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Blogging the Boys
Injuries will be the defining theme for the Cowboys in 2024
It is hard to not note the amount of injuries the Cowboys have had when assessing their season as a whole.
Here are key #Cowboys players who have missed at least four games this season:
– Dak Prescott
– Zack Martin
– Brandin Cooks
– Micah Parsons
– Marshawn Kneeland
– DeMarcus Lawrence
– Trevon Diggs
– Caelen Carson
– Sam Williams
– DaRon BlandWith all the bad luck on the injury…
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) December 14, 2024
Prescott, Lawrence, Martin, Diggs, Cooks, and Parsons account for $110,113,106 of Dallas’ $239,984,427 salary cap per Overthecap.com. That means roughly 46 percent of the team’s cap has been sidelined for an extended time. It is tough for any NFL team to win with that going on with their roster.
Sure, every team in the NFL deals with their own strain of the injury bug, which puts more pressure on the young depth players to step up. Unfortunately for Dallas, key depth players from their triple-crown 12-win seasons walked out the door this offseason.
Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Dante Fowler Jr., Tony Pollard, and Dorance Armstrong were all replaced with rookies or inexperienced players who have had to overcome tremendous pressure or injuries.
Big Blue View
New York Giants have no idea who will be at quarterback vs. Atlanta Falcons
Tim Boyle might be the last — and maybe only — QB standing vs. Atlanta
Tommy DeVito, who started on Sunday vs. the Baltimore Ravens, left that game in the second quarter and is in the concussion protocol.
Drew Lock, who started the two games prior to Sunday, spent most of last week in a walking boot with a heel injury. He dressed vs. the Ravens as the emergency quarterback. As of Monday afternoon, Daboll was uncertain of his status.
Tim Boyle, a journeyman signed when former starter Daniel Jones was waived, came on Sunday in relief of DeVito and completed 12 of 24 passes for 123 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Four quarterbacks have thrown passes for the Giants this season: Jones, Drew Lock, DeVito and Boyle. This is the first season in which that’s occurred since 1992, when the quarterbacks were Phil Simms, Jeff Hostetler, Dave Brown and Kent Graham.
Boyle had not thrown passes to any of the Giants’ front-line receivers before entering Sunday’s game.
ESPN
NFL Week 15: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game
Eagles
Was this performance enough to put the drama to bed? Yep, that should do the trick. The consternation coming out of the locker room last week was originally about a slumping passing game, but Jalen Hurts (25-of-32 for 290 yards) returned to attack mode after several weeks of leaning conservative. A.J. Brown had more receiving yards in the first quarter (48) than he had all of last week against the Panthers (43). Most importantly, the Eagles picked up their 10th consecutive win — a new franchise record — and remain in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the NFC as the Lions lost to the Bills on Sunday.
Most surprising performance: Running back Kenneth Gainwell. Saquon Barkley saw limited action in the first half after a brief trip to the medical tent. Gainwell was sprinkled in more than normal in relief of the MVP candidate and ran for a 14-yard gain on third-and-9 late in the third quarter. That set up a Hurts touchdown, which gave the Eagles a two-score lead.
Eye-popping stat: Hurts went 12-of-13 in the first half, which was good for a 92% completion percentage. That is his highest in any half in his career. It was just the kind of tension-relieving start the Eagles needed against their in-state rival.
Giants
What does this loss mean for the Giants? They have now lost nine straight games and are on the verge of becoming the first team ever to go 0-9 at home after being dominated by the Ravens. They’ll be underdogs in the final three weeks at Atlanta, versus Indianapolis and at Philadelphia. Twelve straight losses to end the season is not out of the question. This latest defeat does keep the Giants in pole position for the No. 1 pick. They came into Sunday with a 41% chance at the top pick. It jumped to 48% with the loss.
Describe the game in two words: Completely overmatched. The disparity in talent gave the Giants no chance to win. They had no answer for Jackson or the Ravens’ offense. They had no chance to move the ball consistently whether it was Tommy DeVito or Tim Boyle at quarterback. The Giants looked every bit a 2-12 team and tied a franchise record with their ninth straight loss.
What we learned about the QB on Sunday: The Giants can’t keep anyone healthy after DeVito left late in the first half with a concussion. Ever since benching Daniel Jones, DeVito was injured in each of his two starts. Drew Lock also lasted just two starts after injuring his heel last week. Boyle finished Sunday’s game and went 12-of-24 for 123 yards, an interception and the Giants’ first passing touchdown in five games.
Cowboys
Did the Cowboys show some mental toughness? Quick answer: Yes. It might not mean anything at the end of this season and it may cost them draft positioning, but players and coaches want — and need — to win games. Coming off their deflating loss to the Bengals on Monday, the Cowboys responded on a short week. With the exception of one play, the defense smothered quarterback Bryce Young. The offense was efficient with another reconfigured offensive line, and quarterback Cooper Rush had the first three-touchdown game of his career. At 6-8, the Cowboys still have a chance to make the playoffs, even if it’s faint.
What we learned about the QB on Sunday: Rush shouldn’t run many zone reads. It led to his fourth lost fumble of the season. But he was able to rebound with an efficient performance, including three touchdown throws under duress — the most by a Dallas quarterback since Dak Prescott in 2021 (Week 17 vs. Arizona).
Early prediction for next week: Running back Rico Dowdle, who finished with 149 yards on 25 carries, will have his fourth straight 100-yard outing when the Cowboys take on the Buccaneers. It will be tough against a Tampa Bay defense that is allowing 115.2 yards per game on the ground. The last Cowboys running back to have four straight 100-yard rushing games was Ezekiel Elliott (2016).