Tag: 2024 Week 6

Week 6 Injuries: Cowboys’ Prescott hurts finger play after Aidan Hutchinson carted off

The two biggest stars of the game were hurt on back-to-back plays. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The physical nature of the NFL cannot be understated. The Cowboys will need to pay close attention to Dak Prescott’s throwing hand after he hit it on Zack Martin’s helmet on a pass attempt in the third quarter. This happened just one play after there was a 15-minute break in the action following the Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson having to be carted off the field.

Hutchinson got in on Prescott for a sack, but his leg went a direction it wasn’t intended to and he stayed on the ground in a major amount of pain.

According to Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams, the cart went towards the ambulance, not the x-ray room.

As for Prescott, he flexed his hand repeatedly for the next two plays. Tom Brady on the broadcast noted that a QB often won’t know the full extent of hitting a hand on a helmet until after the game.

Prescott missed time a few years ago from a similar injury. He hurt his hand in 2021 against Brady’s Buccaneers and missed five games. Cooper Rush is currently the Cowboys’ backup QB with Trey Lance also on the roster as the third-string QB.

Cowboys benching 1st-round OL pick ahead of crucial Week 6 matchup, Lions Aidan Hutchinson

The Cowboys are sitting Tyler Guyton with a formidable Hutchinson looking to wreak havoc on the Dallas offense. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have some shifts in their starting lineups in Week 6, and it’s not entirely due to injury. With Eric Kendricks out for the game, rookie fourth-round pick Marist Liufau is going to wear the green dot, allowing communication directly with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. That one has been expected as Kendricks missed all week of practice with a back injury, and was ruled out on Friday.

What wasn’t expected was that Tyler Guyton, the club’s first-round pick, would be benched for the game. Guyton injured his knee relatively early in Dallas’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was listed as questionable to return, but never did as left guard Tyler Smith slid outside and the offense stabilized.

Dallas has announced via sideline reporter Kristi Scales, that Guyton will not start against Aidan Hutchinson and the Detroit Lions, despite being a full participant in practice all week. Guyton had no injury designation on Friday’s injury report.

Guyton has struggled so far in his rookie year, in both pass protection and run blocking. The Cowboys had their first worthwhile ground effort of the season in Week 6, and it primarily happened when Smith returned to the role he played as a rookie in 2022, and TJ Bass came in at left guard.

Guyton has allowed four sacks on the year, along with 13 pressures. Pro Football Focus has graded the Oklahoma product a 49.0 in pass protection, a red grade indicating he’s below replacement level.

His run-block grade hasn’t been much better, 52.5.

Smith, who had a great pass pro grade prior to sliding outside against the Steelers, didn’t fare much better than Guyton’s average, grading out at a 54.2 in that contest. But he turned in an impressive run blocking performance. Meanwhile Bass graded out at a lowly 11.0 on 31 pass sets.

It will be interesting to see if the change is a net positive for the Dallas offense.

How will CeeDee Lamb do today in fantasy football? Projections for Cowboys WR

A look at CeeDee Lamb’s historical production under these circumstances, how outlets feel he’ll do and a projection for Week 6. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys are going to have trouble fielding a competitive defense in Week 6 when they take on the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys are going to be missing several key members of that unit, starting with superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons and All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland. Also missing will be starting middle linebacker Eric Kendricks, Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and his two backups, Sam Williams and rookie Marshawn Kneeland.

So while corralling Jared Goff and the Ben Johnson offense will be left to Trevon Diggs and a bunch of guys, the Dallas offense will need to find a way to keep pace. That starts with the connection between quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb. The two must establish a dominant nature and then continue to exploit an average Detroit secondary throughout the contest.

So what does that mean for fantasy lineups?

Pro Football Focus says that this is an average matchup for Lamb, rating it a 55.2 out of 100, but also naming him the No. 1 wideout play for the week.

Yahoo! Sports ranks him the No. 1 wideout in full-point PPR leagues as well and their FantasyPros projects 6.5 catches, 85.3 yards and 0.5 touchdowns.

CBS Sports rates Lamb as a 9.8 out of 10 on their Must Start RTG factor.

What does history say about his performance from various perspectives?

Last season Lamb caught 12 of 13 targets for 227 receiving yards and a score. The year prior he had four receptions for 70 yards. So his small-sample size average against Detroit projects the following stat line:

8 receptions, 148 yards, 0.5 touchdowns

In two home games this season, Lamb has the following averages:

4 receptions, 78 yards, 0.5 touchdowns

In four previous Week 6 games over his career, Lamb has the following averages:

7 receptions, 99.5 yards, 0.5 touchdowns

Our projection based on these numbers is as follows:

6 receptions, 109 yards, 0.5 touchdowns, or 19.9 points in full-point PPR leagues.

Rushing attacks of Lions, Cowboys have been night and day contrasts

A look inside the running games of each team and the impact they’re having on the offenses in general. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Our Q&A series with the Lions Wire’s managing editor Jeff Risdon continues with a focus on the two team’s run games.

Cowboys Wire: David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have two completely different body types, but they talk about being interchangeable and that keeping defenses in a state of confusion. How does that work?

Lions Wire: The interchangeability is more theoretical than in practice, although it tends to lean more toward folks who think Montgomery can only run between the tackles. He’s proven to be an excellent receiver and off-tackle runner, too. Gibbs doesn’t run with the inside power but his ability to read blocks and accelerate through cuts off them makes him work between the tackles.

We’re still waiting for them to be used together. They do tend to get away from Montgomery for long periods of games, too.

Read: Behind Enemy Lines: Linebackers and Ben Johnson

Lions Wire: The Dallas run offense ranks near the bottom. Is there much hope for that improving anytime soon?

Cowboys Wire: There was a glimmer of hope with Rico Dowdle busting out for a whopping 87 yards on Sunday night. He added another 20+ on receptions and a tuddy, but the Cowboys haven’t had a 100-yard runner in the last 19 games. Mike Solari’s blocking scheme hasn’t taken well with the talent over the last year plus (as I unfortunately predicted) and now integrating two rookies hasn’t helped. Things didn’t get better until rookie Tyler Guyton was injured and Tyler Smith kicked out to LT, but it looks like they will return to the original configuration this week.

Lions Wire: Even without a run game, Dak Prescott and the passing offense continue to thrive. How well are they playing this year?

Cowboys Wire: Prior to a couple picks against the Steelers last week, Prescott was playing heroically, and even with those mistakes (and a fumble), he still leveled up and led the game-winning drive against the vaunted Pittsburgh defense. Brandin Cooks was struggling and we finally found out he had a balky knee that has now landed him on IR. CeeDee Lamb is always the truth, and now there’s hope after his 87-yard performance and GW catch that Jalen Tolbert is ready to step into the No. 2 role. Jake Fergsuon at TE is pretty special as well… not Sam LaPorta special, but still special.

 

Is Micah Parsons playing today? The latest on the Cowboys edge rusher

Here’s the latest status for the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons for Week X vs. the Detroit Lions.

The Cowboys had to travel to Pittsburgh in Week 5 to take on mobile QB Justin Fields and the physical Steelers offense. Despite not having star edge rusher Micah Parsons, along with several other defensive linemen, they were able to corral Fields and prevent him from having a big day through the air or on the ground.

The challenge will be much different in Week 6 with the more stationary Jared Goff under center when the Detroit Lions invade AT&T Stadium for the second consecutive year. In last season’s 20-19 Week 17 win, Parsons was able to notch two quarterback hits and log six tackles for Dallas’ defense. But unfortunately, he won’t have the opportunity to impact this week’s game.

Read: How to Watch Cowboys-Lions alog with streaming options

Parsons was ruled out for a second consecutive contest as he is still dealing with a high-ankle sprain that knocked him out of the team’s Week 4 win over the New York Giants.

Parsons did not practice all week, and with Dallas having theie bye in Week 7, he will now have two additional weeks before the Cowboys next game. That contest will be another chance to try and solve the Kyle Shanahan offense when Dallas takes on the San Francisco 49ers.

Cowboys 54-Man Roster Moves: Bland not activated, 2 key elevations vs Lions

The Dallas Cowboys will not get to see the debut of the Diggs-DaRon Boundary Duo vs Detroit after all. After it appeared All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland was trending towards making his season debut this week, he missed practice on Friday. On …

The Dallas Cowboys will not get to see the debut of the Diggs-DaRon Boundary Duo vs Detroit after all. After it appeared All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland was trending towards making his season debut this week, he missed practice on Friday. On Saturday, the club decided not to activate him from IR, delaying his return until at the earliest Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers. Dallas has a bye following their Sunday contest against the Lions.

Bland has been out since having foot surgery late in the offseason and missed Friday after being a full participant on both Wednesday and Thursday. The Cowboys will be without their top four edge rushers as well; with Sam Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland all on IR and Micah Parsons ruled out despite remaining on the active roster.

The Cowboys are elevating two players from the practice squad; cornerback Amani Oruwariye and LB Darius Harris. Oruwariye will make his third-straight appearance, the max for the club without bringing him up to the main roster. Harris is necessary as starting LB Eric Kendricks was ruled out with a back injury.

As it stands, here is the 54-man roster Dallas will go into Sunday with, when they will announce six inactive players about an hour and a half ahead of the game.

Dak Prescott
Cooper Rush
Trey Lance

Rico Dowdle
Ezekiel Elliott
Hunter Luepke
Deuce Vaughn

Jake Ferguson
Luke Schoonmaker
John Stephens, Jr.
Brevyn Spann-Ford

CeeDee Lamb
Jalen Tolbert
Kavontae Turpin
Jalen Brooks
Ryan Flournoy

Tyler Guyton
Terence Steele
Asim Richards
Matt Waletzko

Zack Martin
Tyler Smith
TJ Bass

Cooper Beebe
Brock Hoffman

Micah Parsons (out)
Chauncey Golston
Tyrus Wheat
Carl Lawson

Osa Odighizuwa
Mazi Smith
Linval Joseph
Carlos Watkins

Eric Kendricks (out)
DeMarvion Overshown
Damone Clark
Marist Liufau
Buddy Johnson
Nick Vigil
Darius Harris (1st of 3 elevations)

Trevon Diggs
Jourdan Lewis
Caelen Carson
Israel Mukuamu
Andrew Booth
Amani Oruwariye (3rd of 3 elevations)

Malik Hooker
Donovan Wilson
Juanyeh Thomas
Markquese Bell

Brandon Aubrey
Bryan Anger
Trent Sieg
CJ Goodwin

Cowboys vs Lions Final Injury Report: Kendricks, Parsons, Bland updates are worrisome

The Lions are remarkably healthy coming out of their bye week and Dallas is trending in the wrong direction yet again. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have a serious problem when it comes to the injury front, specifically on their defense. Already down a ton of talent at the edge position, the attrition has now hit the linebacker room. Not only that, but there are renewed concerns about the health of the secondary, after the week started off on a great foot. Pun intended.

On Friday, the Cowboys ruled out both DE Micah Parsons and LB Eric Kendricks. The club had moved DE DeMarcus Lawrence to IR last week and rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland to IR earlier in the week. Parsons will now have two weeks more to recover from his high-ankle sprain in hopes he’s able to return to face off against the San Francisco 49ers following the bye week.

Meanwhile, DaRon Bland’s activation from IR was put in doubt when he sat out Friday’s practice and was given a game designation of questionable, along with his backup, rookie Caelen Carson, who has missed two straight games with a shoulder injury.

Here’s the full practice report from both teams.

Dallas Cowboys

LB Micah Parsons, Ankle | OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Did Not Participate

CB DaRon Bland, Foot | QUESTIONABLE
Wednesday, Thursday: Full Participant | Friday: DNP

CB Caelen Carson, Shoulder | QUESTIONABLE
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Full Participant

CB Trevon Diggs, Ankle | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Friday: Full Participant | Thursday: DNP

OT Tyler Guyton, Knee | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Full Participant

Safety Markquese Bell, Illness | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday: DNP | Thursday, Friday: Full

Linebacker Eric Kendricks, Calf/Shoulder | OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: DNP

Safety Malik Hooker, Neck | NO DESIGNATION
Thursday, Friday: Full

Linebacker Nick Vigil, Foot | QUESTIONABLE
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: DNP

LB Marist Liufau, Quad | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Full Participant

G Zack Martin, Neck | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Thursday: DNP | Friday: Full

Detroit Lions

DB Brian Branch, Illness | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Full

G Christian Mahogany, Illness | OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Full

C Frank Ragnow, Pectoral | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Full

Safety Kerby Joseph | NO DESIGNATION
Thursday: Limited | Friday: Full

Jake Ferguson quickly becoming Cowboys No. 2 option in passing game

The Cowboys found their No.2 option in the passing game. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys’ passing offense is built around the brilliance of CeeDee Lamb. The fifth-year veteran from Oklahoma has fast become one of the best receivers in the NFL and represents the heart and soul of Dallas downfield attack. After Lamb is where things get interesting.

The No. 2 option in Dallas was supposed to be veteran receiver Brandin Cooks. But a slow start to the season coupled with an untimely injury has landed the veteran on IR and out of the conversation. Jalen Tolbert, the “next man up” in this scenario, enjoyed a coming out party as the Cowboys new WR2. His seven receptions for 87 yards set career highs and his game-winning touchdown against the Steelers in the final seconds cemented his place in rivalry lore forever.

For as promising as Tolbert is, it’s Jake Ferguson, the Cowboys’ tight end, who’s actually the No. 2 pass catching option for Dak Prescott. The 2023 Pro Bowler has quietly posted a rather impressive season thus far in 2024. It’s a testament to his continued development and nothing short of remarkable considering Ferguson has only played in three complete games this season.

In those three games, he’s averaging over 8 targets, 5.6 receptions and 71 yards per game.

In Week 5, Ferguson led all Dallas pass catchers who had three or more targets in success rate (71 percent) and in total EPA (5.4 EPA). He was frequently the secondary option Prescott turned to when Lamb was locked down and a means to exploit second level defenders who were more run-focused in nature.

Ferguson’s ability to play inline (26.6% of the time), in the slot (61.9% of the time) and split out wide (8.6% of the time), makes him a valuable piece to the Cowboys offense. It allows Mike McCarthy to use creative personnel packages without tipping off the offense’s intensions before the snap. His run blocking has been steadily improving and his run after the catch ability has been inspiring to fans as well as teammates.

Ferguson is already No. 2 in Dallas in target share and that’s with only playing three complete games this season. 

Tolbert is an ascending player who the Cowboys will need throughout this heart of the schedule. With Cooks out, Dallas will use a variety of players to fill that secondary WR spot opposite Lamb. KaVontae Turpin played a big part in Pittsburgh and Jalen Brooks made contributions of his own.

Tolbert is top dog, but it may be a committee approach to that No. 2 WR spot going forward. At TE, Ferguson has the spot locked down, and as the No. 2 option on offense, it’s Ferguson who offers Prescott someone to lean on.

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Behind Enemy Lions: Need to know on Cowboys LBs, Detroit’s guru OC

The opening salvo of a Week 6 Q&A session with @TheLionsWire managing editor @JeffRIsdon. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Despite being in separate divisions, the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions have developed a bit of a rivalry over the years. There’s been a mixed assortment of key regular season games, trash-talking skill position players, historic performances, playoff matchups and controversial late-game calls that have fueled the ire.

So in honor of that, Cowboys Wire and Lions Wire are rekindling the Q&A session ahead of the contest. Editor Jeff Risdon joins the fray to do a bit of back-and-forth over the couple of days leading up to Sunday’s matchup.

Cowboys Wire: Let’s dial up the wayback machine. 2023 Week 17, the Lions send 372 offensive linemen racing towards the zebras on a two-point conversion to take the lead. The football gods intervene and strike down the heathens. That’s how you remember things right?

Risdon: Something like that, lol. It’s one of those situations where the officials screwed up because they weren’t paying attention to the details. The Lions did try to add a little gamesmanship to it, but it’s not that hard to get it right when the officiating crew has to announce to both teams if someone reports as eligible and then they don’t listen to their own directive.

What’s one thing the Cowboys do well that doesn’t get enough credit nationally?

CW:  Is there anything, good or bad, that doesn’t get exhausted nationally about this club? The linebacker play has been a great suprise, wholly because of second-year “rookie” DeMarvion Overshown. He’s a heat-seeking missle out there and it will be wild to see how he does when he doesn’t have to spy a mobile quarterback and has to deal with chasing those great Detroit backs. Between him, true rookie Marist Liufau and veteran Eric Kendricks there’s actual competency in the group. If the DTs play well, they are there to clean things up.

Talk to me about the next Dallas Cowboys head coach Ben Johnson, has his offense evolved since last season?

JR: Good luck prying Ben away. His offensive play designs are outstanding, creative and well-conceived for the talent at hand. It requires having a great (not good–great) offensive line to work, and the trust he has in Jared Goff helps make it all function so beautifully. Integrating the raw speed of Jameson Williams into a bigger component of the offense has worked very well.

As for Johnson leaving, one reason why he’s stayed and rejected offers is because he didn’t like the instability and meddling of the ownership in the places that wanted him. That’s gonna be a tough nut for Dallas to crack.

The kids game Cowboys need to use in order to beat the Lions

There’s a pretty obvious strategy to how Dallas escapes Week 6 with a win, and it’s all about control. | From @cdpiglet

The Dallas Cowboys endured weather delays, a depleted roster, and survived playing one of the best defenses in football in order to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and creep above .500 in Week 5. Their reward? a revenge-fueled Detroit Lions sporting one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, two rigid running backs, and a top 10 team rested and ready off their bye week.

Dallas sits behind the eight ball, thanks to the schedule and attrition. They’re playing a game of Uno against a one-card opponent with five cards and all four colors in their hand. They’re playing freeze tag with a nervous tick, Duck, Duck, Goose with their shoelaces tied together. Dallas is a home underdog for the second time in two AT&T games after ending last regular season with 16 straight home wins. But there is a strategy to pulling off an upset.

The Cowboys are going to need to play keep away.

Dallas will need to control this game on offense. Against the Steelers, they had three drives over four minutes long, including a 16-play, eight-minute drive in the fourth quarter.

With all the injuries to the defense, the Cowboys are worn down. Chauncey Golston played 90% of the defensive snaps, and Osa Odighizuwa played 72%; they will struggle if they are out on the field for another 40 to 60 snaps. The Cowboys must extend drives, run the ball well, convert third downs, and most importantly finish drives in the end zone.

Detroit hasn’t been a juggernaut on defense, ranking 15th in defensive DVOA. They’ve allowed 20 or more points in all but one game this year, and the Seattle Seahawks moved the ball all over them prior to their bye.

Geno Smith threw for almost 400 yards, DK Metcalf had seven receptions for over 100 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 80 yards on 12 attempts, with three scores. Smith and Zach Charbonnet each averaged over 7.5 yards per carry themselves.

If Dallas can run the ball, limit possessions, and keep it a low-scoring contest, then their All-Pro quarterback might be able to pull off another upset victory. As good as the Cowboys’ offense can be, a shootout might be too much to ask of the defense this week.