Cowboys News: Problem with Peters? Parsons, Prescott performances picked apart
The Cowboys have added to their defensive ranks, beefing up their interior line via trade and supplementing their practice squad with a free agent signing who’s quite familiar to his coordinator. Those stories led the news Tuesday, even as the reviews from Sunday’s 24-6 over Detroit are still coming in. We’ve got more on how Dak Prescott really performed (not just how he looked) in his return, the backstory on what Dan Quinn told Micah Parsons following the Week 6 loss, and why it’s time to put the Ezekiel Elliott-versus-Tony Pollard debate to bed.
Meanwhile, one Cowboys insider says the Jason Peters experiment just isn’t working, the latest power rankings keep inching the Cowboys higher, and some are wondering if it’s time for a play-calling change on the Dallas sideline. All that, plus the halftime entertainment for Thanksgiving has been announced, Emmitt Smith is about to celebrate a milestone anniversary of his record-breaking moment, and why the Cowboys will look a little out of place when they take the field at AT&T Stadium this weekend. That’s all up in this edition of News and Notes.
Grading Dak Prescott’s first game back from breaking his thumb :: Pro Football Network
The metrics suggest Prescott was expected to complete 66% of his passes on Sunday; he completed 76% instead. Despite all the hand-wringing over a few bad misses, Prescott was sharp overall. In a game (and maybe a season, given the defense) where he simply needs to be efficient for the team to win, Prescott was mostly on-time and on-target. A “B” grade after a five-game layoff is nothing to complain about.
Should Kellen Moore or Mike McCarthy be calling plays for the Cowboys? :: The Landry Hat
The Cowboys are scoring touchdowns on just 50% of their red-zone trips and got off to a slow start Sunday that lasted 57 minutes. Their success was only thanks to five turnovers, even against a poor Lions defense. Mike McCarthy’s Packers were in the top 10 for points scored in nine of his 13 seasons as a play-caller. If the offense in Dallas doesn’t improve soon, it may be time to ask questions about what Kellen Moore has done to be given so much trust.
Cowboys trade for Raiders DT to boost run defense :: Cowboys Wire
So much for sitting tight prior to the trade deadline. The Cowboys are acquiring Johnathan Hankins and a seventh-round draft pick in 2024 from the Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round pick next year. Hankins was originally a second-round selection of the Giants in 2013. The Cowboys will look to him to help bolster a run defense that currently ranks 20th in rushing yards allowed per game.
‘Challenge accepted’: How Micah Parsons used a Cowboys loss as inspiration for game-changing play :: Yahoo Sports
More backstory here on Micah Parsons’s otherworldly pursuit-and-tackle of Lions tight end Brock Wright on Sunday, including how Dan Quinn reprised what he calls his “crazy uncle” role to pull Parsons into a closed-door meeting after the team’s Week 6 game. In breaking down film of the Eagles loss, Quinn took Parsons up on his rookie-year ask (“I want you to coach me hard”) and showed him plays he could have made… but didn’t. “I wanted him to know: There is another space you can go to,” Quinn said.
Report: Cowboys expected to sign former Dan Quinn CB in wake of Lewis loss :: Cowboys Wire
Kendall Sheffield was a fourth-round draft pick by Atlanta in 2019 when Quinn was still the Falcons’ head coach. Now the two will be reunited as the native Texan joins the Dallas practice squad. While a track star at Ohio State, Sheffield broke a 23-year-old school record with his 60-meter dash time.
Broaddus: I think we’ve seen the end of Jason Peters :: 105.3 The Fan
Former scout and longtime Cowboys staffer Bryan Broaddus isn’t so sure the Peters experiment is working. “I don’t think he’s playing as well and [Connor] McGovern has not been bad,” he said during a podcast recently. “They might need a roster spot. I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if all of a sudden that they start getting some guys back healthy and they need a spot that maybe Jason Peters is that guy that gets moved on.”
Why it’s time to stop viewing Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard as individuals :: Dallas Morning News
The great debate about Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard shouldn’t be an either/or proposition, perhaps. It’s becoming less and less about who gets more carries or snaps than the other, because they are sharing the load as a tandem… and the Cowboys are winning.
3 Stars: Rookie, vet RB shine alongside main mane in Cowboys win over Lions :: Cowboys Wire
Ezekiel Elliott added 57 yards, two touchdowns, and one impressive hurdle to his career stat sheet. Micah Parsons was still a one-man wrecking crew despite playing a season-low 42 snaps. And rookie Sam Williams enjoyed a coming-out party, earning the top honors of any Cowboy from PFF.
Power Rankings: Cowboys crack top 5 again :: The Mothership
NFL.com and The Athletic both put Dallas at No. 4 after this most recent win, bumping them up from the sixth spot on both lists. ESPN keeps the Cowboys at No. 6, same as last week.
The legend of Cowboys' Emmitt Smith's NFL rushing record and why it might never be broken :: ESPN
With this week marking the 20th anniversary of breaking the all-time rushing record, what Emmitt Smith did still looks untouchable. Mark Ingram II, Ezekiel Elliott, and Derrick Henry are the leading active rushers; all would have to not miss another game ever, match their current pace, and keep it up past age 35. Todd Archer documents what went into Smith’s historic pursuit of Walter Payton, including a private locker-room exchange with “Sweetness,” the surprising moment he knew it was time to retire, and the permanent reminder he got of his 18,355-yard odyssey just this fall.
Cowboys will wear their blue jerseys and silver pants in Sunday’s home game :: ProFootballTalk
The Cowboys wearing white at home is a tradition that dates back to the franchise’s earliest days, when Tex Schramm wanted to attract new fans with the array of colors that would be worn by visiting teams. Tradition will be broken in Week 8 when the Cowboys go with navy jerseys and silver pants in their own building; the Bears will wear their alternate orange helmets and jerseys for a rare color-on-color matchup.
Jonas Brothers to perform Thanksgiving halftime :: The Mothership
The Jonas Brothers will be the first-ever repeat performer for the annual Thanksgiving halftime show, it was announced Tuesday. They played the traditional holiday show during the team’s 2008 game, too, in the farewell season at Texas Stadium.
