Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says “there’s a lot to look at” regarding 2024 schedule- Mario Herrera Jr, Inside The Star
Stephen Jones on the schedule.
As reported by ESPN NFL Nation reporter Todd Archer, Jones said “There’s a lot to look at”. We should have expected such a vague answer, but then Jones elaborated.
He voiced four things the Cowboys look for once the schedule is complete and officially released.
Late-Season Cold Games
One of the things that even we fans pay attention to at schedule release is what cold weather cities will the Cowboys have to travel to in November and December?
The answer to that question this season is one, just one. A Week 17 matchup at Philadelphia that could have major division and playoff implications.
There is a Week 15 matchup in Carolina, and although there might be some rain in the forecast, the average temperature in Charlotte in mid-December is between 40 and 60 degrees.
The Week 15 showdown with Bryce Young will be the second in as many years, and it’s a noon kickoff, further lessening the chance of inclement cold weather.
There are four road games versus cold weather cities but the Cowboys were fortunate enough to draw those games closer to the beginning of the season to avoid frosty conditions.
8 former Cowboys players that Dallas will face in 2024- Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat
Good to see you old friends.
TE Dalton Schultz
Reunited with Noah Brown in Houston, Schultz bet on himself last offseason when he signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Texans. He parlayed that into a $36 million deal with $23.5 million guaranteed with the AFC South champs this March. In 15 games, Schultz caught 59 passes for 635 yards and five TDs. The Cowboys are in great hands at tight end with Jake Ferguson, but it’s nice to see Schultz have continued success with one of the NFL’s up-and-coming teams.
WR Amari Cooper
This one is going to sting, but the band-aid will be ripped off in Week 1 when the Cowboys face Cooper in Cleveland to open the season. Jerry Jones discarded Cooper after the 2021 season much to the chagrin of Cowboys fans and Cooper has made Jones rue that decision. In two seasons with the Browns, Cooper has hauled in 150 passes for 2,410 yards and 13 touchdowns. Cooper wasn’t making crazy money at the time he was traded and Dallas has still yet to pay CeeDee Lamb so he could (should) absolutely still be on the team.
6 Cowboys Preparing for their Final Season in Dallas- Randy Gurzi, Sport DFW
Enjoy these names wearing the star while you can.
2. Osa Odighizuwa, DT
The Cowboys hoped they found their 3-tech of the future in the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected Trysten Hill out of UCF in the second round. After trading their first-round pick to the Raiders for Amari Cooper, Hill was the team’s first selection in the draft that year. It was also instantly criticized.
Hill was criticized for his lack of maturity and unsurprisingly was a bust in Dallas. They lucked out, however, in 2021 when they found a superior option in Round 3.
At pick No. 75, the Cowboys took UCLA’s Osa Odighizuwa. He worked his way into the starting lineup during his rookie campaign and now enters his fourth season with 125 tackles, nine sacks, 23 tackles for a loss, and one forced fumble. Odighizuwa has been a quality starter and is on the verge of breaking out.
Whether he puts up another season similar to what we’ve seen, or puts it all together and balls out, the odds are high that the Cowboys front office lets him walk in free agency. As we saw with Tyler Biadasz, other teams will pay more than the suddenly frugal Dallas brass.
Is LB Marist Liufau ready to star for Cowboys or was the pick a reach?- Ben Larimore, Cowboys Wire
What do the cards hold for the third-round LB?
Strengths
Liufau possesses ideal frame, arm length, and play strength. He showcases first-step acceleration and a relentless motor. With an aggressive mentality, he fearlessly engages with offensive linemen. Liufau demonstrates a basic understanding of read concepts and plays soundly in the run game. He’s an effective blitzer and gets down hill in a hurry. Liufau’s is usually looking to bring the wood as a tackler, and he’s capable of delivering. Additionally, he uses his length effectively in coverage to disrupt passing lanes.
Cowboys playoff failures now amplified by thriving state of Dallas sports- Scott Rogust, FanSided
It is a fun time to be a Dallas sports fan. Outside of the Cowboys’ of course...
As The Athletic’s Jon Machota points out, the Mavericks, Stars, and Rangers have made it to the conference and league championship round of the playoffs in the past two years. As for the Cowboys, they haven’t made it to either the NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl since 1995.
Last time Dallas’ four major sports teams reached the conference/league championship round of the playoffs:
Mavericks: 2024
Stars: 2024
Rangers: 2023
Cowboys: 1995
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 19, 2024
Cowboys championship drought looks even worse with success of Mavericks, Stars, and Rangers
Cowboys fans have heard their less than stellar playoff history ad nauseam from those who root against them.
With a team that is Super Bowl or bust, you would expect the team to be making regular appearances, much like the Bill Belichick, Tom Brady dynasty with the New England Patriots. Instead, the last time the Cowboys reached the conference title game and Super Bowl was in 1995 when the offense was led by quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin, with Barry Switzer as head coach.
Sam Williams named the most underrated player on the Cowboys- Matthew Lenix, Blogging The Boys
There should be at least one breakout name on the 2024 roster. Why not Sam Williams?
It’s been two years now, and Williams has shown signs of why he was such a premium draft pick. Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus has seen enough to label him as the Cowboys’ most underrated player.
DALLAS COWBOYS: EDGE SAM WILLIAMS
Williams continued to flash potential in his second NFL season as a situational pass rusher for the Cowboys. He generated pressure on 14.1% of pass plays during the regular season, which ranked 36th among edge defenders in the NFL. His PFF pass-rushing grade also ranked 41st at the position in 2023.
Williams played in 15 games and logged 273 snaps as a rookie. He racked up 22 tackles (10 tackles for loss), four sacks, nine quarterback hits, a forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries. He was pretty productive in his 303 snaps in 2023 as he tallied 26 tackles (five tackles for loss), 4.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and a forced fumble in 17 games. That’s not too shabby for a guy who was fourth or fifth in the rotation on the edge for the Cowboys over the last two seasons.
