Tag: 2024 season week 4

Here’s why Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb drew 2 different fines from NFL front office this week

From @ToddBrock24f7: Lamb will be docked for taunting as well as making a violent gesture. That’s 3 fines in the past two games for the All-Pro wideout.

Through the first four weeks of the NFL season, exactly 111 plays have resulted in a monetary fine for a player in violation of some infraction. Almost three percent of them have involved CeeDee Lamb.

The Cowboys wide receiver was fined for two separate plays in the team’s Week 4 win over the New York Giants, it was announced Saturday. Combined, the fines will dock Lamb $25,324, just a week after an unnecessary roughness call (that was not considered a penalty during the Week 3 loss to Baltimore) cost him $22,511.

The first incident from last Thursday’s 20-15 win to draw the league’s ire came after a first-quarter catch by Lamb that gained ten yards. After being tackled at the Giants’ 30, Lamb motioned for a first down with a double-handed gesture that mimicked shooting guns. The league office called it unsportsmanlike conduct involving a violent gesture and imposed a fine of $14,069.

In the second quarter, Lamb caught a Dak Prescott pass of about 17 yards and then raced another 38 for a touchdown. On his way to the end zone, Lamb turned to stare down New York cornerback Deonte Banks and then flipped the ball toward him once he had scored. That was also deemed unsportsmanlike conduct- taunting, this time- and will cost Lamb $11,255.

As in Week 3, neither moment drew a flag from officials in the moment.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

The NFL seems to be making a concerted effort to crack down on the recent trend of players pantomiming shooting guns; five players across the league were fined for it in Week 4 and hit with fines totaling nearly $60,000.

Any violations resulting in a fine may be appealed by players, but the decisions are then binding. Collected fines are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support NFL legends in need as well as the NFL Foundation to support the health, safety, and wellness of players across all levels of the sport.

Lamb has single-handedly contributed over $47,000 so far this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j9cbpr0ea6aacb9xdh playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j9cbpr0ea6aacb9xdh/01j9cbpr0ea6aacb9xdh-15a09decdc9efdb24718f27b5fc2a50c.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence ‘expected to miss multiple weeks’ with foot injury

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran edge rusher said his X-rays were negative and that he’d be back “in no time,” but he’ll likely sit until after the Week 7 bye.

Thursday night’s 20-15 win over the Giants was costly for the Cowboys. Despite it being a much-needed win that ended a two-game skid and restored some amount of confidence in the team moving forward, it now looks as if they’ll have to head into Week 5 without at least one of their defensive leaders.

DeMarcus Lawrence is expected to miss multiple weeks with a foot injury, per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. The veteran defensive end was apparently hurt during the first drive of the second half of the game.

He was seen getting his foot taped up on the sideline. And while cameras spotted him holding his helmet and watching the action, the four-time Pro Bowler did not re-enter the game.

https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1839725008458780853

Per Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, Lawrence said that X-rays on his foot came back negative. “I’ll be back in no time,” he added, “[Expletive] hurts, but it’ll be all right.”

The 32-year-old has had foot injuries before.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Lawrence had notched three sacks, a forced fumble, and four tackles for loss in the Cowboys’ four games thus far, putting him on pace for his most productive statistical year since 2018.

Linebacker Micah Parsons also left Thursday’s game early, with what is reportedly a high ankle sprain. He could also miss time, leaving a Dallas defense that had been under much criticism for the two weeks prior to their win over New York severely weakened if neither can suit up.

The Cowboys face the Steelers and then the Lions before a bye in Week 7.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j8nwea150z8zvmte95 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j8nwea150z8zvmte95/01j8nwea150z8zvmte95-5777b9edd0ae7b5cdf0adbd0ec3e70ec.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Cowboys’ Micah Parsons has high ankle sprain

From @ToddBrock24f7: Parsons was carted off late in the Week 4 win. He said he felt good afterward, but indications are that he may miss some time.

Cowboys fans collectively held their breath when superstar linebacker Micah Parsons stayed down on the turf late in Thursday night’s 20-15 win over the New York Giants. And the doomy, gloomy thoughts grew considerably darker as he was carted off the sideline after emerging from the medical tent.

Parsons was seen limping around the locker room afterward and looked to be in noticeable pain, according to media on the scene, but he said that his on-site X-rays had come back negative. He told quarterback Dak Prescott, “I’ll be good,” and said he had his sights set on playing in Week 5 when the Cowboys travel to Pittsburgh.

The truth may be somewhere in the middle of all that.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport is reporting that Parsons suffered a high ankle sprain. It’s not immediately known how that diagnosis will affect his availability moving forward, but in the broad spectrum of leg injuries that most observers were imagining in the moment, the news is not as bad as it could have been.

Parsons was rolled up on from behind by Giants offensive lineman Greg Von Roten during a third-down pass play with about three and a half minutes left in regulation.

“I was coming off, and as I was planting, a guy fell on me,” he said, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Despite needing assistance to exit the field and how gingerly he was moving after the game, Parsons was already looking forward to doing what he could to be back in the huddle when the Cowboys play again Oct. 6.

“We’ve got a tough matchup next week,” he told reporters after the 20-15 Week 4 win. “I’m going to try to get back for it.”

The extra days of prep time after the Thursday game will be a blessing for Parsons and several other Cowboys players who were banged up during the visit to MetLife Stdaium, including DeMarcus Lawrence.

Dallas plays the Steelers and then the Lions before their Week 7 bye. At just 2-2, the defense would be significantly weakened for those high-profile matchups if Parsons cannot go, but the team may elect to focus on Week 8 versus San Francisco, getting Parsons healthy enough to play then and for the latter half of the season.

More should be known soon about his timetable.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j8qysrd7mk8k2epzhb playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j8qysrd7mk8k2epzhb/01j8qysrd7mk8k2epzhb-7ae157ff16f54c429c12f2564f98d095.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys elevate intriguing CB for Giants clash, hinting at Caelen Carson’s status

From @ToddBrock24f7: Amani Oruwariye was a star at Penn State and logged 9 picks in 4 seasons with Detroit. Caelen Carson is doubtful for Dallas on Thursday.

The Giants will be without multiple key defensive backs for Thursday night’s showdown with the Cowboys.

It turns out Dallas will also have to take a piecemeal approach with their own secondary.

The Cowboys have elevated cornerback Amani Oruwariye from the practice squad for the Week 4 contest. That’s a strong signal that rookie Caelen Carson, who was listed as doubtful on Wednesday’s practice report with a shoulder injury, will likely have to sit.

https://twitter.com/VoiceOfTheStar/status/1839351391598645515

Summer signee Andrew Booth is officially listed on the Cowboys depth chart as Carson’s backup, but fourth-year defensive back Israel Mukuamu is also expected to see extra reps alongside Trevon Diggs and Jourdan Lewis at corner.

This will mark Oruwariye’s first gameday elevation since joining the Cowboys less than a month ago. If he gets onto the field, though, it’ll be far from his first rodeo.

Originally a fifth-round draft pick of the Lions in 2019, Oruwariye had been a star DB at Penn State and a college teammate of linebacker Micah Parsons for one season. He played four seasons for Detroit, starting 36 games and collecting nine interceptions, two fumble recoveries, 173 total tackles, and four tackles for loss over that time.

https://twitter.com/lionsplayaday/status/1837509406365295025

The 28-year-old Florida native signed a deal- with the Giants, coincidentally- early last year but did not make it off Big Blue’s practice squad and was subsequently released in October. The Jaguars picked him up a few days later, and he made one game appearance for them in late 2023. He remained with Jacksonville on a futures contract over this past offseason; Oruwariye was cut by the Jags on Aug. 27.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Defensive end Carl Lawson was also elevated for the Week 4 clash; it’s his second of three possible promotions to the active roster.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j8nwd51nm40jbz16yk playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j8nwd51nm40jbz16yk/01j8nwd51nm40jbz16yk-53c2508fec0c309a522eba9b0f24bc2a.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Micah Parsons says ending rare losing streak will take team effort: ‘Got to elevate together’

From @ToddBrock24f7: Parsons has never lost 3 straight games. To avoid it now, he’ll need his Cowboys defensive teammates to, in his words, “elevate together.”

Micah Parsons has never experienced losing three football games in a row. Not in the NFL. Not in college. Not in high school. Not ever.

And if he counts his total back-to-back losses, it takes just one hand and doesn’t even require all five fingers.

(The Cowboys haven’t dropped three consecutive contests since 2020, in the wake of Dak Prescott’s ankle injury and before Parsons was drafted.)

So the Cowboys’ current two-game skid had Parsons uncharacteristically subdued when he spoke to reporters this week. But it’s not just about having come up short on the scoreboard- not in a short prep week where other fingers are being pointed. No, what’s at issue here isn’t scheme breakdowns or missed assignments or being outmuscled, but far more fundamental (and troubling) themes like effort and professionalism.

Despite he and other team leaders being vocal about it for a second straight week, Parsons had to admit he’s not even sure the message is getting through to those that need to hear it.

“It’s very hard to tell, right? ‘Cause everyone’s nodding their head like, ‘Yeah, we all agree.’ At the same time, it’s not equal out there on the field,” Parsons said after Tuesday’s walkthrough. “I feel like, as a competitor, at some point, you’ve got to be prideful enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to allow this to happen to me.’ I feel like some people are just allowing them[selves] to keep getting smacked in the face. When are you going to stand up?”

After the Cowboys’ season-opening blowout win over the Browns, new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer praised his unit for “staying on the reservation,” and sticking to their assignments.

The team’s embarrassing losses in Weeks 2 and 3, however, were followed by internal complaints about some teammates playing “hero ball,” trying to do more than the job their position requires. DeMarcus Lawrence compared the unit’s effort to “little league football.” Parsons himself said, “We just got people trying to be Superman.”

The Dallas defense is having obvious struggles as they transition away from Dan Quinn’s freewheeling style of play to Zimmer’s more disciplined approach. Parsons acknowledged that the unit is filled with a lot of young players, inexperienced rookies, and new faces, likening the process to growing pains.

But despite his status as one of the most feared defenders in the sport, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, and one of three players the organization has labeled as critical to their long-term plans, Parsons said he hasn’t started pulling guys aside in the locker room to talk about pulling their weight.

“I just feel like I’m not there yet, to go to someone,” he said. “It’s hard to blame one particular person for one thing.”

Perhaps Parsons need to do some growing, too, at least in that regard.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

If there’s collective growing to be done, though, these Cowboys need to do it in a hurry. They face a division rival in the New York Giants on Thursday night. Away, on a short week, and at 1-2, the Cowboys are already hearing that it’s a must-win situation.

Parsons has a different perspective.

“I feel like every game is really must-win,” he said. “In the last two years, we were one game off a No. 1 seed, things like that. So I think every game has equal importance. In particular, I would like to get the ball back rolling again, getting back in the win column, getting to what we know best.”

So the 25-year-old will continue to preach the “do your job” sermon. And he says he’s fighting the urge to personally stray from that lesson himself, even as he looks to avoid the first three-game losing streak of his life.

“It’s hard, because I’ve got to fit into the system,” he explained. “I’ve got to fit into the framework. That’s the whole point of everyone doing their one-eleventh. Elevate yourself. What do you need others to do? Elevate, too. We all got to elevate together; it can’t be just one or two. To me, I’ve just got to make my plays when they’re there and do my job for my guys.”

…and also hope that his guys pick up on the message that has reverberated around The Star for two weeks, going on three.

A frustrated Parsons says he’s still not sure they have.

“I mean, everyone says it. But then again, we’ve got to see what happens on Sunday. Or Thursday.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j8dw26jqnzkmqmw2jx playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j8dw26jqnzkmqmw2jx/01j8dw26jqnzkmqmw2jx-449c7543207ef68948bee0661cbcb2f5.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Prescott, Lamb with opportunity to get Cowboys back on track vs depleted Giants CB corps

From @ToddBrock24f7: Lamb and the Cowboys need to pull out of a serious funk. A Giants CB corps possibly without 2 of its stars on Thursday may be the ticket.

After getting taken to the woodshed in back-to-back weeks, the Cowboys are looking for something- anything- to feel encouraged about heading into a suddenly-very-important Week 4 game.

They may have found it in the Giants secondary.

Third-round rookie Dru Phillips and veteran Adoree’ Jackson, two of New York’s top cornerbacks, sat out the team’s Tuesday walkthrough- the second straight DNP for both- with calf injuries per the Giants website, and head coach Brian Daboll didn’t sound overly optimistic that either would be ready to suit up Thursday night.

“We’ll see. Go all the way to the end like we normally do,” Daboll told New York media on Tuesday. “We’ve got a couple more days; we’ll see where everybody’s at tomorrow night, Thursday morning.”

Jackson played just 17 defensive snaps in Week 3, while Phillips logged seven.

Daboll said he doesn’t believe either player will have to go on injured reserve, but that will be of little solace as Dak Prescott comes to town.

The Cowboys quarterback enters the game as the NFL’s passing yards leader through three games. Granted, a significant chunk of his 851 yards have come as the offense played from way behind against both the Saints and the Ravens, but Prescott won’t complain about facing a depleted secondary as Dallas looks to get back on track in their first divisional tilt of the season.

The Giants’ CB shuffle could put extra pressure on Deonte Banks, their 2023 first-round pick out of Maryland. This past Sunday, the 23-year-old was tasked with covering a five-time Pro Bowler.

It did not go well.

Banks got “torched by Amari Cooper and looked lost on the field” versus the Browns, according to Giants Wire. Cooper caught seven balls and scored twice in a game the Giants ended up winning.

It’s the kind of game film, though, that could have Cowboys star receiver CeeDee Lamb salivating in anticipation after a very frustrating day last week.

Lamb sits one spot outside the league’s top 10 in receiving yards but was mostly stymied last Sunday after a costly red-zone fumble early in the game. Him returning to form (and quickly) will be absolutely critical if the Cowboys are to have any long-term success this season.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Daboll admitted that finding a scheme to shut down Lamb has already been a focus for his staff during this short week.

“Tough opponent, really good player, CeeDee,” the coach said. “They’ve got a lot of really good players. So we’re burning it pretty good here.”

Giants cornerback Nick McCloud may also provide some relief for after missing Weeks 2 and 3 with a knee injury. He was listed as limited both Monday and Tuesday, but Daboll expressed “hope” that McCloud would be able to go Thursday.

Cor’Dale Flott, Tre Hawkins, and Art Green could also figure into the mix for the New York defensive backfield. They have one career interception among them.

Given the early struggles from the Cowboys’ run game, Mike McCarthy may be asking his running backs to help the offensive line with pass protection, letting Prescott and Lamb go to work on turning things around against a Giants CB corps already on the short end of the injury stick.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j8jf46303gdq4azekz playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j8jf46303gdq4azekz/01j8jf46303gdq4azekz-7d0b5062f7d1e5db1272a417cbb7ab1d.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Jerry Jones says Dalvin Cook unlikely to play vs Giants, but would he even help Cowboys run game?

From @ToddBrock24f7: Jones blamed the short prep week for leaving Cook off the gameday roster, but it’s unclear how things would be different even if he played.

Cowboys fans expecting running back Dalvin Cook to step in and inject some life into the moribund Dallas ground game will have to keep waiting, it seems.

The 29-year-old, signed just prior to the start of the season, will apparently remain on the Cowboys practice squad for yet another gameday when the team travels to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants in a divisional showdown on Thursday night.

That’s the report from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, anyway.

“We’ve got a short week here, and I don’t think this is the time that you have any real serious roster adjustments in at that particular time,” Jones told Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan during a Tuesday morning phone-in. “So I don’t think so, because of the short week, for sure.”

Cook signed with Dallas on Aug. 28 after spending the summer working out on his own as a free agent. The four-time Pro Bowler was originally a second-round draft pick of the Vikings in 2017 and spent six seasons in Minnesota before playing for the Jets last season and making a brief playoff appearance for the Ravens this past January.

The Cowboys have not yet used a gameday elevation on Cook. Head coach Mike McCarthy gave no indications one way or the other when asked about Cook’s status.

“I’m not here to make any decisions or proclamations on what’s next,” he told reporters at his Monday press conference.

The Cowboys’ rushing attack has been largely stuck in neutral through the first three games of the season. The team ranks 30th out of 32 in both rushing attempts (62) and rushing yards (221), and only three clubs currently have a lower yards-per-carry average than Dallas’s 3.6.

But honestly, would Cook provide a tangible improvement?

He posted lots of the typical gym workout videos to social media during his offseason of unemployment, but the stats don’t necessarily point to him being some savior-in-waiting for the Cowboys.

Cook saw only sparse action last year in a Jets offense that had to be completely retooled after the season-opening injury to Aaron Rodgers. As a result, his last objectively strong performance came a week before Christmas 2022, when he carried the ball 19 times for 95 yards and a 5.59-yard average in a Vikings win over Indianapolis. His last rushing touchdown came the week before that, and his most recent 100-yard game was mid-November of that year. And Cook hasn’t tallied back-to-back 100-yard outings since December 2020.

Compare that to Ezekiel Elliott, once again wearing the silver and blue after one season in New England. He did post a last strong showing in Week 3 last year, totaling 80 yards on 16 carries in a Patriots win (over, ironically, Cook and the Jets). But Elliott’s last 100-yard day came in October 2021, nearly two calendar years ago; it was also the second of his most recent back-to-back 100-yard games.

Rico Dowdle is currently the Cowboys’ leading rusher heading into Week 4, though that’s not saying much. Dowdle’s 88 yards through three games ranks just 49th leaguewide; Elliott (62 yards) is in 63rd place.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

The Cowboys have been unable to commit to the run thanks to early deficits in consecutive games, but they also have yet to show any real ability to be effective when they do run. The offensive line that Elliott and Dowdle are both struggling behind is the same shaky unit that Cook would be working with.

The most optimistic of Cowboys faithful may cling to a belief that Cook- who received almost no notable interest from any other club all summer long- is the missing piece that will get the Dallas offense finally clicking.

But in truth, there’s little reason to believe that’s true.

And, per Jones, there’s no reason to believe Cook will even get a chance Thursday night.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j8e97dwktm516prrt5 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j8e97dwktm516prrt5/01j8e97dwktm516prrt5-dace4ce5d332fb38864aa1f23e9bbb5a.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy snaps at reporter’s question on player post-game comments

From @ToddBrock24f7: The coach got nasty when one reporter asked how he would incorporate key issues brought up by his players into a short week of practice.

The Cowboys are three games into their season. The last two have been embarrassing losses at home where players’ effort has been a major storyline.

And the cracks are already starting to show.

Head coach Mike McCarthy got downright testy with one of the reporters in the media pool during his Monday press conference. The exchange spotlighted just how frustrated everyone is around The Star after a 28-25 loss to Baltimore dropped the club to 1-2, the Cowboys’ worst start since 2020.

Several Cowboys players, including Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jourdan Lewis, and Dak Prescott have offered up their own takes on a current problem that seems to go beyond simple Xs and Os. But when Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Nick Harris asked the coach how he might address such concerns in an already short week of practice, McCarthy chose to get nasty and sarcastic.

“Pretty dramatic there, Nick,” McCarthy snapped from the podium.

“I tell you, you must practice that one,” he added before finishing with a showy grimace and an exaggerated “Geez…”

https://twitter.com/WhatGoingDowney/status/1838343378976547224

McCarthy frequently hints at his distaste with all the Q&A obligations that come with his job and occasionally bristles with media members over certain lines of questioning, but this seemed uncharacteristic.

McCarthy caught some flak in January 2023 after he appeared to shove a cameraman in the moments after the Cowboys’ 19-12 playoff loss to San Francisco. The videographer, from NBC 5 in Dallas said the stiff-arm to his camera lens wasn’t as forceful as it looked; McCarthy later met with him to apologize.

After his initial barb directed at Harris on Monday, McCarthy appeared to relent somewhat. But the rest of his response was a meandering word salad that didn’t include much of anything resembling an actual answer:

“Well, hey, Thursday’s schedule. I mean, that’s what we’re on. I mean, we didn’t win the game. So, I think that’s part of where we are. So, yeah. I think they do a good job of answering your questions. It’s emotional after the game, so I’m not ever going to referee emotion on the field or after a game.”

None of that answers Harris’s completely fair, respectful, and legitimate query about how the coaching staff works those kinds of big-ticket issues that the players are already bringing up into a short week of prep.

It wasn’t an inappropriate gotcha kind of ambush from Harris, who, until just a few weeks ago, was a team employee writing for dallascowboys.com, and it in no way warranted McCarthy treating it as such.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Several other reporters had already asked about various players’ comments and the team’s reaction. McCarthy explained that “What needed to be said has been said, and we’re on to the Giants,” but he declined to elaborate on what that meant, saying “This isn’t show-and-tell.”

The coach (not to mention his entire staff) is reportedly working this season with no contract in place for next year, so tensions will undoubtedly- and understandably- be high with every misstep the club makes on the field. But his calling out Harris in front of the rest of the media pool was an over-the-top response that seemed genuinely odd under the circumstances.

Is McCarthy feeling the pinch of a short week of practice for a divisional opponent? Sure. Is he frustrated by the team’s poor performance the past two weeks? Clearly. Would he prefer not to get questions about his own players complaining about basic things like effort and details and teammates doing their jobs? Absolutely. Has the pressure been turned up around the facility with a second straight loss? Apparently.

Well, the coach just changed the narrative. By impatiently biting the head off an experienced reporter doing his job and suggesting that his question was somehow over the line, McCarthy has ensured that people will also be talking about that now… in addition to trying to pinpoint what’s wrong with the Cowboys on the field.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01j87wdzygnwx3j1x4s0 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j87wdzygnwx3j1x4s0/01j87wdzygnwx3j1x4s0-0de3a02eef449afe74ff653b42170942.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]