Cowboys news: Grading Dallas’ win over the Giants on Thursday

For the second week in a row, the Cowboys defense took over the game and led Dallas to a win. DeMarvion Overshown came up with a pick six in the second quarter that put the Cowboys in control and they never trailed after that. The Cowboys pass rush beat up on Drew Lock who got sacked six times with Micah Parsons recording 1.5 of those.

The offense wasn’t flashy, but it got the job done, especially Rico Dowdle, who had a breakout game with a career-high 112 yards and one TD. Mike McCarthy might be on the hot seat, but he still has this team playing hard, which might be why Jerry Jones has suddenly shown some interest in possibly bringing him back.

Notable performance mostly on defense.

Parsons was a force off the edge for the Cowboys, earning a 90.3 PFF pass-rushing grade. From 41 pass-rushing snaps, he produced a 29.7% PFF pass-rush win rate and racked up seven pressures, including three sacks.

In games without Parsons, the Cowboys defense has allowed 0.158 EPA; however, in games with the three-time All-Pro, Dallas has lowered that to just 0.024 EPA per play. It’s especially notable in the pass-rush department, as the Cowboys have posted a 44.2% pass-rush win rate, a 32% pressure rate and a 24.4 pass-rushing productivity score in games without Parsons while recording a 46.4% pass-rush win rate, a 38.2% pressure rate and a 30.3 pass-rushing productivity score.

On Thanksgiving, Parsons recorded yet another two-sack day, but he wasn’t the only Cowboys defender to thrive against the division rival. DeMarvion Overshown (four total stops, interception, fumble recovery) also impressed, especially when he tipped a Drew Lock pass to himself for an interception that he returned for a touchdown when the game was still close. Additionally, Eric Kendricks (two stops, a sack and a forced fumble), Jourdan Lewis (two stops while only allowing two receptions from four targets for zero yards) and notably Mazi Smith (one stop while consistently re-setting the line of scrimmage and putting the Cowboys linebackers in position to make plays) put together notable performances to round out the Cowboys defense’s impressive day.

HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS

LB Bobby Okereke, New York Giants (82.6)

EDGE Brian Burns, New York Giants (82.3)

DI Mazi Smith, Dallas Cowboys (79.9)

How does PFF view the Cowboys?

CB DaRon Bland (75.6)

CB DaRon Bland returned to the field last week versus the Commanders, and looked even better in coverage and run support after a few snaps under his belt.

Bland is aggressive enough to shed blocks in the run game, and displays great toughness in his tackling. He was credited with nine tackles and one pass defensed against the Giants, earning him the fifth-highest grade of all Cowboys players in week 13 (75.6).

One playoff win in five years just isn’t going to cut it.

With its 27-20 win against the Giants on Thanksgiving, Dallas has beaten two division rivals in a span of five days to improve to 5-7 with five games remaining. Edge rusher Micah Parsons keeps saying the Cowboys can still make something happen, and I guess that’s technically true. And while they won’t be catching the Eagles for the division lead, they opened Sunday just two games behind the Commanders (whom they beat last Sunday) for the final wild-card spot in the NFC.

If the Cowboys run the table to finish 10-7 and sneak into the postseason, could that lead to an extension on McCarthy’s contract? Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones said in a radio interview last week that it’s “not crazy” to think McCarthy — whose contract expires at the end of this season — could get an extension and be back coaching Dallas in 2025.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

Full credit to the Cowboys for continuing to play hard once it looked like their season was lost. Not every team does that, and it’s a point in the coach’s favor. But it’s pretty farfetched to believe Dallas can run the table.

And even if the Cowboys pull off that miracle, McCarthy likely still will have to make a bit of a playoff run to keep his job. The Cowboys fired Jason Garrett in 2020 because he wasn’t able to get them over the hump of playoff success. McCarthy hasn’t done it, either. And unless something incredibly bizarre happens over the remainder of this season, the Cowboys will likely move on.

A few names are playing for a contract in the final five weeks.

Brock Hoffman, IOL

During the offseason, Brock Hoffman made a strong push to be the starting center. He was beaten out by Cooper Beebe but has emerged as a candidate to replace Zack Martin, another pending free agent.

Martin is a future Hall of Famer, so there’s no way to compare the two players. Still, Hoffman has proven himself a capable starter and brought a much-needed edge to the running game over the past couple of weeks.

Eric Kendricks, LB

Eric Kendricks was the primary addition in free agency this year and has been a stud. Kendricks has 107 tackles with three sacks, and one interception. He’s been the quarterback of the defense and has proven despite being 32, there’s a lot left in the tank.

Playoffs or draft? Let’s look at a mock draft.

Trade Down: Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals called and offered a really good deal for Dallas to move down four spots, adding a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick (sim is only going three rounds) in exchange for one of the Cowboys’ fifth-round compensatory picks.

Cowboys receive 1.18, 3.82, 4.119

Cardinals receive 1.14, 1.150

Cowboys Mock Draft 4.0 Complete Haul

April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA;

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) competes during the first half of the LifeSports spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

1.18: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

With the departure of Cooks, comes the replacement through the draft. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds Egbuka is asked to do similar things as CeeDee Lamb is in the Dallas offense. Spinning things forward though, that’s good as they’ve invested in Johnathan Mingo to be the big-body guy in the offense. Adding Egbuka to Lamb will confuse defensive coordinators over the next two years as both can be deployed as Z or slot receivers on any given play. Mix in Kavontae Turpin and that’s an interesting receiver mix out the gate for the next head coach and offensive coordinator.

2.46: Safety Kamari Ramsey, USC

Safety doesn’t feel like a huge need as Donovan Wison has just one year remaining on his deal and both primary youthful backups (Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell) have recently suffered serious injuries, though Thomas could return from his meniscus tear this season. Ramsey is reported to have huge upside as a do-everything safety.

Should Dallas make the switch?

2) The Cowboys gain nothing by starting Cooper Rush

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the New York Giants to win their second game in a row. The problem, though, is that they’re 5-7 on the year. Sure, their season isn’t mathematically over, but what are the odds that this team will actually make the playoffs with Dak Prescott sidelined for the remainder of the season? The answer is quite low.

Cooper Rush has started four games in Prescott’s absence and, to his credit, hasn’t been horrible in three of the four. He’s worthy of being the team’s starter with Prescott out, and gives the Cowboys a better chance to win than if they were to start Trey Lance, but what does the organization gain, here?

Rush has proven he’s a capable backup, but he’s never going to start in Dallas as long as Prescott is healthy. He’s 31 years old and will be a free agent at the end of the year. Chances are, Rush will look to land somewhere without having to play behind one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history.

Plus, Rush gives the Cowboys a better chance to win than Lance. With their season practically over, getting a better draft pick is more valuable than earning a couple of meaningless regular season wins. Rush deserves to start and likely will, but the Cowboys gain more by seeing what Trey Lance can do, and they can finally get a real look at the player that they inexplicably traded a fourth-round pick to acquire.