Tag: 2023 season Week 17

3 major takeaways from Cowboys undefeated home slate

Complimentary football, a compliment to Lamb are major needs as the Cowboys finish off the regular season. | From @cdpiglet

The contest was much closer than the Dallas Cowboys are used to in home games, but their victory over the Detroit Lions means they ended the 2023 season undefeated at AT&T Stadium. Controversy aside, Dallas is the only team to go undefeated at home, and they are now in first place in the NFC East and will be the number two seed if they beat the Washington Commanders next week.

The Cowboys can look at the season in totality and see plenty of positives. Dak Prescott is a top-end MVP candidate and a possible First-Team All-Pro quarterback. CeeDee Lamb is in contention for offensive player of the year and is a likely All-Pro receiver. Tyron Smith has been mostly healthy and is still one of the top left tackles in the league. The defense still has a great pass rush and is excellent at causing turnovers.

A closer look would show plenty of issues that no team would want heading into the playoffs. With only one week left in the regular season and Dallas with a chance to be anywhere from the second to the fifth seed, the major takeaways from this game are focused on improvements going forward.

Cooks cooking, Jourdan Lewis’ olympic dive among Cowboys key Week 17 moments

From @ToddBrock24f7: It wasn’t just the obvious plays or usual stars that told the story of Dallas’ 20-19 win. Jourdan Lewis and Brandin Cooks were huge, too.

Saturday’s thriller at AT&T provided no shortage of plays that have been relentlessly discussed and will still be talked about for quite some time. But the Cowboys’ 20-19 win was about far more than just a bizarre tackle-eligible snafu in the closing seconds.

One can’t recap the Week 17 nailbiter without also including several other key moments; like the phantom tripping call against Peyton Hendershot, the 92-yard bomb to CeeDee Lamb, several overly-aggressive play calls by Detroit head coach Dan Campbell, and multiple big stops from Dan Quinn’s Cowboys defense.

Dive a little deeper, and there are still more plays that help tell the full story.

In this edition of 4 Downs, we look at how a Mike McCarthy decision, a clutch takeaway from an especially-motivated veteran, a field-flipping highlight (and the ensuing defensive response), and a routine sideline catch (that was anything but) were just as critical to the Cowboys’ dramatic win as any last-minute two-point try… and re-try and re-re-try.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Good, Bad, Ugly: Cowboys win despite missed opportunities, run-game failures, clock issues

From @ToddBrock24f7: The end result brought a sigh of relief, but the Cowboys’ 20-19 win was plagued by some troubling issues as a postseason appearance looms.

The Cowboys won, but barely. Saturday night’s 20-19 thriller may have provided tons of drama for football fans, but it also gave the Cowboys plenty to address (and their fans even more to be concerned about) as they look ahead to the playoffs.

Sure, there was much to celebrate after the star-studded night that saw Jimmy Johnson enter the Ring of Honor. CeeDee Lamb had a record-setting night in front of the franchise’s legends, and Dak Prescott turned in another magnificent performance. Defensive veterans DeMarcus Lawrence and Jourdan Lewis put on a clinic, and Brandon Aubrey continues to be the best roster addition the club has made in some time.

But the team’s self-scout is going to be long and involved after this one. The Dallas running game looks to be in serious trouble, the defense’s soft coverages almost cost them big-time, and Mike McCarthy’s play-calling continues to confound in key situations. Add in more clock management snafus, getting torched on another fake punt, and ill-timed turnovers that kept points off the scoreboard and the visitors in the game, and there’s suddenly a good deal of bad and ugly to parse out after a very welcome win.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

CeeDee Lamb selected for drug test after monster performance in Cowboys win

From @ToddBrock24f7: After a night that saw him break franchise records and set new career highs, the WR was ordered by the league to submit to a drug test.

Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb had a monster performance in Week 17, establishing two new franchise records and logging career-best numbers in multiple categories in a 20-19 Dallas win.

The NFL apparently wondered if there was more to it than Lamb’s natural talent.

Lamb took to social media late Saturday night to share a notice he received from the league immediately after the game, ordering the 24-year-old to submit to a supposedly-random test for performance-enhancing substances.

Lamb recorded 13 receptions for 227 yards, both new single-game highs for the fourth-year man out of Oklahoma. His 17 targets tied his single-outing best, a mark he set just a month prior in a win over Seattle.

And he did it while setting new Cowboys franchise records for most receptions (122) and most receiving yards (1,651) in a season. He outdid three-time Super Bowl champ and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin in both categories. Irvin, who set those marks during his 1995 campaign, was on hand at AT&T Stadium to help celebrate former coach Jimmy Johnson’s induction into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Numerous single-season records have fallen around the league since the regular season was expanded to 17 games in 2021, giving players one extra opportunity to compile stats. What makes Lamb’s record-setting season all the more impressive, though, is that he surpassed Irvin in 16 games, the same number of outings the Playmaker had in ’95.

“I told you I’d enjoy it more if we won,” Lamb told reporters after the game went final. “That we did.”

And Lamb no doubt went on to enjoy the thrilling record-setting win as promised. Even if it also meant producing a urine sample.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hjs76ez7fzgbb54kv6 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hjs76ez7fzgbb54kv6/01hjs76ez7fzgbb54kv6-54fb39aa7b0378e2762ecf695005a74f.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys OL Tyler Smith suffers plantar fascia tear, may still play in postseason

From @ToddBrock24f7: The second-year lineman completely tore his plantar fascia, but that may actually be preferable to a partial tear in terms of recovery.

The Cowboys offensive line was dealt a blow on Saturday when second-year man Tyler Smith left the game late in the third quarter. He appeared to have suffered a foot injury of some sort, and after some time in the sideline medical tent, Smith was seen warming up as if he might go back in.

The left guard did not return, though, and T.J. Bass replaced him for the remainder of the Cowboys’ 20-19 win.

Now word comes early Sunday from NFL insider Ian Rapoport that Smith completely tore the plantar fascia of his left foot. And although it sounds excruciating, the lineman’s prognosis moving forward may not be all that dire.

Smith reportedly said after the game that he felt he could have played on. He’s scheduled to get further testing on Sunday to determine what the tear means for his availability.

There is a chance that the 22-year-old won’t miss significant time, and he reportedly could even play through the injury starting with next weekend’s regular-season finale versus Washington.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Smith missed Weeks 1 and 2 with a hamstring injury. Fellow linemen Tyron Smith and Zack Martin have also dealt with injures this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hjrjhswgc02d5fz76a playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hjrjhswgc02d5fz76a/01hjrjhswgc02d5fz76a-011b0eaa414cd9e8b359db4214725d49.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

CeeDee Lamb’s historic exploits carry Cowboys’ offense to Week 17 win

A look at CeeDee Lamb’s historic night, and the Cowboys needed every one of his yards to pull out the victory. | From @TimLettiero

The Dallas Cowboys desperately needed a bounce-back win after a painstaking past two weeks. After falling in two consecutive road games, they took on the hungry Detroit Lions at home, looking to extend their chances at the NFC East crown and keep the home winning streak alive. Controversially, they got the job done.

With a final score of 20-19, neither team ever felt in control. Both defenses held up extremely well against potent offenses but one offensive performance stood out. QB1 Dak Prescott had a fantastic outing, but it was WR CeeDee Lamb who completely took over the game and the record books.

Lamb broke two Cowboys single-season records in yards and receptions while also recording the longest reception and receiving touchdown since 1965 on his way to a 13-catch, 227-yard with a score, monster of a performance.

It becomes a lot easier to go for over 200 yards when your QB can Houdini his way out of the pocket and connect with you on a 92-yard bomb.

Lamb wasn’t done after this, though. He became Prescott’s go-to target, especially on third downw. Excluding the 92 yarder, the pair hooked up on four of seven targets on the money down, good for 79 yards. This crucial 3rd-and-10 conversion was what put Lamb over 200 yards on the night.

Lamb’s 17 targets tied a season and career high, and the 13 receptions and 227 yards both set personal bests. This was the eighth straight game Lamb has scored a touchdown, the most in the NFL this season, and he’s crossed the goal line 10 times in tthat stretch.

Lamb’s four highest yardage totals in his carer have all happened this season as he has amassed over 150 receiving yards in Weeks 8, 9, 10 and 17.

Lamb has done everything you could as to cement himself as a bonafide WR1 and one of the best receivers in the game.

Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis looks to stay perfect against hometown Lions that passed on drafting him

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Detroit native will host his family Saturday night; most of them are still Lions fans. “It’d be sweet to beat those guys,” he said.

The Detroit Lions have a special place in the heart of Jourdan Lewis, but that won’t keep him from doing all he can to shut down their high-flying passing attack on Saturday night.

The Cowboys cornerback is a Motown native who won back-to-back high school championships at Cass Technical and then starred for the Wolverines at Michigan. So of course, he dreamed about suiting up in Honolulu blue as the 2017 NFL draft approached. But the Lions had other plans, selecting Florida cornerback Teez Tabor in the second round and leaving Lewis for Dallas to grab in the third.

It still hurts, just a little bit.

“When you look at the team that drafted a corner when you were coming up, too, when you were in their backyard,” the seven-year veteran explained this week, “it kind of stings.”

Things have worked out for the 28-year-old as a Cowboy, but getting to face his childhood team always makes things interesting. Lewis says he’s arranged for tickets to this weekend’s game at AT&T Stadium for a rather large contingent of the Lewis family.

“All of them,” he joked. “In multiple sections.”

But surprisingly few of them will be pulling for his Dallas team to win.

“All of them are rooting for the Lions, pretty much. My mother-in law roots for me, my wife, and my mom. That’s probably about it. Everybody else is Detroit fans,” he said. “They were Detroit fans before I was born, so I can’t be mad.”

Having a personal career record of 3-0 against the Lions certainly helps Lewis maintain that attitude.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

But this week, he’ll have to contend with the strongest Detroit squad he’s faced yet. Quarterback Jared Goff leads an air attack that ranks fifth in the league in passing yards and boasts a top-5 receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown. And fresh off securing their first divisional crown in three decades, the Lions would love nothing more than to prove themselves worthy of contender status by knocking off the Cowboys in Dallas in primetime.

“It’s good to see them doing well and one of the NFC challengers, but we’ve definitely got to get a win,” Lewis said. “It’d be sweet to beat those guys.”

It would be doubly sweet for Lewis. who had to overcome a very difficult Lisfranc foot injury just to make the active roster this season. (He suffered the injury making his first pick of 2022, in Week 7… against Detroit.) And although he hasn’t snagged an interception yet in 2023, he’s played in every game, to the tune of two-thirds of the defense’s snaps thus far, and he ranks top-10 in team tackles.

And now that he’s set to become a free agent this offseason, every rep matters all the more.

Even if those reps require him to punish the hometown team that passed on him once upon a time, the team his family will still be cheering for Saturday night.

Maybe Lewis should have made his extended clan pay for their own game tickets?

“I’m not going to do them like that,” Lewis smiled. “Seeing them lose is good enough for me.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hjs76ez7fzgbb54kv6 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hjs76ez7fzgbb54kv6/01hjs76ez7fzgbb54kv6-54fb39aa7b0378e2762ecf695005a74f.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys have decision to make at RB2 with Rico Dowdle out vs Lions

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys are left with very sparse rushing options behind Tony Pollard as the stingy Detroit defense comes to town.

The Cowboys have a big decision to make in their backfield.

They’ll head into Week 17’s showdown with Detroit without running back Rico Dowdle, who on Friday was declared out due to an ankle injury. Dowdle has been the clear-cut No. 2 back all season long, having recorded between two and 12 carries in every game thus far and giving first-year starter Tony Pollard the occasional breather.

Who will now step into that backup role this Saturday is unclear.

Malik Davis is on the practice squad, but the club has already used all three of his game-day elevations. In order for Davis to play this weekend, the Cowboys would have to remove someone else from the 53-man roster to open a spot for him. Davis has yet to touch the ball this season.

Fullback Hunter Luepke is already active. The undrafted rookie has been used sparingly this season but was a key piece of Dallas’s opening drive against Miami, getting four touches in the team’s first 15 plays. But the last one was a costly goal-line fumble, recovered by the Dolphins and immediately changing the complexion of a game the Cowboys went on to lose by two points. Luepke has a total of 19 yards on six rushes; he scored a touchdown in Week 4.

And then there’s Deuce Vaughn. The darling of draft weekend and impressive during training camp, the diminutive Vaughn failed to find any success once regular-season action got underway. He tallied just 38 yards on 21 attempts and added another 30 yards on six receptions over six official appearances, but he’s not been active for a game since Week 10.

One of those men will have to serve as the backup to Pollard against a Lions defensive front that is allowing an average of just 90.6 total rushing yards per game to opponents, the fourth-best mark in the league.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Dowdle has been dealing with the ankle issue for several weeks. He was limited in practice Tuesday but did not participate at all on Wednesday or Thursday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hjrjhswgc02d5fz76a playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hjrjhswgc02d5fz76a/01hjrjhswgc02d5fz76a-011b0eaa414cd9e8b359db4214725d49.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Dan Campbell using Jimmy Johnson’s RoH induction to motivate Lions vs Cowboys

From @ToddBrock24f7: Mike McCarthy enjoys the constant presence of Cowboys history; Dan Campbell will use Jimmy Johnson’s RoH induction to motivate his Lions.

Halftime of this Saturday’s game between the Cowboys and the Lions will feature a moment that’s been 30 years in the making.

The Cowboys will induct former head coach Jimmy Johnson into the Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium three decades after he delivered a pair of Lombardi Trophies to Dallas and subsequently parted ways with owner Jerry Jones.

The 2023 Cowboys, of course, will be intent on taking care of business- notching their 11th win of the season and ending a two-game skid against playoff-caliber teams- but the significance of the ceremony within the framework of the franchise’s history isn’t lost on current coach Mike McCarthy.

“Those are big-picture moments,” McCarthy said Tuesday. “The history and the tradition of the Dallas Cowboys is impeccable.”

“There’s always a tribute to the past. I think it’s important. I think those are the guys that laid the foundation of the success of the Cowboys. I think it’s great when Jerry acknowledges those guys, and you see them around here. It’s part of the spirit and the blessing of being a Dallas Cowboy.”

But perhaps surprisingly, he won’t be the only coach in the building who’s looking forward to watching Johnson’s name become the 24th to grace the stadium’s inner faƧade.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell grew up “a huge Jimmy Johnson fan” in Clifton, Tex. and called being the team’s opponent on such a momentous day “awesome.”

“I feel like that was for us,” he told Detroit media, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

“I’ve always been fascinated with him,” said Campbell, himself a former Cowboys tight end who came to Dallas ten years after Johnson’s 1993 exit. “His style, the way he coached, what he was about, the way he built that roster. The way they played. And I just, I think heā€™s special. I think heā€™s one of these rare special coaches.”

Campbell won’t be star-struck, though; he’ll be looking for his high-flying Detroit squad to spoil the Cowboys celebration. Just crowned divisional champs for the first time since Johnson’s final year in Dallas, the Lions are still in play to capture the NFC’s top seed, but they have to win out to mathematically have even a chance.

Being there the night the Cowboys honor Johnson will be a part of Campbell’s message to his players, he says, ”cause I respect the hell out of the man.”

“To me, itā€™s like an honor that we get to go out there, cause thatā€™s what I think of,” he said. “Obviously, our team, man, a chance to get a win, but do something that heā€™d be proud of. He can watch us play and be like, ‘I like that style. I approve of that.’ So I think itā€™s pretty cool.”

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

McCarthy is also looking forward to welcoming Johnson. The two spent some time together in Florida earlier this year, McCarthy said, and even went out on Johnson’s boat. While on the water, the Hall of Fame coach shared a couple beers (Troy Aikman’s EIGHT brand, naturally) and even a little advice on helming America’s Team.

“He sure did,” McCarthy smiled. “He sure did. It was all good.”

And it will be even better if Johnson’s auspicious night also brings a vintage Cowboys victory reminiscent of the coach’s dynasty years.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hjkm3g68dmqnvdkey6 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hjkm3g68dmqnvdkey6/01hjkm3g68dmqnvdkey6-a3794302c2b2b46604fbda13ecec3f5c.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys’ Jerry Jones hopeful Tyron Smith can return vs ferocious Lions D

From @ToddBrock24f7: With a Detroit defense on tap that’s nearly as fierce as Miami’s, the Cowboys would love to have their All-Pro left tackle back in the mix.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense clearly missed Tyron Smith on Sunday. With their veteran left tackle sidelined by a back injury suffered the week prior, the Dallas offensive line allowed Prescott to be sacked four times by the Dolphins defense in a 22-20 loss.

But sacks never tell the whole story, and they didn’t in Miami either, as Prescott was under near-constant pressure, taking another 12 official hits over the course of the game.

Prescott nevertheless managed over 250 passing yards and two touchdown throws and had Dallas in a position to win the game if not for a 29-yard Jason Sanders field goal as time expired.

“I thought Dak played a heck of a game the other night,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. “He had pressure all night long. That had everything to do with not having Tyron, having to makeshift that offensive line, to some degree. Everybody has to do it, but I thought Dak handled it outstanding.”

Chuma Edoga filled in for Smith. The dropoff was… um… noticeable.

Prescott may be facing similarly intense heat this Saturday when the Lions come to town. Remember that thing about sacks not telling the whole story?

Detroit’s defense has registered just 34 team sacks this season, but they rank first in the NFL in QB hurries, third in QB pressures and fourth in QB knockdowns. And they’re doing it with a a blitz rate that’s firmly middle-of-the-pack.

All that means it sure would be nice to have their eight-time Pro Bowler back in the starting lineup. Jones sounded optimistic about the progress of Smith’s back rehab.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

“Hopefully, Tyron will come on around,” he explained. “We injected him last week, and that usually works. Hopefully, we can have him; he’s a huge difference-maker.”

And after back-to-back losses that have Cowboys fans suddenly very nervous about the team’s prospects in the postseason, a difference is desperately needed.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hjkmkzk1tsa8v2vgpk playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hjkmkzk1tsa8v2vgpk/01hjkmkzk1tsa8v2vgpk-cf4ec8e161f7f8c9c125b7b52588317e.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]