News: Cowboys open up on Damar Hamlin tragedy, Week 18 foe to start rookie QB
The Cowboys are still processing what happened on the field in Cincinnati Monday night, with a practice squad running back offering unique insight into the person Damar Hamlin is. Mike McCarthy has dealt with tragedy in the locker room before; hear how he organized the team in a way that supports his players emotionally. Plus, Micah Parsons takes issue with one analyst’s finger-pointing over the scary incident.
Elsewhere, a look at how T.Y. Hilton showed up at just the right moment for the Cowboys offense, the Cowboys make a roster move at wide receiver, and one defensive star shares what’s motivating him through a physically rough season. All that, plus Cowboys legends take a step toward football immortality, the Commanders make a late call- and then a switch- at quarterback, and the injury report shows Dallas at nearly full strength in a game they are treating like the playoffs. That’s in News and Notes.
‘Nobody’s fine’: Mike McCarthy organizes chaplain, dialogue to support Cowboys players after Damar Hamlin collapse :: Yahoo Sports
Calling it “a heavy, sensitive day,” McCarthy said the team spent Wednesday talking about the Damar Hamlin incident and getting guidance from the team chaplain. “I just want to make sure that the support and love for one another is at the forefront, because at the end of the day, we’re family and football, in that order,” McCarthy said. The coach has been through tragedy before, both in 2020 when Markus Paul suffered a fatal heart attack at the Cowboys facility, and in 2005 when 49ers offensive lineman Thomas Herrion collapsed and died in the San Francisco locker room.
Ollison on former teammate Hamlin: I love him :: The Mothership
Monday’s frightening collapse of Bills safety Damar Hamlin hit Cowboys practice squadder Qadree Ollison especially hard. The two were teammates and friends at the University of Pittsburgh. “You never want to see someone that you’re friends with or that you consider a brother go down like that,” Ollison said. “But I try to stay optimistic. My optimism is high. I know who he is. I know he’s going to come out on the other side of this.”
Cowboys-Commanders, Eagles-Giants initial Week 18 injury reports :: Cowboys Wire
Tyler Biadasz did not practice Wednesday; nor did Kelvin Joseph, listed with a tooth issue. DeMarcus Lawrence and Leighton Vander Esch were limited. Tony Pollard participated in full, signalling a return in the season finale. Washington had 11 players with a DNP designation. Ahead of the other NFC East matchup that Cowboys fans will be watching, Jalen Hurts was among Philadelphia’s limited participants; Giants safety Xavier McKinney practiced in full.
Hurt Micah Parsons learned not to quit from his mom, refuses to quit on Dallas Cowboys :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Parsons recalled his mother tirelessly making the 30-minute trip to get gas canisters filled to keep the family home heated during cold Pennsylvania winters. That’s what he remembers now when he thinks about the extreme physical toll this season has taken on him. “Everything is your will, your mindset,” he said. “I got this no-quit mentality. As much as I may want to sit down, I may want to give up, but I never do it.”
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons calls out ESPN’s Bart Scott over comments on Bengals WR Tee Higgins :: Dallas Morning News
Parsons took exception to the analyst and former linebacker’s stance that Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins launched himself at Damar Hamlin and led with his helmet. “This was a freak incident but putting fault on another player is wild!” Parsons tweeted. “I swear some of these tv guys have too much egos on these stages we give them!”
Cowboys to cut only WR they signed during free agency :: Cowboys Wire
James Washington was expected to provide a lift to the Cowboys WR corps after the Amari Cooper trade. After spending most of the season rehabbing a foot fracture, the veteran ended up with zero catches on one target in two game appearances. Washington will hit the waiver wire and could be picked up by another team.
Mike McCarthy teases ‘another lineup change’ on Cowboys offense :: Cowboys Wire
Are McCarthy and the Cowboys ready to bump T.Y. Hilton’s snap count way up? Maybe. The coach hinted at “another lineup change” on Monday. Hilton’s immediate impact on a pitch count could mean the staff wants to give the veteran a top-three role.
T.Y. Hilton arrived exactly when the Cowboys needed him most :: D Magazine
CeeDee Lamb is one of five receivers in the NFL with more than a third of his team’s receiving yards, and the gap between him and the No. 2 receiver is wider than the gap on every other team aside from Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen in Minnesota. Running just 13 routes against Tennessee, Hilton was targeted on more than a third of them. Playing with a top-end quarterback and with nothing close to a full season of wear and tear on his tires, Hilton’s arrival in Dallas couldn’t have come at a better time.
Wentz benched; Cowboys to face both Heinicke, intriguing rookie QB in Week 18 :: Cowboys Wire
The Commanders have benched Carson Wentz and appear ready to go with a two-pronged approach at quarterback in the season finale versus Dallas. Taylor Heinicke, who went 18-of-47 passing for 243 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in Dallas’s two 2021 wins, may see plenty of action. But fifth-round rookie Sam Howell is also set to make his pro debut after a promising preseason in Washington.
Commanders turn to Sam Howell for Week 18 as bigger QB decision looms :: Washington Post
After an early-morning report that Heinicke would start Week 18, Commanders coach Ron Rivera has confirmed that Howell will take the first offensive snaps Sunday. He is the team’s only quarterback under contract for next year, so the game could serve as an important evaluation as Washington will have to decide what to do about both Wentz and Heinicke.
Cowboys DeMarcus Ware, Darren Woodson named Hall of Fame finalists :: Cowboys Wire
Ware made it to the final vote last year; Woodson is a finalist for the first time after six times at the previous stage. Chuck Howley also made it to the next round of voting as a senior member. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be revealed the week of the Super Bowl.
