The Dallas Cowboys are in deep in preparation for the Buffalo Bills in the late afternoon Thanksgiving contest.
Here’s a round up of the latest news and notes.
Amari Cooper has the road yips and worse, it’s not something new :: Cowboys Wire
Wide receiver Amari Cooper has been worth every penny for the Dallas Cowboys since trading for him at the deadline in 2018, until Dallas hits the road. KD Drummond dives deep into a trend that’s a little more than alarming when it comes to the Cowboys top wideout.
Garrett on analytical decisions: ‘We don’t use those stats within the game’ :: Cowboys Wire
Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett seems to be a smart guy. After all he did go to Princeton. Once seen as a dynamic offensive mind, a young coach in an old man’s league, Garrett was the hot name in coaching circles. He may be on the hot seat, as it seems he may be an old dog that can’t be taught new tricks. The analytically inclined may want to turn away now, because it’s a tough look.
Week 13 EPA Power Rankings: Cowboys remain division favorites :: Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys numbers in terms of EPA indicate that there’s a great team hiding inside, just waiting to be discovered. On the outside, they’re dressed up and presenting themselves as a 6-5 team. As Bill Parcells used to say, “You are what your record says you are.” Still, there’s hope in the homestretch for a team that struggles to get out of its own way.
The 2010s: Romo leads the way on Dallas Cowboys all-decade team :: The Athletic
The all-decade team is a fun exercise, but it gets pretty not fun when looking at the players selected at two oft-ignored positions: safety and defensive tackle. At defensive tackle Jason Hatcher and Tyrone Crawford were chosen. At their peak they were fine players, but not the game wreckers that other teams have. Covering the back end of the defense at the safety spots are Barry Church and Gerald Sensabaugh.
Barnwell’s 2019 All-Underrated team: Picking 24 NFL players, from Tannehill to Judon :: ESPN
Defensive end Robert Quinn gets national media love here. Trading a sixth round pick to the tanking Miami Dolphins was a stroke of genius by the front office and they have been repaid in full. Unfortunately, he is set to be a free agent in the off-season and one has to wonder if the market rate will be for Quinn. According to Bill Barnwell,
Quinn flashes on tape, and ESPN’s machine learning analysis loves the 29-year-old. In 2018, Quinn posted a pass rush win rate (PRWR) of 33%, which was comfortably the best mark in football. (Nobody else even topped 29%.) That might seem like an aberration, but in 2019, he has posted a PRWR of … 32.9%, which again leads the league. I wouldn’t take that analysis to find that Quinn is the best pass-rusher in football, but given that he has now excelled for two different teams over the past two years, he deserves to be thought of as an upper-echelon pass-rusher when he’s on the field.
Decoding Kellen Moore: Cowboys offense misfires at key moments in Foxborough :: The Athletic
The Cowboys offense has been one of the best in the league in 2019. The hiccups came too often against the New England Patriots, ultimately costing them not only the game, but a stranglehold over the NFC East. As great as quarterback Dak Prescott has been throughout the season, on Sunday he earned plenty of blame for the offensive woes. That and more in Bob Sturm’s weekly breakdown.
[vertical-gallery id=635041][lawrence-newsletter]