Tag: Dallas Cowboys vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Cowboys CB fined more for end-of-game facemask incident than guilty Steelers WR

From @ToddBrock24f7: As the Week 5 game went final, George Pickens yanked Jourdan Lewis to the ground by his facemask. But Lewis received the bigger fine.

Cowboys fans who stayed up all the way until the end of the team’s Week 5 tilt against Pittsburgh saw Steelers wide receiver George Pickens commit an egregious foul against cornerback Jourdan Lewis just after the gun sounded on Dallas’s 20-17 victory.

But nobody saw Lewis being the one to get punished more harshly by the league.

In its weekly report of fines handed out for the previous week, the NFL declared that Pickens would be docked $10,230 for the act of unnecessary roughness that came after Lewis recovered a fumble to finally end the multiple-lateral last-ditch effort by the Steelers offense on the game’s final play.

Lewis, ball in hand, got in Pickens’s face and clearly said something to which the third-year receiver took offense. Pickens grabbed Lewis’s facemask and yanked him the the ground.

Lewis was also fined by the league- for taunting- but incredibly, his fine amounted to $11,255, over a thousand dollars more than Pickens.

Huh?

Fines are levied according to a pre-determined menu whereby each violation equates to a set dollar amount. But it’s hard to watch a replay of the Cowboys/Steelers end-of-game sequence and think that anything Lewis might have said was somehow worse than what Pickens did in retaliation.

True, Lewis hurled some words. But Pickens could have left a fellow player injured.

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Lewis and Pickens were getting after each other all night. As the Cowboys players made their way to the locker room after the game, cameras captured Lewis saying, “Pittsburgh need a new receiver. George Pickens weak.”

Per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the 29-year-old veteran expressed regret for the comment.

“Honestly, I shouldn’t have said that,” Lewis said. “It was an emotional game. There was some chatter on the field. One thing led to another. He had a moment, I had a moment. It was too emotional. I shouldn’t have said it.”

Now both Lewis and Pickens will pay for their respective emotional outbursts… but Lewis will inexplicably pay more.

Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson was also fined- also $11,255- for a late hit that extended Pittsburgh’s fourth-quarter drive that resulted in a go-ahead touchdown.

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Report: Cowboys DE avoids season-ending injury but will require surgery

From @ToddBrock24f7: Marshawn Kneeland lasted just 4 plays in relief of 2 other injured Cowboys stars. He’ll miss at least a month with a partial meniscus tear.

When it rains, it pours. And not just from the clouds over Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday night.

Once the game finally got underway after a lengthy weather delay, a Cowboys defender being asked to step up due to other injuries suffered one of his own just four snaps in.

Rookie defensive end Marshawn Kneeland suffered a partial meniscus tear on the first series of the night for the Cowboys defense. The injury came during a tackle of Steelers quarterback Justin Fields. Kneeland was carted off the sideline and did not return for the duration of Dallas’s 20-17 win over the Steelers.

Multiple outlets are reporting Monday that the second-round draft pick avoided a season-ending ACL tear, but he will need surgery to repair the damage in his right knee. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Kneeland could miss four to six weeks while he recovers.

The Western Michigan product is now the fourth edge rusher to go down with an injury this season for Dallas. Sam Williams was lost for the season in late July, Micah Parsons is considered week-to-week, and DeMarcus Lawrence will be on injured reserve through Nov. 3.

Kneeland will almost certainly be moved to IR as well as the team figures out a plan for at least the next month.

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Chauncey Golston, Tyrus Wheat, and Carl Lawson took on extra snaps versus the Steelers after Kneeland went down in the first quarter. All three ended the night notching half a sack on Fields.

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Unsung heroes Tolbert, Dowdle lead Cowboys to last-minute win vs Steelers, 20-17

The Cowboys got standout performances from two unheralded starters and a strong defensive performance helps them escape Pittsburgh with a W. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys were extremely shorthanded entering Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Down a slew of key defenders to begin with, they then had to sit through an hour and a half weather delay as storms passed through Acrisure Stadium. On their first defensive drive, they lost Marshawn Kneeland to a knee injury, as he was filling in for DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. Quarterback Dak Prescott fumbled first and then threw a red-zone interception later, adding a third turnover in the second half on a deep pass.

It didn’t matter. Thanks to RB Rico Dowdle and WR Jalen Tolbert’s career days, the Cowboys had just enough offense to pull out a final-drive victory over the Steelers when on fourth down Prescott found Tolbert on a cross right over the goal line. Dallas’ second touchdown of the night, right before 1 am on the east coast, gave the team a 20-17 win.

The victory improved the Cowboys to 3-2 on the young season, notching their first winning streak of 2024. The loss dropped the Steelers to a similar record.

Tolbert finished the game with a career and team-high 87 receiving yards, which went hand-in-hand with Dowdle’s career high 87 rushing yards. Dowdle also caught two passes for 27 yards and the first score of the game.

The Cowboys also got step-up performances from Kavontae Turpin as WR Bradin Cooks missed the game after being placed on IR. Turpin caught four of his five targets for 50 yards.

Dallas was able to corral Steelers QB Justin Fields, who was coming off a a 300-passing yard performance last week. Fields had two passing touchdowns but accrued just 131 air yards and 27 on scrambles and designed runs.

The Dallas defense had three sacks and forced two fumbles, allowing the Steelers just 226 yards on the game. Playing without their two star edge rushers, and their two corners who start opposite Trevon Diggs in Daron Bland and Caelen Carson, Mike Zimmer’s group had their best outing of the season, though they did allow Pittsburgh to march down the field and take a late lead.

Still, there’s a ton to be proud of as the injuries continue to mount. Dallas lost two starting offensive linemen in the game as well. Rookie Tyler Guyton went out with a knee injury and stayed out as he was questionable to return. The team also lost RG Zack Martin to cramps, but he was able to return.

Next up for Dallas will be the 3-1 Detroit Lions coming to AT&T Stadium where the Cowboys will now try and solve their home woes as they’ve lost three consecutive games in blowout fashion.

Cowboys on wrong end of historic career start Week 5 vs Steelers

With injuries mounting, why not throw a career milestone on to salt the wound.

When the schedules were released in May, fans of quarterback pressure circled two of the Cowboys’ first five games. In Week 1, the matchup between Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons lived up to the billing of two of the three preeminent pass rushers in the NFL with both players notching sacks.

Week 5 was the second iteration as Parsons and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ TJ Watt were set to match wits. Only Parsons was injured in Week 4 and is missing the game. To make matters worse, with Dallas driving near the end of the first quarter to take an early lead, Watt made history.

Watt, who has led the NFL in sacks three times already in his career, notched a half tally in a strip sack of Dak Prescott deep in Pittsburgh’s territory, giving him 100 for his career in just 109 career games.

It’s the fastest a player has made that number since Reggie White did it in 96.

Watt, of course, could have been making these milestones while wearing a Dallas uniform. In 2017, Dallas had Watt sitting there in the first round to be taken out of Wisconsin, but the Cowboys famously thought that because they ran a 40-front, Watt wouldn’t make a good fit as he was used to playing standing up.

Instead the Cowboys selected Taco Charlton out of Michigan, who couldn’t even complete half of his rookie contract without getting released.

Another starting Cowboys DE leaves sideline on cart after injury vs Steelers

Rookie Marshawn Kneeland suffers an injury at one of the three spots the Cowboys can’t afford any more attrition. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys lost two starting edge rushers to injury in Week 4’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. With not much depth behind them, the club went out and poached a practice squad to get more help. Only KJ Henry wasn’t in town long enough to be activated for this week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. So without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas was left to pressure Justin Fields, with rookie Marshawn Kneeland, and veterans Chauncey Golston, Carl Lawson and second-year man Tyrus Wheat.

Make that Golstron, Lawson and Wheat, as Marshawn Kneeland had to leave the game on the Steelers’ first drive with a leg injury. Kneeland was carted to the locker room after limping off the field.

A second-round rookie from Western Michigan, Kneeland has flashed on = occasion in the young season, though he has yet to register a sack on the young season.

The game is tied at 3 early as both teams scored field goals on their opening drives. Dallas had to punt on their next possession, giving the ball back to the Steelers at their own 26.

Parsons, Carson headline inactives in Cowboys-Steelers Week 5 tilt, rookie WR to debut

Dallas is doing three defensive starters now, with both edge rushers and now a corner missing from the action.

The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are careening towards their 31st matchup in franchise history. The last official pre-game acts? Naming of the inactives. Teams have 53-man rosters and can elevate two players from the practice squad each week. However they are only allowed to dress a certain amount and allow them onto the field in a game.

That number is 47, but it has caveats. If a team is dressing at least nine offensive linemen, they can dress 48 players. A team can also dress an emergency third quarterback, who can play in case the top two signal callers are injured. That leaves six players to be named inactive.

How to Watch, Stream Listen to Cowboys-Steelers on SNF

For Dallas, the headline is Micah Parsons, dealing with a high ankle sprain. Parsons didn’t practice all week and it was clear early he was going to miss the game. Not mentioned are DE DeMarcus Lawrence and WR Brandin Cooks, who were moved to IR earlier in the week.

 

RB Deuce Vaughn
LB Micah Parsons
CB Caelen Carson
DE KJ Henry
OT Matt Waletzko
TE John Stephens Jr.
Trey Lance (emergency QB)

Notable is that Dallas is activating WR Ryan Flournoy and also that starting corner Caelen Carson is going to miss his second consecutive contest. He’s been starting opposite Trevon Diggs since Daron Bland has spent the first third of the season on IR after foot surgery.

As for the Steelers, they will also be without some key pieces, with edge LB Alex Highsmith out along with RBs Jaylen Warren and Cardarrelle Patterson.

Jerry Jones hypes rookie WR set to make NFL debut: ‘He’s got Dez Bryant stuff’

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys owner invoked the name of an all-time fan favorite. The 6th-round draft pick models his game after Jerry Rice. We’ll soon see.

A Cowboys-Steelers matchup- in primetime, no less- rarely needs a lot of extra juice. After 33 all-time meetings, the Cowboys hold just a one-game edge in the series. But the interconference rivalry was built largely on Super Bowls. To wit: they’re the only teams to meet in the big game three times, the two franchises have 16 appearances between them, and a total of 11 Lombardi Trophies sit in their respective lobbies.

And while this Week 5 meeting doesn’t hold that same kind of overall importance, it could nevertheless go a long way in predicting what the rest of the Cowboys’ 2024 season will look like.

Though the team sits at 2-2, the general impression around Cowboys Nation is that the bottom could drop right out of this thing any moment now. The two losses have been embarrassing blowouts, injuries have already sidelined several major playmakers, a vocal faction of fans is lobbying the owner’s family to relinquish control of the team’s day-to-day football operations, and a nasty gauntlet of opponents awaits on the schedule.

Many Cowboys fans already need a glimmer of hope to cling to.

Enter Jerry Jones.

The team’s Chief Eternal Optimist addressed concerns about a depleted wide receiver corps on Friday by pumping up… wait for it… Ryan Flournoy. The sixth-round draft pick will be active for the first time on Sunday and looks to make his NFL debut helping to fill in for six-time 1,000-yard receiver Brandin Cooks.

Flournoy is a largely unknown commodity outside The Star, but Jones had not just rave reviews for the 24-year-old, but also a big-time comparable to dangle in front of the Cowboys faithful.

“He may be something special for us,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “On a personal basis, he’s got Dez Bryant stuff to him. Boy, is he an athlete. I’m glad to see him get this opportunity … he could show out.”

Of course, it’s worth wondering aloud: if Jones and the Cowboys are so incredibly high on Flournoy, then why leave him inactive for four straight weeks and finally play him only because of an injury at WR2?

And cynically, it’s not like anyone would really put it past Jones to overexaggerate a young player’s potential just to peddle some excitement to the fanbase during a season that threatens to go off the rails. No, better to keep those stadium seats full for the next three months by hinting that this off-the-bench guy just might become the team’s next superstar phenom, à la Tony Romo or Miles Austin.

You probably already have a No. 88 jersey; why not get you an 80 before everyone else?

To be sure, invoking the name of Bryant- the franchise’s all-time receiving touchdowns leader- certainly sets a high bar for the Southeast Missouri State product who has only played in the preseason (and marred his first of those with a costly drop.)

But Flournoy himself says he’s learned a lot since then and is ready to take a big step in his pro career.

“I’m super confident,” he told reporters earlier in the week.

“I’m thankful and thank God that I’m able to show what I’ve got, just to prove to the world that I belong.”

But the absurdly-athletic Flournoy has his sights set even higher than that, modeling his game– and even his jersey number- after his hero, the greatest small-school wide receiver of them all.

“Speaking on Jerry Rice, I’m 80. He was No. 80,” Flournoy smiled. “That’s big shoes to fill. But Jerry Rice was so dominant as a player and as, like, a Hall of Famer, man. I want to do that.

“Being the next Jerry Rice, or being the only Ryan Flournoy, is my goal.”

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Flournoy had an impressive training camp. But neither the lofty comparisons nor aspirations guarantee that Flournoy will now go off when he finally takes the field Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

In his NFL debut, Jerry Rice caught four balls for 67 yards. Dez Bryant hauled in eight passes for 56.

But it has to start somewhere; Jones said he’s “anxious to see him make his first catch with the Dallas Cowboys.”

Flournoy, too.

“I am excited to show y’all. It’s in here,” he said, tapping his chest. “It’s in here. Y’all will see.”

Jones wants to make sure of it.

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Parsons ruled out in Cowboys vs Steelers final injury report; Diggs, Cooks, LB updates

Several key components from both clubs are going to miss the game and there are a handful of question marks too. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Here’s the good news. They got Ezekiel Elliott and Ryan Flournoy some fluids. The veteran running back and rookie WR set to make his debut in Week 5 vs the Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer a concern after dehydrating on Thursday.

Here’s the bad news. As expected, Micah Parsons and Brandin Cooks have officially been ruled out for the 2-2 Dallas Cowboys. Parsons’ high-ankle sprain was a virtual certainty, as was Cooks knee after an infection developed. There’s no word when either will return but it could be a minute for both. Also, CB Trevon Diggs left practice on Thursday and did not participate on Friday, but head coach Mike McCarthy says that he’s set to play.

Meanwhile, the Steelers will also be without a starting pass rusher and key offensive components.

In the final injury report for the week, Pittsburgh ruled out LB Alex Highsmith, RB Cordarrelle Patterson and RB Jaylen Warren. While they’ll still have T.J. Watt to terrorize the young Dallas offensive line, the Steelers struggling run game is going to be without their No. 2 and No. 3 running backs behind the currently plodding Najee Harris.

Also out for Pittsburgh is TE MyCole Pruitt. Here’s the designations from both teams.

Dallas Cowboys

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

WR Brandin Cooks, Knee | OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: DNP

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

Safety Markquese Bell, Ankle | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Full Participant

CB Trevon Diggs, Ankle | QUESTIONABLE
Thursday: Limited, Friday: DNP

OT Tyler Guyton, Shoulder | NO DESIGNATION
Thursday, Friday: Full

RB Rico Dowdle, Wrist | NO DESIGNATION
Thursday, Friday: Full

RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dehydration | NO DESIGNATION
Thursday: Limited, Friday: Full

WR Ryan Flournoy, Dehydration | NO DESIGNATION
Thursday: Limited, Friday: Full

LB Marist Liufau, Quad | QUESTIONABLE
Friday: Limited

Wednesday NIR Rest Days: Malik Hooker, Eric Kendricks Jourdan Lewis, Zack Martin

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Russell Wilson, Calf | QUESTIONABLE
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: LP

RB Jaylen Warren, Knee | OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: DNP

LB Jeremiah Moon, Ankle | QUESTIONABLE
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: FP

LB Nick Herbig, Ankle | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday: DNP | Thursday: Limited | Friday: Full

G Isaac Seumalo, Pectoral | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday, Thursday: FP | Friday: Full

TE MyCole Pruitt, Knee | OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: DNP

RB Cordarrelle Patterson, Ankle | OUT
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: DNP

DL Keeanu Benton, Ankle | NO DESIGNATION
Wednesday: LP | Thursday, Friday: Full

DT Larry Ogunjobi, Groin | QUESTIONABLE
Thursday, Friday: Limited

Here’s how Cowboys will survive without Parsons, Lawrence

The Cowboys have defenders who can do more than they’ve been asked, and there’s a simple fix on offense. | From @cdpiglet

The Dallas Cowboys had issues going into the game against the New York Giants. They had an atrocious run defense, weren’t getting their typical pass-rush efficiency, and couldn’t even do a simple thing like tackle well. Now they have lost Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence to injuries.

The easy option to compensate for those losses is to try replacing their production. Dallas will play the next-man-up game with Marshawn Kneeland, Chauncey Golston, and Carl Lawson, but defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer must get creative to replicate the production lost from his two best front-seven players. In 2022, Donovan Wilson had five sacks and nine QB hits on 30 blitz attempts. In college, DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau played all over the field, blitzing and playing off the edge.

Even if the new options are successful, the Cowboys are unlikely to be as good as they would be with Lawrence and Parsons. This underscores the urgent need for the team to improve in other areas to lessen the impact of their injury losses, and the offense has to compensate for the losses as well.

The most manageable area to improve in is penalties. Dallas isn’t an explosive offense, holding the ball for long drives often, but the team continually sets itself back with penalties. The team is in the bottom five in the NFL in penalties, second worst in offensive holding penalties, and bottom 10 in false starts. These setbacks have cost the team first downs, taken them out of scoring range, and the team isn’t good enough to overcome the penalties. It’s crucial to clean those up, as more points will come and the time of possession will shift to Dallas, allowing them to protect their defense.

The offense also needs their superstar to be utilized like a superstar, especially with Brandin Cooks out.

CeeDee Lamb has 17 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns receiving in the first half. If he replicated that in all four quarters, he would have over 30 receptions for 600 yards and four scores. Dallas hasn’t used Lamb in the second half of games this season. He has only three receptions for 16 yards in the second half of games this year, and that is a terrible half of football, let alone through eight quarters. Get the best weapon on the team, the ball, and he could make explosive plays for the offense.

Quiet on Set: Cowboys’ silent count to be tested Week 5 vs Steelers

Crowd noise is expected to be a major factor in Sunday night’s matchup between the Cowboys and Steelers. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys are no strangers to loud stadiums. They have to endure yearly matchups against the Giants in New Jersey and the Eagles in Philadelphia, in addition to oddly frequent pilgrimages to the noise chambers in Minnesota, Seattle and San Francisco. Playing on the road is part of the job and in many cases those road games change the job entirely.

Crowd noise is meant to stymie communication for opposing offenses. Snap counts, audibles and just about every other verbal communication on the field can be extremely difficult on the road. As such, offenses must learn to communicate through a series of gestures and motions to signal snap counts and audibles.

When allowed to communicate openly, the Cowboys have historically been one of the best teams in the NFL. Before their recent home losing streak, Dallas was undefeated within the confines of AT&T stadium. In 2023 they went 8-0 at home in the regular season, compared to just 4-5 on the road. They won their last eight home games of 2022. Crowd noise and its impact on the offense’s ability to communicate likely played a big part in that.

Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh is regarded as one of the loudest in the NFL. Ranking top 10 in decibel levels, the Cowboys will have their work cut out for them in Week 5.

And adding to the volume of this matchup is the rivalry between the two teams.

While players on the field may not feel it, fans in Pittsburgh certainly do. With bad blood going back 50 years, this is not just any old interconference matchup.

The primetime nature of Sunday Night Football also adds an element of fervor to the event. More time for day drinking in the parking lot often means an extra jolt of energy from the stands. Plus, the Steelers have started out the season 3-1 and currently have Dallas positioned as the underdogs. They smell blood in the water.

The stage has been set for this to be the Cowboys loudest game of the season, so for the sake of the offense, players better be prepared. Right tackle Terence Steele and left tackle Tyler Guyton will specifically be under extra pressure to avoid false starts in these silent count scenarios. The Cowboys can’t be giving away yards this week.

Dallas’ ability to survive the noise could make all the difference in this Week 5 showdown.

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