Dallas Cowboys News
12-3-14: The Cowboys did not look good in front of their home crowd on Thanksgiving Day, as they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-10. DeMarco Murray was held to 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Tony Romo threw two interceptions and did not get into the end zone in the loss that dropped Dallas to second place in the NFC East.
11-26-14: On Sunday night in New Jersey, the Cowboys moved their road record to a perfect 5-0 on the season. They beat the New York Giants, 31-28, behind Tony Romo’s game-winning drive that finished with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant. The star wide receiver finished with seven receptions, 86 yards and two touchdowns.
11-19-14: The Cowboys get their bye week upon returning from London. Dallas’ schedule will end with several divisional opponents, including two contests against the Philadelphia Eagles in a three-week span after the Cowboys return from New Jersey. During their bye, they activated defensive tackle Josh Brent from the reserve/suspended list after he finished his 10-game suspension.
11-12-14: Although the Cowboys allowed a 32-yard touchdown run by Denard Robinson in the first quarter on Sunday in London, Tony Romo returned from his one-week absence to lead Dallas to the 31-17 victory. He completed 20 of his 27 passing attempts for 246 yards and three touchdowns. Dez Bryant caught six of his throws for 158 yards and two scores.
11-5-14: The Cowboys really missed Tony Romo on Sunday when they hosted the Arizona Cardinals. Before Brandon Weeden’s three-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant late in the fourth quarter, the only time that Dallas got into the end zone was when Tyler Patmon returned Carson Palmer’s interception 58 yards. The Cowboys only put up 17 points in their 11-point loss.
10-30-14: Nick Foles threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns, but the Arizona Cardinals made the big plays on Sunday. They intercepted him twice and scored multiple touchdowns of at least 75 yards in the Eagles’ 24-20 loss. On the bright side, Jeremy Maclin had 12 receptions, 187 yards and two touchdowns.
10-21-14: The Cowboys kept rolling on Sunday, as they added to their win column again in their first divisional matchup of 2014. DeMarco Murray, who became the first running back in NFL history to start a season with seven straight 100-yard rushing games, ran for 128 yards in Dallas’ 31-21 victory over the visiting New York Giants.
10-14-14: The Cowboys knew the blueprint of how to beat the defending champions, and they executed it well. DeMarco Murray and Joseph Randle rushed the ball very well for Dallas as the Cowboys’ time of possession also doubled that of the Seattle Seahawks. Tony Romo threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
10-8-14: The only NFC team to win each of its last four games is none other than the Cowboys. They will bring their 4-1 record into Seattle this upcoming Sunday after defeating the visiting Houston Texans in Week 5. Dallas is 2-0 this season on the road, but those victories were against the Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams, so DeMarco Murray and company will have to prove themselves against the Seahawks.
10-1-14: Jerry Jones was happy that the Cowboys put on a show on Sunday night. Tony Romo threw for three touchdowns as Dallas defeated the New Orleans Saints, 38-17. DeMarco Murray added 149 rushing yards and two scores. Terrance Williams also got into the end zone twice as the Cowboys scored the first 24 points of the game.
9-25-14: The Cowboys won their second consecutive game, and this victory was in comeback fashion. Dallas was down by 21 points near the end of the first half against the St. Louis Rams, but the Cowboys were able to match their largest comeback in franchise history and won, 34-31, to move to 2-1 on the season.
9-17-14: Although the Cowboys did not look so good against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, Dallas scored in all four quarters in Tennessee on Sunday. DeMarco Murray rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown, and Dez Bryant contributed 10 catches and 103 receiving yards and a touchdown as well.
9-10-14: The Cowboys’ horrible weekend can be summed up by Tony Romo’s three interceptions. The San Francisco 49ers swallowed up Dallas’ offense, and the defensive side did not look any better for Big D. On the bright side, the Cowboys can look at the rest of their division with a sigh of relief. Neither the Washington Redskins nor the New York Giants looked good in Week 1, and the Philadelphia Eagles were down by 17 points at the half against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
9-4-14: It does not look like Dez Bryant will be getting a new contract soon because the receiver had said recently that his side would table contract negotiations if he did not sign a new contract before the start of the regular season. The Cowboys, who have not made the playoffs since 2009, recently signed Michael Sam to their practice squad.
8-26-14: Unfortunately, the Cowboys remained winless this preseason with their 25-20 loss to the Dolphins in Miami on Saturday. Tony Romo completed 10 of his 18 pass attempts for just 87 yards. He was also sacked three times. However, the Cowboys did have some good news this past week. According to Forbes, they are second in value among sports franchises.
8-20-14: In his first game since back surgery, Tony Romo completed four of five passes for 80 yards and one touchdown. Although he lost a fumble, he still had a very strong game and found Dez Bryant for a 31-yard touchdown to tie the contest in the first quarter. Although the Cowboys dropped the game, they scored in each quarter.
8-14-14: Backup quarterback Brandon Weeden completed 13 of his 17 pass attempts for 107 yards and scored a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 27-7 loss in San Diego. He was replacing Tony Romo in the starting lineup as the veteran is sitting out as he continues his comeback from back surgery. Then, on Monday, the NFL suspended cornerback Orlando Scandrick for four games for violating the league’s drug policy.
8-5-14: Last week, the Cowboys mailed playoff tickets to season-ticket holders. Even after they missed the playoffs each of the last four years, we continue to see the boldness of Jerry Jones. Dallas also reached a long-term deal with left tackle Tyron Smith. The contract is an eight-year extension worth approximately $100 million.
7-30-14: The Dallas Cowboys solidified Tony Romo’s blindside for years to come, as they locked up stud left tackle Tyron Smith to an eight-year, $98 million contract. Just 23, Smith is already one of the game’s top tackles and gives Dallas stability in pass protection for the long-term. The move allows the ‘Boys to shift their focus to contract year wide receiver Dez Bryant. Dallas also has been served with more bad news on defense, however, as rookie defensive end Demarcus Lawrence will be lost for up to 8-10 weeks with a broken foot. Jeremy Mincey will have to start in his place come week one.
7-15-14: The Cowboys took a chance on headcase linebacker Rolando McClain, who they acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The twice retired linebacker is their latest attempt to help replace Sean Lee, who went down with a torn ACL in May. Quarterback Tony Romo (back) is getting closer to full strength, and is reportedly “miles ahead” of where he was at this time last summer. He’s expected to be ready to roll for the ‘Boys camp, which opens on July 23rd. Hype is growing for running back Lance Dunbar, as well, who is being looked at more and more as a complete offensive weapon.
6-5-14: The talk of Dallas has been about the enormous loss of stud inside linebacker Sean Lee, who tore his ACL during practice this past week and will be lost for the entire 2014 NFL season. Lee has always struggled to stay healthy for the Cowboys, but when on the field is easily one of the more versatile and imposing presences in the middle of a defense. Already a terrible defense even with Lee a year ago, the Cowboys will be scrambling for a legit replacement as the season draws near. Dallas also got blindsided by the retirement of backup quarterback Kyle Orton, leaving them with just Brandon Weeden behind starter Tony Romo. On the bright side, the Cowboys did add talented but often injured running back Ryan Williams, who is hopeful to compete for the top backup job behind DeMarco Murray in camp.
5-19-14: The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2014 NFL Draft badly needing help on defense. Just about any defensive position would have sufficed. Instead, all we heard about was Johnny Manziel rumors leading up to the pick of an...offensive linemen? It’s Jerry Jones’ world and we’re just living in it. Let’s break down the ‘Boys 2014 draft class:
Round 1. Pick 16 Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
Round 2. Pick 02 Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise St.
Round 4. Pick 19 Anthony Hitchens, LB, Iowa
Round 5. Pick 06 Devin Street, WR, Pittsburgh
Round 7. Pick 16 Ben Gardner, DE , Stanford
Round 7. Pick 23 Will Smith, LB, Texas Tech
Round 7. Pick 33 Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor
Round 7. Pick 36 Ken Bishop, DT, Northern Illinois
Round 7. Pick 39 Terrance Mitchell, DB, Oregon
While the drafting of an offensive lineman was a bit of a shock, it was actually a really good pick. Dallas did need help on the o-line, and the extremely versatile Zack Martin was a top-five offensive lineman.
Dallas did address the defensive side of the ball right away in round two, so they deserve credit for that. Demarcus Lawrence is very athletic, explosive and versatile. He floated a bit under the radar, but the Cowboys got him at appropriate value and addressed a big need.
The Cowboys did a decent job filling out their defensive line and grabbing two linebackers, but it was disappointing to see them wait until round seven to nab a safety. They seem content with their crop of safeties, but it would have been ideal to see them land one in the top four rounds.
5-9-14: The Dallas Cowboys toyed with drafting Texas product Johnny Manziel, but ultimately decided drafting the heir apparent to Tony Romo wasn’t the best move. While their best move probably would have been adding anyone for the defensive side of the ball (they didn’t), the Cowboys can hardly be slammed for snagging easily one of the top offensive linemen in the draft in Zack Martin. Martin is an extremely versatile tackle who can play all five o-line spots and quickly gives Dallas a ton of flexibility all over the line. While it’s a sound and safe move, Dallas should now focus almost all of their energy on upgrading all over their defense throughout the remainder of the draft.
4-28-14: The Dallas Cowboys are an enigma. Jerry Jones never drafts just for need, and even when you think you know where he’s going, he’ll still take someone you’ve never heard of or that wasn’t projected to be taken high. We can expect more of the norm from Jones, as there are already ridiculous rumors about Johnny Manziel going to the Cowboys. Dallas needs to pay more attention to the defensive side of the ball, where they have no safeties and can’t stop the run. They did bring in Henry Melton to plug up their run defense, but they still might be best served to go get another stud defensive tackle. If they’re content there, however, landing a potential star safety like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or Calvin Pryor would be a great move. Dallas could always swing back and add a wide receiver and/or beef up the offensive line in the middle rounds, as needed.
4-18-14: Tony Romo hopes to be ready (back) for the first week of the ‘Boys preseason schedule, when they will travel to San Diego to compete with Philip Rivers and the Chargers. That game could offer some offensive fireworks to get the preseason rolling, but week two should garner more hype as the Dallas starters should play longer at home against a tough Baltimore Ravens defense. Romo and co. should try to clean up any rough edges on offense against the Dolphins in week three, as they travel to Miami for what figures to be their longest stay on the field during the preseason. The Dallas Cowboys preseason schedule comes to an end on August 28th, when they welcome Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos to town. It could be an epic closing to the preseason, although starters for both team shouldn’t be expected to play more than a handful of series.
4-7-14: The Dallas Cowboys lost a ton of talent on their defensive line to start free agency, as they simply couldn’t afford to keep DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher, who left for the Broncos and Redskins, respectively. They did do a solid job addressing the holes left by these departures, however. Henry Melton was the biggest signing, as he was brought in to man the middle, while Jeremy Mincey was brought in to help the pass-rush. The Cowboys added more depth on the line with Terrell McClain and also brought in linebacker Will Herring, but still need more help at defensive end and will also need to figure out their problems at safety.
3-21-14: The Cowboys have had an up and down offseason, as they cut stout pass rusher DeMarcus Ware to gain cap relief, and then watched him sign with the Denver Broncos. They did well to shore up their shaky run defense by landing former Bears defensive lineman Henry Melton, however, while also bringing in Jeremy Mincey. On offense, the team added Brandon Weeden to backup Tony Romo, who is still rehabbing a back injury. Weeden provides some needed depth under center, although it’s no secret that Cowboys fans will cross their fingers all year that he never sees the field. Melton and Mincey are a start on the defensive side of the football, but losing Ware and Jason Hatcher doesn’t help, while the defense still lacks consistency at the safety position. Dallas will attempt to address both needs in May’s NFL Draft.
12-31-13: No Tony Romo, no problem. Almost. Kyle Orton started in place of the injured quarterback and almost saved the day, but his final pass was intercepted and the Cowboys lost at home to the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-22. Dallas had a chance to tie prior to Orton’s pick, but Dez Bryant couldn’t secure a crucial two-point conversion attempt.
12-24-13: The Cowboys imploded a week ago. They weren’t going to let something like that happen again. Tony Romo shrugged off an ailing ankle to throw the game-winning touchdown, as the Cowboys topped the Redskins in Washington, 24-23.
12-17-13: Leading 26-3 over the Green Bay Packers at home in week 15, the Cowboys seemed to have their eighth with of the year in the bag. Then chaos ensued. The Packers fired back with five straight second half touchdowns and Dallas inexplicably went away from a successful run game as the Cowboys choked away a 37-36 home loss.
12-10-13: Dallas was decent on offense as Tony Romo tossed three touchdowns and DeMarco Murray powered over the Chicago Bears for over 140 rushing yards. Unfortunately, the Dallas defense didn’t show up and they allowed Josh McCown (five touchdowns) and co. to score on every single offensive possession in a 45-28 road loss.
12-3-13: In a game that many viewed as a potential shootout, most of the scoring came on the ground. DeMaro Murray rushed for three scores to help dig the Cowboys out of a 21-7 hole at the half, as the Cowboys out-scored the Oakland Raiders 24-3 down the stretch to sneak out with a 31-24 home win.
11-26-13: Dallas allowed a 21-6 lead to evaporate and suddenly was looking at another disappointing loss if Tony Romo couldn’t come through in the clutch and avoid overtime. With the game tied at 21, Romo did just that as he led the Cowboys down the field and Dan Bailey knocked in the game-winning kick to give Dallas a 24-21 win and a spot atop the NFC East division.
11-12-13:
Tony Romo and Dez Bryant were supposed to let loose in an offensive shootout with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football in week 10. Instead, Romo couldn’t even hit 150 passing yards and Bryant saw just two targets all night. As bad as things were on offense for Dallas, defense was much worse, as the Cowboys couldn’t slow down Drew Brees, who nearly hit 400 passing yards and four touchdowns en route to a big 49-17 win in New Orleans.
11-5-13: An expected shootout didn’t take off until the second half, as the Cowboys and Vikings exchanged leads five times, with the final time being the decisive score. Tony Romo made up for a costly interception late in the game by driving Dallas 90 yards down the field and hitting wide receiver Dwayne Harris for a touchdown, giving the Cowboys a dramatic 27-23 home win.
10-30-13: Tony Romo and co. got off to a slow start before piling on the points and holding a 27-17 lead late on the road against the Detroit Lions. It wouldn’t last for long, however, as poor game management and shaky pass defense helped the Lions get back in this one and allowed a Matthew Stafford touchdown plunge to seal the deal with 12 seconds left. The loss dropped the ‘Boys to 4-4 on the year.
10-22-13;
In what was fully expected to be an offensive showdown, the Dallas Cowboys were merely more efficient on offense than the Philadelphia Eagles late and held on for a 17-3 road win to reclaim the top spot in the NFC East. The Dallas defense was dominant throughout, holding Nick Foles to under a 40% completion rate and no touchdowns before knocking him out of the game with a concussion and then picking off backup Matt Barkley three times in the game’s final period to seal the game.
10-15-13: The best plays for the Dallas Cowboys happened when Tony Romo was standing on the sidelines. Not that Romo couldn’t or wouldn’t work magic against a weak Washington Redskins defense, but thanks to two electrifying returns by Dwayne Harris, he simply didn’t have to. Harris returned one for a score and another set up a rushing touchdown by running back Joseph Randle that put this one away, 31-16. The Washington Redskins fought hard and kept it close throughout, but Dallas was ultimately too efficient when it counted as they moved to 3-3 and sent the ‘Skins to 1-4 on the year.
10-8-13: The Dallas Cowboys had a potential disaster on their hands, as they settled into week five facing the possibility of a 2-3 record with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos coming to town. Instead of caving under the pressure or getting blown out, Tony Romo put up a Cowboys record 506 passing yards, while adding five touchdowns to keep the Cowboys in one of the most explosive games in NFL history. He had all he could do to keep pace with Peyton Manning, who equaled Romo with five total touchdowns and had the score tied at 48 a piece with two minutes remaining. Romo prepared for one final drive to finish the upset, but threw a costly pick that ultimately gave the game to the Broncos. Denver proceeded to run out the clock and Matt Prater ended this one as time expired with a field goal, keeping Denver perfect at 5-0 with the 51-48 win.
10-1-13: Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys looked well on their way to a 3-1 start with a solid 21-10 lead on the road against the San Diego Chargers. Unfortunately, Dallas found offense hard to come by in the second half and was crippled by a late fumble by rookie wide receiver Terrance Williams. It was a solid effort overall for the now 2-2 Cowboys, who got a pick-six from linebacker Sean Lee to help take a 21-13 lead into the half, but the Chargers rallied on offense and their defense buckled down at home to keep Dallas from getting another score the rest of the way. Normally the reason for a second half collapse, Romo actually played efficient, turnover-free football, as he completed 73% of his passes with two touchdowns. The Chargers ultimately sucked up clock more than Dallas, controlling the ball for nearly 10 more minutes as the Cowboys dropped their West Coast trip, 30-21.
9-20-13: Tony Romo and the visiting Cowboys were prepared to dispel the notion that the 2013 Chiefs were serious playoff contenders following a dismantling of the lowly Jaguars in week one, but simply couldn’t pull it off in a narrow 17-16 road loss. Romo was solid overall in this one, completing over 71% of his passes and hooking up with stud receiver Dez Bryant for 141 yards and a score. However, Romo was ineffective late when it mattered most, as Dallas inexplicably went away from their running game with the game still very much in reach. On the flip side, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was flawless for the second straight week, as he tossed two scores and ran for 57 yards in the home victory. The real story here was KC’s defense, however, as they proved they weren’t just Jaguar eaters here, forcing two turnovers and sacking Romo three times. The Cowboys return home next week to host the Rams.
9-10-13: Tony Romo lead an efficient attack that lead to two Jason Witten touchdowns, and helped keep the Giants off the field largely until the fourth quarter. New York made it interesting late, but a tipped interception for a touchdown all but ended the comeback in a 36-31 Cowboys win. It's the first time in 5 tries that the Cowboys have been able to beat Eli in their new stadium. Next week, the Cowboys will head to Kansas City to take on the 1-0 Chiefs.
9-4-13: Cowboys final roster cuts: RB Kendial Lawrence, WR Tim Benford, DE Thaddeus Gibson, CB Sterling Moore, WR Danny Coale, OT Edawn Coughman, OT Demetress Bell, DB Xavier Brewer, DE Jerome Long, DE Jabari Fletcher, LB Caleb McSurdy, LB Cameron Lawrence, G/T Ray Dominguez, DE Jason Vega, CB Micah Pellerin, LB Brandon Magee and C Kevin Kowalski.
8-22-13: The Cowboys have given Sean Lee a $51 million contract extension which will keep Lee on the Cowboys until 2019. The deal includes a $10 million signing bonus.
8-20-13: The Cowboys fell to 1-2 on the preseason with 12-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Tony Romo couldn't get into the end zone, but was 7 of 10 for 142 yards. Alex Tanney accounted for the only TD on the and completed 14 of 19 passes for 136 yards. Kyle Orton was 4 of 8 for just 36 yards and threw two picks. Dallas was unable to sustain a running game only gaining 44 yards on the ground. The Cowboys host the Bengals next Saturday at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
8-11-13: The Cowboys suffered a 19-17 loss to the Raiders in their second preseason game this weekend. Tony Romo completed 6 of his 8 passes for 88 yards. Sean Lee and rookie J.J. Wilcox forced turnovers as well. Dez Bryant caught three passes for 55 yards and Lance Dunbar also caught 3 for 49 yards and a TD.
8-5-13: The Cowboys defeated the Dolphins 24-20 in this year's Hall of Fame game in Canton. Rookie RB Joseph Randle ran for 70 yards on 13 attempts. Rookie Devonte Holloman's also came up big with a 75-yard interception return.
7-10-13: Tony Romo got a new huge deal this off-season, but he will still enter 2013 with a monkey on his back. While the Cowboys remain one of the more confusing (yet talented) offenses in the league, it’s safe to say they’ll only go as far as Romo takes them. However, Romo could still really use a healthy DeMarco Murray and more help from his defense. The return of linebacker Sean Lee could be just what the doctor ordered, as the Cowboys try to transition to a new defense and actually play up to their talent level for a change in 2013.
6-12-13: Dallas once again fell short of glory in 2012, as they had a crack at the NFC East division crown and a playoff spot for the second year in a row, but just couldn’t get it done. Most of the blame continues to rest on quarterback Tony Romo’s shoulders, but anyone who is actually watching the games could tell you the Cowboys would hardly be competitive without him. Romo isn’t without his flaws, as he can sometimes be a turnover machine, but he also brings heroics to the table at times, and gives Dallas a chance against virtually any opponent in any given week. If the rest of the Cowboys can rally behind Romo, they could finally piece together a successful season - one that could end with a division title and a trip back into post-season play. The big question will be whether or not the defense can get better under a new scheme in 2013, while running back DeMarco Murray staying healthy would certainly help the offense stay balanced and perform more consistently. While those are open questions, the Cowboys’ still have the star power and talent to warrant a $304 home game ticket price on average - especially given how amazing their new stadium is.
2013 Cowboys Draft Overview:
Round 1, Pick 31 (from San Francisco): Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin
Round 2, Pick 15: Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
Round 3, Pick 12 (from Carolina through San Francisco): Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
Round 3, Pick 18: J.J. Wilcox, FS, Georgia Southern
Round 4, Pick 17: B.W. Webb, CB, William & Mary
Round 5, Pick 18: Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State
Round 6, Pick 17: DeVonte Holloman, LB, South Carolina
1/3/13: After losing to the Redskins in Washington 28-18 in the season's final week, the Cowboys finished at 8-8, missing the playoffs for the third straight season.
12-4-12: After a bad loss at home to the Redskins, the Cowboys bounced back and beat the Eagles in a high-scoring 38-33 affair. At 6-6 the Cowboys are a longshot to make the playoffs and with only one divisional game left they can’t do much other than to win out their games and pray for outside help. Their next game is against the Bengals who are also fighting for a playoff spot themselves so beating them at home won’t be an easy task.
