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ESPN
Are Jerry Jones’ fan tours a hurdle to a Cowboys Super Bowl?
Stadium tours are common across the NFL, but the upbeat tour guides at The Star are quick to point out that Dallas is the only team to offer the general public this access to its facility. The Packers’ tours of Lambeau Field intentionally steer clear of player areas in the stadium, which doubles as Green Bay’s facility. The Chargers invited fans to a free open house of their new facility, but it took place in July, before players reported for training camp.
And Dallas’ advertising is accurate. On the Thursday before the Lions game, Prescott walks about 3 feet away from the 10 a.m. tour group gathered in a hallway near the Cowboys’ locker room.
“I saw the back of his head and I was like, ‘Oh s—!’” says Michale Elkin, from Albemarle, North Carolina.
“It’s gold when those players go through our complex out there and see fans,” Jerry Jones told ESPN.
The Cowboys say tours of The Star and AT&T Stadium combined sell about 500,000 tickets per year and generate nearly $10 million of annual revenue, which is considered football-related income and included in the league’s revenue share with players, who receive 48%.
The tours offer unique access to the inner workings of the team, which increases fan interest and revenue, but also subjects the players and coaches tasked with taking this team to the Super Bowl with what one player calls “random people” walking through and around their office daily. The Cowboys say the tours don’t go into the players’ spaces when they are using them, like the locker room and meeting rooms, and the bulk of the tours are scheduled when players are not practicing or in meetings. The team also scales back tours during the playoffs. But several former Cowboys told ESPN that the tours are one of the biggest distractions of working in Jerry’s world and contradictory to Jones’ stated goal of ending the 29-year Super Bowl drought.
Former Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz created an entire news cycle last March when he told Pat McAfee the Cowboys’ facility was “like a zoo,” because fans tapped on the glass walls of the weight room to get the players’ attention while they were inside working out.
a tour guide speaks to a group of 30-something fans, the majority of whom aren’t hearing a word he says about the Cowboys’ Walter Payton Man of The Year winners. They are fixated on Parsons and his toddler. The Cowboys bring in food trucks and invite family and friends of players and coaches to have lunch with them after practice on home game Saturdays.
The guide reminds those on the tour to put their phones away out of respect for Parsons, and then leads the group past the injured linebacker and his family and through the dining area. A dad in the group, Kenneth Perry from Washington, D.C., urges his lanky teenage son to keep calm around his favorite player. “Chill, chill,” Parry says as he grabs his son’s shoulder. “Chill.”
A few minutes later, the tour guide pauses his speech while the group is stopped at the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders exhibit. “Make way for this gentleman, please.” The fans back up, and Parsons slowly hobbles past them.
“Oh my god, he’s limping,” one woman whispers.
“That looks like it’s going to be a few more weeks until he can play again,” another says.
Parsons doesn’t acknowledge the fans, nor does he look bothered by the attention. But the recent former player who requested anonymity says the tours can be exhausting because the players always have to be on, even on a Saturday afternoon when their work before the game is done.
NFL.com
Giants owner John Mara does not anticipate making coaching, GM changes after 2024 season
Mara remarked that his father preached patience, which is part of the reason why he does not anticipate moving on from Giants HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen despite his disappointment with New York’s 2-5 start, according to Battista.
Mara added that he believes he has not been patient enough in recent years and remains confident in Daboll and Schoen, who forged a playoff appearance and a wild-card win in their first season together in 2022, per Battista.
Mara declined to speak on [QB Daniel] Jones Wednesday, adding that he is focused on Daboll and Schoen, per [Judy] Battista.
Bleeding Green Nation
Vic Fangio admits Cooper DeJean being the Eagles punt returner is concerning
Regarding his concern for DeJean returning punts
“Q. Do you worry at all about DB Cooper DeJean returning punts? He has ended up being a big part of the defense. Do you worry about him being on the field for that when you need him defensively as much as you do?
FANGIO: Yes.
Q. How do you address that?
FANGIO: I don’t. NaVorro Bowman, going back to my San Francisco days, who was an All-Pro there for three straight years, he covered every punt for us for three straight years. And I didn’t like that, either. So, you’ve just got to deal with it.”
Bleeding Green Nation
Saquon Barkley earns NFC Offensive Player of the Week for running all over the Giants
Twisting the knife just a little bit more.
Barkley was outstanding in his return to MetLife Stadium for a revenge game against the New York Giants. The star running back had 17 carries for 176 rushing yards (10.4 average) and one touchdown in addition to two catches for 11 receiving yards.
Had the Eagles not pulled their starters early in the fourth quarter due to having a big lead, Barkley easily could’ve surpassed his previous single-game career high of 189 yards.
In related news, Giants owner John Mara is not sleeping well these days.
Blogging the Boys
With Cowboys’ DE position so thin, Chase Young pops up in trade speculation
Dallas’ lack of pass-rush has been evident in their past two games. Against the Lions, the Cowboys had to go deep into their depth chart with Chauncey Golston, Tyrus Wheat, K.J. Henry and Carl Lawson as their primary edge rushers. No disrespect intended, but that is not exactly a fearsome group.
Even with Parsons set to return this week or next, the Cowboys could desperately use some pass-rush help. As the trade deadline nears, Dallas could look outside the organization to grab a pass-rusher to play alongside the All-Pro.
One guy to consider would be Chase Young of the New Orleans Saints. In an article on Bleacher Report, the Cowboys were labeled as one of the potential landing spots for the former number-two overall pick. Here’s what they had to say about why Young could be shipped off at the deadline.
The Saints got off to a promising 2-0 start, but their 2024 campaign has since been derailed by multiple injuries. With players like Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Derek Carr and Taysom Hill out, New Orleans isn’t equipped to compete, and the players know it.
Thursday’s 33-10 home loss to the Denver Broncos was an embarrassing display of poor effort and even worse tackling. There’s still a slight chance New Orleans can get healthier and rebound, but it may be time to punt on the rest of the season.
And if New Orleans begins rebuilding in 2025, it may have to do so with budget contracts and rookie deals. The Saints are projected to be $97.6 million over the cap next offseason.
Trading pass-rusher Chase Young, who is on a one-year, $13 million deal, would provide no 2025 cap relief. However, it would net the Saints some valuable draft capital. Young has tallied 1.5 sacks and 13 quarterback pressures in seven games this season.
The Dallas Cowboys, who are dealing with the injuries of DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, should also be interested. Cowboys defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina coached Young with the Commanders in 2022 and 2023.
Young is on a one-year deal, so the cost to acquire him wouldn’t be all that much. The Cowboys could likely add the pass-rusher in exchange for a late-round draft pick. While he isn’t the player he once was, Young is still superior to what Dallas has been running out on the edges the past couple of weeks.
Blogging the Boys
Either the start of a turnaround, or an implosion
Hopefully the Cowboys are able to figure out who they are coming out of the bye.
The Dallas Cowboys are now past their bye and prepping for a game against the San Francisco 49errs on Sunday Night Football. Both teams were expected to be NFC contenders this season. Both teams have gotten off to a slow start, Dallas is 3-3 while the 49ers are 3-4. Both teams have some of their best players on the injury list. Both teams desperately need this game.
Normally being a 3-3 team doesn’t c produce the anxiety that is being experienced by the Cowboys fanbase. But the three absolute blowouts at AT&T Stadium (with one attempted fourth-quarter comeback) have Dallas looking nowhere close to being a contender. In fact, the idea of making the playoffs is heavily in doubt according to the fanbase.
So as we enter the post-bye period, we need to lay down a marker of just where the fanbase is regarding this team. While the bye can bring some good news like certain players getting healthier and possibly playing this week, there was also the continued inactivity from the front office in trying to upgrade the roster. If improvement is coming, it is likely from within.
Blogging the Boys
Fair shake or raw deal? Why Mike McCarthy has had it easier than prior head coaches of the Cowboys
Things are not going all that well for the Dallas Cowboys. Their record is a mediocre 3-3, but their three wins come against teams with bad quarterbacks, while their three losses have come in a blowout fashion against teams with good quarterbacks. Coming out of their bye week, they are searching for better performances while finding themselves in a dogfight to keep their playoff hopes within reach. That’s a tough spot to be in.
The issues with this year’s Cowboys team are plentiful. The offense is sputtering, the defense is muddled, and they have the third-worst turnover differential in the league. And don’t even get us started on the penalties. Currently, the offense is ranked 20th in points scored while the defense ranks 31st in points allowed. This is the first time in the last 20 seasons that the offense and defense are ranked 20th or worse. Think about that for a moment.
Even when the Cowboys lost Tony Romo in 2010, Romo again in 2015, and Dak Prescott in 2020, they’ve never been this bad on both sides of the ball. That’s what makes this season so hard to understand. Prescott is healthy, but the offense is still having issues. The defense has been banged up, but to be fair, they were bad before players started getting hurt.
Unless the Cowboys turn a corner, this likely will be the last season with Mike McCarthy as their head coach. Some fans will say it’s long overdue and say good riddance, while others feel a little bad for the guy believing the front office set him up for failure.
Pro Football Focus
2024 NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 8
11. Washington Commanders (No change)
Projected Week 8 starters:
- LT Brandon Coleman
- LG Nick Allegretti
- C Tyler Biadasz
- RG Sam Cosmi
- RT Andrew Wylie
The Commanders’ offensive line played another solid game in pass protection in Week 7 against the Panthers. The unit surrendered just five pressures — including a sack — on 28 dropbacks, leading to an 89.3 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating that ranked ninth in the NFL this week.
Free-agent acquisition Nick Allegretti has looked good in pass protection at left guard for Washington this season. Allegretti’s 78.7 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks fifth among all guards in the NFL.
Best player: Sam Cosmi
Cosmi’s 82.1 PFF pass-blocking grade against Carolina ranked 11th among all guards in the NFL in Week 7.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (Down 3)
Projected Week 8 starters:
- LT Fred Johnson
- LG Landon Dickerson
- C Cam Jurgens
- RG Tyler Steen
- RT Lane Johnson
Right guard Mekhi Becton exited Philadelphia’s Week 7 game with a concussion. He was replaced by second-year guard Tyler Steen, whose 45.8 PFF overall grade was the lowest on the Eagles’ offensive line.
This was another rough week for the Philadelphia offensive line, which allowed 11 pressures despite the team dropping back to pass only 23 times. Their 71.7 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating ranked second to last in the NFL this week.
Best player: Lane Johnson
While the rest of the offensive line struggled, Johnson once again did not allow a single pressure. He has let up pressure on only 0.7% of pass plays this season, which is the best rate in the NFL by a significant margin.
22. Dallas Cowboys (No change)
Projected Week 8 starters:
- LT Tyler Smith
- LG T.J. Bass
- C Cooper Beebe
- RG Zack Martin
- RT Terence Steele
The Dallas Cowboys were on a bye in Week 7.
Their offensive line has allowed 67 pressures, including 13 sacks, on 258 dropbacks this season, leading to an 84.5 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating that ranks 20th in the NFL.
Best player: Tyler Smith
Smith, who has played left tackle recently, has earned a 75.5 PFF overall grade this season, which ranks 11th among guards.
25. New York Giants (Down 7)
Projected Week 8 starters:
The Giants lost franchise left tackle Andrew Thomas for the season to a foot injury last week. He was replaced by Joshua Ezeudu in the team’s Week 7 game against the Eagles.
New York’s offensive line let up 17 pressures — including a league-high six sacks — on 39 dropbacks in the game, and their 70.5 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating ranked last in the NFL.
Best player: Jermaine Eluemunor
Eluemunor has earned an 82.1 PFF pass-blocking grade since Week 5, which ranks 13th among 60 qualifying offensive tackles over that span.
NFL league links
Articles
Pro Football Focus
2024 NFL quarterback rankings ahead of Week 8
Quarterback is the most important position on the field, but we can often get stuck in their most recent blunders or successes, making it difficult to come up with an objective ranking.
In this quarterback rankings breakdown, we’ve evaluated the top performers based on PFF passing grades. Using insights from Premium Stats, we’ll also present a variety of key grades beyond passing grade, including grades under pressure, from a clean pocket, against the blitz and more.
Washington Post (paywall)
Bryce Young back as Panthers’ starter after Andy Dalton hurt in car crash
The 2023 No. 1 pick who was benched after Carolina’s first two games will return to the starting QB role Sunday vs. the Broncos.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft who was benched earlier this year in favor of Andy Dalton, will start this week after Dalton injured his thumb in a car crash Tuesday.
In announcing the move at a news conference Wednesday, Panthers Coach Dave Canales confirmed the injury was to Dalton’s throwing hand but indicated it was minor enough to leave open the possibility that the veteran might be able to suit up for Sunday’s game at the Denver Broncos as Carolina’s backup quarterback.
Young will get a chance to start turning his career around after struggling mightily as a rookie and in the first two games of this season. Canales said Young has been “an absolute stud” in terms of how he has handled his benching.