Tag: Cowboys

Saints move up in the 2025 draft order after their bye week

The Saints remain in the top-10 of the 2025 NFL draft after their bye, but a surprise Week 12 victory changed their position:

The New Orleans Saints moved up one spot in the NFL draft order after Week 12, and they didn’t even have to lose a game to get it done.

There was a point where New Orleans had a top-five selection. A coaching change and 2 wins in a row later and New Orleans was the last team in the top-ten. After Week 12’s action, the Saints moved from the tenth pick to the ninth.

Ironically, it was a Dallas Cowboys victory that helped them out. When the Cowboys surprisingly defeated the Washington Commanders, it created a complete logjam with several competing teams at 4-7. The Saints may have beaten the Cowboys head to head, but in a tie between the Saints, Cowboys, Bengals and Bears, New Orleans would have the highest draft pick.

There’s not a large separation at the top of the draft. The Patriots have three wins and the fourth overall pick and the Bears are at No. 14 with four wins. The Saints could easily find themselves in either of those regions depending on this week’s outcome.

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All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including C.J. Stroud) ranked by Total QBR

Here’s where Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud stacks up among other passers in QBR entering Week 12.

C.J. Stroud might not have thrown a touchdown on “Monday Night Football,” but he regained his mojo and secured a win.

Houston Texans care more about the latter than the numbers attached to No. 7’s stat sheet.

The second-year passer posted a Total QBR rating of 51.6 in the team’s 34-10  win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, bringing his season-long Total QBR average to 54.4.

That’s a slight improvement from last week’s rating (54.1), but Stroud’s ranking dropped two spots to No. 21  among starting QBs.

Stroud’s traditional passer rating this season is 88.0, which ranks 24th overall.

Unlike a traditional passer rating, the Total QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties,” according to ESPN.

The metric considers scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and considers “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

With that context in mind, here’s a look at how Stroud stacks up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks this fall.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR after Week 11

  1. Joe Burrow: 76.1
  2. Lamar Jackson: 75.0
  3. Kyler Murray: 74.9
  4. Josh Allen: 72.7
  5. Jayden Daniels: 67.6
  6. Brock Purdy: 67.4
  7. Patrick Mahomes: 67.0
  8. Derek Carr: 62.1
  9. Jalen Hurts: 62.0
  10. Matthew Stafford: 60.6
  11. Tua Tagovailoa: 60.4
  12. Drake Maye: 59.6
  13. Jared Goff: 59.4
  14. Jordan Love: 59.3
  15. Kirk Cousins: 56.3
  16. Justin Herbert: 56.3
  17. Baker Mayfield: 56.2
  18. Sam Darnold: 55.7
  19. Geno Smith: 55.4
  20. Bo Nix: 55.3
  21. C.J. Stroud: 54.4
  22. Aaron Rodgers: 51.0
  23. Jameis Winston: 61.0
  24. Russell Wilson: 59.5
  25. Anthony Richardson: 45.9
  26. Caleb Williams: 44.5
  27. Gardner Minshew: 39.1
  28. Will Levis: 32.6
  29. Bryce Young: 32.5
  30. Cooper Rush: 28.4
  31. Mac Jones: 17.7
  32. Drew Lock: 8.7

Stroud and the Texans return home to face off against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.

No team has scored more TDs on the Cowboys’ home turf than the Saints

No team has scored more touchdowns at AT&T Stadium than the Saints did in Week 2 — including the Cowboys all season long. New Orleans tore the roof off that sucker:

It’s a beautiful venue Jerry Jones built for the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium. It’s just a shame his team hasn’t scored more points for their fans than they have this season. The Cowboys have managed just five touchdowns on offense all year long, and it’s the New Orleans Saints who tore the roof off that sucker. The Saints are AT&T Stadium’s scoring leader with six touchdowns to their credit way back in Week 2.

At the same time, it’s a shame the Saints couldn’t maintain that pace. It’s why Dennis Allen got fired and they slumped into a seven-game losing streak. But the tide has turned, maybe. Darren Rizzi has brought new life to the locker room and the practice field and the sideline on game days. Klint Kubiak is running his offense the way he planned to with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy back in the lineup and Taysom Hill recovered from injury.

The 35 points they dropped on the Cleveland Browns’ heads this Sunday were the most the Saints scored since they blew out the Cowboys in Dallas back on Sept. 15.

In a way, their bye week came at the worst time. You’d like to see the Saints keep this momentum going and continue playing fast in another matchup soon. But every team needs rest, and they could use it with McCoy on the mend (though Rizzi says he’s expected to be fine after the bye). The challenge then becomes picking up where they left off. And with the Los Angeles Rams, another playoff hopeful fighting for a winning record, coming up next? Rizzi and his squad need every minute to prepare to hit the ground running on Dec. 1.

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Texans ready for return of WR Nico Collins for season’s second half

Nico Collins is back for the first time in five games for the Houston Texans.

The Houston Texans are eight quarters and counting without a touchdown in the second half.

That should change with the return or Nico Collins.

The Texans will have their leading man back on the sidelines for the first time since Week 5 in Monday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Collins isn’t looking to ease his way back in, either.
There’s reasons to believe that No. 12 will be the No. 1 talking point of the Tuesday morning talk show circuits.

“In order to pick back up, I got to ball out when the ball touches my hands,” Collins said earlier this week. “When the ball is in the air, I have to do something with it.”

It’s a tale of two halves for Houston this season. With Collins in the lineup, the Texans sit at 4-1. With him out, they’re 2-3. They’ve also been outscored 74-39 in the second half since Week 6.

It’s also affected C.J. Stroud’s stat line. Before Collins’ injury, the Texans were sixth in total offense (376.6 yards per game) and fourth in passing. Stroud ranked third in passing yards (1,385), tied for 10th in touchdowns (seven) and 10th in QBR (66.2).

Over the past five games, the Texans rank 24th in total offense (299 yards per game) and 16th in scoring (20 points per contest). Stroud currently ranks 13th in passing (2,371) and 22nd in QBR (54.7).

“I am very excited to have my guy back,” Stroud said. “I am just happy for him to be back with the team, be a part of the locker room again. They are in solitude, when players are injured, they are on their own. So I am glad he is just able to be around the guys again and be able to do the sport that he loves to play.”

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said earlier this week that Stroud needs to “cut it loose” on Monday night. That should be easier with the return of his No. 1 receiver.

Prior to the injury, Collins led the NFL with 567 receiving yards and ranked third in receptions with 32. By missing five games, his 113.4 yards per contest remains among the league’s best.

“Getting Nico back is always very great for all of us,” Ryans said. “Nico’s been one of our best players when he was healthy, so it’s great to have him back, great to have his presence and the energy that he brings and also the playmaking ability that he brings.”

Collins and Stroud’s connection could be the x-factor down the stretch for Houston before the bye week. After traveling to Arlington, the Texans return home for an AFC South showdown against the Tennessee Titans. After that, they hit the road to take on the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars.

With three wins, the Texans would be back at 9-3 in the hunt for a top-three seed in the AFC, but everything starts with a win on Monday.

Everything ends with Collins crossing the goal line for the first time in a month.

“I feel like myself,” Collins said. “I’m feeling good.”

What uniforms will the Texans, Cowboys wear on Monday Night Football?

Here’s what the Texans will be wearing on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys.

A new week, a new uniform combination.

The Houston Texans will head out to Arlington to take on the Dallas Cowboys, looking for their seventh victory and a way to end the two-game losing streak.

The Cowboys love their all-white look on the primetime stage, so Houston must counteract. The AFC South leaders will wear their all-navy blue fit with their traditional helmets.

Here’s a look at the design below:

This marks the second time Houston has donned the all-navy look, with the first coming in Week 7’s loss against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

The Texans should be in better shape on offense with the return of receiver Nico Collins, who was designated to return last week. Collins, who led the NFL in receiving yards the first five weeks, did not play in Sunday’s 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions, but coach DeMeco Ryans said it wasn’t because of a setback.

Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud has struggled at times during Collins’ five-game hiatus. With the fourth-year starter in the lineup, the offense averaged 277 yards through the air while Stroud completed 69% of his passes.

Without Collins, Houston has averaged 197.2  passing yards per game. Stroud completed just 55% of his throws.

How popular is Texans QB C.J. Stroud? Jersey sales have a say

C.J. Stroud has gained more national praise as the Texans continue to show up on primetime television.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is the top name in the NFL. 

Well, as a passer, he’s usually regarded as one of the 10 best quarterbacks. 

When it comes to jersey sales, he wins the crown. 

The NFL on Tuesday announced the top 10 jersey sales for 2024, entering November as the holiday season. Stroud’s No. 7 Texans jersey tops all other players between April 1 and Oct. 1.

Even with the inconsistent play on the field, Stroud’s status from a nationwide perspective continues to grow. Ask any fans on the AFC South franchise which jersey they’re saving up for and the better question would be which jersey color they will be donning with the No. 7 attached to the back. 

Quarterbacks owned the top five, per usual. Chicago Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Washington Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels all ranked inside the top five. 

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, a favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year before his season-ending leg injury, came in at No. 4. 

Rounding out the top 10 included Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Why is Stroud so popular? For starters, his allegiance to California likely carries weight, leading to a majority of fans from Los Angeles saving up to buy his gear. 

There’s also the Ohio State crowd showing support for his college day. Stroud, a two-time Heisman finalist, nearly led the Buckeyes to the national championship twice, including a College Football Playoff appearance in 2022 against Georgia.

Stroud’s also just a likable person who continues to appear on the primetime stage. With the Texans’ matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football this week, it’ll mark the fourth consecutive week Stroud has played in the standalone window this season. 

Houston also will have two standalone games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens next month, bringing the total to seven games. The Texans also remain the favorite to win the division despite losing three of their last four outings.

In September, Stroud landed atop the NFL Players Association’s top 50 player sales list for all officially licensed products sold after being the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.

In 10 games, Stroud has completed 62.9% of his passes for 2,731 yards and 12 touchdown passes against six interceptions. 

Former Saints draft pick spreading his wings with the Eagles

Zack Baun is spreading his wings with the Eagles. It’s hard to call the NFC Defensive Player of the Week a draft bust when the Saints didn’t know how to use him:

Credit where it’s due: Zack Baun is flying high with the Philadelphia Eagles. The former New Orleans Saints draft pick switched teams in free agency, and that decision has paid off. Baun just won recognition as the NFC Defensiive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.

Baun was integral to the Eagles’ dismantling of the NFC East-rival Dallas Cowboys; he totaled 8 tackles (3 solo, with a tackle for loss) plus two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in their 34-6 win. So why wasn’t he putting up those kind of numbers in New Orleans?

For one thing, the Saints didn’t have much of a plan in mind when they traded up to draft Baun back in 2020. To move up from No. 88 to No. 74 (and getting back a seventh rounder in the process), the Saints traded their third rounder in 2021, which wound up falling at No. 91. And once they acquired Baun they didn’t know what to do with him. He weighed in at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, which was too light for Dennis Allen to stomach at defensive end, where Baun lined up in college. The coaching staff and scouting department were not in lockstep.

They spent the next few years trying to teach him to drop back in coverage and work in space, but Allen and his coaching staff never developed much confidence in him. After trading up to draft him the Saints picked another  linebacker in both 2021 (Pete Werner, at No. 60) and 2022 (D’Marco  Jackson, at No. 161). He never got a chance in New Orleans, playing almost twice as many snaps on special teams (1,293) as on defense (660) through his 62-game Saints career.

Now the Saints are scrambling for answers at linebacker. Demario Davis isn’t getting younger and the injury bug bit him earlier this year. Pete Werner signed a contract extension this summer but hasn’t proven he can stay on the field either. The Saints already decided Baun couldn’t be part of their solution, but the Eagles have figured out how to get the most out of him. Now we have to wait and see how New Orleans moves next.

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All 32 NFL teams (including the Texans) ranked by FPI ratings

Here’s how the Texans rank in FPI rankings among all 32 other NFL teams entering Week 11’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Ten games into the season, the Houston Texans (6-4) have a -1.2 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 13th among all 32 teams.

The Dallas Cowboys (6-4), who play host to Houston in Week 11 on ‘Monday Night Football’, are ranked 32nd with an 8.0 FPI rating.

FPI is “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN.com. “FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

With that background in mind, here’s a look at how the league’s 32 teams stack up based on FPI going into Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season.

  1. Detroit Lions (8-1): 7.5
  2. Baltimore Ravens (7-3): 7.0
  3. Buffalo Bills (8-2): 6.0
  4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0): 5.4
  5. San Francisco 49ers (5-4): 4.4
  6. Green Bay Packers (6-3): 4.4
  7. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2): 4.2
  8. Minnesota Vikings (7-2): 2.3
  9. Washington Commanders (7-3): 2.0
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2): 1.9
  11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6): 1.7
  12. Arizona Cardinals (6-4): 1.5
  13. Houston Texans (6-4): 1.2
  14. Atlanta Falcons (6-4): 0.8
  15. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6): 0.7
  16. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3): 0.7
  17. New York Jets (3-7): 0.2
  18. Cleveland Browns (2-7): -0.3
  19. Los Angeles Rams (4-5): -0.4
  20. Miami Dolphins (3-6): -0.7
  21. New Orleans Saints (3-7): -1.3
  22. Seattle Seahawks (4-5): -1.4
  23. Chicago Bears (4-5): -1.4
  24. Indianapolis Colts (4-6): -1.6
  25. Denver Broncos (5-5): -2.8
  26. New York Giants (2-8): -4.6
  27. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7): -4.8
  28. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8): -5.1
  29. Tennesee Titans (2-7): -5.2
  30. New England Patriots (3-7): -6.5
  31. Carolina Panthers (3-7): -7.4
  32. Dallas Cowboys (3-6): -8.0

The Texans will aim to improve their rating when they take on the Cowboys in Week 11. Houston has moved down two spots since last week.

Who will start for the Cowboys against the Texans in Week 11?

The Houston Texans now know which quarterback plans to start on Monday night when they face off against the Dallas Cowboys.

Dak Prescott is out for the year after it was announced Tuesday morning that the star quarterback would undergo season-ending hamstring surgery.

While Prescott wasn’t expected to face off against the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium next Monday night, there was speculation that the Dallas Cowboys could have an ensuing battle for QB1 entering the weekend.

That’s no longer the case. Cowboys coach McCarthy announced Monday evening that Cooper Rush would remain the starter for the standalone outing on ESPN.

“We have a lot of faith in Cooper,” McCarthy told reporters in Frisco. “Like I stood up here last week, everybody believes in him. How can you not based off the way he’s performed? But that fumble and the recovery attempt, that was off to a rough start. Just felt like he never really got into a rhythm.”

Rush, a longtime backup in Dallas, started in Sunday’s loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. The seventh-year completed 13-of-26 passes for 45 yards and lost two fumbles while being sacked once.

Perhaps the most significant takeaway was Dallas did not score a touchdown in their first game without Prescott, who left in the fourth quarter of Week 9’s loss against the Atlanta Falcons.

“Everybody has confidence in Coop,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “Again, it wasn’t our best performance yesterday as an offense, for sure. Wasn’t all him. We’re all involved in that.”

The Cowboys might have named Rush the starter, but it wasn’t a forgone conclusion entering the fourth quarter. Former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance played the final 15 minutes, finishing 4-of-6 passing for 21 yards. He was sacked twice and intercepted once.

Lance, who some believed would transform into the long-term answer for the San Francisco 49ers, also ran three times for 17 yards. Sunday marked his first regular-season action since being acquired by the Cowboys in 2023.

“I just felt he didn’t have reps in that particular situational work,” McCarthy said of Lance. “But then gave him some series based on where we were; thought he did some good things. And definitely some things he can learn from. It was good to get him out there.”
The Texans are looking to rebound after blowing a 16-point first-half lead against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.

Will Dak Prescott play against Texans? Latest injury updates for Cowboys QB

The Houston Texans might not be facing off against Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on Monday Night Football at A&T Stadium.

The Houston Texans must focus their attention on facing the Detroit Lions this Sunday night at NRG Stadium, but a Lone Star Showdown lingers in the back of their minds.

Houston travels to AT&T Stadium to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football on November 18. The Texans will be without star receiver Stefon Diggs, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 8.

As for Dallas? It seems like Dak Prescott won’t be suiting up, either. Here’s what happened and his current status entering Week 11’s showdown.

Dak Prescott injury update

According to NFL Network and ESPN, Prescott, who left with a hamstring injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss against the Atlanta Falcons, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury.

Prescott told reporters postgame that he was unsure if he injured his hamstring while trying to run for the first down or when he was tackled and said he would “be out there next week” when Dallas took on NFC East rival Philadelphia.

“I saw the medical team and asked could I make it worse,” Prescott told reporters. “At that point they said I wouldn’t be able to protect myself and made the call to hold me out.”

After undergoing an MRI on Monday, the results led to a less optimistic conclusion. If placed on the injured reserve, Prescott will miss a minimum of four games and won’t be eligible to return in Week 15.

The nine-year veteran went 18-of-24 for 133 yards with one touchdown before leaving the game. This season, Prescott has been inconsistent, but still a solid starter for the NFC East franchise despite its 3-5 record.

Dak Prescott stats

Through eight games, Prescott has completed 64.7% of his pass attempts for 1,978 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s also rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.

This offseason, Prescott agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract hours before the season opener that made him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.

Cowboys QB depth chart

Cooper Rush is the projected starter in place of Prescott following Sunday’s game, but here’s Dallas’ quarterback depth chart.

  • Cooper Rush
  • Trey Lance

Rush, who’s started nine games since joining the roster in 2017, went 13-of-25 for 115 yards with a touchdown in relief. The veteran also played in two games this season in mop-up duty, throwing for 52 yards with an interception.

If Rush starts, this won’t be the first time he’s taken over for Dallas for a significant period. He went  4-1 in five starts for an injured Prescott in 2022, completing 57.7% of his throws for 1,020 yards and five touchdowns against three interceptions.

Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick out of North Dakota State in 2021, should take over as the secondary option behind Rush. The San Francisco 49ers traded Lance to the Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season for a 2024 fourth-round pick after moving forward with Brock Purdy as their starter.

He has been the third-string quarterback for the team since and has yet to appear in a game for Dallas in two years.

Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.