News: Cowboys join in supporting Damar Hamlin, Pollard to return to practice
The Cowboys joined the rest of the sports world Tuesday in their support of Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin. While the second-year player remains in a Cincinnati hospital, the league announced that Week 17’s postponed game between the Bills and Bengals will not resume this week. Owner Jerry Jones weighs in on how the league reacted to Monday night’s traumatic development. It’s also worth noting there have been no changes to the Week 18 schedule.
If the games go on as planned this weekend, the Cowboys will find themselves in a must-win situation if they have hopes of winning the NFC’s top seed, but they’ll be watching the scoreboard as they play Washington. Tony Pollard is trending toward a return as he is expected back at practice, and several other key players look to be back in the lineup for the postseason. We’re looking at the case to name Micah Parsons the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, we’re zeroing in on a possible franchise record for CeeDee Lamb. Tony Dorsett celebrates a record-setting anniversary of his own, and the Hall of Fame’s big announcement set for this week will wait.
Dallas Cowboys join rest of NFL supporting Damar Hamlin on social media :: Dallas Morning News
All 32 teams, including the Cowboys, changed their social media profile photos Tuesday to a graphic of Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey with the caption, “Pray for Damar.”
Suspended Bills-Bengals game will not resume this week, per NFL :: ESPN
Monday night’s game between the Bills and Bengals will not be resumed this week, the NFL said in a statement after conferring with both clubs and the players union leadership. No decision has been made on a possible makeup date, but neither have any changes have been made to the Week 18 schedule.
Announcement of Pro Football Hall of Fame's Modern-Era Player Finalists delayed :: Pro Football Hall of Fame
Fifteen modern-era finalists for Canton were to have been named Tuesday night. In light of the Damar Hamlin situation, that reveal will wait until Wednesday night, the Pro Football Hall of Fame said, “if the timing is appropriate to proceed with the announcement.”
Jerry Jones offers his thoughts on Damar Hamlin, how the NFL handled suspending Bills-Bengals :: 105.3 The Fan
Jerry Jones was just like the rest of America on Monday night, stunned by what he saw take place on the field in Cincinnati. “But I’m so proud of everyone involved,” the Cowboys owner said, “because the only thing that was of interest to anybody was his well-being and his care and the well-being of his teammates and everybody involved.” Of the 60-plus minutes it took the league to officially suspend the game, Jones added, “I never got the feeling that there was but one thing in everybody’s mind there, and that was his care, the sensitivity of his teammates, the sensitivity of the players on the field with him.”
Cowboys, Eagles, 49ers to play at same time in crucial Week 18 games :: Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys are slated to kick off versus Washington in Sunday’s late-afternoon timeslot. Also playing then will be San Francisco and Philadelphia, the other two teams with a shot at the NFC’s top seed. All three will be playing to win in Week 18, with no small amount of scoreboard-watching expected for players and fans alike.
Updates: Pollard back at practice, Hankins on track :: The Mothership
The Cowboys’ leading rusher will return to practice on Wednesday, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Monday. Pollard sat out Week 17 with a thigh issue that held him out of practice during the short week, but he looks to be back in full for the regular-season finale that the team will be treating “like a playoff game.”
Cavalry Coming? 3 key players Cowboys should get back for playoff run :: Cowboys Wire
With the playoffs fast approaching, Dallas may be welcoming back a few key players whose losses have directly led to some of the Cowboys’ recent struggles. Leighton Vander Esch, Johnathan Hankins, and Tyler Biadasz are all expected back for the postseason and should have an an enormous impact on both sides of the ball.
CeeDee Lamb is chasing Cowboys history in Week 18 :: The Cold Wire
With 10 catches on Sunday (a number he has hit in the past two outings), Lamb would set a new franchise record for receptions in a single season. Michael Irvin had 111 in 1995; Lamb is sitting at 102.
The definitive case for Cowboys Micah Parsons being the Defensive Player of the Year :: Blogging the Boys
Even though Nick Bosa of the 49ers has turned it up in recent weeks, Parsons is actually recording a pressure on 37.1% of his pass rush reps, while Bosa is doing so at a 35.5% clip. Of course, there’s also true pass sets and pass rush win rate, and double team rate, not to mention factors that aren’t metrics, like fourth-quarter grades and penalties called against. When you really dive into the numbers beyond just sacks- evaluating the two on a level playing field- Micah Parsons is the Defensive Player of the Year, and it’s not particularly close.
Tuesday was 40th anniversary of Dorsett's 99-yard run :: Dallas Cowboys Old School (Twitter)
🏈 January 3rd 1983: The 1st 99-yard rushing touchdown in NFL history scored by Tony Dorsett vs the Vikings & @Tony_Dorsett wasn't even supposed to get the ball.#CowboysNation pic.twitter.com/ls93nNNEEV
— Dallas Cowboys Old School (@CowboysOld) January 3, 2023
Jaguars sign former 1st round pick Taco Charlton :: Jaguars Wire
The 28th overall pick from 2017’s NFL draft is getting another shot at a roster. Charlton was signed to Jacksonville’s practice squad on Monday. After his two spotty seasons in Dallas, Charlton spent time with Miami, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and- most recently- Chicago. In 60 career games and 13 starts, Charlton has 11.5 career sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
