Dallas' disappointment this season has been painfully obvious, but the actual numbers prove it has been historically bad. We take a look at Mike McCarthy's career stats to show why 2024 is unlike anything even the longtime coach has ever experienced. But the show must go on; We'll hear from CeeDee Lamb about what the offense needs to do now without Dak Prescott, from Troy Aikman about what the quarterback's recent injury could mean for his future mobility, and from Zack Martin about how he's being called the poster boy of the franchise's aging veterans Micah Parsons.
In the meantime, we're gearing up for Week 11 and taking a look at what Cowboys coaches think about new wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, why the Texans' air game could look rejuvenated at AT&T and why Cowboys fans might be paying close attention to the how Houston's offense looks Monday night. This year's running back by committee now has an officially sanctioned lead, the season gets more expensive with every loss, and you may have to pack a snack just to go through the Cowboys' detailed first injury report of the week. All that, plus what Deion Sanders says he'll do if a team he doesn't approve of tries to recruit his son.
In his 18 seasons as an NFL head coach, McCarthy has never had an offense that averaged fewer points per game (19.7), fewer yards per game (4.9), a lower third-down conversion rate (35.9% ) or a lower red-down rate. Zone touchdown rate (41.7%). The legendary quarterback guru allows Dallas' passers to combine for a QBR of 43.3. But he says he's not making any radical changes. “We just have to stay the course,” McCarthy said, “and make sure we give the players what they need and put them in positions where they can be successful and just continue to work on our execution.”
Eighteen players on the 53-man roster appeared on Thursday's injury report. Among the celebrities: DaRon Bland, Jake Ferguson, Eric Kendricks and Jourdan Lewis did not attend; Trevon Diggs, Tyler Guyton and Tyler Smith were limited.
Parsons has dropped Martin's name as the poster boy for the Cowboys veterans, for whom the championship window may be closing, but the soon-to-be 34-year-old isn't quite there yet. “I just take it one week at a time,” he said. “I want to win every week. I don't think anyone in this locker room, if you asked them, would say that they don't try to win every week. You play for the boys in the locker room, that's him [Parsons] said, right?”
After 10 running back plays by committee, McCarthy finally said out loud what most fans had been thinking all along: Rico Dowdle is “the lead back” in Dallas. He plays like that too: his per-carry average is good for 19th in the entire league, and his high success rate puts him at 10th. Unfortunately, Dowdle ranks just 36th in carries and 35th in rushing yards, a result of the platoon approach the Cowboys insisted on with Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook and others.
After skipping camp, Lamb took some time to get into a rhythm with Dak Prescott. He now has to work much faster to achieve the same thing with Cooper Rush. “I take full responsibility for coming to terms with him,” Lamb said. “We’re going to keep this thing going for the rest of the season, so I have the utmost confidence in him. I don't care what happened last week, and last week is last week.” The receiver said the offense needs to step up now and bring the competitive spirit and leadership qualities that their fallen leader would expect.
Aikman wonders whether Prescott's hamstring injury – where the tendon was partially torn from the bone – will bother him for the rest of his career. “I think that would affect him to some extent,” the Hall of Famer said. “Again, it’s just my guess. I have no idea. It sounds like it's pretty serious.” Aikman noted that Prescott hasn't been as mobile since his ankle injury in 2020, but thinks that could simply be because Prescott is now a more experienced quarterback, who no longer has to run as often.
Jonathan Mingo will make his Cowboys debut on Monday night against the Texans. McCarthy said Thursday that the wideout was “everything they thought he was, that he can play inside and outside and has shown vertical strength.” The former second-round draft pick recorded just one goal before the trade that brought him to Dallas 12 catches for the Panthers.
Bobby Slowik will be a hot commodity come interview season. The Texans' offensive coordinator could also be an attractive option for Dallas if the Cowboys and McCarthy part ways after the 2024 season. The creative game designer uses deceptions, game actions and movements on the fly and is also an analyst. He'll probably be a head coach somewhere next season.
CJ Stroud continues his rise into the ranks of the top quarterbacks and now has his best receiver back in Nico Collins. Defensively, Houston's secondary is loaded with talent and could make things very difficult for Cooper Rush, who struggled mightily last week.
With the Cowboys only expected to win two more games this season, it will be a costly season for the Joneses in more ways than one. Their player salaries of $239 million equate to $47.8 million for each of the five wins. At least there's a top-10 draft pick in April (maybe even a top-5).
Kellen Moore edged out Dan Quinn as the former Dallas coordinators went head-to-head on Thursday Night Football. The Commanders held a 10-point lead early in the final quarter, but a stupid decision by Quinn in the fourth gave Moore's offense the opening it needed to score three rushing touchdowns and steal the victory.
The former Cowboys star says he will step in if his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, is drafted by an NFL team that Coach Prime believes doesn't offer him the best environment or situation. “Someone who has had success handling quarterbacks in the past, or someone and an organization that understands what they do,” Sanders said of what he’s looking for. “You don’t just get thrown between the wolves if you don’t have the support and infrastructure of the team.
