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[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys vs Bears: ‘Over last 5 quarters, Bears’ defense has given up 73 points, 694 yards’

It’s time for our weekly discussion with the enemy. This week the Cowboys battle the Chicago Bears, so we had some questions for our sister site, Windy City Gridiron.

Blogging The Boys: How is life under Ben Johnson? What’s different and how has the team adapted to his style and schemes?

Windy City Gridiron: Despite the 0-2 start, I think the confidence in Ben Johnson is still really high. Fans (and the media) love his press conferences. He’s no nonsense, he’s setting a high bar for everyone (including himself), and he’s refreshingly honest. His quotes this week about how the Bears players aren’t practicing at a championship level yet is the type of stuff fans are eating up because we all know what a mess this team has been for years. The Bears need a full culture change, and Johnson is approaching this much like Dan Campbell did in Detroit. What we don’t know yet is if this season is the 2021 Lions that won 3 games under Campbell, or the 2022 Lions that started 1-6 and came together and finished 9-8.

As for his schemes, the offense has looked great to start each game, scoring a touchdown on the scripted opening drive in each game, but once we get into the body of the game, the offense starts looking disjointed. You can see what it’s supposed to look like, but mistakes and execution are still holding this offense back from stacking plays and sustaining drives.

BTB: Give us your read on Caleb Williams and his development up to this point?

WCG: This is honestly a hard question to answer. Last season was a complete dumpster fire around him. He had two different head coaches and three different offensive coordinators. Despite that, his final statistics were solid, but his advanced analytics showed a different story of a quarterback that was towards the bottom of the league in multiple categories. If we’re being honest, I was actually pretty impressed with what Caleb was able to accomplish with the instability around him.

The first game with Ben Johnson was disappointing. Williams looked pretty good on the opening drive against Minnesota, but looked very erratic after that. His accuracy was terrible, he looked frantic in the pocket, and he was missing opening receivers. Week two looked better, but the game completely unraveled in the third quarter. Williams looked better in the pocket, his accuracy was better, and the all-22 shows better decision-making. It’s certainly not where you want his development to be at this point, but it does seem to be headed in the right direction. Let’s see what it looks like when the calendar hits November after Caleb has had a good number of games with Ben Johnson.

BTB: What is the Bears’ strength at this point? Their weakness?

WCG: Well, the weakness is easy: the entire defense. Specifically, the defense cannot generate a pass rush. Jared Goff was able to dissect the Bears’ defense easily because he had plenty of time to do it. The lack of a pass rush, combined with the fact that, in the secondary, Jaylon Johnson is reportedly out for the year, Kyler Gordon is yet to play, and Tyrique Stevenson is literally the worst coverage cornerback in the NFL so far this season (he’s giving up a perfect passer rating against), allowed JJ McCarthy to shred them in the fourth quarter in week one, and Jared Goff had his way with them as well.

Strength is a little hard to come up with when you’ve lost two games like the Bears have, but I will say the Bears’ passing game. Watching the coach tape, you can see Ben Johnson’s offensive scheme in action, receivers are getting open, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze are developing chemistry, and I think it’s close to clicking. Will it click against Dallas? I’m not certain, but based on how the Dallas defense has been operating, there’s a chance it could happen this Sunday.

BTB: Are they a 0-2 team, or are they better than their record? Do you anticipate a turnaround?

WCG: I do think the Bears are better than their record, but I have certainly adjusted my expectations down for the season. I think the defense will settle down and get better. It may not happen this week, especially if Kyler Gordon misses another game, but if the defense can get a little healthier, it does feel like they can at least become an average or below-average defense eventually. But right now, they are certainly vulnerable there. On the other side of the ball, I think Johnson’s offense clicks eventually; it’s just hard to tell when that’s going to be. This is certainly a work-in-progress.

Do I expect a turnaround? Yes, because right now they are playing like a bottom-five team in the league. I don’t think that’s what they will be this year, but in August, I thought they would finish with a winning record with a chance at the playoffs. But now, I feel like they are probably going to finish around 7 wins and hopefully be poised for a better season in 2026.

BTB: What’s your take on how the game will play out, and what is your prediction?

WCG: I don’t know how this game isn’t high scoring. I know the Bears’ offense hasn’t been cohesive, but Ben Johnson should be able to scheme circles around Matt Eberflus and with the Dallas defense the way it’s playing, I think the Bears score some points. However, Dallas will have even more success against the Bears’ defense because they are playing like the worst defense in the league. Let these stats sink in: over the last 5 quarters, the Bears’ defense has given up 73 points and 694 yards of offense.

This one is high scoring, and I think Dallas wins it. I’ll say Cowboys 31, Bears 27.

Thanks for the knowledge, Windy City Gridiron.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...ears-defense-has-given-up-73-points-694-yards

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys RB Javonte Williams searching for his first 100-yard game since rookie season

When the Dallas Cowboys signed Javonte Williams to a one-year, $3 million contract this offseason, many assumed he would be a complementary/depth piece at best. No one expected him to lay claim to the starting job or perform as well as he has the first two weeks of the 2025 NFL season.

To the shock and awe of many, Williams is performing as one of the best running backs in the league right now. He is currently ranked seventh in the league in rushing yards (151) and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (3). On top of that, he finds himself among the league leaders in many other categories as well.

The 25-year-old veteran is also currently leading the league in EPA/play and total EPA. His yards after contact are also in the Top 10 and he is currently ranked second behind Alvin Kamara in Pro Football Focus rushing grade ranks. That’s pretty impressive for someone everyone had a pretty low expectations for, but there’s more.

Never would have thought Javonte Williams would be the top EPA/play RB in the NFL right now. Also top 10 in pass pro, elusive rating, YAC, and PFF grade. pic.twitter.com/hXxMTRh7RX

— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) September 17, 2025

Williams’ 10 first downs this year tie him for No. 1 in the NFL. He also has an elusive rating, which measures RB impact independent of the blocking front of him, that ranks ninth in the league. And let’s not forget one of his more underrated skills, pass protection, where he’s also earned a Top 10 grade.

We share all of this to show just how impressive Williams has been with the Cowboys so far, even though we’re just two games into the 2025 NFL season. There is one thing that has eluded him for a while now, but should be within his grasp in the not-too-distant future – a 100-yard rushing game.

Williams has a total of two 100-yard rushing games in his entire career, both came during his rookie season, one of which was against the Cowboys where he rushed for 111 yards. He came close last week falling just three yards shy (97) in the overtime victory against the Giants, but that just could add fuel to the fire.

The way the Week 3 matchup with the Chicago Bears is shaping up, Williams has a good chance of having his first 100-yard rushing game since his rookie season, and the first with the Cowboys. The Bears defense is currently allowing 148.5 rushing yards per game and is a banged up unit heading into this matchup.

Chicago could be without three defensive starters this week – LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring), CB Jaylon Johnson (groin), and CB Kyler Gordon. That’s one of their top tacklers and two other defensive backs, which means they will have to alter their defensive game plan significantly to help combat Dallas’ offensive weapons.

The Bears can’t exactly stack the box to contain Williams knowing the damage CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens can do in the passing game. That should open up things for Williams to do what he’s been doing, making this a favorable matchup for him and whoever else happens to tote the rock this week.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...s-searching-first-100-yard-game-rookie-season

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys fans do a U-turn when it comes to confidence in the team

Someone call a doctor because Dallas Cowboys fans have a serious case of whiplash. When the season started, we wanted to know how you were feeling heading into the new campaign. This was around the time the Cowboys decided to trade Micah Parsons so it was a pretty volatile time. Only 35% of fans were feeling confident in the direction of the team.

Then the Cowboys went toe-to-toe with the World Champion Eagles on the road, and even though Dallas lost, the confidence level shot up to 68%,

But what goes up must come down. Even after a win? That’s the case here as the Matt Eberflus defense knocked the confidence level down to 38% this week. Cowboys fans must have been having nightmares full of Russell Wilson moonshots.

There is a case to be made that any win in the NFL is a good one, and that what really matters is stacking w’s on the way to the playoffs. But we do agree, the defensive display was enough to shake any foundation.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dallas-cowboys-roster/181871/fans-confidence-in-team-giants-game

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys main matchup: Wide receivers vs defensive backs

If you hated what you watched in week two of the Cowboys 40-37 win over the New York Giants, you probably will want to avoid watching the Cowboys week three matchup against the Chicago Bears. Heading into the game, both the Cowboys and Bears strengths and weaknesses are eerily similar.

Despite struggles from Caleb Williams, the Chicago Bears receiving corps is off to a nice start to the 2025 season. Second-year wideout Rome Odunze and veteran D.J. Moore are doing well despite not really lighting up the box score. Both Moore and Odunze rank out well above league average in separation score, and that is a scary sight for a Cowboys defense that is coming off a historically bad day against Russell Wilson, Malik Nabers, and Wan’Dale Robinson. The good news for the Cowboys defense is for all the good the Bears’ wideouts are doing, quarterback Caleb Williams is struggling to connect with his wideouts consistently.

Through two weeks, Williams holds the second longest time to throw, while ranking out right at league average in average depth of target. Along with some struggles to hit the explosives consistently, Williams’ accuracy has also been a struggle on the deep ball, ranking out league average in deep ball accuracy. That could give the Cowboys secondary a chance to get turnovers. As concerned as we are with the Cowboys defense, especially in the passing game, the Bears are currently in a very similar boat with their pass defense.

Before we move on, a bit of fantasy football advice. Make sure you have CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Rome Odunze, and D.J. Moore in your lineups.

Through two weeks, the Cowboys rank 31st and the Bears rank 30th in dropback EPA and 31st (Bears) and 30th (Cowboys) in dropback success rate. If it’s still unclear, both pass defenses are bad, really bad. As big of a day as it should be for Lamb and Pickens, the Cowboys will have their hands full slowing down Odunze and Moore.

Thankfully, when you dig into the analytics more, the Cowboys have a massive advantage at the quarterback position heading into this matchup with Dak Prescott ranking out as the 10th best quarterback in adjusted EPA/play, compared to Williams ranking out as the 28th best quarterback by the same metric.

As much as this game feels like it will come down to whatever passing offense can out-duel the other, it will likely come down to whichever pass defense can step up. It has been as bad as it can be for both units through two games, but this would be a great week for a Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam, Reddy Stewart, and Donovan Wilson bounce-back game to help lead the Cowboys to their second victory of the 2025 season.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal.../bears-matchup-wide-receivers-defensive-backs

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

NFL Week 3 early games live discussion

A full slate of early Sunday games. Enjoy!

This is an open thread for game chat. ​

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/general/182082/nfl-week-3-early-games-live-discussion

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys open as big underdogs at home in Micah Parsons’ game

The Dallas Cowboys sure could have used a confidence boost heading into Week 4 of the NFL season. You see, Micah Parsons returns to Dallas in Week 4, and that feels like it will be a problem. Dallas wanted to have their collective chest puffed out when Parsons and the Packers arrive next week. But the Bears settled that issue with a 31-14 blowout win.

Now the Cowboys are teetering on the precipice of their season starting to slip away. They are 1-2 after the Bears loss, and even though Green Bay stunningly lost today, they feel like the much better team between the two squads. That’s all before we even know how bad CeeDee Lamb’s ankle injury will turn out to be.

Given that, the Cowboys are big underdogs at their home stadium for next Sunday. FanDuel has them as 5.5-point underdogs.

After what we’ve witnessed so far on defense, and the possible loss of Lamb, would anybody take Dallas to cover?

Check out our partner FanDuel for all your sports betting needs.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...s-big-underdogs-at-home-in-micah-parsons-game

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

4 red flags from Cowboys’ 31-14 loss to Chicago

They say that on average it takes 66 days to break a habit. Unfortunately, after watching the Dallas Cowboys lose to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Cowboys have several bad ones and cannot afford that much time to remedy their bad tendencies. The Cowboys’ loss exposed lingering problems with the team that many of us were hoping they could sweep under the rug while still managing to win games.

Regrettably, the lump of shortcomings under the carpet is becoming more and more noticeable. Despite Jerry Jones affirming his belief that he still sees the Cowboys as a playoff team, one wonders if even he believes that after watching his team over the last three weeks. Here are four glaring red flags after the Cowboys fell to 1-2 versus the Bears.

The lack of pass rush ​

In week one, the Cowboys did a terrific job in coverage to bottle up Jalen Hurts and take his receivers out of the game plan. Yet, they still couldn’t manage to get to him and allowed him to break the pocket to extend plays. Once again, Dallas struggled to contain a mobile quarterback in the pocket, and Caleb Williams made them pay for it. When you thought that after a lengthy drive by the Bears, Dallas may be able to get off the field without giving up any points, Chicago goes for it on 4th-and-goal, and again the Cowboys allow Williams to escape the pocket and find a wide-open D.J. Moore to effectively end the game, putting the Bears ahead 31-14.

DJ Moore wide open on 4th down for the TD

DALvsCHI on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/FbqXptw44f

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Dallas sacked Caleb Williams zero times yesterday, the first time in his career that he has not been sacked. He had a near-perfect passer rating of 142.6. Despite having the fifth-best pressure rate in the NFL at 20.8% per Pro Football Reference, the Cowboys have only mustered 1.3 sacks per game, good for the fourth-worst in the NFL.

The Cowboys can rush four, send a blitz, it doesn’t matter; the pressure is not equating to sacks. A large reason is that the Cowboys are not maintaining good rush lane integrity, and it has presented itself as a concern over the last three weeks, including in the game against the Giants. To throw salt in the wound, Dallas plays Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers next Sunday night in primetime, serving as a blatant reminder of what’s lacking from their defense.

It’s not to say that Dallas should have seller’s remorse, especially so soon after a trade, but it’s impossible not to wonder how much differently things would look if Parsons were still in Dallas. Overall, the pass rush and pass rush discipline are among the most pressing concerns thus far in the season.

Losing the turnover battle​

For a defense that is unable to sack the quarterback, they need to be able to get turnovers here and there. The Cowboys struggled mightily in that department as well. The Cowboys had four turnovers against the Bears. Three interceptions by the quarterbacks, Dak Prescott and Joe Milton, and Javonte Williams had the ball ripped away from him on the team’s opening drive. The carelessness in holding onto the football has been prevalent all season.

Against the Eagles, Miles Sanders’ fumble effectively took points off the board, and they fell one possession short in the end. In Williams’ case, Dallas had stopped the Bears on the opening drive and was in the driver’s seat to control the pace of the first quarter with their running game, but the turnover sparked the Bears to take the early lead that they never looked back from.

As of Week 3, the Cowboys have a turnover differential of -5, which tied for the worst in the NFL. For juxtaposition, the Bears were a net minus in turnover differential entering the game against Dallas. If Dallas couldn’t force turnovers against Chicago, then we should be worried. Outside of Donovan Wilson’s interception on a terrible decision by Russell Wilson in last week’s overtime win versus New York, Dallas hasn’t forced any other turnovers. Luckily for Dallas, out of their next five opponents, only one team has a positive turnover differential. If the drought continues, then the red flag may be a dark crimson by then.

The Red Zone ​

Against the Bears, the Cowboys managed to stay in the game early by kicking a pair of field goals. However, the Bears were able to sustain long drives and come up with touchdowns once they got to the red zone. Dallas was one for four on red zone opportunities yesterday.

The Cowboys have had difficulties capitalizing in opponent territory, which has resulted not just in touchdowns left off the board but also giveaways at the worst possible time. Joe Milton and Dak Prescott combined for two end zone interceptions yesterday. Against the Eagles, Sanders’ fumble was, yes, deep in the red zone. Dallas is middle of the pack in red zone efficiency. They have converted 60% of their red zone chances into touchdowns. That’s not awful, but it is painfully average. However, when the defense is hemorrhaging points the way that it is, that is not sustainable and is one half-step forward and two steps back.

Dallas should be much better in this area with an improved running game, but as we saw, turnovers are a factor, and also penalties, as Tyler Guyton was flagged for a false start on 3rd-and-3 from the Chicago ten-yard line. Further complicating matters is that CeeDee Lamb is injured with an ankle injury. Without Lamb, that means that George Pickens is going to have to be the solution in that area, and whatever miscommunication Pickens and Prescott have, they’ll need to sort through it to get the red zone woes fixed quickly.

Preventing explosive plays ​

The Cowboys defensively are a powder keg ready to detonate at any moment, surrendering one explosive play after another. Entering the week, you knew that Bears’ head coach Ben Johnson was going to design some gadget plays to exploit the Cowboys’ discipline, primarily in the secondary. Caleb Williams connected with Luther Burden on a 65-yard bomb by way of a flea flicker that caught the Cowboys napping in their secondary. It’s one of the more embarrassing and demoralizing ways to get beaten for a touchdown.

Giving up explosive plays has been far too commonplace for the Cowboys’ defense this year. Burden’s touchdown is the longest, but there have been six passing plays allowed by the Cowboys’ defense of 40 yards or more. Here’s all of them so far this season:

51 yards (Jahan Dotson)
48 yards (Malik Nabers)
50 yards (Wan’Dale Robinson)
52 yards (Darius Slayton)
65 yards (Luther Burden III)
41 yards (D’Andre Swift)

The three last week had to have been the final straw, but it wasn’t, and it appears these things are going to keep happening. When the Cowboys are in Cover 3, cornerbacks aren’t carrying receivers with enough depth, or the deep third safety cannot keep up with wide receivers downfield. Donovan Wilson is a good safety who can support the run and play down in the box, but is not adept at playing that deep third as his strong suit. Malik Hooker is better at it, but the Cowboys may not have the personnel to consistently limit these types of big plays in two-deep coverage, especially with a lack of a pass rush. Already three games in, and the Cowboys may already be in too deep.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...-red-flags-bears-31-14-loss-defense-turnovers

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Monday Night Football live discussion: Lions at Ravens

A good Monday Night Football matchup.

This is an open thread for game chat. ​

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/general/182344/monday-night-football-live-discussion-lions-ravens

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Brian Schottenheimer suffers first total defeat in loss to Bears

The Cowboys just dropped to 1-2 after an ugly, one-sided road loss to the Chicago Bears. While it is their second loss of the season, it’s the first one where the team looked bad and its followers felt wholly demoralized. For head coach Brian Schottenheimer, it presents a new challenge to get his guys back up off the ground after being pummeled into it.

It didn’t feel like this after the season-opening loss to the Eagles. The Cowboys went into Philadelphia as the underdogs, still reeling from the Micah Parsons trade, and nearly hung a loss on the defending champs. Dallas walked out of that game with more respect than they took in. And while they needed overtime and all sorts of heroics to fight off the lowly Giants last week, the team and its coach got credit for showing resilience and gutting out a win.

But this one? It was a soul stealer.

It all started with that Javonte Williams fumble. After forcing a three-and-out on the Bears’ opening drive, even knocking them backward two yards, Williams took his first carry for seven yards and then rumbled for 22 more on the next one. The day was looking good, the sun was shining bright, and 2-1 felt like an eventuality.

But just before going out of bounds on that 22-yarder, Williams had the ball taken away by Chicago’s Tyrique Stevenson. It wasn’t even a struggle; Stevenson ran up and snatched it like Deebo (not Samuel) ripping the chain off Red’s neck. And from there, all that was good and green turned to blackened ash. The Bears scored 14 points on two big plays, reigniting the defensive nightmare of last week, while CeeDee Lamb was lost to injury on the next Dallas possession.

Unlike last week with the Giants’ deep bombs, the Cowboys didn’t get back up from the Bears’ offensive haymakers. They seemed listless in the second half, which is why we’re all sitting in the dust from this one with a far different feeling in our tummies.

Oddly enough, it all makes sense on paper. Dallas traded away its best defensive player a week before the season, then lost its second-best (DaRon Bland) to injury after Week 1. We’re also waiting on the 2025 debut of DeMarvion Overshown, who may actually be our best defender now, but that won’t be until November at best. Oh, and the guy we got back in the Parsons trade? Kenny Clark? He also missed with an ankle injury.

Not only has the talent level gone down, but the current fit of Matt Eberflus’ scheme and the available personnel just isn’t working. Trevon Diggs, Kenneth Murray, and Donovan Wilson aren’t zone guys. And against a guru like Ben Johnson, whose Lions offense dominated Eberflus’ Bears defense during their years together in the NFC North, this broken version in Dallas had little chance.

We can’t understate the impact that losing Lamb had on this one, either. The timing was bad at any point, but especially after that first big Bears offensive play following Williams’ fumble. Dallas was already dazed, and that was a rib-breaking punch. And now, more than anything else that happened on Sunday, the effect will likely handicap the Cowboys against Green Bay and perhaps the Jets and Panthers from there.

So yeah, bad week to be Brian Schottenheimer. Not only do he and Klayton Adams have to figure out how to ruin Micah Parsons’ return, but they’ll almost certainly have to do it without Lamb. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s got to be worried about the other side of the ball sabotaging anything they can accomplish offensively. And with plenty of media members and fans ready to yell “I told you so” about his being hired in the first place, the pressure is rising quickly on Schotty.

This is a different kind of “Welcome to the NFL” moment for Schottenheimer. He’s been around a long time and seen plenty, but never in the big chair. It’s his first time having to coach his team through a demoralizing loss, and perhaps feelings of futility about the season ahead. How his team responds to this new level of adversity will be telling, and may decide how the rest of the season unfolds.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...-schottenheimer-first-total-defeat-loss-bears

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

After further review: Cowboys offense failed against a beatable Bears defense

The Dallas Cowboys are not playing good football. After two games where they flashed good play at certain points, the team went up to Chi-town and put together quite the stinker, as the Chicago Bears won handily, 31-14. It was a peculiar game because it felt like the Cowboys, despite playing from behind early, could still assume control, but things never improved for them. Instead, it got worse.

Not surprisingly, the defense couldn’t make stops. After forcing a three-and-out on the Bears’ first offensive sequence, Chicago proceeded to score on five of their next six possessions, four of which were touchdowns. The Cowboys’ offense, which looked like it might be able to keep up after they tied the game at 14, suddenly faded, never again putting points on the board. It was a bad display from both sides.

We could spend countless hours talking about how bad the defense was, and unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a clear solution coming anytime soon. A lot of the mistakes are attributed to players not understanding their assignments, and the continued breakdowns are being exploited by opposing teams. Expect this to continue until they can get some things figured out, but it certainly won’t happen overnight.

There were other instances where the players just underperformed. They just didn’t have the physical ability to hold up against their opponent. The play of the defense can be summed up by this one play by Trevon Diggs. Yuckie.

The Cowboys' defense in a nutshell. pic.twitter.com/heW7K1zKJM

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 22, 2025

We know the defense is bad and that feels helpless, but what was a little more surprising is how ineffective the Cowboys’ offense was. The Bears’ defense isn’t good, but they held the Cowboys to their lowest point total of the season. The Cowboys didn’t score a single point on their final six possessions of the game. What went wrong? Can they blame it on not having their star receiver, CeeDee Lamb, or were there other elements in play?

The first thing that jumps out is that the Cowboys’ offense kept giving the ball away inside their opponent’s 30-yard line after moving the ball down the field and threatening to score. The first instance came on the team’s first possession, and on the second play of that possession, when running back Javonte Williams had the ball taken away from him as he was finishing off a nice run. Williams never saw the defender as he was navigating through a block from Terence Steele, leaving himself vulnerable.

This problem would show itself again later in the game. Early in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys were making one last hurrah at a comeback when a Dak Prescott pass went off the hands of George Pickens and into the arms of a Bears’ defender. Again, a great opportunity to score points ended abruptly.

Twice, the Cowboys had a great opportunity inside their opponent's 30-yard line, but just didn't have strong enough hands to secure the ball. These miscues proved costly. pic.twitter.com/86RY6niSli

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 22, 2025

It wasn’t just the turnovers that hurt the Cowboys’ offense. There were other moments where they just couldn’t convert on third down. The frustrating part about it wasn’t just that they failed, but how many times they wouldn’t have converted even if they properly executed the play. Far too many times, Prescott was pulling up short.

One of the most frustrating things about the Cowboys' offense is how many times Dak Prescott chose to throw short of the sticks on third down. At least try to make the first down instead of throwing up the white flag. pic.twitter.com/itHvELoYi6

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 22, 2025

Overall, Prescott played well. The conservative approach was aggravating at times, but when he did attack downfield, he made good throws.

I thought overall, Dak Prescott played well. He made a lot of perfectly-placed throws. I would have liked to see him look more upfield at times, considering the disadvantage the defense provides, but regardless, Dak was still doing Dak things. (NFL Pro) pic.twitter.com/RvDcrQaFhA

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 22, 2025

In all, the Cowboys’ offense turned the ball over four times inside their own 30-yard line. The two previously mentioned and two more when the ball was intercepted in the end zone. The last two came when the game was already out of hand, but chalk up more instances where the Cowboys’ offense just couldn’t close the deal. If they keep doing things like this, it’s going to be an ugly season.

You might want to look away on this one. Although the game was over at this point, this is a pathetic sequence of plays by the Cowboys' offense. First and goal at the 6-yard line, and they come away with nothing. pic.twitter.com/GfBmcW5RmL

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 22, 2025

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...69/film-review-offense-beatable-bears-defense

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Rookie battleground: Cowboys vs. Packers breakdown for draft picks

Each week we dive into each team’s rookie class and compare how they stack up against each other. (Grades for each player are the overall offensive or defensive grade handed out by PFF.com)

Dallas Cowboys​

Tyler Booker (OG)​

First Round
If you were building a rookie guard in a lab, you’d wind up with a lot of Tyler Booker. He’s been nasty on double-teams, light on mistakes, and very much a blue collar right guard. Through three games, PFF’s dashboard paints him exactly that way being strong in the run game (75.9 run-block grade, sixth-best of 93 guards) and a solid overall profile (65.0, 25th) for a first-year starter finding his NFL sea legs this is a great start.

The gut punch here is Booker has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain that will sideline him for four-to-six weeks, per multiple reports, with IR under consideration. The timeline is lousy for Dallas and the add-on sting is that he got hurt after grinding through the Chicago Bears game where he played effectively, but the team disappointed in an embarrassing loss.

Grade: 65.0

---

Donovan Ezeiraku (DE)​

Second Round
Donovan Ezeiruaku looks spring-loaded at the snap with a twitchy first step, hula-hoop bend, and a motor without an off switch. Three games in, the tape keeps winking with some splash flashes, rotational snaps, and clear trust from the staff, while the box score hustles to catch up. He’s been part of the main edge cast since Week 1, logging grown-man snaps and forcing protections to circle his number.

On the grading ledger, Ezeiruaku is sitting at 62.0 as a pass rusher and 55.4 versus the run, which tracks perfectly for a rookie built to hunt quarterbacks first and tidy the run fits in time. The box score is shy so far with zero sacks, mostly because quarterbacks have been getting it out quick and Dallas hasn’t finished the rush plan as a unit. That’s not a knock on the Ezeiruaku, it’s a reminder that sacks are usually a group project with one lucky recipient. In short, he’s showing to be a classic high-tools rookie and that this stage the traits are slowly showing up, the splash plays will soon follow.

Grade: 59.9

---

Shavon Revel Jr. (CB)​

Third Round

Currently on Non-Football injury list (NFI)

Jaydon Blue (RB)​

Fifth Round

Still waiting patiently to get his name called and he remains inactive. According to coaches he’s still working on the playbook and working toward to playing with more consistency before getting his chance to play.

Grade: N/A

Shemar James (LB)​

Fifth Round

Another inactive player with potential, waiting for the call.

Grade: N/A

Ajani Cornelius (OT)​

Sixth Round

Inactive

Grade: N/A

Jay Toia (DT)​

Seventh Round

Toia was inactive last week and there’s a chance that happens again this week as he works on his block-shedding technique and being more refined as a two-gap defender. Watch for the inactive list on Sunday.

Grade: 30.2

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Phil Mafah (RB)​

Seventh Round

Inactive

Grade: N/A

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Green Bay Packers​

Matthew Golden (WR)​

First Round
Matthew Golden looks like he was built perfectly for Jordan Love’s quick rhythm game. He plays with good separation, slick feet, and YAC pop that’s extremely dangerous if cornerbacks give him chance. The rookie’s eased in with six grabs for 68 yards (11.3 per reception) through three games, flashing short-area burst on slants and outs, even if the occasional press jam and contested ball still remind you he’s undersized for the position.

Now comes his ideal launchpad, a Cowboys secondary patched together with duct tape and hope, surrendering a 73.9% completion rate (which ranks fourth-most), 9.8 yards per attempt (worst in the league), and a 125.3 passer rating (second-worst in the league). Expect Green Bay to feed Golden on quick hitters, glance RPOs, and the occasional double-move. All routes tailor-made to turn Dallas’s coverage voids into wide-open acreage.

Grade: 59.1

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Anthony Belton (OT)​

Second Round
Packers starting right tackle, Zach Tom, had an oblique issue he’d been working through since Week 1. He suited up last week, took one snap, and tapped out so the Packers slid the keys to Anthony Belton, and the rookie didn’t stall. In Week 2, Belton posted 51 snaps with zero pressures and zero sacks on 28 pass-blocks, the lone blemish a flag that erased a touchdown. When Tom’s brief Week 3 appearance fizzled, Belton jumped straight back in as Green Bay played musical chairs up front. Against a tough Cleveland Browns defense, he didn’t fare as well.

What Belton brings is brute elegance with his size and is a road-grader combining heavy hands and enough foot quickness to keep Jordan Love’s timing clean. Week 2 was a positive, but in Week 3 against the Browns he had a PFF grade of 41.6 as the entire line struggled.

Grade: 51.0

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Savion Williams (WR)​

Third Round
Savion Williams is Green Bay’s jumbo Swiss-army wideout. At 6’4”, 222 lbs and with catcher-mitt hands, he can happily body-check corners at the stem and go. His rookie stats are weird yet useful as he’s registered a 16-yard jet sweep, 23 rushing yards total, and 147 kickoff return yards, while the pass game slow-drips with only one catch for one yard. Translation for this week, some quick motion, glance routes, and goal-line boxing matches to stress leverage.

The college tape screams a short-area assassin so expect “easy” chain-movers that turn into bruising YAC plays and set up Jordan Love’s deep shots elsewhere on the field. Give him cushion and he’ll bully the sticks, press him and you’ve booked a ringside seat to a catch-point wrestling match.

Grade: 59.5

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Nazir Stackhouse (DT)​

UDFA
Nazir Stackhouse has been more of a situational piece for Green Bay so far, and his chances have come since Kenny Clark departed for Dallas. Nazir is built to clog lanes, and in limited snaps he’s flashed that space-eating strength with a couple of run stops but has shown little impact as a pass rusher. If he sees the field against Dallas, expect him to be used mostly on early downs to anchor the middle and keep the Cowboys’ ground game from finding easy creases, something Javonte Williams has done with regularity this season so far.

Grade: 59.5

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...ie-battleground-packers-breakdown-draft-picks

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

NFC East update: Commanders roll without Jayden Daniels

After three weeks of the 2025 season, the NFC East has a little bit of everything. Every record possible, outside of ties, between its four teams. And while there’s plenty of season left for the order to change, many would suggest that the current standings will still hold true after Week 18.

The Eagles maintained their perfect perch in a tough win over the Rams. Their first loss seemed imminent when, only up by one, they allowed Los Angeles down to the 26-yard line for a field goal attempt. But DT Jordan Davis blocked the attempt and even returned it for a touchdown as the clock expired, sealing Philly’s third win in spectacular fashion.

In Washington, the Commanders overcame the absence of QB Jayden Daniels and still smoked the Raiders. With a total of 201 rushing yards from multiple players, including 40 from veteran QB Marcus Mariota, Washington got back above .500 and picked up an important home win despite such a key injury.

The Giants suffered a different kind of problem at quarterback, with Russell Wilson returning to earth after his stellar Week 2 performance against Dallas. The Chiefs limped into New York but came out with their first win of the year, prompting a big personnel decision from the G-Men.

Here are the NFC East standings after Week 3:

• Philadelphia Eagles 3-0 (1-0 in division, 2-0 vs NFC)
• Washington Commanders 2-1 (1-0, 1-1)
• Dallas Cowboys 1-2 (1-1, 1-2)
• New York Giants 0-3 (0-2, 0-2)

Before the Cowboys’ unenviable task of hosting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, the Giants will face the Chargers with a new starter in rookie Jaxson Dart. A move that might have happened last week if not for Dallas’ awful pass defense, Dart takes over while the season is still salvageable on paper. Rookie QBs have a pretty good track record in the NFC East, so we’ll see if this sparks something in New York or just helps Dart prepare for future campaigns.

The Eagles head to Tampa Bay for a battle of unbeaten teams. Philly’s 3-0 record isn’t as surprising as the Bucs’, although the Falcons, Texans, and Jets aren’t exactly a murderers’ row of opponents. The Eagles are by far the toughest test that Tampa’s faced so far this season, but you could argue the same going the other direction.

The Commanders will likely be without Daniels again when they go to Atlanta in Week 4, but that may not be much of a problem. The Falcons just went down 30-0 to the Carolina Panthers, and Mariota is probably the better QB right now over Michael Penix Jr.

Before the Cowboys and Packers kick off, we’ll know how the rest of the NFC East fared in their games. If things go as projected, Dallas will be facing an even deeper hole in the division going into October.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/gen...update-commanders-roll-without-jayden-daniels

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Dallas Cowboys have a strange modern relationship with Green Bay Packers

The Ice Bowl was a long time ago. Not to diminish its significance to the Dallas Cowboys at large, or their relationship with the Green Bay Packers in particular, but when it comes to the former we are reaching a point where we have to look at their history in two halves: B.D. and A.D.

The Drought™ is on the verge of officially reaching the age of 30 this year for the Cowboys. It is for this reason that we must consider life Before Drought and After Drought.

You are painfully familiar with how the Cowboys have not reached even an NFC Championship Game since the 1995 stadium, a contest they won right before they last lifted the Lombardi Trophy at Sun Devil Stadium. From a Cowboys standpoint, it is hard not to look at how the Packers were involved in the title game, a particular point that has evaded Dallas, and feel like the franchises have been cosmically intertwined ever since.

This Sunday night will see the Packers visit AT&T Stadium to play the Cowboys. They will be bringing one of the greatest Cowboys in recent memory, arguably the greatest in Micah Parsons, as he was just traded there a month ago. If you had told us this would happen the last time that Green Bay was in the building, it would have been impossible to fathom. Oh, and the last time they were in the building they delivered the Cowboys one of the more demoralizing losses the franchise has ever seen. In many ways, the Cowboys are still trying to recover from that 2023 Wild Card Round defeat. You can make an argument that it was the most embarrassing Cowboys playoff loss in the Jerry Jones era.

It is difficult to encapsulate the cosmic nature of all things Cowboys and Packers in that particular moment, but it is equally difficult for all points in time that are A.D. That playoff win was Green Bay’s third in Dallas’ home building of AT&T Stadium. That is, of course, how many the Cowboys have themselves since the venue opened in 2009. What’s absurd is that the Packers only have two from beating the Cowboys specifically there, as their other one was the one when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV (it was Cowboys Stadium at the time for technical purposes).

That Super Bowl win put Mike McCarthy in a type of NFL lore that led to him getting the Cowboys job in the early days of 2020 when the team moved on from Jason Garrett. Consider that Garrett’s greatest moment as a player came against the Packers, by the way, during the 1994 Thanksgiving Day Game.

This is the same McCarthy who correctly challenged Dez Bryant’s catch for the Cowboys in a playoff game between the clubs, when Dallas was led by Garrett, at Lambeau Field, and who won the Divisional Round matchup between the two in Arlington in January of 2017 (also Garrett’s Cowboys).

Dez’s catch. McCarthy’s Packers with Aaron Rodgers on 3rd and 20 at the end of the 2016 season. Dallas hiring McCarthy in 2020 to succeed the Garrett who shined against Green Bay and lost twice to McCarthy as the Cowboys head coach. Never mind the fact that Garrett got the Cowboys job after Wade Phillips was fired immediately following a loss to Mike McCarthy’s Packers at Lambeau Field the season they won the Super Bowl. The Cowboys losing with McCarthy to the Packers at the end of 2023. Dallas trading Parsons to the Packers right before beginning their first season of play post-McCarthy.

Cosmically-aligned isn’t strong enough to describe this weird connection.

Think back to the 2016 season that we have referenced several times already. Early in that campaign the Cowboys traveled to Lambeau Field to face McCarthy, Rodgers, and all of the rest. At that point in time the Cowboys had only ever won once at the storied Lambeau Field (2008).

Rookie Dak Prescott was in the process of proving himself to the world and at the moment had helped lead the team to a 4-1 record. Remarkably, he had yet to throw an interception at that point in his young career.

Prescott left the field at halftime and shook hands with former Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who famously never won at Texas Stadium, as he was about to be celebrated for having entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few months prior. Almost immediately after shaking hands with Favre, Prescott threw his first interception when play resumed. It was almost as if one number four had transferred the curse (Favre is the NFL’s all-time leader in interceptions) to another.

The Cowboys would go on to win that day and therefore earned their second victory ever at Lambeau. That win was part of what served as the momentum for Dallas to fully turn things over to Prescott from his predecessor in Tony Romo. This is, of course, the same Romo who is a Wisconsin native and grew up emulating the aforementioned Favre.

Dallas has played the Packers five time since then. Two of those games were the playoff losses for Dallas and only a single one of them was held in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy’s return which carried part of the cosmic energy we have been discussing here.

Dallas has lost all five games to the Packers overall since that day in 2016, though.

Watching Micah Parsons take the field with the Packers against the Cowboys is certainly going to be weird. No one is denying this. But we are at a point with the Cowboys and Packers, particularly from the Cowboys side of things, where weird is par for the course. Weird is to be expected. Nothing about how these two teams are connected to one another has been normal in the A.D. sense.

Brace yourself for weirdness. If this duo has taught us anything it is that it is going to happen in a way that will continually outdo itself.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...-green-bay-packers-micah-parsons-dak-prescott

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys news: How Dallas plans to deal with Micah Parsons, Packers DL

Tyler Smith on Cowboys’ OL injuries, planning for Packers and Micah Parsons – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com​

The Cowboys offensive line will have to be on their game Sunday night.

FRISCO, Texas – As the Cowboys get ready for their Week 4 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, they’ll be without two starting offensive linemen in center Cooper Beebe and right guard Tyler Booker.

Dallas’ offensive line room has a mantra for themselves: Five as one. When one of the five go down, it’s on the rest of the group and whoever steps up to continue moving as a singular unit.

“The standard doesn’t change,” Smith said. “That’s part of our mantra as an o-line room. When somebody steps up, there can’t be any drop off. I have all the confidence in the world of whoever’s going to be in there whether it’s T.J [Bass]. or Hakeem [Adeniji] or whoever, that they’ll come in and they’ll do a great job.”

It’ll more than likely be Brock Hoffman starting at center for the second straight week, and Bass coming into to fill Booker’s spot. They’ll look to continue helping pave the way for Javonte Williams and Dallas’ rushing attack, which will be key early on come Sunday night.

“Ultimately, I think a lot of our success in this game is going to be based off our success on first and second down,” Smith said. “I think that’s about being on your keys early on, and just execute it from the jump.”

The Cowboys are facing a Packers defense that is first in the league in scoring defense, and fifth in total sacks this year with 10. Evidently, they’ve had success getting pressure on the quarterback. Does Smith think running right at Green Bay’s pass rushers can help them in the run game?

“I think football is as situational as anything else is, so I think if you dominate first and second down and you limit his opportunity to rush or freely rush the way he wants to, you’ll ultimately have more success for sure.” Smith said.

Micah Parsons says Dallas Cowboys contest just another game. No one believes that – Jarrett Bell, USA Today​

The Cowboys and Micah Parsons will say this is just another game, but it’s not. For either team.

If you haven’t heard, Micah Parsons is headed back to Big D.

No, silly, Jerry Jones hasn’t found an answer for using his recently acquired draft capital to land the edge rusher the Dallas Cowboys desperately need for a woeful defense that, well, surely misses the presence of the edge rusher he traded to the Green Bay Packers nearly a month ago.

Parsons is headed back for a primetime showcase at Jerry World on Sunday night that looks like a slaughter waiting to happen – or perhaps a grand reminder of how much the Cowboys blew it in dealing away one of the NFL’s premier defensive players in his prime.

Of course, Parsons, who landed a four-year, $186 million contract in the exchange that averages $46.5 million annually and makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, downplayed the hype when he met with reporters in the locker room this week.

“I feel like this is going to be another game for me,” Parsons said.

3 key matchups to watch during Dallas Cowboys’ Week 4 matchup with Packers – Tyler Reed, SI.com​

Three key matchups for the Cowboys heading into SNF.

Anthony Belton vs. Cowboys Pass Rush

Packers starting right tackle Zach Tom will more than likely be out for the Sunday night showdown. That means it’s the perfect time for Matt Eberflus to dial up the pressure and push Anthony Belton to his limits.

Cowboys Secondary vs. Packers Wide Receivers

The Packers offense is currently averaging 202 yards through the air. That’s not one of the top passing units in the game, but the Cowboys’ secondary has looked like Swiss cheese all season.

Eberflus might be dialing up the pressure with a wounded Packers offensive line, but will his secondary be able to hold up against the likes of Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden?

Cowboys add veteran CB familiar with Week 4 opponent amid DB struggles – Randy Gurzi, SI.com​

The Cowboys have added to the secondary on their practice squad.

As if playing one of the top teams in prime-time wasn’t enough of a challenge, the Cowboys could be going into the game without two of their best cornerbacks as DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs are both dealing with injuries.

To help fill any void, the Cowboys signed a veteran cornerback on Thursday, and this move could have added benefits. The Cowboys are bringing in Corey Ballentine, who had two tenures with the Packers, which could give them some insight to their opponent this weekend.

Originally a sixth-round pick out of Washburn, Ballentine began his career with the New York Giants in 2019. He bounced around the league before spending three years with Green Bay (2022-2024).

He appeared in 37 games with seven starts for the Packers and had 54 tackles and one interception. Ballentine was a primary special teams player and has experience as a returner as well.

In 2025, he’s had a tough time sticking with a team. He was with the Indianapolis Colts originally, but re-signed with Green Bay after being released in August. Ballentine was waived at final cuts, then joined the New England Patriots as a member of their practice squad.

IS SUNDAY THE FIRST MUST-WIN GAME FOR THE DALLAS COWBOYS? – Shane Taylor, Inside the Star​

Is week four a must win for the Cowboys?

Must Win?

I touched on it above, so let’s really dive into whether his game is a must-win for the Dallas Cowboys.

Without CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Booker, it is going to be tough, and this game is going to fall at the feet of Dak Prescott.

He has been good this year. Last week against the Bears, he had the game tied, and the defense could not force a punt to save their lives.

The team was driving in the second half when George Pickens flat out dropped the football, and it caused a INT which pretty much ended any hope because they couldn’t stop the Bears on offense.

When you lose your best offensive player within the first 5 minutes of the game, it throws everything off.

With that said, they have to figure something out, because the Packers just lost to the Browns, and I can tell you right now, they won’t score 10 points again, because this Matt Eberflus defense is the worst in football.

When you look at the NFC, it is hard to say if this game is a must-win, because after that they play the Jets and the Panthers. Both games they should win and get to 3-and-3 before playing the Commanders at home.

I don’t think Dallas is going to win this game. I do believe it will be a close game, but no CeeDee Lamb is going to be the difference.

The defense is a question mark, and they are going to have to make sure they take care of the football.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...ah-parsons-packers-defensive-line-tyler-smith

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys fans have bottomed out when it comes to confidence in the club

Let’s just say things have gotten bleak for the Dallas Cowboys fanbase real quick. Our story picks up after a whiplash of emotion following low expectations heading into the season (35% confidence), but a strong showing against the Philadelphia Eagles boosting the mood (68% confidence). The Cowboys followed that up with a win, but the shootout nature of it against a really bad New York Giants team eroded that confidence once again (38% confidence).

Then the Chicago Bears game happened and the bottom has dropped out. After the Cowboys were humiliated by the previously-winless Bears, they got more insults in the form of injuries as the team is now without CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Booker, who joined Cooper Beebe on the injured list.

Now, the team must find a way to beat a very good Green Bay Packers team that brings a vengeful Micah Parsons to town. Cowboys fans are not amused.

Only 7% of Cowboys fans are confident in the direction of the franchise. That 7% is likely looking at the four first-round picks over the next two years, and putting a long-range view on things.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...fans-no-confidence-team-micah-parsons-packers

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys news: Dak Prescott speaks on playing against Micah Parsons

Cowboys All-Pro QB on Packers: ‘It’s not Dak vs. Micah’ – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com ​

Prescott knows the Cowboys’ matchup with the Packers is bigger than his battle with Parsons.

FRISCO, Texas — Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys will face each other this weekend when the Green Bay Packers come to town for Sunday Night Football. Now that you’ve officially heard that headline 1,000,001 times, let’s get one more player’s perspective on it — namely Dak Prescott.

The former longtime teammates will, for the first time in their NFL careers, line up against each other in a regular season contest and that means Prescott won’t have the benefit of a red practice jersey to force Parsons into pulling his punches.

So when Parsons said this week that sacking Prescott “will be painful”, Prescott’s response was a rightfully awkward humor.

“I hope not for me,” he said with a laugh. “And I hope he doesn’t get to me for one.”

That’s the thing, though: Parsons will find himself getting the kitchen sink thrown at him by head coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams to try and slow him down and/or throw him off of his game entirely.

“I’m just excited to go and have that match up, but he’s got five guys up front, plus tight ends, and running backs that he’s got to get through,” said the All-Pro quarterback. “Then we’ll worry about if he can get to me. It takes all of us to protect, myself included. We all know that. Nothing changes this week.

“He’s a hell of a player. We respect that. And he’ll have some attention.”

Micah Parsons’ return shouldn’t overshadow Kenny Clark’s influence on Packers – Matt Schneidman, The Athletic ​

Clark was a big loss for the Packers in more ways than one.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Nobody calls it the Kenny Clark trade.

The deal Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst struck on Aug. 28 will forever be remembered as the Micah Parsons trade, and rightfully so. Parsons is one of the best players of this generation and a future Hall of Famer if he continues on his current trajectory. Jones dealing Parsons to the Packers in his prime is one of the most seismic trades in league history.

But as the Packers embark on a trip to Dallas for Sunday Night Football this week and Parsons faces his former team in his former home stadium, it’s worth remembering that Clark was no slouch during his nine years in Green Bay.

The 29-year-old was the Packers’ longest-tenured player, the lone holdover from the Mike McCarthy era as a 2016 first-round pick. A three-time Pro Bowler in 2019, 2021 and 2023, Clark inked three separate contracts in Green Bay, a sign he’ll one day be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on the first ballot. A dominant force on the interior of the defensive line for almost a decade, Clark may cause restless nights for the Packers this week, just like Parsons will for the Cowboys. Clark was a locker room cornerstone, too, held in high regard by those inside 1265 Lombardi Ave., whether players spent one year with him or six.

Kenny Clark on a Zoom call with Packers reporters: “First-class organization and I’m always appreciative of what they’ve done for me and my family.” pic.twitter.com/LZx85g3c4V

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 25, 2025

“I think there’s a reason he got a third contract because not many guys do,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said. “Obviously, you’ve got to play to a certain level, which he certainly has, but you also have to be a certain type of guy. I think Kenny’s a pro’s pro. I’ve got so much respect for him, as much as anybody that I’ve been around in this game in terms of his approach, his team-first mentality, his willingness to help others and bring guys along. He wasn’t always the most vocal, but when he talked, everybody listened and they listened for a reason because everybody respected what he did.”

Cowboys leaving electric rookie weapon on sidelines due to defensive issues – Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire ​

The defensive woes in Dallas are keeping Jaydon Blue on the shelf.

After being left on the inactives list for the team’s first three outings, Cowboys fifth-round draft pick Jaydon Blue is still waiting to make his NFL regular-season debut.

But despite earlier concerns about the rookie’s work habits and consistency in practice (and an ankle injury suffered in his only preseason action just 12 days before Week 1) head coach Brian Schottenheimer says the talented running back’s gameday status has been about needs the Cowboys have had elsewhere on the field.

“In no way, shape, or form is Jaydon doing things that would not allow him to be activated,” Schottenheimer said Friday during his weekly radio call-in on 105.3 The Fan. “It’s been more of the fact that we’ve needed the numbers, with some of the injuries and stuff on defense and in the secondary and things like that.”

In Weeks 1 through 3, the Cowboys have dressed 24 defensive players for each game, as opposed to just 21 on offense.

“Unfortunately,” confirmed Schottenheimer, “we’ve been a little bit heavier on the defensive side when you look at the roster construction on gameday.”

DaRon Bland looking forward to taking field again with Trevon Diggs, Cowboys defense – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com ​

The Cowboys have rarely had Bland and Diggs playing simultaneously.

FRISCO, Texas – As the Cowboys get ready to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, they’ll get both DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs together on the field for just the fifth time in the last three years.

Bland has missed the Cowboys last two games with a foot injury, but was a full participant in Thursday and Friday’s practices. Diggs missed Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury, but was full-go as well on Thursday and Friday. Both hold no injury designation, officially clearing the path to full health. For Bland, he wants to be out there again not just with Diggs, but the entire defense.

“Really I’m just looking to get back out there, just playing for my guys,” Bland said. “Having us both out there healthy is something that I’m definitely always looking forward to.”

Dallas has given up 748 yards through the air in the last two weeks, and a lot of that has to do with communication issues in the secondary. The Cowboys are hoping that re-inserting Bland into the mix helps eliminate some, if not all, of those short comings.

Roger Staubach surprises Brian Schottenheimer at news conference – Todd Archer, ESPN ​

The Hall of Famer gave Schottenheimer some kudos on Friday.

FRISCO, Texas — About six minutes into Brian Schottenheimer’s Friday news conference, there was a knock on the door. It was Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Roger Staubach.

“Oh, my goodness gracious,” Schottenheimer said after seeing Staubach and then shaking his hand. “I will stop what I’m doing for this.”

Staubach called Schottenheimer his favorite coach and said, “I thought maybe you could use me, but maybe not … I can still throw.”

Replied Schottenheimer, “Hey, you always could. I never worry about your legs [either], right?”

Staubach, 83, won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys in the 1970s. He earned the nickname Captain Comeback, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

“I’m pulling for you,” Staubach said, adding, “I still love the Cowboys … It’s amazing how when I sit down and start watching the game, I feel like I’m out there.”

A Hall of Fame visitor at the Brian Schottenheimer press conference. Roger Staubach told the coach, “I’m pulling for you.” Schottenheimer said he’s fired up even more for practice pic.twitter.com/qBFYYxmRA0

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 26, 2025

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...rescott-micah-parsons-kenny-clark-daron-bland

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Week 4 rooting guide for Cowboys fans

Week 3 went pretty poorly for our Cowboys, both in terms of their loss to Chicago and results from around the league. Just about everything we hoped for in last week’s guide went the other way. Hopefully, the Week 4 slate will work out far better for Dallas’ interests.

Even one of the more surprising results, the Packers’ loss to the Browns, was of debatable merit. While it did give Green Bay its first defeat of 2025, it also may serve as a wake-up call just before facing the Cowboys. And the Packers hardly needed any additional advantages this Sunday night.

Dallas will need its best game yet to deal with Jordan Love, Micah Parsons, and the rest of the Packers. Even if they do pull it out and get to 2-2, and especially if they don’t, they’ll need help from the rest of the NFC action. Thursday night’s game between Arizona and Seattle could’ve really gone either way, with both teams entering at 2-1. The Seahawks got the valuable division win in what’s shaping up to be an ultra-competitive NFC West.

Here’s what to root for from the rest of the Week 4 schedule:

NFC East​

• Bucs d. Eagles
• Falcons d. Commanders
• Chargers d. Giants

Tampa Bay improving to 4-0 isn’t ideal, but it’s far preferable to Philadelphia reaching the same mark. Even if the Cowboys can claw their way back into contention, some teams will likely be out of reach. We’d much rather they not be in our own division.

A Washington loss to Atlanta puts both teams at 2-2 and helps Dallas in the NFC East, so that’s an easy pick. The same goes for the G-Men losing to another AFC team, especially with QB Jaxson Dart getting his first start. We’re not quite ready to throw in the towel on the 2025 season and focus on draft order, but give it a few weeks.

NFC vs AFC​

• Steelers d. Vikings
• Saints d. Bills
• Browns d. Lions
• Patriots d. Panthers
• Colts d. Rams
• Jaguars d. 49ers
• Raiders d. Bears

It’s a huge slate of interconference games this week. As just mentioned, we’re not getting into how these games impact Dallas’ potential 2026 draft position just yet. If so, we might root for the Bears or Panthers to win. But for now, we’re still viewing NFC teams as obstacles to this year’s postseason goals.

That said, we’re making an exception with New Orleans. The 0-3 Saints are every bit as bad as their record says, with a league-worst -43 point differential in those losses. They’re not a perceivable threat in 2025, but they could be a team we want to eventually get ahead of in the draft. Also, them being the ones to give Buffalo its first loss of the season would be pure hilarity.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...2820/week-4-rooting-guide-dallas-cowboys-fans

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Buy/Sell for Cowboys’ Week 4 game vs Packers

While many do not expect the Cowboys to beat the Packers this Sunday, that doesn’t mean individual players can’t still have a good game. Here are some Dallas players we expect to thrive in this matchup with Green Bay, and some others who could be in for a long day.

With Brian Schottenheimer promising changes following the humiliating loss in Chicago, particularly on defense, projecting things this week is a little trickier. The Packers are also coming off a rough loss to the Browns, their first of the season. But even if both teams make adjustments, there are still some things we feel comfortable projecting.

BUY​

RB Javonte Williams​

Currently the league’s eighth-best back in rushing yards per game, Williams stands to keep his strong start rolling against the Packers. They just gave up 94 yards on 18 carries to Cleveland rookie Quinshon Judkins. One of those was a 38-yard run, which certainly improved the overall performance, but we’ve seen breakaway potential from Williams this year. He’s been excellent at adding extra yards with his power and tackle-breaking, which will be vital in this matchup.

Granted, the job gets harder with G Tyler Booker’s absence due to an ankle injury. But T.J. Bass isn’t some bum, and Dallas still has a strong left side to run behind with Tyler Smith leading the way. This is a big game for OC Klayton Adams to show his ability to maximize the strengths of the players he has available.

The key for Williams is if the Cowboys can stay in this game long enough to keep him going. Between CeeDee Lamb’s absence and trying to neutralize Micah Parsons, you know they’ll emphasize the run early. But if Green Bay starts pulling away, we’ve already seen Dallas lean heavily on Dak Prescott and forget about the run.

DE Marshawn Kneeland​

Much attention will be paid to Dallas’ pass rushers, especially given Parsons’ return and the expected debut of Jadeveon Clowney. But the Packers have been run-heavy so far this year, with Josh Jacobs among the league leaders in carries. While Green Bay may look more to their passing given the Cowboys’ defensive issues, they’ll still turn to Jacobs often. That keeps Kneeland on the field as a primary run stopper and gives him more opportunities when the Packers do opt to pass out of those looks.

If Green Bay does focus on stopping Clowney, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Dante Fowler, then that also helps Kneeland’s chances of making plays. They will be hurting on the right side with starting OT Zach Tom and his backup, Anthony Belton, both ruled out with injuries. Dallas will naturally attack that spot with their primary rushers, and Green Bay will likely send extra blockers that way to counter. That should give Kneeland and whoever else is coming from the other side more one-on-one matchups.

SELL​

OT Terence Steele​

We all know that Steele isn’t great in pass protection. Well, so does Micah Parsons. They played together from 2021 to 2024, and Parsons saw all of the ways to take advantage of that matchup. While Green Bay will likely move him around the line, especially with Tyler Guyton’s own inconsistency and backups playing at center and guard, Steele should draw considerable attention. Even if he sees more of Rashan Gary, who’s no slouch as a pass rusher in his own right, Dallas’ right tackle may not get out of this one without some scars.

S Malik Hooker & Donovan Wilson​

If Green Bay does look to exploit Dallas’ pass defense issues, the safeties will be in the crosshairs often. Packers TE Tucker Kraft is their leading receiver so far in every key category. And if they do try some things with the deep ball, especially given rookie WR Matthew Golden’s speed, Hooker or Wilson could easily be eating dust.

That said, we could see more of Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell this week. The older veterans have been given their due deference so far this year, but something has to change with this pass defense. Dallas is still waiting for more options to return at cornerback, so safety is a spot where they can do something now.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...terence-steele-javonte-williams-micah-parsons

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys vs. Packers: Dallas leads 23-20 entering fourth quarter

Third Quarter​

The Cowboys began the second half with all positive vibes. They did not fully translate, though.

After some initial success things stalled for the offense and they were forced to punt it away. It marked the first real opportunity that the defense had a lead to protect.

Ultimately the Cowboys defense bent and bent and bent… and bent. They got Green Bay down to the goal line after a Tucker Kraft catch and run, and they successfully stopped Josh Jacobs on first and second down.

Third down proved prosperous, though. The Packers re-took the lead after Jacobs punched it in to make things 20-16.

Josh Jacobs puts the @Packers back on top

GBvsDAL on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/y2l5YCnlmR

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2025

The next drive felt critical for the Cowboys. It was as if they had to return serve in order for the game to be within reach for them.

Thanks to plays from KaVontae Turpin, Javonte Williams, and incredibly Ryan Flournoy… they made it work. They moved all the way down the field and Dak Prescott found Jake Ferguson for a touchdown (finally!) right before the period ended.

FERGY TD pic.twitter.com/BD8kxmCzGW

— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) September 29, 2025

The Cowboys took the lead into the fourth quarter at 23-20.

Second Quarter​

The second quarter started with a miracle for the Cowboys as Trevon Diggs picked off Jordan Love. Unfortunately Dallas had 12 men on the field so the penalty washed it away.

Green Bay kept their drive moving and grooving and a big reason was a play where Jordan Love broke out and scrambled before tossing a lateral (he may have thought it was a pass) to Josh Jacobs. The play went all the way down to the Dallas goal line and shortly after Love hit Romeo Doubs for their second touchdown connection of the night.

Things turned weird right after that. Juanyeh Thomas was able to block the extra point and Markquese Bell ran it back for the first Dallas points of the game. 13-2! Yea!

Love to Doubs for SIX (x2)

GBvsDAL on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/ICd14eNHtL

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2025

DOS

(via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/tvu9kwu1NT

— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) September 29, 2025

There would be no building upon this, though. Penalties on the kickoff return impacted where the Cowboys started and they came out acting rather shy. Dak Prescott was able to hit KaVontae Turpin for what looked like a nice gain and first down, but Nate Thomas was not lined up properly and was called for an illegal formation. Punt city, population Cowboys.

Amazingly the Cowboys defense was able to stand its ground and force a punt right back. Unfortunately as they did Malik Hooker appeared to be injured and he needed help getting off of the field.

As far as the game, the next Cowboys possession saw them finally start to build some things on offense. George Pickens caught a pass for the first time on the night and things felt less tense.

Pickens did more than that. He put the Cowboys on the doorstep with this absurd catch.

GP3 pic.twitter.com/SUaazPD1Hx

— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) September 29, 2025

It looked a bit questionable at first, but replay quickly took care of that. There wasn’t even a review.

Two plays later Dak Prescott took it himself for a rushing touchdown to narrow the gap.

DAK TD!!!! pic.twitter.com/SrrwQhOxK2

— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) September 29, 2025

The Packers were aware of who Brandon Aubrey is and what his range offers so they clearly wanted to at least end the half without giving Dallas another chance. They began to move and picked up a first down, but they picked up a false start right after which took some wind out of their sails.

But then a miracle happened. James Houston and Jadeveon Clowney got to Jordan Love for a sack (Houston) and fumble and recovery (Clowney!)

A TURNOVER! pic.twitter.com/ZxrKpPjyGX

— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) September 29, 2025

One play later Dak Prescott found George Pickens! For a touchdown!

GP3 TD!!!! pic.twitter.com/8X7thOQoc6

— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) September 29, 2025

The Cowboys took an improbable 16-13 lead into the locker room at halftime and were set to receive the ball right after.

First Quarter​

The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers kicked off on Micah Parsons Night and it was finally all about football. Dallas won the toss and deferred so it was Brandon Aubrey’s toe that met ball initially.

It looked exactly like it did both for Dallas last week in Chicago and when the Packers were most recently in the building. Jordan Love looked incredibly comfortable and went 5/5 on the possession to the tune of 74 yards and a touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs. Just like that they were up 7-0.

Love with a DIME to Doubs to open the scoring

GBvsDAL on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/RiHUAATsqe

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2025

The Cowboys took over and may not have realized that a football game started. They ran it three straight times and did not come anywhere near the line to gain. Not to point fingers here, but it sure seemed like they were rather afraid of putting the offense in a passing situation for tons of obvious reasons.

After the Cowboys punted the Packers appeared to pick up right where they left off. Thanks to a holding penalty they were a bit behind though and on 3rd and 18 were only able to pick up 16 yards. Only!

Green Bay was technically on the Cowboys’ side of the 50 (just barely as they were at the 49) and lined up to go for it on fourth and two. Ultimately they elected not to and took a delay of game penalty before punting. It was strange.

The Cowboys picked up a first down after their second play, but after that stalled out a bit. They got down to fourth and one and made it seem like they were going to go for it, but ultimately they took a delay of game and punted back to the Packers.

Green Bay got to the Dallas 38-yard line before the quarter ended.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...dallas-cowboys-green-bay-packers-week-4-recap