Tag: Cowboys

Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch out vs. Bills

The Bills won’t be facing Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on Thanksgiving, according to Jerry Jones. 

The Bills won’t be facing Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on Thanksgiving, according to Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys owner chatted with 105.3 The Fan radio in Dallas on Tuesday and said he “doesn’t expect” the second-year pro to play in Thursday’s Week 13 game.

Vander Esch was previously labeled as a “week-to-week” injury by Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. He was the third linebacker selected at the 2018 NFL draft, behind the Bills’ Tremaine Edmunds.

He’s recorded 72 tackles, three passes defended and a forced fumble in nine games this season and missed last week’s 13-9 Cowboys loss vs. the Patriots due to the neck inflammation injury.

Vander Esch has had neck injury concerns dating back to his college days with Boise State.

Veteran Sean Lee will fill in for Vander Esch once again against the Bills.

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Bills at Cowboys: Monday injury reports

Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys Monday injury reports for Week 13 meeting on Thursday/ Thanksgiving Day.

The Bills have a short turnaround following their win over the Denver Broncos as Buffalo heads to Dallas for a Thanksgiving Day meeting with the Cowboys.

Here are the Monday injury reports for both teams ahead of their Thursday meeting:

Buffalo Bills (8-3)

Did not practice

  • WR Robert Foster (hamstring)
  • OL Ty Nsekhe (ankle)

Limited

  • OL Mitch Morse (hand)

Notes:

The Bills and Cowboys only had walk-through practices on Monday due to the short week and injury reports are based on estimations. … Robert Foster pulled up during Week 12’s win over the Broncos after a long run and did not return. … Mitch Morse also exited the game but was on the sideline after leaving the game. … The Bills listed DB Siran Neal as a full participant on Monday after he missed Week 12 due to a concussion.

Dallas Cowboys (6-5)

Did not practice

  • LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck)
  • DT Antwaun Woods (knee)

Limited

  • OL La’el Collins (knee/ back)
  • S Jeff Heath (shoulder)
  • OL Zack Martin (back/ ankle/ elbow)
  • OL Connor Williams (knee)

Notes:

La’el Collins, Zack Martin and Connor Williams are part of the Cowboys first-team offensive line, but all played in Week 12 vs. the Patriots. … On Friday, Dallas head coach Jason Garrett said on Leighton Vander Esch: “We don’t think it’s career threatening” and “We think at some point he will be back.”

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Oddsmakers: Bills open as underdog for Thanksgiving feast with Cowboys

Odds for Buffalo Bills – Dallas Cowboys in Week 13 on Thanksgiving.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Bills after their win over the Denver Broncos.

While you’ll be stuffing the turkey, the Bills will be prepping to face the Dallas Cowboys on the road. According to BetMGM, the Bills are the underdog for the holiday gathering in Week 13. Dallas has opened as a seven-point favorite over Buffalo.

The Bills (8-3) have been favored in their past two games against the Broncos and Dolphins, respectively, with both games being played at home. Their most recent road game against the Cleveland Browns, the Bills were also underdogs.

Worth noting, if the oddsmakers are right about the Cowboys (6-5) having the edge, it would be the first time they’ve defeated a team with a winning record this season.

The over/ under for the contest is set for 45 while the money line sits Bills (+245) and Cowboys (-290).

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shows frustrations entering Bills meeting

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is one of the most recognizable owners in all of sports. He’s also none too happy as his team heads into their annual Thanksgiving Day game, which so happens to be against the Bills this week.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is one of the most recognizable owners in all of sports. He’s also none too happy as his team heads into their annual Thanksgiving Day game, which so happens to be against the Bills this week.

The Cowboys current;y sit atop the NFC East at 6-5 but in Week 12, the Patriots defeated Dallas 13-9. Their division isn’t the AFC East often dominated by the Pats. It’s always a close race and is once again this year with the Eagles at 5-6.

Even with their continued holding spot in first, Jones made some remarks which turned up the heat on head coach Jason Garrett, per Cowboys Wire.

Jones questioned… a lot of things when asked after the Patriots loss if he was more bothered by that outcome or their loss earlier this season to the lowly Jets.

“The Jets set it up. Losing those games against New Orleans or Minnesota, they set this up. You shouldn’t ever come into a situation like that and have as narrow a window… So we set this up for this kind of conversation before we even got here. But this is very frustrating, and it’s frustrating just to be reminded that some of the fundamentals of football and coaching were what beat us out there today.

“There’s no question that (Bill Belichick) saw the ball was going to be hard to handle. There’ snot question he put the pressure on the people returning the kick and the people handling the ball on special teams. There’s no question he used that to really put some special emphasis on it. So yeah, I’m frustrated,” Jones said.

Like the Bills, the Cowboys have an oft-criticism this season. They have yet to beat a team with a winning record. That likely spilled over into Jones’ frustrations. The owner has stuck by Garrett for several seasons as bench boss, but a change could be on the horizon this offseason if Jones’ lofty goals aren’t met.

If the Bills do top the Cowboys on the holiday event, keeping an eye out for Jones’ remarks could be worthwhile. Perhaps putting too much pressure on the coaching staff could be an advantage for the Bills prior to the game as well.

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PODCAST: Can Bills carry consistency vs. Broncos into Cowboys meeting?

Buffalo Bills podcast following Week 12 in over Denver Broncos, ahead of Thanksgiving meetings vs. Cowboys.

The Buffalo Bills won their second straight game to improve to 8-3 on the season for the first time since 1996. It was a remarkable game, with the team displaying proficiency in all three phases of football that put up points and yardage on a top defense, halting a strong run offense, and did it’s job on special teams.

Denver had played much better than it’s record until this point, and they hit an absolute brick wall at New Era Field. The Bills defense only allowed 167 yards of total offense in Week 12. Buffalo downed talented running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman. In fact, it seemed that Broncos play calling didn’t aim to target Buffalo’s sketchy run defense in the second half, as they became very pass happy and one-dimensional.

In the Broncos closest venture towards the end zone, they could not get the job done as Tre’Davious White was essentially handed an interception and a broken route intended for Courtland Sutton, who was held for one catch in the outing.

The offense did well, aside from a bad Josh Allen interception that gave Denver some of the best field positioning that they had all day. 244 yards on the ground, again dominated by Devin Singletary.

However, the big news was that, Frank Gore, the journeyman running back, passed Barry Sanders to become third all-time in rushing yards. A tremendous accomplishment, and extra satisfying that it happened with him wearing a Bills jersey.

Buffalo prepares for Dallas on a short week for this Thursday, as the Bills play their first Thanksgiving game in several years. The quick turnaround has affected many teams this year, not being allowed to play to their full potential. Everyone is already hard at work at One Bills Drive to ensure the Bills are prepared for their latest National Spotlight opportunity.

Podcast Hosts Matt and Jeremy examine the win over Denver, and the road to Dallas:

Subscribe

 

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The Cowboys-Patriots game is set to be the most-watched regular season game of the year

If it seems like there are the same teams in primetime games, that’s probably because it’s true. Certain teams just draw more viewers whether it’s because of market size, star power, or a national following. That’s why we get the Giants on Sunday …

If it seems like there are the same teams in primetime games, that’s probably because it’s true. Certain teams just draw more viewers whether it’s because of market size, star power, or a national following. That’s why we get the Giants on Sunday Night Football even though they haven’t been a good football team for a few years now. It’s why the Packers and Steelers are often scheduled at marquee teams. This Sunday there are two late games. There’s the Titans-Jaguars AFC South shown and there’s the Cowboys traveling to Foxborough to take on the Patriots. Take on guess on which game will be more watched.

As long as the Cowboys-Patriots matchup remains close, it should generate some amazing ratings. The Cowboys are one of — if not the — most popular football team in the country. They have fans outside of Dallas who have probably never even stepped foot in Texas. They are “America’s Team.”

The Patriots are the team of the current century — not just the team of the decade. They have one of the greatest coaches of all time. They have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. They are the evil empire that opposing fans hate — and are jealous of — because of how much they win.

Both teams are from major markets. Both have a national following. They generate great viewership numbers when they don’t play each other.

So Fox should be excited. The NFL should be excited. Ratings will be through the roof. Now if they could only figure out a way to have these two teams meet in the Super Bowl.

NFC Playoff picture heading into Week 12

(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) NFC East Dallas Cowboys 6-4 It still feels like Dallas should be better than it is. The Cowboys have a talented defense but give up too many points. They have a stud running back but go to Ezekiel Elliott …

 

(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys 6-4

It still feels like Dallas should be better than it is. The Cowboys have a talented defense but give up too many points. They have a stud running back but go to Ezekiel Elliott too often on early downs. Dak Prescott is an MVP candidate. Dallas almost needs to win this game against the Patriots because the Eagles have an extremely easy schedule after Week 12. It’s a weird situation.

Remaining Games: @Patriots, Bills, @Bears, Rams, @Eagles, Redskins

Philadelphia Eagles 5-5

The Eagles are the new Falcons. Everyone expects them to win but they do something every other game that makes us question whether they are actually good. Their defensive injuries have now transitioned to the offense. If Philadelphia can beat the Seahawks this week, they could end up 10-6 or 11-5. It’s all very odd. The NFC East could come down to the Week 16 game against Dallas.

Remaining Games:  Seahawks, @Dolphins, Giants, @Redskins, Cowboys, @Giants

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Kickoff time, broadcast details set for Oklahoma-Oklahoma State (Bedlam)

Both Sooners and Cowboys fans will be able to sleep in Thanksgiving weekend. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State get a night kickoff for Bedlam.

Both Sooners and Cowboys fans will be able to sleep in Thanksgiving weekend.

After having five straight 11AM kickoffs, the Sooners will close the regular season with four straight primetime games.

Bedlam gets the primetime treatment on FOX, showcasing one of the Big 12’s best rivalries as of late.

Oklahoma played Iowa State, Baylor, TCU and will now play Oklahoma State all in primetime to close out the back half of the Sooners’ schedule. With this much exposure in the spotlight, Oklahoma has taken advantage of their opportunities so far with a near upset against Iowa State and a historic 25-point comeback against Baylor.

This will be the one hundredth and fourteenth meeting between the Sooners and Cowboys. Oklahoma leads the all-time series with 88 wins, 18 losses and seven ties.

The Sooners have yet to lose a game against Oklahoma State since 2014, winning 58-23 in 2015, 38-20 in 2016, 62-52 in 2017 and 48-47 last year in Norman.

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Cowboys-Lions odds: Dallas favored over Stafford-less Detroit

Previewing Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Week 11 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Dallas Cowboys (5-4) will face an NFC North opponent for the second straight week, taking on the Detroit Lions (3-5-1) Saturday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Ford Field.

Cowboys at Lions: Week 11 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action in the game at BetMGM  by placing a sports bet!

  • After starting the year 3-0 ATS, the Cowboys are just 2-4 since then. They’ve been favored in every game so far this season.
  • The Lions are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after beginning the season 4-1. Detroit has only been favored twice this season.
  • The Lions are 8-4 straight up (SU) in their last 12 games against the Cowboys. The teams have split the last 10 games against the spread, though, going 5-5.
  • In their last eight meetings, the total has gone over in seven games.
  • The over is 6-3 in Cowboys games this season, including 4-1 in the last five.
  • The Lions are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games and 1-3-1 SU at home this season.

Cowboys at Lions: Key injuries

Lions: QB Matthew Stafford (back) will miss his second straight game, while CB Darius Slay (neck) was limited in practice, but is expected to be fine for Week 11.

Cowboys: WR Amari Cooper (knee, ankle) and DE DeMarcus Lawrence (neck) are expected to play.

Cowboys at Lions: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 8:15 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Cowboys 30, Lions 20

Moneyline (?)

The Cowboys typically take care of business against lesser opponents, but their Week 6 loss to the New York Jets was a stunner. They should be able to beat the Lions, who will have Jeff Driskel at QB, despite being on the road.

Take the COWBOYS (-304) to win outright against the Lions. Driskel and the Lions offense will have trouble moving the ball against Dallas’ defense, and Detroit struggles to stop the run.

New to sports betting? Every $3.04 wagered that Dallas wins outright will profit $1 if the Cowboys prevail. A $10 bet would profit $3.29 (10 divided by 3.04).

Against the Spread (?)

Despite being without Stafford, the Lions are only 6.5-point underdogs. That’s not very many points for a team starting its backup quarterback against a stout defense.

Dallas will cover the spread and win this one by at least one touchdown. Bet the COWBOYS -6.5 (-121).

Over/Under (?)

The total has gone over in four of the Cowboys’ last five games and three of the last four for Detroit. The over/under of 46.5 might seem like a lot for a team led by Driskel, but the total will go above that number.

Take the OVER (-115) in this matchup, primarily because the Cowboys offense is rolling right now.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @camdasilva and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Former Longhorn Malik Jefferson waived by Cleveland Browns

Former Texas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday

On Tuesday, former Texas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson was waived by the Cleveland Browns.

Jefferson is in just his second year as a pro. He was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

With the Browns in 2019, Jefferson only made an appearance in one game, and that game came in week one against the Titans. In that game, Jefferson recorded just one tackle.

Hopefully, we see Malik find a new home soon. After all, he was a third-round pick last year for a reason.

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