Tag: Juanyeh Thomas

Cowboys’ blocked FG ‘shut the lights out on’ Giants; Juanyeh Thomas knew it was coming

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 2022 UDFA said CJ Goodwin told him he’d have a chance at a block; Thomas was one of several young Cowboys players who stepped up big.

Noah Igbinoghene scored the Cowboys’ first points of the season. Markquese Bell led the team in tackles on opening night in primetime. KaVontae Turpin rolled the scoreboard over to a fortyburger.

Not exactly household names to the casual Sunday Night Football viewer who tuned in hoping to see fantasy-type numbers from the likes of Prescott, Pollard, and Lamb. But the contribution of the team’s lesser-known players may turn out to be the key to getting the whole squad- superstars and all- over the hump in 2023.

They sure were in Week 1.

“We had a number of young guys who played big,” McCarthy told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I’m just really thrilled to see our young guys. They’re ready, and you can see it here, just in our first game. I thought we had a lot of production from our young players.”

None made a bigger splash than safety Juanyeh Thomas, whose blocked field goal not only ended the Giants’ opening possession but put the live ball on the turf, where the aforementioned Igbinoghene scooped it up and raced toward the end zone, 58 yards away.

Thomas also provided a key block on New York kicker Graham Gano, sending him under the wheels of holder Jamie Gillan and ultimately freeing Igbinoghene to score.

Incredibly, the undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who spent the 2022 season on the Dallas practice squad said he had a feeling he’d have the chance to do something special in front of a nationwide audience.

“[Special teams ace] CJ Goodwin told me before the game that it was going to be open,” Thomas explained to reporters when asked about his first batted kick since high school. “So as soon as I saw it, I jumped right through and just blocked it.”

It was a massive play to start the game, triggering a Dallas avalanche that quickly turned into a blowout and ended with the biggest shutout win in Cowboys franchise history.

“It was definitely huge for us,” DeMarcus Lawrence agreed following the 40-0 victory. “I feel like their offense came out strong, they were driving the ball real well. Once we got that turnover, it feels like we shut the lights out on them.”

The big moment- and a strong performance the rest of the night- may have shined a new light on Thomas, a 23-year-old Florida native who is looking to make an impact among a talented group of Cowboys defensive backs.

“Juanyeh came in this camp, really balled out during camp, all preseason. And now he’s coming in and making big plays for this team,” linebacker Micah Parsons said at his locker. “The more he keeps growing, the more he’s going to keep making a name for himself.”

Thomas got the start Sunday due to the absence of Donovan Wilson, who is nursing a calf injury. But Parsons says Thomas and the rest of the Cowboys’ newer players have readily adopted the next-man-up mentality that they know could put any of them on the field at any moment, where they’ll be expected to show out just like a starter.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

“That’s the standard,” Parsons explained, “I think since I came in, there was no dropoff. We were like, ‘We need guys to come in and compete.’ And we all share our wisdom, push each other to get better. We stay on each other, whether you’re a first-year guy, a 10-year guy, a fifth-year guy; it doesn’t matter. I think everyone has the same standard and the same commitment.”

And the veterans definitely notice when the pups show they have the bite to match their bark.

“That’s a bunch of dogs,” safety Jayron Kearse said. “There’s really not much to say about it. It’s just a bunch of dogs. You see it on film. When you turn the tape on, from the top to the bottom, we’ve got guys that are going to get after it. I’m proud of my young guys.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01h923tr1qgjt0rsrc4k playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01h923tr1qgjt0rsrc4k/01h923tr1qgjt0rsrc4k-406c6e9410b56678f55e3a11d6b4110c.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

LOOK: Cowboys open season with blocked field goal TD

The Cowboys’ special teams opens up the scoring on the season with a special play in Gotham.

Mike McCarthy made it a point early in the offseason to mention the second-year jump UDFA safety Juanyeh Thomas had made. Therefore it was no surprise for those paying attention when the Georgia Tech product made the 53-man roster.

Active for the first time in his career, it took exactly one drive for Thomas to make an impact. After the Giants drove into the red zone, Thomas came up and stopped Saquon Barkley for a no-gain rush. A few plays later the Giants were kicking a field goal when Thomas came through with the block. Noah Igbinoghene, traded for right before the season began, scooped the ball and raced 58 yards for the season’s opening score.

Dallas missed the extra point when rookie Brandon Aubrey pushed it wide left and Dallas has an early 6-0 lead.

Is there room for Juanyeh Thomas on the Cowboys roster?

Thomas has been one of the Cowboys best performers of the preseason but with a crowded position group, his future isn’t certain, says @ReidDHanson.

On August 29, NFL teams are required to cut their rosters down to 53. Like every other team in the league, the Cowboys have some tough decisions on their hands. Every position they go long requires they go short at another position. Since some positions require more personnel than others, it’s not about getting the best 53 players, but rather the right 53 players.

Special teams and overall versatility always play a role, making predictions a tough task for even the most plugged-in NFL minds. One player who stands firmly on the bubble is former Georgia Tech safety, Juanyeh Thomas.

Thomas was one of the first shinning stars of training camp for the Cowboys. After Donovan Wilson was lost to injury, Thomas stepped up into a more prominent role and quickly turned heads.

At 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, Thomas fits the Cowboys’ prototype. He’s big enough to play the run, fast enough to play the pass, long enough to stay with TEs and limber enough to cover RBs and WRs. He’s exactly what Dan Quinn loves in a safety.

Thomas continued his hot training camp with some standout performances in the preseason. He hasn’t been flawless but he’s made big plays and flashed the same traits he showed throughout training camp, essentially legitimizing his play this summer.

Not only has he been a capable safety option both deep and in the box, but he’s also been a weapon on special teams (a requirement for a down roster DB).

Thomas has been one of the biggest surprises of the summer and is doing everything he can to ensure he gets a roster spot in 2023, but is it enough?

Unfortunately, the numbers at the Cowboys safety position are working against him. Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson and Jayron Kearse are locks and Markquese Bell is in the mix to replace the injured DaMarvion Overshown in many packages. There’s also Israel Mukuamu who is a versatile player capable of traditional safety roles as well as nickel CB.

With those five players, Thomas must either convince the Cowboys to keep six safeties or he must beat out Bell or Mukuamu (which is no small task because the Cowboys love them).

Six is more than Dallas traditionally keeps, but this is also more talent than they traditionally have.

Given Thomas’ play in the preseason, he’s probably going to be tough to sneak onto the practice squad. Then again, that’s something that’s said every year in Cowboys camp and more often than not, they find a way to get it done.

It’s going to be really tough to leave the 23-year-old Thomas off the Cowboys roster. He’s proven to be a valuable weapon on both defense and special teams and is one of the best success stories of training camp.

A case can be made he’s actually SAF4 and not the one fighting for the sixth spot. Either way, the Cowboys have tough decisions to make in their secondary and a very good player is going to find himself on the wrong side of the bubble as a result.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

3 things to watch for in Cowboys preseason finale vs Raiders

Preseason games are meaningless in the record books, but not to the coaches, front office, and many Dallas Cowboys players. | From @cdpiglet

By this time in the preseason, NFL teams have most things figured out and are simply preparing for the start of the regular season. The Dallas Cowboys have likely already answered most of their own questions regarding the 53-man roster.

They know which veterans they can cut now to bring back later so they can protect and stash a young prospect like pass rusher Isaiah Land or offensive guard T.J. Bass. The coaches understand who not to play to protect them for the games that matter. Seeing them a few extra snaps would not be worth the risk of injury in the coaches’ minds.

Even though 90% of the questions might be answered, the last preseason game still has the ability to answer a few outstanding ones. A handful of roster spots are still in question, and the team could want to see someone in a different role. Here are some of things fans should watch for when the Cowboys take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.

Doug Pederson on Trevor Lawrence interception: ‘You can’t have that’

The Jaguars want to start games cleaner in 2023, so Doug Pederson wasn’t happy to see Trevor Lawrence’s early interception Saturday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a tendency during the 2022 season to fall behind early in games and climb back into contention late. While it served the team well at times, starting games on the right foot in 2023 has been a goal for coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

So an interception on Lawrence’s second throw of preseason didn’t sit well with anyone on the Jaguars sideline.

“The other night is not starting fast. You don’t throw an interception on the second play of the game,” Pederson told reporters Monday morning. “For us, it’s just a matter of continuing to work at it.

“We’re just continuing to work on it, we weren’t very good a year ago with some of our opening possessions, whether they ended up in a punt or turnover, you just can’t have that.”

Lawrence, 23, completed every other pass he threw on the night, finishing Saturday with five completions on six attempts for 36 yards and a touchdown.

“I’m still a little frustrated from having a turnover early,” Lawrence told reporters Saturday evening after the game. “We’ve got to start faster. We can’t turn the ball over and put our defense it that situation. It was just a bad throw by me.”

Lawrence was rolling to his left when he attempted to throw deep to tight end Evan Engram. Instead, he left the ball a little short and it ended up in the arms of the Dallas Cowboys’ Juanyeh Thomas.

“It had nothing to do with the routes,” Pederson explained Monday. “It’s just the fact that the ball slipped out of his hand, if you look at it closely, I think it’s wobbling down the field. It just slipped out of Trevor’s hand, he didn’t get enough on it. If he wanted to throw it the way he hoped he did, it would’ve been a little deeper to Evan going in behind the secondary.”

Lawrence finished the 2022 season with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Just eight of his touchdown passes came when the Jaguars were leading or tied, and 17 happened while Jacksonville was trailing.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

WATCH: Pair of Dallas takeaways close the door on the 2022 preseason

The Cowboys defended their one-point lead late with a pair of takeaways to end the preseason with a victory. | From @CDBurnett7

With just over two minutes left, Seattle forced a three-and-out from the Dallas offense to give themselves a chance to retake the lead in a one-point game. After a first down incompletion, it was a disaster on second down with a fumble that bounced forward and linebacker Storey Jackson quickly recovered it to retake possession for the Cowboys.

With the preseason coming to a close, Dallas has plenty of roster decisions to make and strong showings from undrafted rookies will force them into some tough choices but they may have a strong group of practice squad players when it’s all said and done.

Storey’s takeaway secured the Cowboys’ lead but a quick three-and-out earned the Seahawks another chance to erase the 1-point Dallas lead. The following Seattle possession lasted one played, with a tipped ball that dropped into the hands of safety Juanyeh Thomas.

The Cowboys’ five takeaways secured a victory to end the preseason and the next time they take the field will be against the Buccaneers to start the regular season.