Cowboys Today: A cracking secondary and predictions – will Dallas finally win at home?

With the Houston Texans getting wide receiver Nico Collins back from injured reserve, the Cowboys took another hit in the secondary.

The mystery of All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland continues. He didn’t practice all week again and is officially out on Monday. Bland hasn’t practiced since suffering a setback leading up to the Week 6 game against the Detroit Lions. Now Jourdan Lewis joins him on the shelf. Lewis missed practice all week with a neck injury and was ruled out of Saturday’s game against Houston. Trevon Diggs and Caelen Carson — both appearing on the injury report during the week — are ready and good to go against the Texans.

Diggs and Carson are expected to be the outside cornerbacks, though it’s worth noting that assumption isn’t as obvious with Carson. The fifth-round rookie pick has struggled this season and was benched during the game, so his role is not certain. Quarterbacks have made it a point to locate and go after him. CJ Stroud is a quality quarterback who gets a huge playmaker back in the lineup, so expect him to do the same no matter where Carson is. As much as Carson has struggled, the Cowboys lack hot bodies right now, so they may not have a choice. The logical expectation going into the game would be Diggs and Carson on the outside and Israel Mukuamu in the slot. However, Mukuamu has positional flexibility, so the Cowboys can get a little creative.

Opponents — like the Eagles last week — have opted for rookie cornerback Caelen Carson. (Tim Heitman/Imagn Images)

Standing clock

It wasn’t the ideal Sunday for the Cowboys.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns all lost their games and kept their season win total at two games. The New York Giants, also with two wins, had a bye. The New York Jets and New England Patriots also both lost, keeping them tied with the Cowboys for three wins. It’s an interesting season to track the race for the top draft pick. There are plenty of bad teams, but no team in the NFL is remotely atrocious — although the Jaguars were pretty bad Sunday. There are no winless or one-win teams.

If the Cowboys lose on Monday, they will be very much in the running for a top-10 pick. In that regard, their Thanksgiving matchup with the Giants actually carries significant stakes, even if it’s not the kind either team would like. The Cowboys may preach the idea of ​​a storybook turnaround and a magical finish to make the playoffs, but until they at least win a game — it’s been 42 days since their last victory and nearly 11 months since their last win at home — their prospects in position will be far more relevant in draft positioning than the playoffs.

Future Cowboys coach?

I get lists sent to me several times a week with the latest odds on who will be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. One name that hasn’t been on those lists is former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. The 11-time Pro Bowler has coached high school football in Texas.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked Friday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas if he thinks Witten could one day become an NFL coach.

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“Yes,” Jones replied. “Without hesitation. Yeah. He’s got something you can’t draw. He reminds me a lot of our other tight end who’s the head coach up there in Detroit right now (Dan Campbell).

“Jason is very sophisticated when it comes to understanding football and all the nuances. But more importantly, he really understands the physicality and the mentality of being physical and that part of it. Without a question, he could be (an NFL coach). He has an extraordinary work ethic. … He can be a top coach.”

Naturally, those comments led many Cowboys fans on social media to speculate that Witten will be Dallas’ next head coach. While you can’t completely rule something out with Jones, Witten not having any NFL coaching experience is notable in this scenario. The biggest difference between Campbell and Witten is that Campbell spent 11 years as an NFL assistant before landing the Lions’ head coaching job in 2021.

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Predictions

Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer: This one really has very little to do with the Houston Texans. It’s more about how the Cowboys have played at AT&T Stadium over the last 11 months. Not only have they lost every game, they haven’t been close. Dallas’ injury report on Saturday had 19 names on it. Meanwhile, Texans star wide receiver Nico Collins is expected back after missing the last five games with a hamstring injury. The 2021 third-round pick had a breakout year last season, catching 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. His return will likely be a big problem for a depleted Dallas secondary. Texans 35, Cowboys 17.

Saad Yousuf, Cowboys beat writer: Last week the Eagles didn’t really blow me away with the season they had so I expected the Cowboys to keep up but ultimately fall short. I was sort of right as the Cowboys kept it interesting for 30 minutes before the game turned into a blowout in the second half. I have similar feelings about the Texans. I believe they are a quality team, destined for the playoffs, but I don’t think they are elite. I think this will be a game where Micah Parsons and DeMarvion Overshown will stand out in a big way. That said, the Cowboys aren’t even a quality team, so I don’t think the end result will be unexpected. Texans 24, Cowboys 12.

(Top photo by Nico Collins: Tim Warner/Getty Images)