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Jerry Jones has been caught off guard by the Dallas Cowboys early struggles.
During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, the Cowboys owner spoke about the “tough time” the team has had this season and that he personally did not see the struggles coming prior to the season.
“I think we’re having a rougher go than I anticipated,” Jones said. “It is rougher, and I did not anticipate the challenges that we’re having with this team.”
Jones also added that it was “a plus that we’ve won three games” despite the struggles the team has faced.
Dallas is currently 3-4 and sits in third place in the NFC East. This comes after three consecutive 12-5 seasons and after the team gave massive contracts to quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
The Cowboys are still very much alive in the playoff hunt but will need to string together several victories to fulfill that goal. A key issue has been turnovers, as the team has given that ball away 13 times through seven games, nearly reaching the team’s total from the 2023 season (16).
Prescott has thrown for 1,845 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions while Lamb has made 45 catches for 613 yards and four touchdowns. While both players have been productive, Dallas will need even stronger output to reverse the current momentum and it starts with the newly-signed duo.
The Cowboys will hope to take a step toward contention in Week 9 when they face the Atlanta Falcons.
Jerry Jones on Cowboys’ 3-4 start: ‘Rougher go than I anticipated’ – Todd Archer, ESPN
Dallas didn’t do anything significant to upgrade their roster in the offseason, yet Jerry Jones is surprised how things have gone.
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Friday, Jones was asked about the play of right guard Zack Martin and right tackle Terence Steele but took a broader view of the roster.
“I think we’re having a rougher go than I anticipated. Let’s put it like that. Let’s don’t couple that with just those two,” Jones said. “But having me in the loop has to be there. It is rougher and I did not anticipate the challenges that we’re having with this team, but I am reminded of teams that I’ve seen that have had a lot of success and put themselves in position to take a shot and they were 3-4.”
Jones does not have to search far to explain the team’s under-.500 start.
“When I look at the whys that we’re here, I really have a tough time getting past just sheer youth, sheer inexperience in the offensive line and I have a tough time getting past that turnover [ratio]. I’m telling you when you look at that and knowing what turnovers will do for you, we’ve had through seven games, we, the Cowboys, have turned the ball over 13 times. The entire year last year we didn’t turn it over but 16 times. Thirteen times we turned it over. … It’s really a plus that we’ve won three games.”
The trade deadline is Tuesday. The Cowboys have ample cap space to make a major move, but Jones said the Cowboys would not make a trade for the sake of doing so.
“We’re looking for meat on the bone that can improve our team,” he said.
Cowboys injury news: DaRon Bland, Micah Parsons out, Trevon Diggs questionable – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys
Dallas will go into battle against Atlanta shorthanded again.
Heading into the weekend as underdogs versus the Atlanta Falcons, the Dallas Cowboys injury report isn’t the best of news. The Cowboys will be without a couple of stars and maybe down a couple of others.
Here’s one last look at Dallas’ injuries before the big versus the Falcons.
The Cowboys are looking like they could be thin once again at cornerback this weekend. DaRon Bland (foot) has not practiced this week, and Friday the team announced that he is out this Sunday. Trevon Diggs, who sustained an injury against the 49ers, is also questionable. Speaking with reporters this morning, team owner Jerry Jones said Diggs has a calf tear. The extent of the injury is unknown, but for the very least, it’s murky if he will play this week. This is an added blow since the team sent Amani Oruwariye to injured reserve this week.
To no one’s surprise, Micah Parsons was also ruled out with an ankle injury after not being able to return to practice this week. On the positive side, Dallas will likely have Caelen Carson back, who practiced this week. Meanwhile, Zack Martin (shoulder), Eric Kendricks (shoulder), and Linval Joseph (back) were limited at practice and cited as questionable to play against Atlanta.
Tyler Guyton is his own ‘biggest critic’, showing improvement in rookie season – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The first-round pick is using his shortcomings to keep him motivated.
It’s been a roller coaster for Tyler Guyton in his first season in the NFL and with the Dallas Cowboys. As the 2024 first-round pick, there was no shortage of pressure and expectations heaped onto him by a team that waved goodbye to Tyron Smith, a future first-ballot Hall of Fame left tackle, needing Guyton to step in immediately and fill those shoes.
It’s likely none of that rival the pressure he applies to himself.
Through the first seven games, having missed one due to a knee injury, Guyton’s transition to left tackle at the professional level has been a mixed bag of great showings, e.g., his Week 1 battle against Myles Garrett, and instances he’d like to have back — including penalties.
When asked what he’s keying in on most heading into Week 9, his answer was yes.
“I’m trying to get better at everything, you know?” said the highly-accountable 23-year-old.
To his credit, he’s progressing — evident in both his numbers and in what he’s putting on film most recently.
Dak Prescott’s contributions won’t save Cowboys’ running game. So what is the solution? – Saad Yousuf, The Athletic
The Cowboys have the worst rushing attack in the NFL, and they need to figure things out quickly.
For weeks, the Dallas Cowboys’ running game struggled so much that the activation of 29-year-old Dalvin Cook — on his third team in two years — was looked upon as a ray of hope. One game may be too soon to issue a verdict, but Cook’s season debut of six carries for 12 yards on Sunday in San Francisco didn’t inspire a ton of optimism.
So what now?
A lot of attention this week has shifted to quarterback Dak Prescott’s contributions to the running game. His 24 yards rushing this season put him behind the likes of 39-year-old Joe Flacco, 37-year-old Andy Dalton and 35 other quarterbacks. He’s on pace to set a career low in rushing yards in a season, by a wide margin.
“For sure, I definitely think I have something to add,” Prescott said. “I don’t know what’s been made of it, but yeah, just top of my head, I know I’ve not been running. Whether it’s been the scrambles or not, couple play calls that could potentially be that way, just haven’t had the reads.”
Asked if Prescott believes he still has the physical ability to be an effective runner, he responded with firm confirmation.
“For sure,” Prescott said. “One thousand percent.”
The run game’s struggles have an interesting correlation to Prescott. There’s no question Prescott hasn’t been running enough, but his contributions to the ground attack shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than a bonus. He can do better in that regard, but it doesn’t take away from the main plot that between the offensive line and the running backs, the soul of the run game has been fractured.
Dallas Cowboys’ D: Where did the takeaways go this season? – Todd Archer, ESPN
Dallas has gone from the best team when it comes to creating turnovers to one of the worst.
It just seemed so easy, didn’t it?
Somehow, someway the ball would fall to a Dallas Cowboys defender for a takeaway. From 2021 to 2023, the Cowboys created 93 takeaways, far and away the best in the NFL. They intercepted 59 passes and forced 34 fumbles. The Buffalo Bills were second with 80 (54 interceptions, 26 fumble recoveries).
The Cowboys also turned the turnovers into touchdowns with 15 from during that stretch, also a league high.
It hasn’t been so easy this season.
Entering Sunday’s game against the 5-3 Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Fox), the 3-4 Cowboys are tied for 26th with four interceptions and one fumble recovery through seven games.
“It’s football, man,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis explained. “Honestly, it’s just not coming our way. But you know they come in bunches. And I know some guys that can get them, so …”
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, some of them are injured.
As Wednesday’s practice began, Cornerback DaRon Bland was working on the cords, continuing his rehab from August foot surgery as he closes in on playing for the first time this season. Linebacker Micah Parsons was preparing for a session on the cords as he inches closer to a return from a high left ankle sprain suffered Sept. 26.
Last season, Bland set an NFL record with five interception returns for a touchdown while leading the league with nine picks. Parsons had 40.5 sacks in his first three seasons and his pressure led to takeaways.
When each will return to action is up in the air. Neither practiced Thursday. Bland has yet to play this season. Parsons is looking at missing his fourth straight game.
5 final thoughts about Cowboys-Falcons: Turnovers, losing streaks and hoping for the best – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News
It will be another challenging week for the Cowboys as they look to win their first game in almost a month.
Stopping Kirk Cousins
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has had the necessary weapons for a strong start to the season. He’s third in passing yards (2,106), touchdowns (14) and attempts (271). He’s among the league leaders in comeback victories after leading the Falcons to three fourth-quarter, come-from-behind victories this season. If it gets close, bet on Captain Kirk.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer knows Cousins well from their four years together in Minnesota.
So Cousins knows Zimmer.
“Kirk has a pretty good knowledge of me, too,” Zimmer said. “He’s very, very accurate, takes good care of the football, very smart. Gets in and out of the plays. I know he had that Achilles last year so they’re using him a little more from pistol [formation] than they were before. Always had a very good long ball, very accurate, not going to move around as much.”
Who starts at cornerback?
The Cowboys have endured changes at cornerback this season due to injuries and poor play.
DaRon Bland has missed the season with a fractured foot that is still healing. Whether he makes his season debut is uncertain.
Trevon Diggs, the other starting corner, hasn’t missed a game but dealt with a calf injury that prevented him from practicing in the middle of the week.
So where does that leave the Cowboys?
Amani Oruwariye, who started the last three games, was placed on injured reserve with a back injury. Rookie Caelen Carson, who replaced Bland in the starting lineup before missing four games with a shoulder injury, was a full participant in practices this week. There’s Andrew Booth, the first player to replace Carson when he was injured, but he was benched in the second half against the New York Giants for Oruwariye.
Last week, the Cowboys had three corners up for the game, using safety Israel Mukuamu to replace Oruwariye when he was injured.
What now?
Well, the Cowboys might have Bland and Diggs in the starting lineup against the Falcons, which is a positive for the defense. If not, Carson and Booth are possible starters. Josh Butler and Kemon Hall are on the practice squad and there’s a possibility they could be elevated. The Cowboys are hoping for the best.