing quarterbacks’ strengths – just look at what they’ve done with Darnold this year.

This isn’t about Jones becoming the Vikings’ future; that role belongs to McCarthy. But as a short-term backup or even a reclamation project, Jones provides value.

People will laugh at the move, but Kwesi’s strategy here is undeniable. Minnesota gets insurance at quarterback with minimal cost or cap implications. Jones gets a fresh start in one of the NFL’s most stable environments. And if all goes well, this move could quietly become one of the smartest bets of the season.

In a league where depth and planning often determine success, the Vikings just made a move that could pay off in unexpected ways.

Cowboys Break 334-Day Home Losing Streak with Thanksgiving Victory Over Struggling Giants

Cowboys Break 334-Day Home Losing Streak with Thanksgiving Victory Over Struggling Giants

The Dallas Cowboys managed to secure a 27-20 victory over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day, marking their first home win in 334 days. This win came as a relief for the Cowboys, who had been struggling at home, having lost six straight games at AT&T Stadium, including the playoffs. Their performance on Thanksgiving kept their slim playoff hopes alive, as they improved to 5-7, with upcoming games against lower-ranked teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers offering a potential path to a better record.

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The game’s turning point came in the second quarter when linebacker DeMarvion Overshown made a pivotal play. After the Cowboys had just pulled within a point of the Giants, Overshown intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, giving Dallas the lead. This defensive spark set the tone for the rest of the game, as the Giants struggled to get into the end zone, not scoring again until late in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys’ defense, inspired by Overshown’s play, held strong throughout the game.

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Cowboys Break 334-Day Home Losing Streak with Thanksgiving Victory Over Struggling Giants

Offensively, the Cowboys showed improvement in their running game, especially after naming Rico Dowdle the primary back. Dowdle rushed for over 100 yards, the first Cowboys player to do so in 26 games, and added his first touchdown of the season. This was a significant achievement, considering the team was missing key offensive linemen for most of the game. Despite a rough first half by CeeDee Lamb, who dropped several passes, the Cowboys managed to keep control of the game. Lamb’s drops were a notable surprise, as he had been consistent throughout the season, but his performance in the second half helped seal the win.

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For the New York Giants, the season continued its downward spiral, as they fell to 2-10 after a seventh straight loss. Their offense struggled yet again, with Drew Lock starting as quarterback in his first game for the Giants. Lock’s performance was underwhelming—he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, was sacked six times, and absorbed 13 hits. The Giants’ offensive line, made up of backup tackles, did little to protect him, and Lock’s efforts were largely ineffective. The Giants’ defense also failed to make significant stops, as they missed numerous tackles, which contributed to their inability to compete.

The Giants briefly led 7-3 in the first quarter, but their lead was short-lived as the Cowboys quickly regained control. It was the first time since early October that the Giants had held a lead in a game, but they were unable to capitalize on it. With injuries mounting, including a significant injury to defensive star Dexter Lawrence, the Giants’ future looks bleak.

The team faces a tough road ahead, with questions surrounding the leadership of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen, especially given the team’s poor performance despite earlier assurances of their job security. The Giants will next face the New Orleans Saints, and there is hope that quarterback Tommy DeVito, who is recovering from an injury, might return to start.

Unprompted, Jets catch a stray from Seahawks coach over ex-pick’s dominance

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) – who played here at MetLife Stadium for both the New York Jets and Giants – reacts after he sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during the fourth quarter, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Seahawks won, 26-21.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A fan on X put it best: Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams “just applied for a part-time job as a demolition expert” — and he can thank the New York Jets for the thorough résumé.

In Seattle’s 26-21 win against the Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, Williams, a 2015 first-round pick of New York, was a one-man wrecking crew. He racked up four tackles (three for a loss), two sacks, a 92-yard interception for a touchdown, and a blocked extra point. He also had two quarterback hits.

The performance allowed Seattle coach Mike Macdonald to call out his defensive leader, unprompted, and make his case for more recognition.

“I do want to plug just officially, I don’t know how this works, but if we can nominate Leonard Williams for player of the week,” Macdonald told reporters. “He’s just playing at an all-time elite level. To have a pick-six — I think they told me it was 17.5 mph, which was pretty fast for a man that size. He’s playing out of his mind right now.”

According to ESPN, Williams’ 92-yard pick-six is the longest of any defensive lineman in NFL history. And, per Next Gen Stats, Williams reached a top speed of 17.84 mph, the fastest play by a defensive tackle as a ball carrier in over five seasons (since Week 4, 2019).

Macdonald’s words might be putting it lightly. In Seattle’s 16-6 win against the Arizona Cardinals a week ago, Williams sacked QB Kyler Murray 2.5 times. He had six tackles (three for a loss) and four QB hits. He also defended a pass.

“Honestly, I feel like I was playing with a chip on my shoulder for not getting (defensive player of the week) last week,” Williams told FOX in the post-game interview.

Williams has been traded twice by the New York-area teams: The Jets traded him to the New York Giants in Oct. 2019 for multiple picks, and the Giants sent him packing in 2023, to Seattle for multiple picks. With seven sacks, Williams is having his most dominant season since 2020 with the Giants, when he had 11.5.

Entering Sunday’s game, Williams’ 85.5 Pro Football Focus score was fourth among interior defenders and the best of his career. Elite, indeed.

New York fell to 3-9, while Seattle improved to 7-5, keeping it firmly in the playoff picture.

2025 NFL Draft order: Giants hold the No. 3 overall pick

The Raiders jump the Giants despite the loss to the Cowboys

By Chris Pflum @RaptormkII

The New York Giants currently hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, per Tankathon.

The Giants are tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders at 2-10 on the season. Each of the three teams lost in Week 13, though the Jaguars nearly upset the Houston Texans. The Giants are last among the three, as they have the highest strength of schedule at 0.541. The Raiders have a strength of schedule of 0.529, while the Jaguars’ strength of schedule is 0.498.

The in addition to their loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants suffered a pair of roster losses. Dexter Lawrence suffered a dislocated elbow and Theo Johnson suffered a foot injury. While the Giants can rely on Daniel Bellinger to start a tight end, the Giants are unlikely to win many games without Lawrence.

That should help the Giants stay in the Top 5 through the remainder of the season.

Top 10 draft picks

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10)

Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)

New York Giants (2-10)

New England Patriots (3-10)

Carolina Panthers (3-9)

New York Jets (3-9)

Tennesee Titans 3-9)

Cleveland Browns (3-8)*

New Orleans Saints (4-8)

Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)

Note: The Browns play on Monday Night Football and have yet to play in week 13.

The Giants are absolutely in the market for a quarterback — if not of the future than certainly for 2025. There are a number of teams in the Top 10 who could also be in the quarterback market as well, not the least of whom are the Raiders.

It’s possible that the Giants could bypass the quarterback position at the top half and circle back for a developmental player in the second or trade back into the first if the right player drops. The Giants have shown significant interest in the Colorado football program, and while that interest is expected to be in Shedeur Sanders, it’s possible that they could also be interested in Travis Hunter. Hunter, who plays both wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes, could solve the Giants’ issues at CB1, as well as give them another offensive weapon in high leverage situations.

Assuming the Giants retain Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, they will almost certainly have a plan for attacking the 2025 of-season. They would know that this is their last chance, and they would need to meet the challenge on their own terms rather than hope circumstances come to them. They could attempt to manipulate the draft board and address multiple high-value positions in an attempt to secure their positions long enough to get their quarterback in place.

Colorado football, Deion Sanders have ‘symbiotic’ relationship but Cowboys, Giants could be in play

Colorado football and Deion Sanders need each other, but the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants also need “Prime Time” / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado football and Deion Sanders need each other. But as FOX Sports analyst and CU alum Joel Klatt sees it, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants also need “Prime Time” in their NFL organizational structure.

“While Klatt initially dismissed the idea, he now believes that iconic franchises like the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants might have enough appeal to lure Sanders away. Both teams could soon face head coaching vacancies, with Mike McCarthy’s future in Dallas uncertain despite recent success and Brian Daboll struggling to solidify his position with the Giants,” On SI’s Jason Jones wrote.

“Sanders’ relationship with Colorado has been symbiotic. The Buffaloes have granted him unparalleled freedom to shape the program, allowing his charismatic personality and unconventional methods to flourish. This partnership has rejuvenated Colorado football, attracting widespread media attention and reshaping the program’s culture.”

Dallas is desperate at this point. Having seen a small taste of success in 2022/2023, the Cowboys are now in a backslide that is made more brutal by the massive financial commitment to Dak Prescott before the season. That move never made sense and it likely cost them a chance at Shedeur, the one avenue Dallas had to land Deion.

The Giants are more plausible. Having won two Super Bowls in the last 16 years, New York just needs a worthy coaching successor to Tom Coughlin to reignite the franchise’s winning ways. Shedeur and Big Blue seem to have mutual interest, too. They haven’t had that since Coughlin left after the 2015 season. The G-Men have a direct path to drafting the “Grown QB,” so “Prime Time” in the Big Apple/Garden State is more realistic than the Cowboys.

Even still, why leave Colorado? Sanders has property in Boulder that his sons bought him, and his Buffs going 9-3 two seasons after going 1-11 makes him a legend for life in the Centennial State. With Julian Lewis coming and a strong relationship with CU superfan Peggy Coppom, Coach Prime has no reason to leave where he’s at anytime soon.

Cowboys face Giants with eye toward ending mystifying home skid

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A five-game losing steak behind them, the Dallas Cowboys can target a mystifying 0-5 record at AT&T Stadium for a club that a year ago was closing in on the franchise record for consecutive home wins.

There’s some success to go with the adversity as the New York Giants visit for Dallas’ annual Thanksgiving Day home game, but Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy isn’t worried about testing his theory that handling the good times is more difficult than pushing through the bad.

“We’re still pretty far down in the valley of adversity right now,” McCarthy said. “We’ve made one step in the right direction. We’ve still got a lot of climbing to do. It was great to get some wind under our wings and start that.”

Coming off a 34-26 victory at Washington, the Cowboys (4-7) believe a rally to a fourth consecutive playoff trip is plausible, and the schedule supports the idea.

The end of a four-game stretch against teams with winning records is being greeted by the first of four against clubs currently under .500.

The Giants (2-9) enter Thursday’s meeting on a six-game losing streak — not to mention the seven-game slide against their NFC East rival — and have replaced one quarterback question with another.

Tommy DeVito emerged with a sore throwing arm after his first start in place of the benched and subsequently released Daniel Jones. New York is giving Drew Lock more practice reps just in case.

DeVito didn’t travel with the team so he could stay for treatment, but was expected to make the trip later Wednesday. He’s listed as questionable.

If DeVito does get the start, it will certainly stir memories of his first a little more than a year ago in the same stadium. His first snap against the Cowboys was from the New York 1-yard line in a 49-17 loss.

“So much has happened from then,” said DeVito, who started five more times last season. “A little nervous going into it, so I’ve kind of been around the block now, kind of played in that stadium before, in that crowd. Obviously, Thanksgiving’s a little bit different, but I look forward to another challenge.”

Cooper Rush won his first five starts as an injury replacement for Dak Prescott in 2021-22. He was on a personal three-game losing streak before beating the Commanders with his best passer rating as a starter (117.6).

This will be the fourth consecutive start for Rush, who had five in a row two years ago. Prescott isn’t coming back this time. He’s out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring.

“There’s a rhythm to being the starter throughout the week and then obviously out there on game day,” Rush said. “There’s a comfort level of getting back out there for sure. It’s human nature. It’s natural. You can prepare all you want, but game reps are game reps.”

Bad vibes at home

Counting a wild-card playoff loss to Green Bay last January, the Cowboys are on a six-game slide at AT&T Stadium. They had won the previous 16 in the 80,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof and giant video board above the field.

Dallas is back in the afternoon time slot at home for the first time since 2023 All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb lost a pass into the end zone in the sun with a chance to take the lead early in a 34-6 loss to Philadelphia.

The stadium’s east-west alignment has been the subject of ridicule for years with the giant glass doors on each end.

Before the next home game against Houston, a large piece of metal and some debris fell from the roof as the retractable roof was being opened a few hours before kickoff.

No picks

The Giants are on the verge of setting an NFL record for most consecutive games without an interception.

New York has gone a record-tying 10 games without a pick since rookie linebacker Darius Muasau caught a tipped pass by Minnesota’s Sam Darnold in the opener.

The San Francisco 49ers went 10 games over two seasons (1976-77), while the Oakland Raiders had an in-season run in 2017, which defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s unit has matched.

“Look, we got to do a better job of taking the ball away,” Daboll said.

Do it again

Rico Dowdle had 86 yards rushing, one off his season best, against the Commanders. The NFL’s second-worst run game played a big part in an efficient Dallas offense helping pull off the Cowboys’ biggest upset since 2010.

Now the Cowboys have to try to do it again. They couldn’t the one other time Dowdle had some momentum. He was held to a season-low 25 yards in a blowout loss to Detroit a week after his season-best 87 in a last-minute victory at Pittsburgh.

“We didn’t have enough attempts (against Washington) and we still won the time of possession,” McCarthy said. “We just have to stay the course. The complementary football is the best way for us to win games. It has been the last couple of years.”

Tracy troubles

Rookie Tyrone Tracy has emerged as the Giants’ top running back, replacing Devin Singletary. The fifth-round draft pick out of Purdue has a team-high 587 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Tracy has lost fumbles the past two games, though. The first was in overtime in Germany against Carolina and resulted in the Panthers’ game-winning field goal.

He also lost one at the Buccaneers 5-yard line with New York down 23-0. Tracy didn’t touch the ball again until the final series.

Cowboys Thanksgiving Halftime Show Performer Revealed Ahead of Giants Game

The NFL has announced which musical talent will be performing during Thursday’s Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants Thanksgiving halftime show.

Dallas Cowboys team owner and general manager Jerry Jones shown on the field prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys playing on Thanksgiving is one of the NFL’s longest traditions and that trend continues Thursday when the New York Giants visit AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys already picked up a 20-15 win over the Giants back in Week 4, leaving time to tell if Mike McCarthy’s squad can complete the season sweep.

Much like the Super Bowl, NFL Thanksgiving Day games are known for their theatrics — especially when it comes to the halftime show. On Wednesday, the league revealed who’ll be taking centerstage at AT&T Stadium after the Cowboys and Giants wrap up the first half.

Cowboys News: Lainey Wilson to Perform at Thanksgiving Halftime Show

It turns out that this year’s Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show will feature a bit of a southern flair.

“Lainey Wilson, Grammy, ACM, and CMA Award winner and reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year, will perform live at AT&T Stadium,” the NFL announced for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Kickoff Halftime Show.

Wilson is one of country music’s hottest stars at the moment, drawing in over 9.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Her collaboration with Jelly Roll on the Grammy-nominated “Save Me” has racked up more than 132.1 million listeners alone, highlighting how big of a deal it is that she’s performing at AT&T Stadium.

Music legend Dolly Parton — someone who Wilson has looked up to — performed at AT&T Stadium when the Cowboys defeated the Washington Commanders, 45-10, on last year’s Thanksgiving. On Wednesday, the 32-year-old musician revealed what it means to follow in her idol’s footsteps.

“It’s truly an honor,” Wilson told CBS News. “I’m just excited that I get to share my gift and end the year by being with the Cowboys and the Salvation Army. “

“When I called my family back in Louisiana and told them this was happening, they really thought I was starting to make it. So that’s a good feeling.”

Last year’s Cowboys Thanksgiving Day outing reportedly drew over 42 million viewers, according to the NFL, making it easy to see why it’s a big deal for Wilson.

The Cowboys find success more often than not on Turkey Day, going 33-22-1 across 56 all-time Thanksgiving games. They’ve won their last two outings on the holiday, leaving time to tell if America’s Team can make it three in a row for the first time since they tallied four straight wins between 2006 and 2009.

Cowboys face Giants on Thanksgiving with eye toward ending mystifying home skid

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy looks on during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders in Landover, Md. The Cowboys face the Giants at home today, hoping to snap their five-game skid at AT&T Stadium.

Stephanie Scarbrough/The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas — A five-game losing steak behind them, the Dallas Cowboys can target a mystifying 0-5 record at AT&T Stadium for a club that a year ago was closing in on the franchise record for consecutive home wins.

Coming off a 34-26 victory at Washington, the Cowboys (4-7) believe a rally to a fourth consecutive playoff trip is plausible, and the schedule supports the idea.

The end of a four-game stretch against teams with winning records is being greeted by the first of four against clubs currently under .500.

Tommy DeVito emerged with a sore throwing arm after his first start in place of the benched and subsequently released Daniel Jones. New York is giving Drew Lock more practice reps just in case.

DeVito didn’t travel with the team so he could stay for treatment, but was expected to make the trip later Wednesday. He’s listed as questionable.

This will be the fourth consecutive start for Rush, who had five in a row two years ago. Prescott isn’t coming back this time. He’s out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring.

Bad vibes at home

The stadium’s east-west alignment has been the subject of ridicule for years with the giant glass doors on each end.

Before the next home game against Houston, a large piece of metal and some debris fell from the roof as the retractable roof was being opened a few hours before kickoff.

No picks

The Giants are on the verge of setting an NFL record for most consecutive games without an interception.

New York has gone a record-tying 10 games without a pick since rookie linebacker Darius Muasau caught a tipped pass by Minnesota’s Sam Darnold in the opener.

The San Francisco 49ers went 10 games over two seasons (1976-77), while the Oakland Raiders had an in-season run in 2017, which defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s unit has matched.

“Look, we got to do a better job of taking the ball away,” Daboll said.

Do it again

“We didn’t have enough attempts [against Washington] and we still won the time of possession,” McCarthy said. “We just have to stay the course. The complementary football is the best way for us to win games. It has been the last couple of years.”

Tracy troubles

Rookie Tyrone Tracy has emerged as the Giants’ top running back, replacing Devin Singletary. The fifth-round draft pick out of Purdue has a team-high 587 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Tracy has lost fumbles the past two games, though. The first was in overtime in Germany against Carolina and resulted in the Panthers’ game-winning field goal.

He also lost one at the Buccaneers 5-yard line with New York down 23-0. Tracy didn’t touch the ball again until the final series.

The Making of America’s Most Famous Cheerleaders

Happy thanksgiving Honestly listeners! If you’re anything like the rest of America, you’ll be spending the day with family, cooking turkey, eating sweet potatoes, and. . . watching football.

Whether or not you’re from Texas, the game on most American TVs on Thanksgiving Day will be the Dallas Cowboys. But just behind the players are the real stars of the show: blue and white pom-poms accenting sparkly white cowboy boots dancing to the sound of “Thunderstruck” for 41.8 million viewers at home.

We’re talking, of course, about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders—who you may have seen in the viral Netflix documentary, America’s Sweethearts—which is what today’s episode is all about.

Why, you might ask, would we talk about cheerleading on Honestly? Because as we watched the documentary, we realized that the show is about a lot more than cheerleading, football, faith, patriotism, and quintessential American culture. Yes, it’s about those things—and yes, it’s a reality show about making a very competitive dance team—but really, it’s a master class in leadership and excellence.

So today, we’re talking with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ director, Kelli Finglass. We ask her how she became the master operator she is today, leading an organization just as well as—or perhaps better than—a Fortune 500 company, how she created a culture of dedication and precision, and most importantly, what it takes today to build a phenomenal team.

It’s a different kind of episode than you’re used to these days—no talk about Matt Gaetz or Elon Musk—but it’s an all-American conversation for an all-American day. And it couldn’t be more fitting and fun. We hope you enjoy it.

Giants likely to replace injured Tommy DeVito with Drew Lock on Thanksgiving at Cowboys

NFL Week 12: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Giants

The New York Giants released a statement saying quarterback Tommy DeVito and left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor won’t travel with the team to Dallas. But DeVito is anticipated to arrive in Dallas on his own later Wednesday. Eluemunor won’t travel at all, and he has already been ruled out of the Thanksgiving game because of a quadriceps injury.

Meanwhile, a throwing forearm injury to DeVito might result in the Giants starting Drew Lock (and not DeVito) against the Cowboys.

The Giants clarified that DeVito is planning to take a later flight to Dallas on Wednesday because he is “undergoing further examination” on his forearm.

Eluemunor injured his quadriceps in Sunday’s disastrous loss to the Buccaneers.

Cornerback Deonte Banks (rib) is also questionable.

DeVito popped up on the injury report Tuesday with that throwing forearm issue. The Giants held a walk-through practice all three days this week. DeVito fully participated Monday, when he wasn’t even on the injury report. Then he was limited Tuesday and (notably) did not practice Wednesday.

That means the Giants are proceeding as if Lock will start in Dallas — at least based on how Wednesday’s practice reps went.

The Giants kept Lock second on the depth chart when benching and bubble wrapping Daniel Jones. (He’s now with the Vikings, after the Giants granted his request for a release.)

Giants injury report: Will Malik Nabers play in Tommy DeVito’s 2024 debut vs. Buccaneers?Nov. 22, 2024, 9:12 p.m.

Eagles’ Saquon Barkley to Daniel Jones after Giants release: ‘I’m doing well over here’Nov. 25, 2024, 7:20 a.m.

The Giants were widely questioned (even within their locker room) for putting DeVito ahead of Lock once they benched Jones.

The 2-9 Giants will try to stop a six-game losing streak in Dallas. If they get blown out again, coach Brian Daboll could lose his job on Black Friday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/24

Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions, including some standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Thanksgiving Day slate:

Buffalo Bills

Designated to return from IR: DT DeWayne Carter, T Tylan Grable

Carolina Panthers

Designated to return from IR: S Nick Scott

Cleveland Browns

Designated to return from IR: CB Myles Harden

Dallas Cowboys

Signed to active roster: TE Princeton Fant

Elevated: CB Andrew Booth, CB Kemon Hall

Denver Broncos

Signed to active roster: LB Zach Cunningham

Detroit Lions

Signed to active roster: WR Maurice Alexander, LB David Long

Elevated: T Jamarco Jones

Placed on IR: WR Kalif Raymond (story)

Houston Texans

Signed to active roster: DT Tommy Togiai

Los Angeles Rams

Designated to return from reserve/PUP: TE Tyler Higbee (story)

Minnesota Vikings

Signed to active roster: LS Jake McQuaide

Waived: OLB Gabriel Murphy

New York Giants

Elevated: T Joshua Miles, CB Greg Stroman

New York Jets

Designated to return from IR: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated to return from IR: DT Montravius Adams

3 predicciones para el juego de los Dallas Cowboys contra los New York Giants

Los Dallas Cowboys juegan contra los New York Giants el Jueves.

Los Dallas Cowboys regresan a AT&T Stadium el Jueves para el anual juego de Thanksgiving. Este año los Cowboys juegan contra los New York Giants.

Ahora la energía es diferente con los Cowboys consideran que el equipo gano para la primera vez de el seis desde Octubre. Con un equipo muy mal en frente de ellos, Dallas puede ganar en su casa para la primera vez este temporada. ¡Feliz Thanksgiving a todos!

Es posible que el juego se van muy loco porque este es como los Cowboys están jugando este temporada. ¿Que vamos a ver cuando Dallas y New York están en frente de todo el mundo en Thanksgiving?

Aquí están mis 3 predicciones.

Dallas tiene un touchdown en defense

Es importante que estamos honesto cuando discutiendo los Cowboys y también los Giants igual.

Ahora se mira que Drew Lock van a jugar a quarterback para New York, pero en este punto no están mucho diferencia a quien juego la posición. Los Giants están muy mal y se tiene muchas errores cada juego. Creo que vamos a ver New York con otra error y que la defensiva de Dallas van a tener un touchdown a resultado.

CeeDee Lamb tiene 100+ yardas

CeeDee Lamb no tiene un juego con 100+ yardas desde San Francisco y están muchas razones.

Cambiando quarterbacks es un facto mas difícil in conversaciones como este, pero en los semanas mas reciente se mira que Lamb están ajustando a cosas con Cooper Rush.

Vamos a ver CeeDee con un largo actuación donde tiene mas de 100 yardas.

Hable de este tema en el más reciente video en la canal de YouTube de Blogging The Boys. ¡Subscribir (puede aqui) al canal para ver mas videos de los Dallas Cowboys en Ingles y Español!

Dallas gana de mas de doble dígitos

Los Cowboys gano contra Washington y como la energía se creció como dijimos arriba, platicando en una formato honesto es crítica.

No estoy diciendo que los Cowboys voy a van a los playoffs, pero a pesar que Dallas están mal… no están mal como los Giants.

Es mi opinión que el día van a salir mas feliz para Dallas y los fans de el equipo. Los Cowboys van a ganar de mas de doble dígitos y nosotros van a comer mucho.

¡Felicidades a Thanksgiving, amigos y amigas!

NFC East update: Eagles taking command

This past week was an interesting one in the NFC East.

Last week on “Days of Our Division,” Dallas returned from the dead to shock the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys’ upset helped the surging Philadelphia Eagles create even more cushion in their NFC East lead. And in New York, the Giants proved they’ve got plenty of other problems beyond QB Daniel Jones.

Instead of Dan Quinn getting some so-called revenge, not to mention Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong, Noah Brown, Dante Fowler, Noah Igbinoghene, Joe Whitt, and probably some former AT&T Stadium concessions workers, Washington ate yet another loss from the Cowboys. The rivalry aside, this one stung even more for the Commanders as it was their third straight and has now brought their storybook season to a point of tremendous peril. A few weeks since leading the NFC East, they’re now just a half-game away from falling out of the playoffs entirely.

Philadelphia rode 255 rushing yards from Saquon Barkley into a dominant win over the Los Angeles Rams, their seventh straight. While the Packers and Vikings won’t go away quietly, the NFC appears to belong to either the Eagles or the Detroit Lions this season.

After releasing Daniel Jones, New York looked even less competent in a 30-7 home drubbing from the Buccaneers. The team appears to have fully quit on the season, which may be according to the front office’s plan, but it’s going to make for an ugly six remaining games.

Current NFC East Standings

Philadelphia Eagles 9-2 (3-0, 6-2 vs NFC)

Washington Commanders 7-5 (2-2 in division, 5-3)

Dallas Cowboys 4-7 (2-1, 2-5)

New York Giants 2-9 (0-4, 1-7)

The Giants now take their poop show on the road for a Thanksgiving matchup with the Cowboys. As bad as Dallas can still be, especially with so many injured starters and a short week to prepare, New York doesn’t even seem to be engaged at this point. The Cowboys’ incredible 14-1 record over the G-Men since 2017 should only improve this week, which would move Dallas to 5-7 and at least make for some interesting philosophical debates about the remainder of their season.

The Commanders have a decent shot at ending their losing skid with a home game against the 3-8 Tennessee Titans. If Washington can’t get it together for this one then all of the goodwill from their 7-2 start is going to evaporate. But hey, if anyone knows how to blow a lead, it’s Dan Quinn.

Philadelphia is in the game of the week with a short road trip to Baltimore. It will be the first time that Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson have faced each other in the NFL; Hurts was still Carson Wentz’s backup the last time the Eagles and Ravens met in 2020. This one will be a fascinating clash, both with the mobile QBs and the RB duel between Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.

Bill Belichick quietly had nightmarish audition for Cowboys’ head coaching job

Kansas City Chiefs v New England Patriots / Maddie Meyer/GettyImages

You couldn’t have scripted a better way for the Dallas Cowboys to end their five-game losing streak than a thrilling win over Dan Quinn and the Commanders. Sure, beating the Eagles would have tasted even sweeter, but let’s not run before we can walk.

As great as it was to get back in the win column, it shouldn’t paper over the fact that the franchise needs a complete reset after the season.

That includes at head coach, but Jerry Jones on Tuesday teased a potential extension for Mike McCarthy on 105.3 The Fan. Jones referred to McCarthy as a “Super Bowl-winning head coach” but Dallas hasn’t sniffed a Lombardi Trophy since McCarthy took over in 2020.

That is why Bill Belichick, who has won six Super Bowls, is circled as the favorite to take over if McCarthy isn’t brought back. Multiple insiders have talked to sources within the league who believe Belichick to Dallas is a foregone conclusion.

If that comes to fruition, it may not be the home run hire it’s being made out to be.

Bill Belichick quietly had awful audition for Cowboys head coaching job during MNF

Appearing as a guest on ESPN’s ManningCast during Monday night’s game between the Ravens and Chargers, Belichick gave an alarming assessment when Los Angeles was faced with a fourth down in plus territory.

It was a 4th-and-1 on the 30-yard line and Belichick wanted Jim Harbaugh to kick a field goal (!) to take a 10-lead.

Yep. He’s been trending in this direction for a while now.

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) November 26, 2024

While the Chargers have a budding young kicker in Cameron Dicker, they also have a strong offensive line and a 6-1, 238-pound bruiser at running back in Gus Edwards. On top of that, Justin Herbert and the offense had move the ball at will against the Ravens’ leaky defense.

MORE: Jerry Jones has to fire this prominent Cowboys coach despite Week 12 win

Regardless, in that situation the analytics say to go for it 10 times out of 10. Sure enough, the Chargers called Edwards’ number and moved the chains. The drive stalled out three plays later and LA kicked a field goal anyway, but Harbaugh absolutely made the right call to go for it.

It didn’t result in a touchdown, but coaches should always chase points in that situation. The Ravens had struggled to move the ball up until that point. They gained five yards on eight plays and punted twice.

Going for it on fourth down is a big reason why Baltimore won the game. They went for it three times and converted each attempt, including a gutsy 4th-and-1 from their own 16-yard line. They went on to score two touchdowns because of their conversions. They won by seven points.

That isn’t to say punting is never the right call, but it was painfully obvious that Harbaugh should’ve kept his offense on the field.

That Belichick wanted to kick a FG should terrify Cowboys fans of what is potentially to come if he replaces Mike McCarthy at the helm.

Mike McCarthy Tells Cowboys Rookie His Mistakes Have ‘to Stop’

Nov 18, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy reacts during the first half against the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 13 with a 4-7 record. Last Sunday, this squad was able to snap their five-game losing streak as they went on the road and topped the Washington Commanders 34-26.

That victory potentially changed owner Jerry Jones’ outlook on McCarthy’s future.

As the Cowboys prepare for a Thanksgiving tilt against the New York Giants, McCarthy called out the recurring mistakes by rookie offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.

Cowboys News: Mike McCarthy Calls Out Tyler Guyton

Guyton committed three pre-snap penalties in the win over the Commanders and McCarthy acknowledged that these need to stop.

“It has to stop. He knows it. He feels sick about it. But we just got to get it corrected, those are penalties that potentially took points off the board…We got to get it corrected. We’re far enough down the line, he understands it.”

– Mike McCarthy

Guyton was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft to replace Tyron Smith who left in free agency. The Oklahoma product has struggled a lot this season, especially with the penalties.

He’s second in the NFL in penalties committed (16) while being tied for ninth in sacks allowed (5). Per PFF, Guyton has a 51.2 overall grade, 60.8 pass-blocking grade, and 56.4 run-blocking grade.

In his defense, Guyton only played right tackle in college, so making the switch over to the left side isn’t easy. Regardless of that fact, he needs to step up his play. He knows it. McCarthy knows it. And the fans know it. He’ll get another opportunity on Thursday, and we’ll see if he corrects these mistakes.

What’s at stake for the Cowboys on Thanksgiving against Giants

Here we are Thanksgiving week and the Dallas Cowboys season is already over. Sitting at 4-and-7, Dallas will take on the New York Giants, hard to believe, but they are having a worse year than Dallas in the NFC East.

Fresh off a upset of the Washington Commanders as double-digit underdogs, with a wild 4th quarter, it was a game that I honestly thought Dallas would lose after Terry scored that touchdown.

With that said, what is really now at stake for the Cowboys tomorrow?

The highest scoring game on Thanksgiving will be:

🐻 Bears-Lions 🦁
🐬 Dolphins-Packers 🧀
🗽 Giants-Cowboys 🤠

— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) November 26, 2024

GAME INFO:

Date: Thursday, November 28th | Time: 3:25

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.

TV: FOX | Stream: NFL+ & FuboTV

Radio: 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM), 107.5 La Grande in Spanish (KMVK-FM)

Against the spread (ATS): Cowboys -3.5 (-112) | Giants +3.5 (-108)

Over/Under (O/U): 37.5 (O: -110 | U: -108)

Betting Facts

The Giants are 3-8 against the spread this season, while failing to cover the spread in their last five games. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are only 3-and-8 against the spread this season.

Dallas is 7-and-4 to the over in 2024, while winning the last 15 out of 15 matchups against New York.

Each of the Cowboys’ last 5 home games against the Giants have gone over the Total.

Cooper Rush improved to 6-3 both straight-up and ATS as a starter with the win over Washington this past Sunday.

See also Dallas Cowboys Good, Bad, and Ugly From Week 5 Against New York Giants

What Is At Stake

Let’s be honest with ourselves here, do you want the 2024 Dallas Cowboys to win another pointless game to worsen their draft stock?

This team is not going to sniff the NFC East title because of the Eagles, and they are not even going to be close to making the playoffs. Yet with another win tomorrow, they are going to be 5-and-7, moving them even further down the draft board.

They currently have the 11th pick in the draft, but if they would have lost against Washington, who I think is overrated nonetheless, they would have been at 7 with a chance to make the top 5.

The Giants might be the worst team in football, and I counted this game as a win when Dak Prescott was lost for the season, but it is the fact that they are going to slide even further down the draft board with major concerns heading into 2025.

Rest Of Season

Please tell me what winning this game and last week does?

We know where this team is headed, and they need a top playmaker in this year’s draft to give them a chance.

The one thing I am worried about is that Jerry Jones will bring Mike McCarthy back because of all the injuries that this team has had, giving him a pass. He has no deal in place, and Jerry knows he will do what he says.

Besides, what’s the better option? Finding an assistant coach and hoping he turns into Sean McVay and not Ben McAdoo?

See also 5 Bold Predictions for Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants in Week 5

A retread like Doug Pederson? Deion Sanders is a fun idea, but not every college coach makes it on the NFL level.

Would it be so crazy if Jerry Jones decided to give Mike McCarthy a new contract after this disaster of a season?#NFL #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/cDqhb82F5f

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) November 26, 2024

Jerry Jones also noted yesterday that he would not be against bringing Mike McCarthy back, another move by him which is the reason why none of us can’t stand the way he does business.

According to him, it’s not “crazy” at all for him to consider bringing back McCarthy on a new deal.

“I don’t think that’s crazy at all,” Jones said about re-signing McCarthy to a new contract. “This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left.”

This is going to be a long next few months to finish this season and see what Jerry does with this coaching staff/roster.

Happy Thanksgiving!

SOURCE SPORTS: Cowboys Look to Continue Thanksgiving Success Against Struggling Giants

The Dallas Cowboys (4-7) host the New York Giants (2-9) in their 57th Thanksgiving game at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Dallas boasts a 33-22-1 record on holiday since 1966 and aims to repeat last year’s Thanksgiving victory over New York, a 28-20 win highlighted by Ezekiel Elliott’s 92 rushing yards, CeeDee Lamb’s 106 receiving yards, and Micah Parsons’ two sacks.

Lamb continues to set records, with his 12th career game of at least ten receptions last week, tying Brandon Marshall for the second-most such games in a player’s first five seasons. Only Michael Thomas (18) has more.

Parsons, a dominant force on defense, tied for the fifth-most multi-sack games (13) in a player’s first four seasons in NFL history during Week 12. With a sack in his first three Thanksgiving games, Parsons can join the elite company by recording a sack in four consecutive holiday appearances. Additionally, he could match Hall of Famer Randy White as the only player with at least 1.5 sacks in three Thanksgiving contests since 1982.

The Giants, appearing in their 17th Thanksgiving game (7-6-3), face a tough challenge against a Cowboys team eager to reclaim their footing in the NFC East.

WATCH: Naomi Osaka’s boyfriend Cordae trolled along with Jay-Z by Dallas Cowboys icon Dez Bryant at Washington Commanders game

Naomi Osaka’s boyfriend Cordae was trolled along with Jay-Z and Wale by Dallas Cowboys’ former player Dez Bryant after the Washington Commanders’ loss. On Sunday, November 24, the Commanders took on the Cowboys at the Northwest Stadium in Washington DC.

Rappers Cordae, Jay-Z, and Wale, who are Commanders fans, were present in the box suite along with three-time Pro Bowl winner Dez Bryant.

The Commanders led the game 3-0 at the end of the first quarter but could not sustain it and eventually lost 26-34. Bryant, known for his cheeky sense of humor, teased his suite-mates after the game.

While Cordae attempted to brush off the jokes, Jay-Z and others humored the former Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens player briefly before turning their attention elsewhere.

Watch the hilarious moment below:

Naomi Osaka and Cordae began dating in 2019 after meeting at a Los Angeles Clippers game. Interestingly, Cordae was initially unaware of Osaka’s exploits in the tennis world.

When Naomi Osaka opened up about parenting her daughter Shai with boyfriend Cordae

Cordae cheered for girlfriend Naomi Osaka at the 2024 French Open (Image: Getty)

In January 2023, Naomi Osaka announced her pregnancy, expressing excitement about entering parenthood. She and Cordae welcomed their first child, a daughter named Shai, in July 2023. Despite occasional public speculation about their relationship, they remain focused on co-parenting and supporting each other’s endeavors.

Trending

Osaka spoke about the challenges and rewards of entering parenthood with Cordae in an interview with InStyle last year. She shared how their lives transformed overnight after welcoming their daughter, Shai.

“There was a huge adjustment period,” she said. “It was life-changing in a day. From the moment that you come back home from the hospital, everything’s different.”

“We built a really good foundation… I don’t know if it’s because he’s just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other’s opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out. At the end of the day, we both want what’s best for Shai,” she added.

After taking a maternity hiatus in 2023, Osaka returned to the tour this year. The four-time Grand Slam champion struggled with form, racking up multiple early exits. Before the end of the season, she split ways with longtime coach Wim Fissette and hired Serena Williams’ ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

The World No. 60 is eyeing another Grand Slam according to her coach and she has already begun training for the 2025 season.

Pregame Shuffle Thanksgiving Edition: Cowboys vs Giants

It is always fun to watch the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

MARSHALL NEWHOUSE JOINS GOJO AND GOLIC — 11/25

It’s that time again. Time to wake up Thursday morning and start prepping all the Thanksgiving dishes early in the day, with the parade on the TV in the background while you cook. Then sit down at the table and enjoy all the delicious food, but also keep an eye on the clock to make sure you finish in time for the real focal point of the day: Dallas Cowboys football.

It’s hard to believe it’s already here, but the Cowboys’ annual Thanksgiving game is right around the corner. Soon, millions of people will be forced to tune in and watch a 4-7 team led by Cooper Rush square off against a 2-9 team led by maybe Tommy DeVito? If the Cowboys manage to win, it’ll be the first time this calendar year they’ve won a game in their home stadium.

To say that this matchup has lost its appeal would be an understatement. Odds weren’t great coming into the season that this would be a game with major playoff implications, but duels between Dak Prescott and Daniel Jones have generally been somewhat competitive. But Prescott is out for the year with an injury, while the Giants benched Jones for financial reasons before outright cutting him last week.

New York turned to Tommy DeVito, last year’s undrafted rookie whose flashy play and stereotypical Italian demeanor made him an Internet sensation. The Giants went 3-3 with DeVito as the starter, though the quarterback had been up and down in his performances in those games.

In his first start of the year, DeVito was unable to recapture any of the magic from last year’s run. He completed 67.7% of his passes for just 189 yards against a tough Buccaneers defense and, outside of a rushing touchdown down big in the fourth quarter, the Giants were held scoreless in a 30-7 loss. Sensational rookie receiver Malik Nabers made some eyebrow-raising comments afterwards, too:

“It ain’t the quarterback,” said rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who led the Giants with six catches for 64 yards. “Same outcome when we had DJ at quarterback.

“I don’t know what it is,” Nabers added when asked to identify the team’s problem. “Everybody know better than me. … I know I’m tired of losing.”

The Cowboys can relate to that, as they had their own controversy not too long ago when Micah Parsons made a comment about Mike McCarthy, which he later apologized for. Both these teams seem to be on the verge of a new coaching staff after a lost season, which makes this matchup interesting for all the wrong reasons.

DeVito has popped up on the injury report so it is actually unclear if he will play. Drew Lock would be the next quarterback up.

At this point, Giants fans are doing daily mock drafts and arguing about which quarterback they’ll take with their top five draft pick. Cowboys fans have started to adopt that trend, though they know Dallas won’t be drafting a quarterback wherever they end up picking in the first round this year. Still, it seemed as if the fan base was just starting to make peace with the fruits that bear from a terrible season.

Naturally, the Cowboys chose that moment to pull off a chaotic win over the Commanders on the road, with Rush putting up perhaps his best game of his career and the Dallas defense showing real promise. Now they enter this game as four-point favorites, and would probably be more favored if they had proven capable of winning at home this year.

It brings up a fascinating question though. If the Cowboys win this one, they’ll have won two straight – both of them division games – and will sit at 5-7. As it currently stands, the Commanders team they just beat – who have now lost three in a row – would be the seventh and final playoff team if the season ended today. Only one other NFC team behind Washington has a winning record right now.

Considering that the Cowboys’ next four opponents after the post-Thanksgiving mini-bye all sit with losing records at the moment, suddenly the door is open for the Cowboys to go on a run. Assuming that happens, they would be looking at an 8-7 record as they go to Philadelphia for a rematch against the Eagles, which is just one week prior to their rematch with the Commanders.

Obviously, this is a pie-in-the-sky scenario right now, but a win on Thanksgiving would legitimately open the door for a playoff run given the current state of the NFC playoff picture. All they have to do is something they used to always do but haven’t been able to all year long: win at home.

Daily Slop – 27 Nov 24 – Mark Bullock: Jayden Daniels’ teammates “not doing enough to help”

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

Articles

The Commanders offense was sloppy against the Cowboys. The lack of help Daniels received from his teammates really stood out

In watching back the Commanders loss to the Cowboys with the intent to break down Jayden Daniels’ performance, I found myself noting over and over again that the team around him was making too many mistakes. Daniels didn’t have his best game, but it also wasn’t his worst. Promisingly, he looked to have his explosiveness back as a runner, suggesting the extra few days off has helped him fully recover from that rib injury that appeared to be hindering him the past few games.

But while there is plenty to be said about Daniels performance individually, I thought the more striking issue was the lack of help he was getting from his teammates. The Commanders offense was incredibly sloppy against the Cowboys, with various players making multiple errors that prevented the offense and most importantly Daniels from getting into a real rhythm and flow of the game. Daniels did his best to try and make plays himself and overcome those mistakes, but while it’s great to have a quarterback capable of making plays and overcoming errors, it’s not something any offense can consistently rely on. Doing that will generate bad habits and that’s the last thing they want to do with Daniels. The players around him need to make plays for him, not require him to make plays for them.

There were bad signs of this early on in the game. The Commanders started to get moving on their second drive. They had picked up a first down, hit on a couple nice runs and even threw in a little trick play with an end-around to Dyami Brown. But after a second and four run got stopped for two yards, the Commanders faced third and two. Now this is exactly the situation they want to be in, ahead of the chains with a third and manageable situation where they can realistically call either a run or a pass to try and convert. On this occasion they call a pass.

Here we see the Commanders run what I know as a missile concept. It’s a three-man concept with all three receivers running in-breaking routes at slightly varied depths. The idea here is for each receiver to either break open into space over the middle, or take a defender with them to open up space behind them for the next receiver to run into.

Olamide Zaccheaus and Zach Ertz both do their jobs, working inside and dragging defenders with them to open up space for Noah Brown on the outside. Brown runs a solid route, creating separation as he breaks inside. Daniels shows good trust in Brown, getting set and delivering the throw as Brown is making his cut, believing in his receivers ability to win the route. He delivers a good ball that hits Brown in stride right between the numbers, but Brown drops it.

Instead of using his big frame and long arms to extend his arms and make a hands catch away from his body he allows the ball to get into his chest, trying to trap it between his body and his arms. One of the problems with that technique is that the point of the football is prone to bouncing in odd directions, so when the ball hits his chest and he doesn’t time the trap between his arms and the chest correctly, the ball bounces out and falls incomplete.

There’s no good drops, but that one is a particular back breaker because the Commanders were starting to get a drive going, well into the Cowboys territory and were on track to score a touchdown to make it 10-0 early in the game. But instead Brown dropped the pass on third down, failing the conversion and the Commanders had to kick a field goal which they missed. It wasn’t the only pass Noah Brown dropped on third down in this game either.

This play comes at a very different situation in the game. At this point, the Commanders were losing 10-9 late in the third quarter and had just gone three and out on their previous drive. So the team needed to put together a drive to try and get back in the game. After Daniels marginally missed a tough throw to Ertz on second down, the Commanders faced third and seven. Noah Brown runs a curl route to the right of the formation. Daniels drops back to pass and immediately lines up to throw the curl to Brown. He gets to the top of his drop and anticipates Brown’s break, delivering the throw before Brown gets out of his cut.

That was all very good from Daniels, but Brown again lets him down here. First, Brown comes out of the break soft. He’s well beyond the first down marker, so he has ground to give. He could easily come out of the break sharper and work back to the back to try and separate more from the defender. Secondly, despite Brown not coming out of the break with great urgency, Daniels is still able to hit him with a very well placed throw. It’s such an accurate throw, in fact, that it got through Brown’s hands and hits him directly in the facemask.

[Jayden Daniels] needs his receivers to make plays. Brown dropped two key third down passes which killed drives.

Of course, Brown wasn’t the only one with issues. Daniels’ first interception was another play where the receiver, this time Brian Robinson, couldn’t hold onto a pass.

ESPN

Commanders put Austin Seibert on IR after missed kicks vs. Dallas

The Washington Commanders placed kicker Austin Seibert on injured reserve, two days after his missed extra point attempt prevented a shot at overtime against the Dallas Cowboys.

Seibert had missed the previous two games with a hip injury. It’s uncertain if he was placed on IR because of the hip or if there was a new leg injury.

Riggo’s Rag

Former Commanders first-round draft pick Jamin Davis signs for the Vikings

According to Tom Pelissero from the NFL Network, the Minnesota Vikings have signed Davis off the Packers’ practice squad and onto their 53-man roster. This comes after undrafted free agent sensation Ivan Pace Jr. was forced to injured reserve.

This allows Davis to contribute to a legitimate playoff contender. The Vikings have far exceeded expectations this season and find themselves at 9-2. They look well on track for another playoff berth, which stems from Kevin O’Connell’s masterful development of quarterback Sam Darnold and Minnesota’s relentless defense under aggressive coordinator Brian Flores.

Riggo’s Rag

Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. is not dealing with a high ankle sprain

Robinson revealed that he is dealing with an ankle sprain after suffering ligament damage versus the Cowboys. The backfield force added that he’s feeling a lot better compared to Sunday, which provided a glimmer of hope that he could be involved in some capacity.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson on just now on :

“I’m dealing with an ankle sprain right now to some ligaments that was rolled up.”

Said it’s not a high ankle sprain and nothing going on with the bone. Has been surprised how much it’s progressed since SUN.

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) November 26, 2024

The Commanders have their Week 14 bye upcoming. That will give Robinson some extra time to recuperate before Washington embarks on its final four fixtures. Whether the coaching staff wants to risk him before this extended rest period is anyone’s guess.

Washington is entering desperation territory in pursuit of making a surprise postseason appearance in Year 1 of the team’s complete rebuild. They need all hands on deck. At the same time, they won’t want to jeopardize Robinson’s long-term outlook by putting him in harm’s way when he isn’t ready.

Upcoming opponent

Music City Miracles

Titans DC Dennard Wilson maximizes available talent in Week 12 win

Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson continues to elevate the little-known talent in the secondary

Wilson maximized the talent available to him despite the challenge against a Texans offense featuring CJ Stroud, Collins, Tank Dell, Joe Mixon, and Dalton Schultz. Stroud completed 20 of 33 passing attempts for 247 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Linebacker Kenneth Murray, who’s struggled in coverage this year, got Tennessee’s other interception.

No Texans receiver recorded more than five receptions or reached 100 receiving yards. Brownlee Jr. was tagged with allowing three catches on five targets for 91 receiving yards and one touchdown. The numbers are acceptable, given that he drew the Collins assignment in coverage.

Wilson has been an outstanding hire for head coach Brian Callahan. The defense has dealt with an abundance of adversity, particularly in the secondary via injuries, and that situation should have reached a boiling point versus the Texans on Sunday. Instead, Wilson continued maximizing the talent available to him. Credit to little-known names such as Worley, Brown, and Baker Jr. for playing quality football.

2025 NFL Draft order: What pick do the Titans currently hold?

The Titans lost a few spots with the win over the Texans but it was worth it

The Tennessee Titans held the second overall pick coming into week 12. They fell back to the sixth pick according to Tankathon after their win over the Houston Texans yesterday. Some fans are mad that they won because it dropped them down in the draft order. That is a dumb position to take. Wins for a young coaching staff and a young quarterback are more important than draft position.

Podcasts & videos

Top 3️⃣ , Cowboys Recap & Titans Preview! | Get Loud with Jenks and Smoot | Washington Commanders

Going over the game. If you can take it. Some plays of the game. Key drives — when Washington really lost the game. Thoughts on Daniels’ day. More. ⁦

— John Keim (@john_keim) November 26, 2024

Episode 961 – fallout:
– Dan Quinn on playing “tight”
– DQ says Brandon Coleman had “his best game”
– an emerging problem for the OL
– DQ on Kliff Kingsbury regression narrative
– Jayden Daniels analysis
– notable developments at CB

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) November 26, 2024

Washington Commanders’ Injury Woes | Can They Overcome Key Player Setbacks?

Breaking down the Commanders’ offense with . The supposed “Kliff Cliff.” Struggles without Brian Robinson. Jayden things. Positives.

Plus, me on the kicker exchange and a mini-mailbag.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) November 27, 2024

Sure sounds like Jerry Jones’ terrifying Mike McCarthy comments are a Cowboys lie.

Texas v Arkansas / Wesley Hitt/GettyImages

The Dallas Cowboys won in thrilling fashion on Sunday, so naturally negative discourse about the team has been hard to find. During the five-game losing streak, fans didn’t have to search far and wide for national talking heads eviscerating the franchise.

While the Cowboys needed a missed extra point to win, they beat Dan Quinn’s Washington Commanders pillar to post. It was a 20-9 ballgame with three minutes left in regulation.

Not only was it nice to celebrate a win, but it put a hold – albeit a temporary one – on speculating about Mike McCarthy’s future. McCarthy deserves that much, but there has unfortunately been forced conversation about McCarthy potentially saving his job depending on how Dallas finishes the season.

Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, owner Jerry Jones was asked about McCarthy, specifically whether it would be crazy if he would extend the 61-year-old head coach. The question was put on a tee for Jones to say something outlandish and he made solid contact.

Cowboys’ Jerry Jones isn’t ruling out an extension for head coach Mike McCarthy

“I don’t think that’s crazy at all,” Jones said about a McCarthy extension, via The Athletic. “This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan said he’s not ruling out a contract extension for head coach Mike McCarthy.

“I don’t think that’s crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football…

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 26, 2024

Jones’ quote has already been aggregated by multiple prominent NFL insiders. By the time this article is published it will be a national talking point.

That is exactly what Jones wants, folks.

The Cowboys absolutely took it to the Commanders. They were double-digit underdogs. Everyone expected Quinn to have Washington ready to put a beatdown on his free-falling former team. Nobody has anything negative to say about Dallas, so they were not a lead story Monday morning.

Enter Jerry Jones.

As frightening as it is to think about McCarthy receiving an extension, recent history proves Jones is probably lying. Look back to January. McCarthy’s contract wasn’t extended after three consecutive 12-win seasons – the first time Dallas has accomplished that since the 1990s. Do you really think Jones might do it after whatever becomes of a 4-7 season? Of course not.

Yes, the Cowboys had just suffered the most embarrassing playoff lost in franchise history, but McCarthy has made the team consistently relevant. That is exactly what Jones wants. If he didn’t earn an extension after three straight 12-5 seasons, how will he earn it with Dallas currently slated to pick No. 11 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft?

Nobody knows how to deliver talk show topics like Jones. That’s all this is.

Jerry Jones has to fire this prominent Cowboys coach despite Week 12 win

The Cowboys have to make a change.

Texas v Arkansas / Wesley Hitt/GettyImages

There is so much to unpack from the Dallas Cowboys’ nail-biting victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

A win is the last thing fans expected and while it hurts Dallas’ draft position, it feels great to end the five-game losing streak. And to do it against Dan Quinn, who was a -10.5 favorite, makes it all the more sweet.

There’s no need to speculate on Mike McCarthy’s job security. At least for this week. Jerry Jones won’t feel obligated to say something completely outlandish on 105.3 The Fan. And most importantly, we learned the players are still fighting for McCarthy and playing for their collective pride.

McCarthy leaned on Rico Dowdle to the tune of 98 scrimmage yards and Mike Zimmer called maybe his best game of the season as defensive coordinator. Unfortunately, the Cowboys did not play well in all three phases.

Sunday marked yet another mistake-littered outing from John “Bones” Fassel’s special teams. As much as we hate advocating for someone to lose their job, it is time for Jerry Jones to cut bait with Fassel once and for all.

Cowboys must fire special teams coordinator John ‘Bones’ Fassel despite Week 12 win

Worst special teams performance in a Cowboys game ever?

Brandon Aubrey kicking field goals and KaVontae Turpin returning kicks have masked a penalty-plagued season from Fassel’s group.

Illegal formations on kickoffs and holding penalties on returns have become the norm under Fassel and he has compounded those problems with two failed pass attempts on fake punts. Both fakes had zero chance of working. They reeked of desperation and put Dallas’ already-undermanned defense at a greater disadvantage.

As bad as it’s been, Sunday was the worst showing of the year. The field goal operation imploded on Brandon Aubrey’s first attempt and it got blocked. It barely held it together on Aubrey’s second attempt, which resulted in a miss. That Aubrey’s confidence has seemingly been shaken after a historic start to his career is perhaps the most damning indictment on Fassel.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, Washington blocked a punt and Aubrey’s opening kickoff of the second half went out of bounds.

Fassel’s unit has been imploding for several weeks running. As hard as it is to campaign for the veteran assistant to get the axe after a game in which the Cowboys won and played with a ton of heart, the special teams is actively working against Dallas’ attempt to win games every week.

Recency bias be damned, that was arguably the worst special teams performance in a Cowboys game ever. Turpin’s 99-yard kickoff return should not paper over the fact that Fassel’s unit can’t execute the fundamentals.

We can even point to Juanyeh Thomas returning the onside kick for a touchdown as a knock on Fassel. While it didn’t come back to bite the Cowboys, Thomas should have went down as soon as he recovered the kick. That would have ended the game. By returning it, Thomas gave Washington a chance to tie the game with a Hail Mary.

That we are even questioning whether Fassel told his players before the onside kick to give themselves up is utterly ridiculous.

Jones may have decided to keep McCarthy at the helm for the rest of the season. Firing McCarthy wouldn’t accomplish much. The team is still playing hard every week despite having almost zero shot at making the playoffs.

Fassel does not deserve that luxury.

Cowboys Urged To Make Trey Lance Decision Amid Struggles in Dak Prescott’s Absence

Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance (19) throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

With Dak Prescott sidelined, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves at a crucial crossroads regarding the future of Trey Lance. As the team navigates its struggles, the urgency for a decisive plan becomes increasingly apparent.

MARSHALL NEWHOUSE JOINS GOJO AND GOLIC — 11/25

Dallas is currently navigating a tumultuous season, marked by a mix of challenges and unexpected opportunities. After a promising start, the team has struggled to maintain consistency, culminating in a five-game losing streak that cast doubt on their playoff hopes. However, a recent victory over the Washington Commanders has reignited some optimism among fans and analysts alike.

Aug 11, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Despite their rocky performance, Dallas possesses a roster brimming with talent. Key players like Micah Parsons and Prescott have shown flashes of brilliance, but the team needs to harness that potential more consistently. Prescott’s leadership and ability to make plays are crucial if the Cowboys aim to turn their season around. The offense must find a rhythm that allows them to capitalize on their strengths while minimizing mistakes.

Defensively, the team has demonstrated resilience, especially with Parsons leading the charge. His ability to pressure quarterbacks and disrupt plays is a significant asset. However, the defensive unit must improve its consistency to support the offense, particularly in critical moments during games. Maintaining a strong defensive presence will be essential as they push for a playoff spot.

As the season progresses, the remaining schedule offers both challenges and opportunities. With a relatively favorable path ahead, the Cowboys could still make a late-season push. Fans will be watching closely to see if the team can build on their recent success and regain momentum in the playoff race.

NFL Analysis Urges Dallas Cowboys To Start Trey Lance in Place of Injured Dak Prescott

Aug 24, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance (19) looks to pass in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

With Prescott out, it might be time for Dallas to give Lance the starting quarterback job right away. This is detailed more in an analysis by Bleacher Report.

A divisional win is nice, but it’s not getting Dallas back into the playoff mix. Yet franchise owner Jerry Jones isn’t willing to give quarterback and 2023 trade acquisition Trey Lance a starting opportunity.

“We’re going to go here with the quarterback that gives us the best chance to win the game,” Jones said, per ProFootballTalk’s Charean Williams.

Jones has made plenty of mistakes since the start of the offseason, and not starting Lane is another. The Cowboys surrendered a fourth-round pick to acquire the quarterback, and it would be wise to see if he can offer anything as a long-term depth player before he becomes a free agent in 2025.

Dallas is navigating a challenging season, with Prescott on injured reserve. Given the team’s struggles, starting Lance could be a strategic move. Lance, acquired through a trade, deserves an opportunity to showcase his potential as the future quarterback.

Aug 24, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance (19) runs for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

This shift may provide valuable insight into his abilities while allowing the team to evaluate their options for the next season. Embracing this change could not only rejuvenate the offense but also set the stage for a more competitive future.

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Cowboys Seemingly Throw Out ‘Ridiculous’ QB Idea

GettyAs the Dallas Cowboys get ready for their Thanksgiving game against the New York Giants, they still have a quarterback problem.

The Dallas Cowboys are prepping for a high-profile Thanksgiving game against the New York Giants, and all eyes on on the team to see if they can pull out a win. With the Cowboys relying on backup quarterbacks for the rest of the season, some NFL analysts and experts have tagged the Cowboys to a veteran quarterback who could fill the gap for the rest of the season.

But, now that idea seems to have been put to rest, with some even calling the idea “ridiculous.”

The ‘Hilarious’ Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Pitch

In an interview with 105.3 The Fan, Stephen Jones, Cowboys director of player personnel, said that Dallas isn’t planning on signing former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who is now a free agent.

“No. I think we’re in good shape at our quarterback spot,” he said when asked about bringing the quarterback on. “We think Cooper gives us the best chance to win right now and certainly we still want to see some. We’ll kind of see how the season goes here.” He added that the Cowboys “still really want to see Trey Lance and what he brings to the table” and that “we all know we made our commitment to Dak (Prescott) for the long term.”

Jerry Trotta of The Laundry Hat thinks the Cowboys are on the right track with this decision. In a November 26 feature, he calls Jones heading to the Cowboys “a ridiculous idea.”

“As hilarious as it would have been if Jones was wearing a star on his helmet on Thanksgiving vs. the Giants, it never made any sense,” the NFL analyst and expert added. “Not only is Dallas confident in Rush, but Trey Lance is still hanging around as QB2.”

Trotta says he isn’t against signing Jones in 2025 to serve as a backup to Prescott, but “as far as a last-ditch pickup to salvage the season, though, adding Danny Dimes would have done nothing but create more headlines and distractions.”

As for where Jones could end up, Trotta says he would thrive with a team that has a staff good at developing young quarterbacks, which makes sense.

Daniel Jones to the Cowboys Could Still Happen

Even with Trotta putting to rest the idea of Jones showing up as a Cowboy on Thanksgiving, some NFL analysts still think it would be a good move.

“While the Cowboys are 4-7 and on the outside looking in, they could use a short-term QB1 upgrade with Dak Prescott out for the season,” Sanjesh Singh of NBC New York said in a November 24 piece. “Jones is better than Cooper Rush and Trey Lance and also has deep familiarity with the NFC East.”

“Cooper Rush has been a viable option for the Cowboys since Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury,” Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports added in a November 25 feature. “However, Jones would be an upgrade over backup Trey Lance — and probably over Rush as soon as he picked up the offense. Also, Jerry Jones would certainly feel good about getting a former Giants quarterback.”

Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team adds that, “an upgrade is needed at the position if the Cowboys are still determined to keep fighting for a wild card spot, however unlikely.” Brooke adds that per NFELO, Rush is 43rd out of 46 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback. He’s also 40th in success rate.

Anne Erickson Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter covering the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson

Mike McCarthy Reacts to Jerry Jones’s Comments About Potential New Cowboys Contract

Jerry Jones said it was “not crazy” that McCarthy might receive another contract after this season.

Dallas Cowboys head coach McCarthy at his press conference Tuesday. / Screenshot via

In the middle of a difficult season for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones conveyed a slight sense of optimism for his belief in Mike McCarthy’s future as the team’s head coach.

Most assumed McCarthy was on the hot seat in Dallas, especially in the final year of his contract. On a radio appearance Tuesday morning, Jones said it was “not crazy” that McCarthy might receive another contract after this season.

“I don’t think that’s crazy at all,” Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan’s Shan & RJ. “This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. So, bottom line is, in no place, in my body language or anything else, have you seen indications about what we’re going to be doing relative to this staff at the end of this year. And we shouldn’t. We got a lot of football left. Six football games, that’s a lifetime.”

McCarthy was naturally asked about Jones’s comments at his press conference Tuesday. McCarthy was lighthearted in his response and poked fun at the thought of him getting a new contract was such a surprise and conversation point.

“Why are you laughing?” McCarthy joked with reporters at a press conference Tuesday. “Crazy? I mean, I really haven’t talked about it all year, so I’m definitely not going to start on a short week and an important division game. But I’m not going to throw away positive vibes either, so keep ’em coming. That’s all good. But, yeah, that’s not something I’m really focused on.”

Mike McCarthy was asked about Jerry Jones comments this morning, that it wouldn’t be crazy for him to get a contract extension: “Why you laughing?” McCarthy said, getting the laughs going even more. “Crazy?” he said, to more laughs.

“I haven’t talked about it all year so I’m…

— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) November 26, 2024

McCarthy and his Cowboys (4-7) have the New York Giants (2-9) in town for their game on Thanksgiving Day at 4:30 p.m. ET.

As for his future in Dallas, that will have to wait.

CeeDee Lamb drops painfully honest 2024 season admission

It’s been a rough season for CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys came away with a wild win over the Washington Commanders in Week 12. The teams scored a combined 41 fourth quarter points and the Cowboys survived a last-second surge by Washington to get the victory and snap a five-game losing streak. Despite dealing with back and foot injuries, CeeDee Lamb suited up for the contest and produced a team-high 10 receptions for 67 yards.

After contributing to a memorable upset win over a division rival, Lamb acknowledged the toll this season has taken. “This is definitely one of the toughest years for me, body-wise. But that ain’t stopping nothing. That’s for sure,” Lamb said per The Athletic’s Jon Machota on X.

“I’m banged up, I’m not even going to lie to you… I’m willing to do whatever, to go out there and do whatever to have my presence felt… I’m all for the team winning, as you can tell,” Lamb added.

In Week 11 Lamb was a game-time decision for the Cowboys’ Monday night matchup against the Houston Texans. The All-Pro wideout was able to take the field and grabbed eight receptions for 93 yards but Dallas got eviscerated by the Texans. The humiliating 34-10 blowout was the Cowboys’ fifth straight loss at home, marking the first time the franchise started the season 0-5 in Dallas since 1989.

CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys have endured a difficult season

Peter Casey

Despite being banged up for several weeks, Lamb has yet to miss a game this season. The Cowboys’ leading WR has 77 catches for 841 yards and four touchdowns on the year. To say he’s important to Dallas’ offense is an understatement as Lamb has 431 more yards than the Cowboys’ second-leading wideout Jalen Tolbert. The fifth-year veteran has twice as many receptions and yards as Tolbert through 11 games.

However, Lamb is apparently not valuable enough for Jerry Jones to consider using curtains to block the sun that streams into AT&T stadium. After Lamb dropped an easy touchdown when he was blinded by the glare, the receiver suggested using curtains. But Jones shut that down with a bizarre but firm anti-curtain tirade.

Lamb did draw some criticism from talking head Shannon Sharpe after the three-time Pro Bowler was seen filming a music video in a nightclub with Trevon Diggs. The incident occurred after the Cowboys were roughed up by the Texans, a game that Lamb nearly missed due to injury.

Dallas will host the 2-9 New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day. The Cowboys have played on the holiday nearly every year since 1966. They have a 33-22-1 all-time record in Thanksgiving games.

Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.

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.

See also Getting to Know Newly-Signed Cowboys CB Saivion Smith

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.

See also Cowboys Camp Preview: Cornerback

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

Nov 24, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) celebrates after making a play Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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.

See also Top 5 Offseason Priorities for the Dallas Cowboys

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.

See also Schottenheimer, Quinn, Fassel: 3 coordinators trying to win 2023 for the Cowboys

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.

See also Deuce Vaughn is fighting for his NFL life this month

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.

See also 7 Cowboys players named to 2023 NFC Pro Bowl Roster, first-time honors for Turpin, Pollard

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.

See also Finding a solution to Dak Prescott’s massive 2024 cap hit

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.

See also Deuce Vaughn, Brandon Aubrey highlight rookies’ effort in Week 17

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

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

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

Consider the following plays:

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

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 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.

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

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

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

Nov 18, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy looks on during the first half against the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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.

DEION TO DALLAS? GOJO AND GOLIC TALK ABOUT IT

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

Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) gains yardage during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

According to Jon Machota of The Athletic:

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

East Rutherford, NJ October 22, 2023. Daniel Jones of the Giants on the sidelines in the second half. Photo credit: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

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

Sep 10, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) is sacked by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

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.”

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Exclusive: Giants WR Malik Nabers questionable with hip flexor injury

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Exclusive: Giants WR Malik Nabers questionable with hip flexor injury

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