The Cowboys return home to AT&T Stadium this Sunday for a rematch with the Los Angeles Rams who sent them packing in the Divisional round of last year’s playoffs. While the Cowboys could catch themselves looking past the Rams, focusing on the showdown with the Eagles, it’s imperative that they instead focus on chaining stringing together victories starting with this Sunday.
Can the Cowboys make a run in the postseason? Players and coaches look to the recent postseason success of the New York Giants for inspiration, however, similarities between the two teams might not be as pronounced as thought. While some fans may look forward to the Eagles next week, the Cowboys still have to go through the Rams and they are every bit as hungry for a victory as the Cowboys are. Look for them to utilize Cooper Kupp and a multitude of other weapons against the Cowboys. If the Cowboys do continue their systematic implode, look for the potential head coach opening to be as desirable as there is in the NFL.
Ranking the best and worst potential NFL head-coaching openings in 2019 :: ESPN
In less than three weeks, assuming tradition holds, there will be a slew of head coaching vacancies around the league. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell looks at the teams most likely to make a change and ranks the jobs from least desirable to most plum.
Unsurprisingly, being the Cowboys’ skipper is atop the rankings. “Arguably the most difficult job in the NFL,” it comes with an “unrealistic standard” that makes it both the “most enticing” and “least enticing opportunity” on the list, depending on your perspective.
Barnwell calls the team’s mostly-young talent the job’s most appealing strength; key-position playmakers like Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Leighton Vander Esch, and Jaylon Smith are still entering their primes. There are contracts still to be offered that could leave Byron Jones on the outs, and there are weaknesses to be addressed- especially in the secondary and offensive line- but overall, a new coach in Dallas would inherit a wealth of skill in the locker room.
Of course, dealing with ultra-hands-on owner/general manager Jerry Jones “is both a blessing and a curse” for whoever occupies the role. “Every owner has some say in football operations, but nobody is as closely tied to their team’s decisions as Jerry,” Barnwell writes.
For evidence of how quickly things could have gone south under unchecked power at the top, look no further than the near-miss in 2014 when Jones wanted to draft Johnny Manziel and had to be talked into settling for five-time Pro Bowler Zack Martin instead. Or how Prescott fell to Dallas only because Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook- both targets of Jones- were gone.
Barnwell suggests that a young coach won’t “have the leverage to say no to Jones’s role in the puzzle,” and that the organization will likely miss out on candidates “who aren’t sufficiently impressive to keep Jerry out of the room but who are valuable enough to get an opportunity elsewhere.”
To that end, Barnwell points out, “It took Jones 14 years to go from hiring Jimmy Johnson to hiring [Bill] Parcells. It has now been 16 years since Jones hired Parcells. The timing might be right for Jones to make a superhire.”
–TB
Even with miserable season to this point Cowboys’ goals still attainable :: CowboysWire
Over the last month or so, the Cowboys look more like a team that’s picking near the top of next year’s draft than one looking to make the playoffs and go on a run. Yet, here they are with a 6-7 record and everything they want to accomplish this season still out in front of them. A win against the Eagles in Week 16 greatly improves the chances the Cowboys will host a playoff game in January. As history has shown, once you’re in the dance anything can happen. All that’s needed is a ticket.
–CM
Can the 2019 Cowboys mirror the 2007 Giants? Here’s why Jerry Jones’s dream scenario is unrealistic :: The Athletic
Cowboys fans waiting for the team to suddenly get hot in the home stretch and make a championship run may want to just skip to the next item. While owner Jerry Jones has held up the 2007 Giants, the “less-than-impressive” wild cards who ruined the Patriots’ perfect season in Super Bowl XLII, as an example, history would likely have a tough time repeating with the current Cowboys roster.
Working against Dallas in that effort? A losing record thus far in road games, a pass rush that hasn’t lived up to elite billing, and a quarterback whose play seems to be trailing off as the season progresses. Oh, and the fact that since the Giants pulled that upset twelve years ago, only two playoff teams finishing 9-7 (the best the Cowboys could do) or worse have even made it to the Super Bowl.
But may the odds be ever in Jerry’s favor.
–TB
Stars in Dallas because of Staubach & Cowboys :: The Hockey Writers
For sports history buffs, a fascinating look at how America’s Team actually played a major role in relocating an NHL franchise.
When Norman Green, owner of the Minnesota North Stars, was looking to move his struggling and underachieving hockey club out of the Twin Cities in the early 1990s, he got input from none other than Cowboys legend Roger Staubach. The two had met in the ’70s through a mutual acquaintance in real estate; in the field himself after retiring, Staubach returned the favor by advising Green on sites around Dallas that might support pro hockey.
Jerry Jones and Tom Landry also have bit parts in the story that eventually led to the Minnesota North Stars becoming the Dallas Stars. To this day, fans of the NHL’s current-day Minnesota Wild claim that their biggest rival in the league is the team that once upon a time pulled up stakes and bolted for the Lone Star State… at the suggestion of several Dallas Cowboys.
–TB
Travis Frederick again nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year :: CowboysWire
Each year, all 32 teams submit a player they nominate for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award which is given for outstanding service in the community. Travis Frederick was nominated for the Cowboys this season due to his contributions to both Make-A-Wish and the Salvation Army. His Blocking out Hunger Foundation aims at reducing childhood hunger around the metroplex.
–CM
Rams Preview: Kupp remains threat despite defenses chipping away at McVay :: CowboysWire
The Rams and Cowboys both started off the season dominating the first month of play. Then the wheels fell off on both teams the next two months, however, the Rams seem to be gelling at the right time while the Cowboys continue to implode. The Rams certainly aren’t the offensive juggernaut they were last season, but they have more than enough weapons to give a reeling Cowboys’ defense fits, starting with Cooper Kupp.
–CM
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott goes to the tape … on his fingers :: Dallas Morning News
There were some concerns initially as Prescott showed up on the injury list with a sprained left wrist and injured index finger on his right hand. Prescott has been taping his fingers in practice and intends to do so on Sunday against the Rams. The coaching staff has stated that these ailments have not affected Prescott’s ability to run the offense.
–CM
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