Tag: 2023 Season Week 1

Cowboys’ blocked FG ‘shut the lights out on’ Giants; Juanyeh Thomas knew it was coming

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 2022 UDFA said CJ Goodwin told him he’d have a chance at a block; Thomas was one of several young Cowboys players who stepped up big.

Noah Igbinoghene scored the Cowboys’ first points of the season. Markquese Bell led the team in tackles on opening night in primetime. KaVontae Turpin rolled the scoreboard over to a fortyburger.

Not exactly household names to the casual Sunday Night Football viewer who tuned in hoping to see fantasy-type numbers from the likes of Prescott, Pollard, and Lamb. But the contribution of the team’s lesser-known players may turn out to be the key to getting the whole squad- superstars and all- over the hump in 2023.

They sure were in Week 1.

“We had a number of young guys who played big,” McCarthy told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I’m just really thrilled to see our young guys. They’re ready, and you can see it here, just in our first game. I thought we had a lot of production from our young players.”

None made a bigger splash than safety Juanyeh Thomas, whose blocked field goal not only ended the Giants’ opening possession but put the live ball on the turf, where the aforementioned Igbinoghene scooped it up and raced toward the end zone, 58 yards away.

Thomas also provided a key block on New York kicker Graham Gano, sending him under the wheels of holder Jamie Gillan and ultimately freeing Igbinoghene to score.

Incredibly, the undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who spent the 2022 season on the Dallas practice squad said he had a feeling he’d have the chance to do something special in front of a nationwide audience.

“[Special teams ace] CJ Goodwin told me before the game that it was going to be open,” Thomas explained to reporters when asked about his first batted kick since high school. “So as soon as I saw it, I jumped right through and just blocked it.”

It was a massive play to start the game, triggering a Dallas avalanche that quickly turned into a blowout and ended with the biggest shutout win in Cowboys franchise history.

“It was definitely huge for us,” DeMarcus Lawrence agreed following the 40-0 victory. “I feel like their offense came out strong, they were driving the ball real well. Once we got that turnover, it feels like we shut the lights out on them.”

The big moment- and a strong performance the rest of the night- may have shined a new light on Thomas, a 23-year-old Florida native who is looking to make an impact among a talented group of Cowboys defensive backs.

“Juanyeh came in this camp, really balled out during camp, all preseason. And now he’s coming in and making big plays for this team,” linebacker Micah Parsons said at his locker. “The more he keeps growing, the more he’s going to keep making a name for himself.”

Thomas got the start Sunday due to the absence of Donovan Wilson, who is nursing a calf injury. But Parsons says Thomas and the rest of the Cowboys’ newer players have readily adopted the next-man-up mentality that they know could put any of them on the field at any moment, where they’ll be expected to show out just like a starter.

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“That’s the standard,” Parsons explained, “I think since I came in, there was no dropoff. We were like, ‘We need guys to come in and compete.’ And we all share our wisdom, push each other to get better. We stay on each other, whether you’re a first-year guy, a 10-year guy, a fifth-year guy; it doesn’t matter. I think everyone has the same standard and the same commitment.”

And the veterans definitely notice when the pups show they have the bite to match their bark.

“That’s a bunch of dogs,” safety Jayron Kearse said. “There’s really not much to say about it. It’s just a bunch of dogs. You see it on film. When you turn the tape on, from the top to the bottom, we’ve got guys that are going to get after it. I’m proud of my young guys.”

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Tony Pollard says Cowboys’ run game ready to ‘keep getting better’ after 3-TD night

From @ToddBrock24f7: Weather helped dictate a ground-heavy attack in New York on Sunday night, but Pollard says the Cowboys ballcarriers are just getting going.

Mike McCarthy said he wanted to run the damn ball this year, and Mother Nature gave him a good excuse to do so on opening night.

The Cowboys’ first game of the season was a soggy affair in the Meadowlands, but the rain didn’t seem to put any sort of damper on the Dallas offense in its first official outing with McCarthy calling the plays. A ground-heavy game plan saw the Cowboys run the ball 30 times compared to just 25 throws. More important, though, were the three rushing touchdowns that contributed to the team’s 40-0 routing of the divisional rival Giants.

Tony Pollard logged 70 yards on 14 carries, finding the end zone twice. Rico Dowdle, KaVontae Turpin, and Deuce Vaughn had another 15 carries split among them; quarterback Dak Prescott had a run of his own in a deliberately-diversified ground attack.

“I loved what we were calling on offense,” said Pollard in his first game as the Cowboys’ lead back. “I loved the flow of everything, how everything was going.”

For Pollard, it was also his first action since suffering a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain in January’s playoff loss. After a night that included a 25-yard pickup and also a 12-yard run, both Pollard and his head coach felt confident that he was fully back and ready to pick up where he left off after his first 1,000-yard campaign last year.

“You could really feel Tony the last couple weeks, like in the 9-on-7s and the team runs. So you knew he was back,” McCarthy told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I thought he did some really good things.”

“I felt great out there,” Pollard agreed. “I felt I could have had a little bit more. I’m ready to keep going, keep getting better as we keep going into the season.”

But McCarthy was also mindful about getting others involved, including using Turpin, listed as a wide receiver and used primarily as a return man, for several backfield carries, one of which he blasted in for his first NFL touchdown.

“I wanted that. I had to get in there,” laughed the 153-pound Turpin about lowering his shoulder to get the score.

“I’m a playmaker; that’s what I came here to do. … I’m just glad they gave me a chance to come out here and take advantage of my opportunities.”

McCarthy has yet to really unleash the speedy Turpin as a receiver, but he hinted that he’s saving it for now, trying to keep opposing defenses guessing.

“I promise you we have some passes out of those personnels,” the coach told reporters. “It was a conscious effort just trying to get [Turpin] the football, and we definitely want to get Deuce involved, too. It’s a long year.”

Vaughn, the 5-foot-5-inch rookie, didn’t find much room to maneuver in his debut, gaining just eight yards on six tries, but he knows his time will be coming, too, in an offense that promises chances for everyone.

“It’s super exciting for us as an offense, for myself, for Turp. You saw Turp get in the end zone; that was big for him, especially being his first one,” Vaughn said at his locker after the win. “Having several packages, things like that, whenever my name is called, I’ll be ready to go, and I feel like it’s huge for our offense.”

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On the whole, the Cowboys offense didn’t have to be huge in their Big Apple visit. Seeing the special teams and defense get to the end zone before they did allowed McCarthy to play things very methodically on offense, and a stifling defense ensured that Prescott & Co. never had to press the issue in weather that, at times, was downright torrential.

But they proved ready for that, too.

“We did wet ball drills three times this week,” McCarthy explained. “We had the buckets out pre- and post-practice. And then [we] hit it again before we left Saturday. We were ready for it from a prep standpoint.”

Though he lost the handle on one ball, Pollard said the extra preparation “definitely helped.” And it will help later in the season when the conditions will become even more of a factor in places like Philadelphia and Buffalo.

“The weather isn’t always going to be on your side,” Pollard said.

The Cowboys looked plenty prepped for whatever the weatherman- and the Giants- had in store for them in Week 1.

And being prepared to handle the long haul is something Pollard says he and his teammates have been doing all spring and summer.

“The hard work that we put in is paying off, but it’s just one game,” Pollard added. “We’ve got a long way to go, so we’re just going to keep getting better.”

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Studs & Duds: Cowboys defense takes starring role in Big Apple blowout

From @ToddBrock24f7: After the biggest shutout win in team history, it’s no surprise that the studs were to be found on the defensive side of the ball.

It’s hard to imagine a more encouraging start to the 2023 regular season than the biggest shutout victory in franchise history. The Cowboys’ 40-0 shellacking of the Giants should put to bed any questions about whether Dan Quinn’s defense would be able to remain in the league’s top tier (spoiler alert: they actually seem to have gotten better) and also should have shown enough of a peek of Mike McCarthy’s streamlined offense to calm any fears about that experiment being an abject failure.

Several Cowboys players stood out from the pack during Sunday night’s fireworks show at a soggy MetLife Stadium. And while it’s nitpicking to label anyone an underachiever after an overwhelming team performance like that, there were a few individuals who will want to clean things up before next week’s date with the Jets.

Here’s a look at your studs and duds, relatively speaking, from Week 1’s Big Apple blowout.

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Cowboys RB coach Jeff Blasko on ‘health leave of absence’ just prior to season opener

From @ToddBrock24f7: Jeff Blasko’s first official game as Cowboys RB coach will have to wait; the team’s other offensive staff will handle his duties in Week 1.

Amid several high-profile Cowboys players showing up on the injury report for the 2023 season opener against the Giants, the team will also be scrambling to deal with the temporary loss of one of its assistant coaches.

Jeff Blasko, the Cowboys running backs coach, is on a “health leave of absence,” according to the team. This is Blasko’s fourth year on staff in Dallas but his first as RB coach.

Blasko did not travel with the team to New York. The Cowboys announced via the injury report that “his coaching duties will be shared by the offensive staff.”

Patrik Walker of the DallasCowboys.com crew said in a post, “I expect Mike Solari and Brian Schottenheimer to take the lead there.” Both are veteran coaches in the league with plenty of professional football experience, but it’s worth noting that they’re both already in brand-new roles themselves for 2023.

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Solari’s regular job as OL coach will be further complicated in Week 1 by recent injuries sustained by starting left tackle Tyron Smith and starting left guard Tyler Smith. The Cowboys are thin behind them; Brock Hoffman was elevated from the practice squad and may be pressed into service against the Giants as a result.

Week 1 will be Schottenheimer’s debut as Cowboys OC with the full complement of his starting playmakers. Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb and others will get their first game snaps on Sunday night after being held back for the entirety of the preseason schedule.

Now it looks like they’ll also be juggling Pollard’s first game as the Cowboys’ lead back on a very important and tone-setting night. Pollard will make his return from a brutal leg injury suffered in January’s playoff loss, and the team will be navigating the new workshare of Pollard’s backfield mates Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke.

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Cowboys make late add to injury report; Malik Hooker says he’ll ‘absolutely’ go

From @ToddBrock24f7: Hooker was added to the report with an unspecified illness but is expected to play. The safety himself confirmed it with a famous GIF.

Cowboys safety Malik Hooker was a very late add to the team’s Week 1 injury report, showing up Saturday afternoon with an unspecified illness designation that left him classified as questionable to play.

On the surface, that news would be quite concerning, considering that fellow safety Donovan Wilson is already listed as doubtful for the season opener against the Giants.

Nevertheless, the team called the move “procedural,” stating that Hooker, the seventh-year veteran, was still expected to go versus the divisional rivals from New York.

Hooker himself made a more ironclad promise to Cowboys fans via social media.

The GIF, of course, comes from Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, when Bulls superstar Michael Jordan played through a nasty bout of… something… to score 38 points in 44 minutes, including the tie-breaking three-pointer in the waning seconds. His heroic performance in the win has gone down in history as “The Flu Game,” although it’s been revealed recently that it was more likely a case of food poisoning.

Either way, it’s become the go-to inspiration for every athlete who’s feeling under the weather on gameday yet hopes to soldier on and help deliver a win anyway.

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Hooker left no doubt about the meaning of his post shortly thereafter.

“Absolutely” was his one-word response to Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken’s post in which Gehlken offered, “Have a feeling we’ll see Cowboys S Malik Hooker on Sunday night…”

In a bit of fortuitous scheduling, the Cowboys’ primetime Sunday night kickoff even gives MH several extra hours to rest up and channel his inner MJ.

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Giants TE Darren Waller listed as questionable for Week 1 Cowboys clash

From @ToddBrock24f7: The big-bodied tight end was expected to revamp the Giants’ passing game, but a hamstring issue may keep him sidelined on Sunday.

The Giants could be without the top receiving target for quarterback Daniel Jones when the Cowboys come to call on Sunday, though reports are he’ll be able to play.

Tight end Darren Waller was a surprise add to Friday’s injury report, listed as questionable for Week 1’s divisional game with a hamstring issue. He participated on a limited basis in the team’s final practice of the week.

While some reports out of the Giants’ camp say the team isn’t overly concerned about Waller’s availability come gametime, his absence would put a major crimp in New York’s plan to air out the ball and subsequently allow the Cowboys defense to lean into shutting down Saquon Barkley and the run.

The 6-foot-6-inch Waller had apparently been experiencing tightness in his hamstring over multiple days and did not necessarily suffer an injury on a single play in practice.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also reports that the injury is “not believed to be serious.” The hope is that Waller will be able to go versus Dallas.

There are high expectations for Waller in New York; the former sixth-round draft pick was acquired via trade for the cost of a third-rounder and spent the summer developing a promising connection with Jones.

“He’s a big target,” the quarterback said per Giants Wire. “He runs good routes, creates separation, he’s an easy guy to find. So, yeah, he’s a talented player, smart guy, understands defense, understands where we’re trying to use him and how to get open. He’s extremely versatile.”

But he’s only a threat if he’s on the field. Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager are the other tight ends on New York’s active roster. Tyree Jackson and rookie Ryan Jones are on the practice squad.

Over an eight-year NFL career with the Ravens and Raiders, Waller has played in 74 games, amassing 3,572 yards and 19 touchdowns on 298 catches. He lost a large chunk of his 2015 rookie season to a hamstring injury, and missed some time last year with another hamstring strain.

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Cowboys’ Parsons eager to face PSU friend Saquon Barkley: ‘Everyone gets the same smoke’

From @ToddBrock24f7: Barkley has never beaten the Cowboys in 8 tries, but Parsons isn’t underestimating his “big brother” or the much-improved Giants in Week 1.

The lengths that Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons went to in his offseason (and off-site) workouts looking to up his game and his weight are well-documented, but he wasn’t the only one.

Giants running back Saquon Barkley took a similar approach to get opposite results on the scale, putting in time with his trainer in Arizona and dropping five or six pounds from his frame. The hope is it will help his speed and effectiveness in the New York passing game in 2023.

“I want to take it to a whole other level and be special,” Barkley said.

Sounds a lot like the bulked-up Parsons, who had this to say to reporters this week at The Star:

“My mindset is always that we’re the best D-line in the world. And each week, each Sunday, you’ve got a chance to go out there and perform and show why you’re the best in the world.”

On Sunday, the two heat-seeking missiles will clash- quite literally- at MetLife Stadium when the Cowboys and Giants renew their division rivalry to kick off their 2023 schedules.

Barkley is coming off a year that saw him turn in career-bests in carries and rushing yards, in a 16-game effort that marked his first injury-free season since his rookie campaign of 2018.

But Barkley and the Giants were unable to reach a long-term contract deal over the offseason, meaning the back will play 2023 on a one-year franchise tag. The 26-year-old says he’s moved on, but he admits there’s a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

“My back is against the wall again,” he told ESPN. “I have to go out there and prove it. I’m going to go out there and play my heart out, compete at a high level, do what I do best, not just for myself but for my teammates.”

But he’ll have to start that journey against an old friend.

Parsons and Barkley caught up last weekend at their alma mater’s football opener.

“We talked a good amount about it,” Parsons admitted. “He’s excited; he’s talking about his new running style, how he’s going back to the ‘Penn State Saquon,’ things like that. But we both know it’s all love at the end of the day. He’s like a big brother to me. He’s a big reason why I committed to Penn State, and I’m always looking forward to playing him.”

Parsons may have more reason to look forward to it than Barkley, who is 0-8 lifetime against the Cowboys in his NFL career.

He’s done damage, though, compiling a 4.88 yards-per-carry average and adding another 7-plus yards per reception in those matchups.

But while Parsons has never lost to the Giants, he’s not looking past this installment of the traditional series.

“I really don’t focus on last year because everyone has the same opportunity as me to get better. I’m pretty sure their guys over there got better,” Parsons offered.

“The Giants aren’t just a walkover team. I think they put together a great offseason, just like we did. They’ve got great guys who they already had, and the rivalry just makes it so much harder.”

In fact, with expectations for both clubs sky-high following playoff appearances last year, Parsons maintains that this early-season NFC East grudge match will carry even more juice than usual.

“This is like a Super Bowl.”

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And that may help explain why the third-year veteran, already among the faces of the league and one of the top defensive players in the sport, might be feeling a slight case of the jitters leading into Sunday night’s kickoff.

“I’m just super exited to get to Sunday,” Parsons explained. “A little anxious, obviously, not being able to get my feet wet yet like some other guys. But ready to just get my hands on and let it loose.”

And once he gets past the pre-game handshakes, the fact that his “big brother” will be trying to ram the ball down his throat won’t matter at all.

“Everyone gets the same smoke,” Parsons promised. “It doesn’t matter if we’re in Wisconsin, if we’re in Boston: I’m treating everybody the same.”

So if No. 11 gets a direct shot at his old friend in the open field come Sunday night in New York, Barkley may wish he had those five or six pounds back at the moment of impact.

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Here’s how it hits the fan for the Cowboys against the Giants in Week 1

The Cowboys are road faves, but there’s clearly a path to victory for the Giants on Sunday night. Here’s what Dallas has to guard against. | From @cdpiglet

Cowboys Nation is already writing the headlines for Week 1 of the 2023 season. The Dallas Cowboys get an opening week victory over the New York Giants just like they have 10 of the last 11 times they opened the season against this rival. Dak Prescott owns the NFC East, including 10 straight over New York, but this year, things could change.

Two seasons ago, the Philadelphia Eagles snuck into the playoffs with a record of 9-8. They were wiped out in the playoffs and looked like they didn’t belong, with the main question being about their young QB. The team added a few pieces, created an offense around their young QB, and went to the Super Bowl the following season.

Daniel Jones is similar to Jalen Hurts from 2021. Both had good mobility, but question marks as a passer. The team brought in a top-tier pass catcher in Darren Waller and drafted deep-threat receiver Jalin Hyatt, to take the top off opposing defenses. They have possibly the best four-person defensive line in the league and a young, skilled defensive back group that will look to make plays, knowing their pass rush is going after opposing quarterbacks.

Dallas must be prepared for a well-coached, talented team who is tired of hearing how the Cowboys and Prescott own them. Here is what the Cowboys need to worry about to avoid an upset loss in Week 1.

Here’s 3 keys to a Cowboys’ victory over the Giants in Week 1

Making sure to exploit these perceived talent advantages is the easiest path to victory for the Cowboys on Sunday. | From @cdpiglet

The Dallas Cowboys will finally play a game that counts in the record books  Sunday night, as they face off against a familiar foe in the New York Giants. After a long offseason of savvy improvements, it’s time to test what has been tweaked and changed. The front office has moved to keep the team together and improve their weaknesses from 2022.

Now, it is on the players and coaches to do their part to bring the sixth Super Bowl victory to Cowboys Nation, and it begins at MetLife Stadium. Can Mike McCarthy calling offensive plays improve their situational performance? Can quarterback Dak Prescott protect the ball better than last year? Just how great can this defense be? How will they piece together the offensive line when the inevitable injuries occur?

These questions could take most of the season to answer, but what does Week 1 hold for the Cowboys? Here is a look at how the matchups could be exploited to ensure a Cowboys victory Sunday night.

 

Power Rankings Roundup: Cowboys certified top 10, but opinions vary

A look at 11 different power rankings ahead of the season openers and where they see Dallas fitting in the picture. | From @KDDrummondNFL

How good will the Dallas Cowboys be in 2023? That’s the question on the minds of every fan of Cowboys Nation as the new season approaches. The NFL season kicks off with the Detroit Lions and world-champion Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, and Dallas gets going on Sunday night when they travel to New York.

The Chiefs are universally considered the favorites to go back to the Super Bowl, but opinions vary beyond them. Dallas is generally considered one of the three best teams in the NFC, but where they rank overall seems to depend on how good the analyst thinks the AFC field is. Everyone considers Dallas a top-10 team, but no one has them in the top five. There are even a couple of outlets who are predicting Dallas to go to the Super Bowl but ranked them as low as 10th.

If you want to document just where opinions on Dallas sat to begin the season, here’s your rundown of the Week 1 Power Rankings.