The Cowboys' Week 11 loss to the Texans could prove to be a particularly costly loss. We have the latest on the injuries to several key playmakers, including one that has fans already preparing to say goodbye to a surefire Hall of Famer. We reveal what Mike McCarthy had to say about who would be under center when the team takes the field again, and what Jerry Jones had to say about whether his players are still buying into what his head coach is selling.
In the meantime, we take a comprehensive look back at Monday night's contest, including the bizarre pre-match development that saw parts of the stadium rain down onto the playing surface just hours before kick-off. We'll look far into the future with a mock draft that assumes a bold strategy with Dak Prescott, and we'll also see what two key figures from the glory days think about Deion Sanders potentially being a candidate for a job in Dallas . All that, plus a new (but still familiar) name to consider as a head coach … and why the Cowboys won't be left out of their next game on Monday night, no matter how bad their record is.
Jake Ferguson “will have a hard time being available on Sunday,” Mike McCarthy said. Zack Martin, Tyler Smith and Tyler Guyton – 60% of the starting offense – are still being evaluated for injuries they suffered Monday night. However, wide receiver Brandin Cooks could be back in the game; DaRon Bland and Marshawn Kneeland are also options to keep an eye on.
The all-time All-Pro was tackled by defensive end Tim Settle and was unable to leave the field just a few plays later. Martin was on one knee and appeared to say to the trainers, “I can't walk.” He was out for the night with an ankle injury. Many Cowboys fans are now wondering if they've seen his last NFL action. The future Hall of Famer remained tight-lipped when asked about his summer retirement; Micah Parsons vaguely hinted in his comments last week that the end might be near for Martin.
John Fassel fought back tears as he talked about the impact Markquese Bell had on his unit this season. “For as long as I can remember, he’s played so well on special teams in 10 games. “He got injured doing what he does best: just flying in and diving,” Fassel said. “These young men are very human and they want so much from their careers and that's what I want for them.” Bell suffered a shoulder injury against Houston and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
The coach acknowledged frustration after Monday's defeat, using the word nine times in a 10-minute press conference. But McCarthy says there won't be any major personnel changes, especially with back-to-back weeks just a few weeks away from the team's next two games. “We play with the best players to win the game,” he said. “Just trust the people in the room, the people doing the work. I do, I believe in this locker room.”
McCarthy confirmed that Cooper Rush will remain the Cowboys' quarterback, even though the team lost the two games he had already started by a combined score of 68-16. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer added: “I thought Coop did a really good job in a lot of areas yesterday. We certainly didn’t see how the game would develop to the point where we would have to throw it so many times.”
Even after every other young player on the Cowboys roster had entered the game, Trey Lance remained on the sidelines. While McCarthy said afterward that he regretted not being able to get Lance at least one series, it appears that it was actually a message to the front office for their bizarre approach to building the team in the offseason.
“This team loss is so exaggerated,” Jones told reporters after Monday night’s loss. He reminded younger fans that the team won a single game in his first season as Cowboys ownership, so tough years are part of the game. “Everyone is certainly disappointed, but it makes a big difference when you don’t know you have to put one foot in front of the other to leave.”
There's a scenario where the Cowboys allow Prescott to come back and rebuild his value in 2025, only to trade him to a team that accepts him in 2026. In this make-believe world and with the ninth overall pick, Dallas trades for the number 12 and a third. Then they trade again for #19 and a second. All of this back and forth still makes them their quarterback of the future: Shedeur Sanders, Mississippi defensive tackle Walter Nolen, LSU running back Kyren Lacy, Oregon DT Derrick Harmon and Oklahoma State halfback Ollie Gordon II.
Why hasn't anyone considered the former Cowboys offensive coordinator as a possibility for head coach in 2025? He was long the heir to the throne of Jason Garrett and a favorite of Jerry Jones. He may have done enough with Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia this season to consider a homecoming if McCarthy and the Cowboys part ways.
Zimmer, who once coached Sanders and then served as Sanders' coach himself, declined to comment on Prime's chances of moving to the NFL. “I'm not going to speculate about jobs or anything like that because I don't think that's right,” Zimmer said, “and I know he's told me many times that he's very happy in Colorado and that he likes it there and that “He did it too.” a great job.”
Given the Cowboys and Bengals' records of 3-7 and 4-7, respectively, the previously announced Week 14 special appears to be a perfect candidate for a primetime exit. But that Simpsons-Themed animations have already been created and it's simply too late to switch to new teams. “The Simpsons Funday Football” will air alongside ESPN's regular programming on Disney+ and ESPN+, as well as NFL+ for mobile viewers, and will feature the animated versions of the Bengals and Cowboys placed in the fictional Springfield's Atoms Stadium, led by characters from the popular series.