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There’s plenty on the plate leading up to Sunday’s Minnesota main course. The Cowboys get promising news on the injury front, while the Vikings suddenly have more questions. Plus, plenty of good analysis on Michael Bennett’s immediate fit into the Dallas defensive scheme, Kellen Moore’s offensive attack at the halfway mark, and Dalvin Cook’s expected usage against the Cowboys front line.
Sean Lee talks about the new and reduced role that has him thriving, Jaylon Smith is getting talked up by his alma mater, Jason Garrett talks about the old days with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, Ezekiel Elliott’s mom talks about Zeke’s football origin story, and DeMarcus Lawrence’s mom just wants him to stop talking altogether. About that…
No more bulletin board material from DeMarcus Lawrence :: @SlaterNFL (Twitter)
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is always good for a fun (and often profanity-laden) soundbite, even if it comes at the expense of an upcoming opponent. But don’t expect any inflammatory quotes from Tank prior to the Vikings game… or maybe any future Cowboys contests, if Mama Lawrence has her way.
Lawrence’s mom has stepped in and asked her son to tone down the smack talk and salty language.
DeMarcus Lawrence won’t be giving us any bulletin board material for awhile. Why? He told me his mom told him to quit cussing and talking bad about other people. “Do what you do between the lines” she said. pic.twitter.com/uO1FSxEol5
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) November 7, 2019
So exactly how long did Lawrence’s self-imposed moratorium last? Apparently until he learned Dallas was facing the league’s leading rusher in Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.
Dak Prescott: Dalvin Cook leads league in rushing?
DeMarcus Lawrence: Not this week.
Cook: I’m trying to outrush Zeke.
What Cowboys-Vikings means to top RBs, for @usatodaysports:https://t.co/HjKs80Ev1w
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) November 8, 2019
Cowboys’ Amari Cooper expects to play despite knee injury :: ESPN
Cooper was held out of practice on Thursday, but the wideout plans to be on the field when it counts Sunday night. After coming down on his knee “the wrong way” after a catch versus the Giants, “Cooper underwent an MRI on Wednesday and was examined by team doctors on Thursday after being diagnosed with a bruise,” as reported by Todd Archer.
No stranger to playing through pain, Cooper told the press he expects to practice on Friday and play in Sunday night’s game against Minnesota: “I mean, I want to play, to be able to put up numbers to help my team win,” Cooper said. “Whatever I’ve got to do to do that, I’m cool with it.”
Related
Amari Cooper won't practice Thursday, calls knee post-MRI 'manageable'
Michael Bennett already looks like the missing piece the Cowboys needed all season :: SBNation
The newest member of the Cowboys defense needed no time settling in and making a difference. When defensive end Tyrone Crawford went out for the season with a hip injury, the rotation up front was thinned out considerably. Bennett replenished it and then some. Take a look at how quickly he acclimated to his surroundings to become a thorn in the side of the New York Giants all night long, and what it could mean for the defense going forward.
Vikings could be without two top defensive starters vs. Cowboys :: The Viking Age
When the 6-3 Vikings enter AT&T Stadium to take on Dallas, it could be with a noticeable limp. Minnesota defensive tackle Linval Joseph and cornerback Trae Waynes find themselves questionable for the Week 10 Sunday night showdown. Joseph is apparently dealing with a knee issue and was a surprise scratch from Thursday’s practice session; Waynes was limited on Wednesday with an ankle injury and then sat out Thursday.
NFC East Advanced Statbook: Prescott, Cowboys strong at midway point :: Cowboys Wire
A must-read, especially for the analytically-inclined, but also great for winning arguments with lesser football fans. There’s a few Dallas Cowboys who have played at an extremely high level that deserve a closer look. First up, because football starts and ends with quarterback play, is Dak Prescott. Halfway through the season, he has been as good as anyone in the league. Meanwhile, thanks to Kellen Moore, Ezekiel Elliott isn’t busy slamming his head into eight-man fronts, and Amari Cooper continues to put up big numbers. On the defensive side, two pass rushers have shown themselves to be worthy of their (very different) costs.
Shotgun on the Shelf: Cowboys-Vikings advanced preview :: Cowboys Wire
The stat nerds who make a complex game easier to understand for the plebeians offer a preview of what upcoming opponent Minnesota Vikings will attempt to do against the Cowboys. Spoiler alert: it’s running the ball. A lot. That Dallas run defense that was suspect earlier in the year is about to be tested in a big way by Dalvin Cook, the league’s current rushing leader.
Notre Dame alum Jaylon Smith living up to monster contract :: Slap the Sign
Cowboys fans will say that linebacker Jaylon Smith got off to a slow start this season. Smith himself thinks he and the rest of the Dallas defense have not performed up to their standard in the majority of games thus far. But Fighting Irish blog Slap the Sign says Smith is still earning every penny of the fat new contract he signed back in August.
He is, after all, leading the team in tackles and ranks 13th in the league in the category. He also places in the Cowboys’ top four in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles. Besides being primed to possibly help his team make a deep playoff run, the Notre Dame grad also, in the words of writer J.P. Scott, “will be very much in the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year” if he maintains that pace for the full 2019 campaign.
How 7-year-old Ezekiel Elliott learned from bad experience and became one of NFL’s most physical runners :: The Athletic
Ezekiel Elliott’s physical style of playing running back stemmed from doing notoriously-brutal “Oklahoma drills.” As a seven-year-old. As wild as that sounds, it’s an absolutely true statement, as confirmed by Elliott’s mom on Twitter. He is not the flashiest runner the league has to offer, but his style has been plenty successful in his career, as evidenced by two league rushing titles in three seasons as a pro.
This is why Sean Lee came back for 10th season :: The Mothership
Linebacker Sean Lee has embraced a lesser role after considering walking away from the game following the Cowboys’ departure from the 2018 playoffs. The lighter workload has agreed with him and is perhaps what allowed him to look more like his old self on Monday night against the Giants.
Additional snaps, due to Leighton Vander Esch’s neck stinger, led to Lee having a very productive night in the Meadowlands: 12 tackles, tying Jaylon Smith for the team lead, and helping to hold Saquon Barkley to just 28 ground yards.
“Any way I can help, any role I can do week in and week out, that’s why I came back,” Lee said. “That’s why I’m here. And whatever that is, I love being part of this team and this organization.”
Cowboys HC Jason Garrett recalls early Dallas days with Zimmer :: Vikings.com
They’ll square off from opposite sidelines on Sunday night, but Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer used to be on the same squad. Zimmer was hired to the Dallas defensive coaching staff in 1994, during Garrett’s tenure as the team’s backup quarterback. During a midweek conference call, Garrett shared memories with Twin Cities media, including what it was like to go up against Zimmer’s high-profile secondary unit in practice.
“Talk about Deion [Sanders] and Darren Woodson and so many other guys that were great players in this league for a long time and really well-coached,” Garrett said. “They were obviously very talented guys, and it was a tremendous challenge for us on the scout team side of it every day.”
Zimmer has been head coach in Minnesota since 2014, but he missed the Cowboys-Vikings clash in 2016 after undergoing eye surgery. Sunday will mark his first time coaching against his former employer.
Ellie Goulding to perform live during Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game :: NBC DFW
A blockbuster halftime show has become an integral part of the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day football tradition, and this year’s in-game concert is now set. Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding will perform at AT&T Stadium during intermission of the Cowboys-Bills matchup, it was announced today.
Goulding, whose song “Lights”catapulted her onto the scene in 2010, will join a long list of notable artists who have used the halftime performance to help the Cowboys kick off their annual Red Kettle campaign along with the Salvation Army.
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Sean Lee talks about the new and reduced role that has him thriving, Jaylon Smith is getting talked up by his alma mater, Jason Garrett talks about the old days with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, Ezekiel Elliott’s mom talks about Zeke’s football origin story, and DeMarcus Lawrence’s mom just wants him to stop talking altogether. About that…
No more bulletin board material from DeMarcus Lawrence :: @SlaterNFL (Twitter)
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is always good for a fun (and often profanity-laden) soundbite, even if it comes at the expense of an upcoming opponent. But don’t expect any inflammatory quotes from Tank prior to the Vikings game… or maybe any future Cowboys contests, if Mama Lawrence has her way.
Lawrence’s mom has stepped in and asked her son to tone down the smack talk and salty language.
DeMarcus Lawrence won’t be giving us any bulletin board material for awhile. Why? He told me his mom told him to quit cussing and talking bad about other people. “Do what you do between the lines” she said. pic.twitter.com/uO1FSxEol5
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) November 7, 2019
So exactly how long did Lawrence’s self-imposed moratorium last? Apparently until he learned Dallas was facing the league’s leading rusher in Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) November 8, 2019
Cowboys’ Amari Cooper expects to play despite knee injury :: ESPN
Cooper was held out of practice on Thursday, but the wideout plans to be on the field when it counts Sunday night. After coming down on his knee “the wrong way” after a catch versus the Giants, “Cooper underwent an MRI on Wednesday and was examined by team doctors on Thursday after being diagnosed with a bruise,” as reported by Todd Archer.
No stranger to playing through pain, Cooper told the press he expects to practice on Friday and play in Sunday night’s game against Minnesota: “I mean, I want to play, to be able to put up numbers to help my team win,” Cooper said. “Whatever I’ve got to do to do that, I’m cool with it.”
Related
Amari Cooper won't practice Thursday, calls knee post-MRI 'manageable'
–TB
Michael Bennett already looks like the missing piece the Cowboys needed all season :: SBNation
The newest member of the Cowboys defense needed no time settling in and making a difference. When defensive end Tyrone Crawford went out for the season with a hip injury, the rotation up front was thinned out considerably. Bennett replenished it and then some. Take a look at how quickly he acclimated to his surroundings to become a thorn in the side of the New York Giants all night long, and what it could mean for the defense going forward.
–TT
Vikings could be without two top defensive starters vs. Cowboys :: The Viking Age
When the 6-3 Vikings enter AT&T Stadium to take on Dallas, it could be with a noticeable limp. Minnesota defensive tackle Linval Joseph and cornerback Trae Waynes find themselves questionable for the Week 10 Sunday night showdown. Joseph is apparently dealing with a knee issue and was a surprise scratch from Thursday’s practice session; Waynes was limited on Wednesday with an ankle injury and then sat out Thursday.
Waynes has underachieved thus far in 2019 and had a particularly bad showing last week versus the Chiefs. Linval missing the game, though, would be “a big blow to the middle of Minnesota’s defensive line” and theoretically create both rushing opportunities for Ezekiel Elliott and extra time in the pocket for Dak Prescott.
–TB
NFC East Advanced Statbook: Prescott, Cowboys strong at midway point :: Cowboys Wire
A must-read, especially for the analytically-inclined, but also great for winning arguments with lesser football fans. There’s a few Dallas Cowboys who have played at an extremely high level that deserve a closer look. First up, because football starts and ends with quarterback play, is Dak Prescott. Halfway through the season, he has been as good as anyone in the league. Meanwhile, thanks to Kellen Moore, Ezekiel Elliott isn’t busy slamming his head into eight-man fronts, and Amari Cooper continues to put up big numbers. On the defensive side, two pass rushers have shown themselves to be worthy of their (very different) costs.
–TT
Shotgun on the Shelf: Cowboys-Vikings advanced preview :: Cowboys Wire
The stat nerds who make a complex game easier to understand for the plebeians offer a preview of what upcoming opponent Minnesota Vikings will attempt to do against the Cowboys. Spoiler alert: it’s running the ball. A lot. That Dallas run defense that was suspect earlier in the year is about to be tested in a big way by Dalvin Cook, the league’s current rushing leader.
–TT
Notre Dame alum Jaylon Smith living up to monster contract :: Slap the Sign
Cowboys fans will say that linebacker Jaylon Smith got off to a slow start this season. Smith himself thinks he and the rest of the Dallas defense have not performed up to their standard in the majority of games thus far. But Fighting Irish blog Slap the Sign says Smith is still earning every penny of the fat new contract he signed back in August.
He is, after all, leading the team in tackles and ranks 13th in the league in the category. He also places in the Cowboys’ top four in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles. Besides being primed to possibly help his team make a deep playoff run, the Notre Dame grad also, in the words of writer J.P. Scott, “will be very much in the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year” if he maintains that pace for the full 2019 campaign.
–TB
How 7-year-old Ezekiel Elliott learned from bad experience and became one of NFL’s most physical runners :: The Athletic
Ezekiel Elliott’s physical style of playing running back stemmed from doing notoriously-brutal “Oklahoma drills.” As a seven-year-old. As wild as that sounds, it’s an absolutely true statement, as confirmed by Elliott’s mom on Twitter. He is not the flashiest runner the league has to offer, but his style has been plenty successful in his career, as evidenced by two league rushing titles in three seasons as a pro.
–TT
This is why Sean Lee came back for 10th season :: The Mothership
Linebacker Sean Lee has embraced a lesser role after considering walking away from the game following the Cowboys’ departure from the 2018 playoffs. The lighter workload has agreed with him and is perhaps what allowed him to look more like his old self on Monday night against the Giants.
Additional snaps, due to Leighton Vander Esch’s neck stinger, led to Lee having a very productive night in the Meadowlands: 12 tackles, tying Jaylon Smith for the team lead, and helping to hold Saquon Barkley to just 28 ground yards.
“Any way I can help, any role I can do week in and week out, that’s why I came back,” Lee said. “That’s why I’m here. And whatever that is, I love being part of this team and this organization.”
–TB
Cowboys HC Jason Garrett recalls early Dallas days with Zimmer :: Vikings.com
They’ll square off from opposite sidelines on Sunday night, but Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer used to be on the same squad. Zimmer was hired to the Dallas defensive coaching staff in 1994, during Garrett’s tenure as the team’s backup quarterback. During a midweek conference call, Garrett shared memories with Twin Cities media, including what it was like to go up against Zimmer’s high-profile secondary unit in practice.
“Talk about Deion [Sanders] and Darren Woodson and so many other guys that were great players in this league for a long time and really well-coached,” Garrett said. “They were obviously very talented guys, and it was a tremendous challenge for us on the scout team side of it every day.”
Zimmer has been head coach in Minnesota since 2014, but he missed the Cowboys-Vikings clash in 2016 after undergoing eye surgery. Sunday will mark his first time coaching against his former employer.
Ellie Goulding to perform live during Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game :: NBC DFW
A blockbuster halftime show has become an integral part of the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day football tradition, and this year’s in-game concert is now set. Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding will perform at AT&T Stadium during intermission of the Cowboys-Bills matchup, it was announced today.
Goulding, whose song “Lights”catapulted her onto the scene in 2010, will join a long list of notable artists who have used the halftime performance to help the Cowboys kick off their annual Red Kettle campaign along with the Salvation Army.
–TB
Gallery
Cowboys Week 10 Player Power Rankings: Did Woods move into top 10?
view 30 imagesGallery
Best 100 players in Dallas Cowboys history, No. 100 - 51
view 50 imagesContinue reading...
