Tag: 2021 season week 14

Reunited: Cowboys defense ‘extremely scary’ heading toward postseason

With the band finally back together, the Cowboys’ D logged 4 takeaways and 5 sacks in a stifling effort vs WFT. It could be just the start. | From @ToddBrock24f7

There is an old adage about playing your best football in December. If it’s true, the Cowboys defense has picked the perfect time to be hitting their full stride… and with their full contingent of players. Randy Gregory swung Sunday’s game early with a monster play in his return. DeMarcus Lawrence excelled in his second game back. Micah Parsons continued his Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Neville Gallimore came up big in his season debut. And that kind of star power across the defense provided opportunities for others down the roster; Dorance Armstrong was this week’s featured cameo player.

The much-anticipated reunion of the Dallas defense turned out to be everything that had been advertised… and more.

“It’s kind of confusing when you see so many elite guys down there,” Parsons said following the 27-20 win over Washington.

The rookie logged two more sacks- giving him 12 so far- in what has become a season for the ages. He’s now the third rookie in league history to record a full sack in six consecutive games.

Parsons also forced a Taylor Heinicke fumble that was scooped by Armstrong and returned for a touchdown.

“I haven’t touched the ball like that in a long time. It just felt good. I told Micah, ‘Thank you,'” Armstrong, the fourth-year tackle, said after the game. “My focus immediately just went to: scoop the ball, don’t fall, don’t embarrass yourself, get to the end zone, for sure. That’s how it went down. I had the boys blocking for me.”

It was one of four Washington turnovers forced by Dallas. The Cowboys rank second in the league in that category, with 27.

“Not only did we have the four takeaways, but we got our hands on a lot of balls today too,” head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters after the win. “The takeaways are what you’re after. But it’s the takeaway opportunities that were way up, and we’ve got to continue to work on that, because that’s part of our identity.”

A rising tide lifts all boats, as another old saying goes. And the return of all the defense’s highest-profile playmakers looks to be having a trickle-down effect on everyone else in the huddle.

“It’s a great feeling to have that much talent in one room and to be able to play off each other,” Armstrong added. “We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, since camp. We already knew what the potential of having everybody together and healthy could do. Now it’s that time to show it.”

“The vet guys are eating, the young guys are eating; I was just trying to add to the party,” Gallimore said, having recording a fourth-quarter sack in his first action since a dislocated elbow sidelined him during the preseason. “I had my shot. I had my moment, and I just took full advantage of it, that’s all it was. It was crunch time. It was time to make a play. They needed me to step up, and that’s what I did.”

Gregory notched a sack, too, as did Lawrence. The unit’s five total were tied for their most in a game this year, equaling what they did in Week 4’s win over Carolina.

“They’re playing lights-out,” Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott noted. “The D-line has got their ears pinned back. I feel bad for the opposing quarterbacks.”

On Sunday, an overall stifling effort from the Dallas defense gave up just 100 rushing yards and 124 passing yards, while allowing just three third-down conversions and only one drive longer than six plays… all against a bitter divisional rival, in their own house and on a four-game winning streak.

“We expect to do a lot of great things,” Gregory offered. “It’s really about our preparation and going out there and executing. When guys really have their laser focus as far as the game plan goes and things like that, we really go out there and ball out. Guys are going to make plays.”

“We came out ready to give them what they asked for,” Lawrence said. “They’ve been asking for Dallas all week. We came out, ready for that war, and they got what they asked for.”

“Extremely scary,” Gallimore said of his unit’s potential. “We’re just now starting to play our better football. I’m not even going to say our best football.”

“The best is yet to come,” predicted Parsons. “I think it’s just the beginning. I think we’ve got a long journey ahead.”

Which, when one considers all the Dallas defenders who are gearing up to make that postseason journey, calls to mind one more piece of proverbial wisdom:

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

The Cowboys defense is finally together.

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‘That’s the drill right there:’ Gregory’s INT came from Cowboys DC Dan Quinn’s helmet practice 2 months ago

Randy Gregory’s athletic takeaway in the first quarter of Sunday’s game came as a direct result of a drill the defense did 2 months ago. | From @ToddBrock24f7

In a game that was largely about the Dallas defense being in full force for the first time all season, the Cowboys wasted no time in showing fans- and the rest of the league- what they’d been missing.

Defensive end Randy Gregory, in his first contest back after a four-game absence due to a calf strain, sparked a dominant afternoon for the unit with an interception early. He had waited his entire career for his first pick; turns out, it made good on a technique he’d been working on just two months ago.

“They thought they could get it out quick,” Parsons said of the first-quarter play, “and Randy’s length, being back on that edge, was able to tip it to himself and make a huge play for us.”

“Just a phenomenal athletic play, ” head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters.

It was a moment the defense had been prepping for.

“It’s funny, we worked on cut blocks a couple of weeks ago, when [defensive coordinator] Dan Quinn was out there with a helmet on at practice,” Gregory explained in postgame comments. “That’s the drill right there: get the cut block down, get your hands up.”

As Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke took the shotgun snap on the Football Team’s ninth offensive play from scrimmage, Gregory saw left tackle Charles Leno Jr. go low, just like Quinn had done in practice in Oct. 13.

He jumped, tipped the ball straight up, did a full 360-degree spin and cradled the ball as it fell back to earth.

“At that point, I was just trying to figure out which way was the right way to go,” Gregory said, “because I was looking up and wasn’t really sure which way was the right end zone. I was just trying to not get caught from behind or fumble the ball.”

While he was caught by Heinicke and Washington receiver DeAndre Carter after a 12-yard return, the takeaway set up the Dallas offense in plus-territory and led to the Cowboys’ first touchdown of a 24-point half.

“He set the tone for the whole game,” Parsons commented. “I expect Randy to make those types of plays.”

But in a season that has seen a linebacker start at defensive end, offensive linemen take snaps at fullback, and a 305-pound defensive tackle get jokingly mentioned as a possibility at tight end, Gregory has no illusions about adding offensive duties to his job description.

“No, you saw how fast I was on the interception,” Gregory laughed. “They’re still giving me a little [expletive] about that. Main thing is to make the play.”

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‘Not acceptable:’ Cowboys offense still with work to do despite divisional win

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys know that blowing a 24-point lead and going 1-of-6 in the red zone won’t cut it if they reach the postseason. | From @ToddBrock24f7

There is, in fact, plenty to feel good about for Cowboys fans after their 27-20 win in Washington. Padding the division lead, beating a hated rival, finally seeing the defense dominate, getting to nine victories and securing a winning record for the season… all things to celebrate.

It’s bad form to look a gift horse in the mouth. But it’s also naive to turn a blind eye if that horse clearly won’t make it to town because it’s gone lame.

The offense that has been billed for most of the season as one of the league’s elite went 7-of-18 on third downs and was 1-of-6 in the red zone. Quarterback Dak Prescott, once an early part of the MVP conversation, threw two egregious interceptions and ended with a passer rating of 58.8. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, a former two-time rushing champ, had his production equaled by an undrafted guy who has never started an NFL game. And the most explosive receiving corps in the sport couldn’t muster a reception of over 24 yards.

And yet that didn’t seem to shake the confidence of Cowboys players, despite nearly blowing a 24-point lead.

“It was a struggle on offense,” Prescott admitted in his postgame remarks, “and we weren’t exactly executing the way that we want to, especially late in the game, but it’s better in a winning effort. Some of the things are just simple decision-making by me, and I’ll clean those up. So as long as we are heading on the winning track and heading to the tournament, we’ll get it right.”

Getting it right would be a marked improvement for a Dallas offense that sputtered and stalled most of Sunday afternoon. The longest play from scrimmage was an accident, a busted play that saw Prescott connect with wideout Michael Gallup on a fire-drill route after picking a quick-snap up off the turf.

“It’s frustrating,” Prescott said. “We’ve got high standards and high expectations for ourselves, so when you’re not moving the ball and you’re not scoring points, only scoring what, six points in the second half? Yeah, it’s not acceptable.”

Actually, the Cowboys scored just three after halftime.

The team that once spoke of choking opponents out in the second half of games nearly did it to themselves on Sunday. Up 24-0 at the break, the Cowboys went 2-of-9 on third downs, 0-of-2 in the red zone, threw for just 39 yards the rest of the way, and punted five more times. Only a replay-confirmation of a called fumble ended the final Washington drive, with the Football Team down by seven points and moving with under three minutes to play.

“We’ve got to be better than that in the latter part of the year, obviously, as you get ready to go play better teams, play division teams, and play in the playoffs,” Prescott said.

“We were moving the ball well; we weren’t getting seven,” wide receiver Amari Cooper offered. “That’s what elite offenses do. It’s something we’ve got to clean up, something we’ve got to definitely talk about and discuss. We want to really go to the next level. At the same time, winning in this league is so hard to come by.”

True. A win is a win. And Dallas walked out of FedEx Field having earned one against a surging Washington squad who had entered with four consecutive wins of their own. It was never going to be easy.

“It’s against the reality of pro football… They have good players, too, and there’s plays to be made,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy explained in his press conference afterward. “They can make plays, too. I think you’ve got to recognize that. This isn’t fantasy football; never has been, from my perspective. I would have liked the game to been more open in the second half, but at the end of the day, things happen.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m concerned at all. We knew it was going to be tough,” Elliott commented. “We’ve got to play a lot better football on offense. We’ve got to celebrate this win; we can’t be mad about a win. We’ll be better next week.”

Next week will find the Cowboys traveling again- this time, to New York to finish their season series against the Giants, who would love nothing more than to play spoiler for their NFC East rivals just a week before Christmas. A home rematch with Washington follows, then a potentially-monumental game against Arizona, before finishing away with the Eagles.

“It’s tough,” Prescott said of the club’s remaining schedule. “Any division game is tough, a team that you play twice a year. We’ve got to suit up against this team in two weeks. Coming into their place, whether it’s here, New York, or Philly, all those are tough road games.”

And while the Cowboys successfully rode out of the nation’s capital with a victory, they know that the thoroughbred offense that spirited them through September and October is looking alarmingly gimpy.

“We’ve created these high expectations and high standards, and we have them for ourselves,” Prescott said. “Just as much as the outside world isn’t pleased, we’re not. I guarantee we care a whole lot more than the outside world about what we’re doing. I know I do; I know the guys on the field and the coaches do. So as I said, all of this we can get better and learn from, and it’s much better to do that in a winning setting.”

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Cowboys activate Randy Gregory, Neville Gallimore as part of Week 14 roster moves

The Dallas defense gets two key pieces back for Week 14’s game; Darian Thompson and JaQuan Hardy are among the practice squad elevations. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have made it official: defensive end Randy Gregory and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore are once again on the active roster and eligible to play Sunday in Washington.

Both were removed from the Reserve/Injured-Designated for Return list on Saturday.

Gregory has missed the past four games with a calf strain. Gallimore will make his regular season debut after suffering a dislocated elbow in the preseason.

The Cowboys did a bit of further shuffling to prepare for the Week 14 divisional showdown in the nation’s capital, elevating safety Darian Thompson, tight end Ian Bunting, and running back JaQuan Hardy from the practice squad. Defensive tackle Justin Hamilton was waived.

The Hardy elevation is of particular interest due to the uncertainty surrounding the team’s stable of running backs. Ezekiel Elliott has been nursing a knee injury for two months, though he says he plans to play through it. Tony Pollard has been listed as questionable after tearing a plantar fascia during the Week 13 win in New Orleans. Free agent Ito Smith was signed midweek, joining backup Corey Clement.

Clarity on how any of them will be used may not come until shortly before kickoff at FedEx Field, as there is still a list of gametime inactives to be determined.

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McCarthy: Guarantee of Cowboys win was ‘honest answer,’ sees WFT as ‘blank faces’ in big rivalry game

Mike McCarthy says he doesn’t spend much time on bulletin board material, but managed to provide more of it in responding to blowback over his guarantee of a win. | From @ToddBrock24f7

There’s a fine line between being confident and being cocky. Which side of it Thursday’s comments out of Dallas about the Cowboys’ Week 14 showdown with Washington fall on depend largely on which team’s colors you happen to be wearing.

In a storied rivalry that rarely needs any extra attention or hype, each locker room now has provided juicy bulletin board material for the other. What is unusual, though, is that it’s not the players who are jawing. It’s the coaches.

Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy, on his first day back in the Cowboys’ facility after a 10-day bout with COVID-19 caused him to miss his team’s win over New Orleans, made waves during a press conference when he was asked about the various ups and downs that have impacted his squad both on and off the field over the first 13 weeks of the season.

“We know what people think of us. We love that. We’re comfortable with who we are, where we are,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday. “But I’m excited about what’s in front of us. We’re going to win this game; I’m confident in that.”

To state the obvious, that’s not exactly Joe Namath using the word “guarantee” as he sits poolside with starstruck reporters prior to Super Bowl III. Nonetheless, McCarthy’s confident prediction made its way back to Washington head coach Ron Rivera in short order.

“I think it’s interesting; I don’t think it’s important,” Rivera said, per the Washington Football Team’s Julie Donaldson. “I think that’s the big mistake, because as far as I’m concerned, you do that for a couple of reasons. One is, you want to get in our head. And so I’ve told our players, ‘That’s interesting; it’s not important. What’s important is our preparation, getting ready to play on Sunday.’ Secondly, he’s trying to convince his team. So, again, I think that’s another mistake. Because he’s now made it about him and what he said. It’s not about his players anymore. So I think that’s a big mistake. That’s why, to me, you don’t do those things. What you do is you focus in, you get ready, and you play football. We show up on Sunday, and we’ll see what happens.”

Rivera may say it’s not about the Cowboys players now. But they say they have no problem with McCarthy putting out there publicly what they all feel anyway.

“I love it. It makes us go harder,” said running back Tony Pollard, who will reportedly be a game-time decision Sunday with a foot injury. “It just shows that he believes in us, he puts his trust in us, and everything he has, he’s behind us all the way. As a team, it just makes you go harder when you know your coaches are out there defending you, keeping your name up, so it’s big.”

“[Expletive], yeah,” quarterback Dak Prescott agreed. “Obviously, if you’re preparing for this game, if you’re a Dallas Cowboy, if you’re a fan, you expect to go in and win each and every game. I don’t think he’s said anything different than everyone in this building’s thoughts; he just voiced it. Now we have to make sure that we’re accountable for our words. I think that’s all that is, the coach setting the tone for the week. His first day back, making sure everybody understands where his mind is and where this team’s mindset is.”

Cornerback Trevon Diggs expects an afternoon of “smash-mouth football.”

“I feel like everybody knows the importance of this game,” Diggs said Thursday. “Everybody knows the importance of the situation. And that’s always the mindset every week, for us to win. So I wouldn’t expect him to say we’re going to lose.”

By Friday, McCarthy wasn’t interested in spending any real time talking about his comments… or Rivera’s criticism of them.

“Context is important, and I think sometimes that gets lost, ” he said in Friday’s presser. “But it’s irrelevant what anybody thinks- anybody thinks- about what I said in here yesterday. I was talking about my team. I can always coach my own team. And that’s where I’m at with it. We have great confidence in what we’re trying to do. It was an honest answer to a question.”

McCarthy’s prediction was a stronger-than-usual statement, though, when compared with the cliched coachspeak that fans and media have become accustomed- and often conditioned- to.

But even if it’s braggadocio-laced bulletin-board material, it doesn’t concern McCarthy’s boss in the slightest.

“I don’t get hung up on the bit about the guarantee. That should be his attitude. He expects to win. He thinks we will win. I expect that. I would be shocked if he couldn’t make that kind of statement,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Friday. “Having said that, I’ll tell you what: He’s raring and ready. He’s been penned up, and that’s reflected in his demeanor as well as how he’s articulating his feelings.”

They’re the feelings of many a Cowboys fan this week. After a very strong September and undefeated October- even through a slew of missed games by key starters- Dallas won just one of four November tilts. Now with a seemingly-mostly-healthy roster, they enter the final stretch of games that will determine the division, and the first test will be against their most hated rival, who comes in on a somewhat unlikely four-game winning streak.

But while the stakes are plenty high as it is, it’s also Dallas-Washington. So for every bit of pregame back-and-forth to be magnified, well, that’s just to be expected.

“We as a franchise, we as the Cowboys, we put it out there. And we know we do,” Jones said. “We ask folks to look at us, be interested in us, follow us. We know a bunch of people look at us because they’d like to see us lose. That’s sport. That creates the excitement, the reason I’m in it, and the reason we are engaged. And so yes, the answer is: I like all of this kind of additional color to the interest in the game. Of course, you really don’t have to color this game. It has everything going for it. Much at stake. It’s right here at the right time. This is the fourth quarter that we’re in, of the year. Football is at its absolute apex, and we’re sitting here basically fighting, literally, for the marbles, and we need to win this game.”

Perhaps it’s not a surprise then, that one of McCarthy’s first actions when he returned to the team was to show them a video compilation highlighting the historical significance of the club’s longstanding history with Washington.

But if he’s making no bones about his own mindset, that he expects to come away with a victory, then maybe it really is- as they so often say in coachspeak- just another game.

“I mean, what am I supposed to say?” McCarthy laughed when asked on Thursday. “Yeah, we fully- I fully- expect to win every game I’ve ever competed in. I mean, that’s what sports is all about. That’s what the NFL is. Trust me, I understand how hard it is. They’re working hard, we’re working hard. But we’re clearly planning on going to Washington to win the game.”

No bulletin-board material required.

Even if he himself accidentally provided plenty of it.

“I don’t spend any time on it, frankly,” the coach explained to the room full of reporters. “With respect to your jobs, I think it’s a waste of your time. I think if we have to worry about print and things like that–  I’m more focused on the real stuff. I think it’s important you go through the week to identify how the opponent’s going to play you, the things you’re expecting. But by Friday, they’re just blank faces to me.”

They’re just blank faces to me.

Call it one last addition for the Washington bulletin board.

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Cowboys RB Tony Pollard misses practice with foot injury, Elliott’s knee ‘progressing’

Tony Pollard was a DNP after a foot injury kept him limited to rehab work; Ezekiel Elliott says his knee is “progressing” and plans to play. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys fans have gotten accustomed to seeing lead running back Ezekiel Elliott hobble around as he tries to play through a knee injury that has bothered him for two months. The hope was that the team’s mini-bye would provide him ample time to rest up before the all-important final five-game stretch of the season that will decide the division.

Elliott was indeed a full participant in the team’s Wednesday work session, but it was change-of-pace back Tony Pollard who was off to the side rehabbing with trainers and showing up as a DNP on the day’s practice report.

Pollard is said to have a foot injury, though Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports in a tweet that “there doesn’t appear to be any long-term concern” about the issue heading into Sunday’s clash with rival Washington. “He’s fine,” Gehlken’s source told him.

Head coach Mike McCarthy praised the third-year Memphis product for his performance this season.

“Consistency,” McCarthy summarized for reporters in a conference call Wednesday. “I think Tony has definitely established a running style, a play style that he’s extremely consistent with. His vertical-cut run style has been extremely productive, both on offense and in special teams. But I’d say probably the biggest thing I see from Tony from last year to this year is just that he’s playing with unbelievable confidence. He’s obviously very comfortable schematically with what we’re asking him to do. He’s playing with tremendous confidence.”

But an apparently-new foot injury for the explosive Pollard, coupled with an already-gimpy Elliott, casts a bit more light on the team’s decision to sign veteran rusher Ito Smith to the practice squad Wednesday.

Elliott, however, who has maintained that his knee injury has not been a significant issue beyond “soreness,” says he’s more than ready to go- and stay in- versus Washington.

“They’re going to have to drag me off the field,” Elliott said in a press conference after practice.

Elliott had an MRI after last week’s game at the Saints to check the status of his knee. The test brought good news.

“It just showed that it’s progressing and it’s getting better,” Elliott said. “Playing on it is not going to make it worse.”

The injury had previously been called “a bone bruise,” though that now seems to not be the case. Elliott himself had compared the in-game flare-ups he was experiencing to stubbing a toe and having to loosen it up. That’s something that may be more difficult to do this weekend, with gametime temperatures in the D.C. area expected to be in the 40s.

“Yeah, it’s a little harder to warm up outside. But [at] the outdoor games, you get the heated benches, so it’s a little warmer on the sidelines,” he said. “Maybe at the beginning, it’ll be a little stiff, but once the game goes on, I’ll be able to put a little heat on it.”

Elliott has totaled 765 rushing yards on the season, but has not topped 100 in a game since Week 5. Pollard has 602 yards, is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and has logged the Cowboys’ two longest plays of the season over the past two games. Depth rusher Corey Clement has nine carries for 20 yards in 2021.

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Cowboys’ Randy Gregory’s practice window opens; aiming to play Sunday

Randy Gregory has missed 4 games, but could return to action this Sunday, joining DeMarcus Lawrence for the first time since Week 1. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The 21-day clock has started for Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory. But he may not need nearly that long.

The team’s second-place sackmaster was designated for a return from injury on Wednesday after missing four games with a calf strain. But instead of taking a slow and cautious approach with a gradual return to action, Gregory was set to practice in full on his first day back, with an eye toward playing this Sunday in Washington.

If it happens, it will be the first time that Gregory and fellow defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence have been on the field together since Week 1. Lawrence missed 10 games following the season opener with a foot fracture and rejoined the defense in the club’s most recent game.

Second-year defensive tackle Neville Gallimore was also scheduled to participate in Wednesday’s session. He started the season on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow; his 21-day practice window started Nov. 29. He is also likely to return to the field versus Washington in a key NFC showdown.

“I’m going to freeze it in time as far as this season is concerned,” team owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan when asked about finally having Gregory, Lawrence, and Gallimore in the huddle together. “When all three of them are out there on the same time, and all three of them have a play where they’ve- all three of them- ‘got their hands down,’ but all three of them are in a pressure call or a pressure situation on defense, that’s going to be one that I want a picture of and I want to freeze it for a long time.”

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Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy to return to team Thursday for final WFT prep

The coach spent the full 10 days away with symptoms he described as “more than a cold,” but he’ll be in early Thursday to prep for Sunday. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys’ head coach will back in the building. Just as soon as he possibly can be.

Mike McCarthy has cleared COVID protocols and is set to make his return to work on Thursday. McCarthy spent the full mandated 10 days in isolation and missed the team’s Week 13 win in New Orleans. But now he’ll rejoin the club at The Star in Frisco just in time for final preparations for a key NFC East showdown in Washington this Sunday.

“The protocol experience has been an education, to say the least, but I feel great. I’m ready to go,” McCarthy said, per ESPN. “Frankly, I think it’s more of a technicality with the testing process that’s keeping me out the full 10 days. So my arrival will be first thing in the morning. Actually, I think I might go at midnight, 12:01 tonight.”

McCarthy has been living at a hotel since the day after Thanksgiving. Several of his family members have still contracted the virus, so he will extend his stay a while longer.

“We just want to make sure we get our home space 100% clear before we have everybody back at the house,” he said.

The Cowboys have had a slew of coaches and players on the COVID list recently. Four players and five coaching staff members were taken off the watchlist on Tuesday. Only rookie cornerback Nahshon Wright remains out; he is expected to be cleared on Friday.

The team as a whole will be trying to get back to normal after the mini-outbreak. The facility’s weight room reopened just last week, players can now eat meals at the facility, and meetings will once again be in-person following a brief return to Zoom.

“I’m just thankful that it is behind me and, frankly, I can get back to my job full-time,” McCarthy continued. “It’s a challenge, definitely, not being there every day, especially with what’s right in front of us, the Washington challenge. I’ll definitely look at it as a silver lining as, obviously, I don’t have to deal with [testing] for the next 90 days.”

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