Cowboys’ Josh Butler suffers ACL injury, Juanyeh Thomas dodges disaster – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
A season full of injury issues continue for Dallas.
In a season that’s seen the latter overwhelmed almost weekly with injuries of all sorts, Josh Butler and Juanyeh Thomas are the latest victims of that ravaging.
Butler, a promising young cornerback who delivered a breakout game in instant classic against the Washington Commanders just four days prior, suffered a torn ACL in the waning moments of the first half against the Giants.
His injury will require surgery, per executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones to 105.3 The Fan, and Butler will soon be moved to season-ending injured reserve.
The news is a good bit better for Thomas, who went down writhing in pain early in the second quarter on a Cowboys’ kickoff to the Giants. Despite being carted off of the field and not returning to the contest, it’s been determined Thomas suffered a meniscus injury that gives him a chance at returning before the 2024 regular season concludes.
The expectation is he’ll miss roughly 2-3 weeks as he recovers.
Micah Parsons: I believe the Cowboys are going to turn it around and make a run – Michael David Smith, NBC Sports
Parsons hasn’t given up on the Cowboys making the postseason.
Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons had a big game on Thanksgiving, his team won its second in a row, and he said afterward that he believes Dallas is going to make some noise down the stretch.
Parsons was awarded a turkey leg and the game MVP honors and said on the Fox broadcast after the game that the Cowboys will be a tough team to beat in December.
“Everybody’s been counting us out,” Parsons said. “I believe we’re going to turn it around and make a run.”
Parsons said the Cowboys are a better team than people think.
“There’s been a lot of trash talk out there, talking about what difference can we make?” Parsons said. “I’m telling y’all right now, we’re coming.”
DeMarcus Lawrence nearing return for Cowboys – Nick Harris, Star-Telegram
Is the cavalry coming?
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on his Friday radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan that Lawrence will “more than likely” make his return for the team’s next game.
The extended break will also allow right guard Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and cornerback Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to heal with Martin having “the best chance of getting back” to the field, according to McCarthy.
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb continues to battle a shoulder injury that he suffered four weeks ago in the team’s loss to Atlanta.
“By the time we get the extra days here between Thanksgiving and the next game, I think Lamb will be ready to go,” Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Friday.
3 things you missed from Cowboys-Giants: They still have a pulse – Abraham Nudelstejer, DMN
A bunch of hypotheses wrapped in assumptions inside a lot of wishful thinking…
Believe it or not, the Cowboys have an 89% chance of making the postseason if, and only if, they win out, according to the New York Times playoff simulator. With their back-to-back wins over Washington and the NY Giants, the Cowboys’ odds will improve considerably with each win they can get.
The odds progression if Dallas wins all five games is as follows:
Week 14: Cincinnati at Cowboys: playoff chance rises to 3%.
Week 15: Cowboys at Carolina: playoff chance rises to 5%.
Week 16: Buccaneers at Cowboys: playoff chance rises to 10%
Week 17: Cowboys at Philadelphia: playoff chance rises to 32%
Week 18: Washington at Cowboys: playoff chance rises to 89% for a wild card berth.
While the simulator’s statistical progression gives Cowboys fans some hope, Las Vegas bettors are much less optimistic.
The Cowboys’ Super Bowl odds (+100,000) rank them 23rd in the NFL. Before the season, the Cowboys had odds of +1,900 to win the Super Bowl. Since then, those odds have worsened to +100,000, the biggest change among all NFL teams. With Super Bowl odds of +100,000, the Cowboys have a 0.1% chance of being Super Bowl champions.
NFL head coach hot seat rankings: Matt Eberflus might not be last coach to go – Ralph Vacciano, FoxSports
Surely the writing is on the wall for McCarthy. Or is it?
Don’t look now, but the Cowboys have won two in a row — albeit over the sliding Commanders and the reeling Giants. The players sound like they think they can make a run, even with quarterback Dak Prescott out for the season. And even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said it’s “not crazy” to think he’ll extend McCarthy’s contract after the season.
It’s worth noting that McCarthy’s contract expires in a few months and Jones wouldn’t even extend it after three straight 12-win seasons. But don’t underestimate the power of good feelings. The Cowboys are 5-7 and have the Bengals and Panthers up next, and getting to .500 with all their injuries would be quite a coup.
Would it really be enough to save McCarthy, though? Jones can be stubborn with his coaches. Multiple league sources still think the lack of a contract extension is telling and that a parting is inevitable. But the door for a return might be open slightly if they can pull off a few more wins.
Cowboys learned several things about themselves in Week 13 – Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys played inspired football against the Giants on Thanksgiving.
DeMarvion Overshown is another defender to build around
It has been a sparkling season for the second-year linebacker, who continues to get better. Overshown missed his rookie season, but he’s making up for lost time by becoming another player for the defense to build around, along with pass rusher Micah Parsons.
Overshown made the defensive play of the year for the Cowboys when he ran through the running back’s block, knocked the pass away on the screen attempt, intercepted the ball and went 23 yards for the score.
It was an incredible play where Overshown displayed the strength, length and athleticism that made him an attractive prospect. The young LB is showing signs of playing a little more under control each week and his remarkable play will be one of the defensive plays of the year in the NFL.
Micah Parsons is game wrecker
Regardless of what some questionable analyst says, the Cowboys’ edge rusher is an elite playmaker on defense. Parsons dominated the Giants’ offensive line with 1.5 sacks and six pressures, forcing QB Drew Lock to hurry many of his throws.
The speed, array of pass rush moves, and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s dedication to move his best defender around all played a role in Parsons wrecking the Giants’ offensive game plan. Any semblance of doubt that Parsons wasn’t still an elite defensive player went out the window on Thanksgiving.
Cowboys TE Luke Schoonmaker feeling emotional after recent breakthrough – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated
The former second-round pick is figuring things out.
When Jake Ferguson went down with a concussion in Week 11, the Dallas Cowboys had to turn to Luke Schoonmaker. After a frustrating rookie campaign, there wasn’t a lot of confidence that he could rise to the challenge.
Schoonmaker, a second-round pick from Michigan, had just eight receptions for 65 yards as a rookie. He had a decent outing in Week 2, going for 43 yards on six receptions, but since then, he had two receptions for 13 yards before Dallas had to ask him to take over as TE1.
His response has been impressive, with Schoonmaker recording 14 receptions for 144 yards with one touchdown over the past three games. He recently discussed his performance, saying that he felt “emotionaly” after being able to make the most of this opportunity.
Cowboys TE Luke Schoonmaker said he was emotional after being able to break through the last two weeks:
“Certainly sticking to the process. Just having the fun that I am is the emotional side. Being able to make the most out of my opportunities and have fun with it.”
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 29, 2024
NFL Thanksgiving TV ratings: Cowboys-Giants deliver most-watched game of 2024 season – Nick Brinkerhoff, USA Today
The Cowboys are still America’s Team regardless of their circumstances.
While you were chowing down on some turkey, the NFL was making all the bread.
The dinner window of the NFL’s Thanksgiving slate delivered a big portion for the league, as the Giants vs. Cowboys game delivered the most-watched broadcast of the 2024 season and the fourth-highest ratings of any Turkey Day game ever with 38.5 million viewers. The broadcast topped out at 41.283 million from 6-6:15 p.m. ET.
The people couldn’t get enough of Drew Lock and Cooper Rush facing off in Dallas.
It comes as no surprise since the Cowboys are a huge draw, whether good or bad, while the Giants come from the country’s biggest media market.
Regardless, plenty of quality football has been played at times this season, with some big matchups in prime time. Fox Sports projected the Thanksgiving tilt as the most-watched telecast on any network since Super Bowl 58, and the numbers were up 14% from last year’s game between the Cowboys and Commanders.
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