Morale has been night and day for the Dallas Cowboys.
Before their bout in Washington, the narrative centered on looking forward and avoiding the rear-view mirror at all costs. A trip to Landover made Cowboys fans rain-check their mid-season sorrows after what was easily the most exciting win of 2024.
Sportsbooks had Washington favored by multiple scores, but the Cowboys’ carousel of injuries refused to slow down. Dallas went in without three All-Pros in Trevon Diggs, Tyler Smith and Zack Martin, yet they exited victorious 34-26 after a rollercoaster fourth quarter.
https://twitter.com/br_betting/status/1860798310648353219
In the blink of an eye, hopes were again rising in Arlington.
The Cowboys remained in the playoff picture. The roughest part of their schedule is behind them, and they are two games behind the Commanders at 4-7.
X collectively laughed at Micah Parsons when he exclaimed, “We’re a good team,” despite Dallas’s worst start since 2020.
After Sunday, he returned on X for a victory lap, saying, “Like I said, we ain’t done.” Parsons wasn’t the only one who likely was sighing with relief. The jokes on him if they lost wouldn’t have been as bad as the criticism Mike McCarthy would’ve faced.
https://twitter.com/MicahhParsons11/status/1860814163964023293
McCarthy’s tenure in Green Bay ended with a mid-season departure and his current stint as head coach was headed in that same direction. He undoubtedly dodged a career-sized bullet. He dodged so well, in fact, that he seems to still be in Jerry Jones‘s good graces.
While the playoffs remain unlikely, this team still has enough life to mend the bridge between McCarthy and Dallas. The headline until January remains if he can make a good enough run to save his career with the Cowboys. That may become more likely with how he’s got this team rolling after Thanksgiving.
Making the Giants Feel Little
Dallas handed the final blow on another forgetful season for New York, eliminating them from playoff contention with their 27-20 victory. McCarthy and crew notched their first home win of 2024, ending a grim streak that’d haunted the season so far.
Mike Zimmer deserves his flowers. Over the last month, this defense has looked better and better. They’ve been a major factor in their last two crucial NFC East matchups and are only getting healthier. Trevon Diggs, Demarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland await their likely impactful return. When this defense gets all its top options back, fans may see a revitalized unit gearing to make a last-minute push.
McCarthy is doing his fair share of heavy lifting, too. It no longer feels like he’s trying to force narratives upon this offense. With all the despair clouding his unit, McCarthy has found a way to succeed over the last two weeks. He’s listened to critics and initially gave players down the depth chart a shot at producing.
https://twitter.com/dallascowboys/status/1862334921139757452
Second-Half Sparkplug
KaVontae Turpin has been red hot.
He was the lone highlight of Week 11, with the fastest play of the 2024 season so far. He followed that up with the fourth-fastest play of Week 12 with his electric 99-yard kickoff return. He’s making the most of his snaps as McCarthy implements the game plan. The dynamic playmaker currently ranks third on the team in receiving yards and second in yards per reception.
Turpin is putting up his usual All-Pro numbers as a returner, with a league-leading 903 yards and two touchdowns. His playmaking ability has always been there— he’s just struggled to see usage in a high-volume passing offense. After leading the team in receiving on Thanksgiving, one can hope McCarthy will continue riding the wave for both of their sakes.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1860791043286778108
Run Rico, Run
South Carolina product Rico Dowdle is breaking out when most needed. He’s consistently flashed in 2024, but McCarthy has been reluctant to give him a bellcow role. Well Rico, welcome to the party.
His breakout 112-yard performance last week has Dallas fans grinning cheek to cheek. Dowdle has been eighth in rushing yards in the last four weeks, with 279. His 4.5 yards per carry on the year remains ranked 14th among starting backs.
This flavorless running game for the Cowboys finally has some flavor. McCarthy has taken notice, giving Dowdle more carries in these last two matchups than he did in the previous four. He scored his first rushing touchdown of the year last week and hopes to move forward as Dallas’ three-down option. If McCarthy wants to make this improbable run, continuing to improve Dowdle’s 27th-ranked carry total must be a priority.
Dowdle has played like one of the best backs in football when given the opportunity. As he steps into a bigger role on offense, Dallas is also starting to see their talent on defense step up.
https://twitter.com/brgridiron/status/1862298220199633313
My Oh Micah
“The Lion” Is back like he never left.
What more would fans expect from a DPOY-caliber talent? Micah Parsons’s presence was desperately missed. Since he stepped back on the field, the Penn State alum has haunted opposing pass protection. Nobody has gotten to the quarterback more than Parsons over the last four weeks. He also ranks fourth in the league in hurries/pressures despite missing a third of the season. He remained hopeful in his team despite his own fans giving up. Micah warned the Giants what they were in for after their victory versus the Commanders.
He notched 1.5 sacks in his third multi-sack game since returning. Parsons continues to remind people of the force he is, but he was the co-star on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/dallascowboys/status/1862286101513183290
Stealing the Over(Show)n
DeMarvion Overshown was everywhere in AT&T Stadium.
One would only need to see a single play to understand his impact on Thursday. Come to think of it, it represents what he’s meant to this team all year. Fans are quickly falling in love with the former third-rounder. In what undoubtedly turned the tide for Dallas, Overshown pressured the quarterback, tipped the pass and ran it back for six on the second drive for New York.
Do-it-all plays like that have been his specialty all year. Zimmer has schemed the former Longhorn in the same way he advertised Parsons would be.
Overshown is second on the team in tackles, with 84, and sacks, at five. The Cowboys need this play to continue as they remain in the bottom five in turnover differential at -7, but fans are confident he can do so.
With plenty of time left in the year, the sky is the limit for Overshown. He may be the franchise linebacker Dallas has longed for over the last few years.
https://twitter.com/dallascowboys/status/1862263481694671279
The Road Ahead
The Cowboys have the 17th-hardest schedule remaining.
That rating is a tad misleading. Washington and Philadelphia are going to be a fight. Now that they’ve notched a win at home, though, the outlook on those games doesn’t seem too grim. They still have their series with the NFC South to finish. Carolina and Tampa Bay battled last week and will likely follow suit against Dallas. This week, they get the traveling Bengals after a heartbreaking shootout against the Steelers.
None of these matchups are going to come easy. McCarthy’s crew has zero room for error. They’re in for an immense challenge but seem prepared for it. This team has had its holiday. Now, it’s time to make those statements a reality. It’s tough to say if this comeback can be made, but one thing is for certain. Micah Parsons’s remarks after last week will define this season.
It’ll either be the spark of success or the kiss of death.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1862313351176466761
Leave a comment