Dallas whips another opponent, but what are the major takeaways they can look at heading into the Thanksgiving game? | From @cdpiglet
The Dallas Cowboys continued to roll in Week 11, getting so far out in front their starters were once again sitting in the fourth quarter. They beat down the Carolina Panthers in their house, marking a fourth win in five games. The single loss was on the road against the team with the best record in the league, and that came down to the last drive.
The Panthers kept the game relatively close on the scoreboard but made too many mistakes to a superior opponent, and eventually Dallas pulled away. Since their loss in San Francisco, the Cowboys have outscored their opponents 168-92 and have clicked in all areas of the game more than ever in the Mike McCarthy era. The special teams unit has been consistently great all year. The defense had seven sacks and an interception return for a TD. The offense has been great since Week 5 but was safe in this game, making sure they didn’t do anything to put this game in jeopardy.
Dallas has a short week to study the game, recover, and plan for the upcoming matchup. Here are some major takeaways they can look forward to or clean up going forward.
.@CdBurnett7 got to cover his favorite team in person for the first time, and took in the entire experience at Bank of America Stadium.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Dallas Cowboys fanbase always travels well, but seeing it happen in real-time is a different animal. Growing up as a Charlotte native who only knew what it was like to be at a Panthers game, a stadium full of Carolina colors was always the norm. As I grew up, so did my taste in football with the Cowboys, but Sunday’s sight was still something to behold.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich put the writing on the wall when it was time to practice silent counts for a game in Bank of America Stadium. From 8 a.m. downtown, almost every person walking the streets was wearing the star in Cowboys colors.
Speaking to tailgaters before the game, the message was simple: It’s a Dallas family.
“That’s what we have here. A lot of family and we’re gonna enjoy ourselves and just enjoy the fellowship.” Steve Butler said. He’s a 45-year faithful fan from South Carolina who made the trip up to see Dallas in person.
Photo taken by Cowboys Wire contributor Cameron Burnett. All rights reserved.
It’s been three years since the last time America’s Team waltzed into Charlotte. For perspective, Allen Hurns was Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver in that game. That can make even a 22-year-old feel aged. This year’s contest was very different, on and off the field.
The Cowboys throttled the Panthers 33-10, and the overwhelming majority of the 73,534 were wearing Dallas colors. It was a win-win for the team and fanbase, having an all-out party in Charlotte.
This just so happened to be my first time in the press box at an NFL game, watching my hometown team and my die-hard team. It’s a soundproofed room, but you wouldn’t know that with how loud the Cowboys cheering came through the glass.
It was a surreal experience.
A lone Carolina touchdown drive was the only time it reminded those in attendance the game wasn’t actually at AT&T Stadium. While taking the walk into mini-JerryWorld, it was impossible not to notice a decked-out golf cart with Dallas logos all over it.
Photo taken by Cowboys Wire contributor Cameron Burnett. All rights reserved.
That’s the crown jewel of Bobby Scriven, a Cowboys fan from Clemmons, N.C., just an hour from Charlotte. He says everything in his house has the Star, so why not a golf cart?
Scriven had a Tony Dorsett jersey for game, one of almost every notable Dallas jersey you could name being worn down Mint Street. What a sight it was, and take it from Scriven, this is just in the fanbase’s nature.
The Cowboys once again throttled an overmatched opponent, setting themselves up for a strong second half of the season. | From @KDDrummondNFL
The Dallas Cowboys have found themselves in a zone since their embarrassing defeat in San Francisco all the way back in Week 5. On Sunday, the club traveled to the friendly confines of Bank of America Stadium, where Cowboys Nation had taken over the ballpark to make it a home away from home.
And while the play wasn’t nearly as explosive as it was the week prior in their romp over the New York Giants, the results were the same. Dallas used a patient approach on offense and a pressurized one on defense to stymie the Panthers by the score of 33-10. The win moved Dallas to 7-3 on the season.
Quarterback Dak Prescott had a safe day, throwing for 198 yards and finding both rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker and Pro Bowl WR CeeDee Lamb for touchdowns. They were joined in the end-zone celebrations by Tony Pollard, who scored for the first time since Week 1 and cornerback DaRon Bland, who has outscored most of the Dallas offensive playmakers.
Bland returned a Bryce Young pass 31 yards for his fourth Pick-6 of the season, tying an NFL record. It was part of a strong defensive effort that rattled the rookie QB the entire contest, holding him to 123 passing yards.
The Cowboys started the game by announcing former head coach Jimmy Johnson would be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor later in the year. It ended with them putting together a 23-point road win in a game where they weren’t executing at their best.
Bland ties an NFL record last accomplished 30 seasons ago. There’s still seven games left to go. | From @KDDrummondNFL
DaRon Bland has done it again. The Cowboys cornerback has been an incredible addition since being drafted by the club in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. After leading the 2022 team in interceptions despite only getting significant snaps in half of the games, he’s elevated his play in Year 2.
Now on the boundary, Bland has been the best cornerback in football this season, and he proved it yet again in Week 11. On an outbreaking route, Bland somehow caught up and dove for the ball, securing his sixth interception on the year. But he wasn’t done, getting up and racing the ball back 31 yards for his fourth Pick-6 of the season.
FOURTH pick-six of the season for DaRon Bland, tying an NFL record 🔒
Bland has tied the NFL record in just 10 contests, with his fourth interception return of the season. He’s the fourth to do it, it was last done by Eric Allen 30 years ago in 1993.
Bland now has 11 interceptions over the course of the last two seasons, the most in the NFL.
Dak Prescott is continuing where he left off against the New York Giants in Week 10. Now in Carolina, the MVP candidate has put the pressure on the Panthers early with a touchdown on the club’s second drive.
The teams traded punts on the opening possessions, putting Dallas at their own 17-yard line to restart things for the offense. RB Tony Pollard, who hasn’t had the type of year he hoped for as the new No. 1 back, opened things off with a reception for 12 yards. He chipped in another 12 yards in back-to-back runs before later getting around the right edge on a pin-and-pull for 22 yards.
Now in the red zone, it took just two plays for Prescott to capitalize, finding rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker up the seam for the 18-yard score.
Cowboys Nation and national observers all had similar reactions to the news that Johnson will finally be honored. | From @KDDrummondNFL
Finally. After all these years, Jimmy Johnson is finally going to get the respect he deserves from the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Buzz started to circulate among the Cowboys media and as everything in the world today, Twitter quickly disseminated the information to the general public. Ahead of kickoff for Week 11, on the road in Carolina, Jerry Jones finally gave in.
Jones announced a press conference for 25 minutes before kickoff and when Johnson appeared with him on the field at Bank of America Stadium, it was obvious what was happening. Johnson will be enshrined in the club’s Ring of Honor during halftime of the team’s December 30 bout with the Detroit Lions. Finally.
Johnson was Jones’ first coach as owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and they won two Super Bowl’s together. But the relationship soon soured and Jones fired Johnson, winning a third Super Bowl two years later with Barry Switzer as his head coach.
Though the two eventually repaired their relationship, Jones has refused to put Johnson in the storied Ring of Honor, despite Johnson being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. The delay has angered Cowboys fans, whose greatest memories involve Johnson leading the charge. As expected, Twitter responded with a hugh sigh of relief at the news, and the potential for the curse to be broken.
The Cowboys are 100% vs. Panthers as running back Rico Dowdle is active, while Carolina is dealing with multiple injured starters. | From @cdburnett7
CHARLOTTE – The Dallas Cowboys enter their Week 11 bout without any major injury issues among their 53-man roster. Bank of America Stadium, filled with Dallas fans, will get to see the Cowboys playing with their full hand.
After concern surrounding running back Rico Dowdle, listed as questionable earlier on Sunday, the Dallas running back is active on the road as he looks to continue to prove himself in 2023.
It’s very different on the Panthers side, who are dealing with key injuries on both sides of the ball. Starting tight end Hayden Hurst is out while starting cornerback C.J. Henderson will also miss the contest. Young CB Jaycee Horn will not return to the field this week, either.
The odds were already stacked for the ‘road’ team, but it keeps piling on. Cowboys-Panthers kicks off at noon p.m. CT, televised on FOX.
In some games, a win isn’t just about the scoreboard. Here’s how Dallas stays hot in Carolina and into the Thanksgiving stretch. | From @cdpiglet
The Cowboys have escalated their play each contest since the terrible performance in San Francisco in Week 5. They have gone 3-1 since, a close game in Philadelphia being their only loss. The offense has finally caught up to the defense and special teams, making them a formidable team for opponents.
This week is the type of game Dallas has struggled with in the past. An early game on the East Coast against an opponent who has no playoff chances but will look to play at a higher level in this game because of all the eyes the Cowboys bring to the table. They even had a few extra days to prepare as their Week 10 game was Thursday night. Mike McCarthy, Dan Quinn, and Dak Prescott must have the team ready to match the opponent’s energy.
The last game versus the New York Giants and this one against the Carolina Panthers are about more than just winning on the scoreboard. They are a chance to build momentum, and the definition of winning is more than scoring more points than the opponent. Getting Brandin Cooks involved in the offense, getting a bounce-back game for Terence Steele, or bringing back Michael Gallup’s confidence could be more of a win than just the final score. Here is how Dallas leaves Carolina with a victory and remains hot going into the upcoming Thanksgiving gauntlet.
Are you one of the few who will be screwed by the regional coverage rules? If you’re in red, you get to move ahead. If you’re in blue, here’s what you’ll need to do. | From @KDDrummondNFL
A look at the Cowboys’ roster they’ll choose to go to battle with against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11. | From @KDDrumondNFL
The Dallas Cowboys had to juggle their roster a bit on Saturday, despite having a clean bill of health for the players on their 53-man roster. Ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, the club added linebacker Rashaan Evans to the 53-man roster. Evans, signed following the initial move of Leighton Vander Esch to IR last month, has been active each of the last three games. However, that was as a practice squad player who had to be elevated prior to each game.
Now out of elevations, Dallas had to make a move to create space on their roster. Evans was added to the 53-man roster, replacing rookie DL Viliami Fehoko. Fehoko showed up on this week’s injury report with a knee injury. Although he was a full participant each day of practice, apparently he needs at least four weeks to get healthy.
Wink, wink.
Evans is the only addition to the roster for this week prior to the inactives list. There was some consideration the club would activate TE Peyton Hendershot. Hendershot has been on IR and the club activated his 21-day practice window this week. They will hold off on returning him to the full roster, though. Once that happens, a corresponding move will have to be made.
Dallas is also opting not to elevate practice squaders WR Martavis Bryant or DT Carl Davis; the two most recent additions to the club. As it stands, here are the 53 men eligible to play on Sunday.
