Machota: Cowboys notebook - Dak Prescott seeing the field ‘fine’; Mike McCarthy has ‘great confidence’ in Greg Zuerlein

Cotton

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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 02: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys scrambles with the ball while under pressure during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

By Jon Machota Jan 6, 2022

All Cowboys starters who are available are expected to play Saturday night in their regular season finale at Philadelphia. Will that be the entire first quarter, first half or entire game?

Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said the plan is to “play to win the game.”

“I think this is the best thing for us, this is the best thing for our football team,” McCarthy added. “There are slight odds to potentially move up so we want to make sure we take care of business on our end and finish off and make sure we’re playing with momentum.

“I think playing up there in the weather, in Philadelphia, will serve us well.”

“Slight odds” is a good way to put it. The Cowboys (11-5) will be hosting a playoff game at AT&T Stadium next weekend. They’ll likely be doing so as the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs. However, Dallas could still climb to the No. 2 seed. It would need to win Saturday night and then have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) lose to the Carolina Panthers (5-11) and the Los Angeles Rams (12-4) lose to the San Francisco 49ers (9-7) the next day.

Even though the Arizona Cardinals (11-5) just beat the Cowboys last week, Dallas would hold the tiebreaker over all other 12-5 teams, as long as there are three or more, because of its conference record. The Cowboys are tied with the Green Bay Packers (13-3), the No. 1 seed, with a 9-2 mark against NFC teams.

“I like to play,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan. “The debate over the two ways to go is pretty obvious. I like to play. In this particular case, we are going to have some extra days’ rest between our last game and the first playoff game. I think we’re better served by going out there and executing and having our team out there really playing like it’s the very playoff game that we’re going to be playing next week.”

The host Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) locked up a playoff spot last week. They’re likely to be the No. 7 seed, but could move up to No. 6 with a win over the Cowboys and a loss by the 49ers. The Cowboys are favored by 7, according to BetMGM.

But a high number of recent COVID-19 cases on Philadelphia’s roster has our reporters believing the Eagles will rest most of their starters.

“We didn’t like the way the game ended versus Arizona,” McCarthy said, “but there’s still a lot out of the game we can learn from and, frankly, there will be a lot we’ll be able to pay forward if we have the opportunity to compete against them again. So that’s my reality. And that’s the way I look at it. And that’s the way we’ll continue to move forward. That’s why our locker room is so damn confident and they believe in themselves, which is probably more important than anything as we enter into these playoffs.”

Micah Parsons won’t play. The Cowboys standout rookie LB/DE will not be making the trip to Philadelphia after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday.

“(I’m) saddened by the news,” Parsons tweeted Wednesday. “I feel like I let my team down and Dallas Cowboys nation! I’ll be back better than ever!! I’m only going to be more hungry! See you soon #lion

Parsons spoke on Tuesday about his chances of winning both NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, something that has only been accomplished by Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. Parsons believes he is worthy of both. Although he will fall a sack and a half short of Jevon Kearse’s NFL rookie sack record of 14 1/2, Parsons said he thinks if he played only edge rusher that he could be an 18-to-20 sack player per season. Defensive Rookie of the Year is likely already his, but Defensive Player of the Year will probably end up going to Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, who recorded four sacks Monday night, increasing his league lead to 21 1/2.

Parsons has played 498 snaps at linebacker, 374 on the defensive line and 30 as a defensive back.

“I just like lining up everywhere and just being dynamic,” Parsons said. “It’s almost like at recess for me. I feel like I’m a kid out there, like I’m going to go tackle my buddy. It’s a whole bunch of fun for me. I just really enjoy it.”

Parsons is expected to return for the Cowboys’ wild-card playoff game next weekend.

Roster updates. Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith and starting cornerback Anthony Brown are also not expected to make the trip to Philadelphia after being added to the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday. Rookie Kelvin Joseph will likely see more playing time with Brown not in the lineup. Terence Steele and Ty Nsekhe are both expected to get work at left tackle.

“Watching the trends of all this, particularly the latest (COVID-19) trends,” McCarthy said Thursday, “I am confident that if we do have anybody (test positive) today, tomorrow or even Saturday night, that they’ll be ready to go for the postseason game.”

TE Blake Jarwin was designated for return from the injured reserve this week, meaning he could play Saturday night. McCarthy said Jarwin (hip) has “made a lot of progress in the last 10 days.” He has been out since the Minnesota game in Week 8. The Cowboys are 6-1 this season with Jarwin in the lineup.

LB Keanu Neal and DT Quinton Bohanna were activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. DT Josiah Bronson was placed on the Practice Squad/COVID-19 list. CB Kyron Brown, S Tyler Coyle and OT Isaac Alarcón were restored to the practice squad.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott (knee) has been a full participant in practice. Running back Tony Pollard (foot) and safety Jayron Kearse (hamstring) have been limited.



Tony Pollard (Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)

Can the running game be fixed? The Cowboys’ chances of advancing in the playoffs likely depend on it. Dallas managed only 45 yards on 17 carries against the Cardinals. That’s the Cowboys’ lowest rushing total since finishing with 45 yards in a loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 4 of the 2019 season.

McCarthy has emphasized needing to improve their running game multiple times over the past week.

“We run the football not only for the quarterback, but we run the football for our whole team,” McCarthy said. “Our whole team benefits from running the football.”
Elliott and Pollard have both been playing through injuries. The offensive line struggled to create any space last week. And when it did, the play was often called back for holding. Elliott and Pollard are both expected to play Saturday night.

What has been keeping the running game down?

“I’d say just how we play versus movement,” Elliott said, “just how we play versus line movement and just eliminating those negative plays.”

The Cowboys have been flagged for offensive holding 29 times, second-most in the league behind only Minnesota (30), according to NFLPenalties.com. Left guard Connor Williams is tied for second among all NFL offensive linemen with 11 penalties. Center Tyler Biadasz, swing tackle Steele and right tackle La’el Collins are all tied for 11th-most in the league with eight each. Smith has seven.

Passing game issues. Dak Prescott says he is having no issues seeing the field. After having a big game against Washington (330 passing yards, four touchdown passes), it took the Cowboys QB a while to get going against Arizona last Sunday.

“I feel like I’m seeing it fine,” he said this week. “I don’t know if y’all differ. It doesn’t really matter to me. We’re continuing to get better and work, and that’s the simple fact of it.”

Before that Week 16 game against Washington, wide receiver Amari Cooper spoke publicly about wanting more opportunities in the passing game, particularly on third downs and in the red zone. Cooper was then targeted 11 times. He caught seven for a game-high 85 yards and a touchdown. Last week against the Cardinals, Cooper only had three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown.

“I really know that, if given the opportunity, that I can lead the league in all categories,” Cooper said this week. “That’s just how I feel about my skill set that I’ve been blessed with. Obviously, that’s a goal of mine. But it’s just like basketball. If you want to make a hundred 3s, you got to shoot over a hundred. It’s the same with me. If I want to catch a hundred balls, I’ve got to have those targets, and that’s not really in my control. You know what I mean? I just play my part.”


Kicking game issues. Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein has now missed 11 kicks this season, more than any kicker on an NFC playoff team.

“I think the most important part of a kicker is consistency,” Jerry Jones said on The Fan. “And it’s not consistently missing.”

Rams kicker Matt Gay has missed two field goals and one extra point. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott has missed three field goals and no extra points. Buccaneers kicker Ryan Succop has missed four field goals and three extra points. Cardinals kicker Matt Prater has missed seven field goals and two extra points. Packers kicker Mason Crosby has missed nine field goals and one extra point.

Zuerlein: six missed field goals, five missed extra points.

“I have a lot of confidence in Greg,” McCarthy said this week. “I think just like anything, I’m fortunate to work with these guys every day. And Greg specifically, I think you have to look at the big picture, everything that has gone into his season, the late surgery, the training camp and so forth. I think he’s not only a veteran, experienced kicker, but I think he’s a tremendously talented kicker. He can make all the kicks. He recognizes what we need to do moving forward. I obviously have great confidence in him.”
 

Simpleton

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It'd be ridiculous to make a team play Monday night and then travel on the road the next week, particularly if it's likely that they'd be traveling to play a team coming off a bye, which would likely be the case for either us or the 5 seed.

The Monday night game should literally only be the most heavily favored 2 seed, to maximize the odds that the team advancing from that game will be playing their next game at home.

Of course that won't happen because the NFL doesn't give a single fuck about the integrity of the game.
 

UncleMilti

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Sorry. I agree with Cooper. The NFL has no business dictating and continuously testing these guys. If controlling the virus was THAT important to the NFL, there wouldn’t be 80,000 people in the stands without masks every Sunday.
 

Cotton

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Sorry. I agree with Cooper. The NFL has no business dictating and continuously testing these guys. If controlling the virus was THAT important to the NFL, there wouldn’t be 80,000 people in the stands without masks every Sunday.
They don't give a fuck about the players health. This is all theater. All of it.
 

Shiningstar

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Sorry. I agree with Cooper. The NFL has no business dictating and continuously testing these guys. If controlling the virus was THAT important to the NFL, there wouldn’t be 80,000 people in the stands without masks every Sunday.

they want the money, but if the covid screws over some teams, thats ok as long as someone wins, the NFL wins. they dont care who it is, as long as there is a win
 

boozeman

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Sorry. I agree with Cooper. The NFL has no business dictating and continuously testing these guys. If controlling the virus was THAT important to the NFL, there wouldn’t be 80,000 people in the stands without masks every Sunday.
It is just as important for the NFL to project the image of giving a shit. Every huge corporation/entity does it. Good luck waiting for one to adopt your suggestion.
 
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p1_

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It is just as important for the NFL to project the image of giving a shit. Every huge corporation/entity does it. Good luck waiting for one to adopt your suggestion.
Why would anyone think the NFL would challenge the corporate and political messaging?
 
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