Blogging The Boys

The source identifies the Sam Darnold injury situation as the biggest factor affecting the Seattle Seahawks' Week 2 power ranking at 7th overall, indicating his absence or health status is a critical concern for the team's performance outlook.

Finished Week 1 with only 41 rushing yards on 12 carries (3.4 yards per carry), highlighting the Cowboys' struggling running game. The source notes that unless the Cowboys can run it better, they will be susceptible to performances like the Week 1 loss to the Giants, where the Giants dominated time of possession by keeping the ball out of Dak Prescott's hands.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense fell well below expectations in Week 1 loss to Giants, marked by dropped passes, an untimely interception that led to a touchdown, and boneheaded penalties; the source notes the unit looked nothing like expected despite the team's pre-season 'greatest offense there is' mantra, though the source believes they have the talent to bounce back.

Javonte Williams drew a taunting penalty in the Cowboys' loss to the Giants; the Cowboys resorted to bad habits and made undisciplined penalties that were easily avoidable mistakes.

Likely, a carryover from the Ravens brought by John Harbaugh to the Giants, stole the show as the best tight end in the matchup against Jake Ferguson; he scored two straight touchdowns, including one on the drive following Malik Nabers' third-down catch to move the chains, and another coming out of the locker room to start the second half on a drive where the Cowboys defense couldn't even get the Giants into a third-down look, putting Dallas down 21-7.

Nabers made a catch on third down to move the chains on a drive where the Cowboys defense dropped edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku into coverage instead of applying pressure; this catch led directly to Isaiah Likely's touchdown and the Giants' 14-7 lead before halftime, demonstrating Nabers' role in the Giants' offensive success.

Dart, in his year two as a starter, outperformed Prescott in the Giants' 28-20 win; the source notes that instead of the Cowboys getting pressure on Dart like the Giants did on Prescott, Dallas dropped edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku into coverage, allowing Dart to lead a drive that resulted in an Isaiah Likely touchdown and a 14-7 Giants lead; Dart's ultra-confident performance helped the Giants establish a complete team with a new attitude under John Harbaugh.

Prescott's year 11 season began with a loss at MetLife Stadium, his first career start at the Giants; he led two touchdown drives in the second half but they were the only two possessions the Cowboys offense got in the second half as the defense gave up touchdown drives of 12 and 13 plays; he threw an interception to Jevon Holland on a critical third-and-5 before halftime when he escaped the pocket and neither Lamb nor Ferguson came back to the ball; the Cowboys completed just 10 of 18 attempts to their 'big three' receivers with no reception longer than 17 yards, and Prescott's performance fell short against a confident year-two starter in Jaxson Dart.

Ferguson was highlighted pre-game as a key to Cowboys success in the passing game, but was part of the 'big three' receivers who combined for just 10 of 18 completions; on the critical third-and-5 before halftime, Ferguson had leverage against his defender but did not come back to the ball as Prescott escaped and threw an interception to Jevon Holland.

Lamb had leverage against his defender off the snap on a critical third-and-5 play before halftime, but did not come back to the ball as Prescott escaped the pocket and threw an interception to Jevon Holland; Lamb was part of the Cowboys' 'big three' receivers who combined for just 10 of 18 completions and no reception longer than 17 yards all night.

Pickens ran a slant route on the Cowboys' opening drive that was expedited into a review, turning what appeared to be a first down into fourth and inches; the Cowboys took a delay of game penalty and punted, beginning a limited possession game that plagued Dallas all night.

Skattebo scored the opening touchdown on a three-yard rushing play, walking in untouched off left tackle as Cowboys linebackers Demarvion Overshown and Rashan Gary were blown off the ball, demonstrating the Giants' ability to establish the run game and Dallas's edge-setting defensive struggles.

Prescott had to deliver a lot of tight throws in a game where nothing came easy for the Cowboys offense; the source notes the offense lacked creativity and most explosive plays came from pass interference penalties rather than clean execution.

Pickens was targeted on a quick slant that appeared to be a drive-sustainer but replay showed he fell just inches short of the first-down marker on a crucial third-and-long situation; the source notes this was one of few offensive opportunities in a game where the Cowboys only had six total possessions.

Lamb was targeted on an incomplete pass on the second play of the game as the Cowboys' offense struggled early; the source characterizes the opening two plays as 'horrible plays that went nowhere,' setting the tone for an inefficient offensive night.

Williams had to fight for every inch on the ground, usually running into the back of his own blockers; the source notes the Cowboys offense lacked creativity and nothing came easy, with Williams' one-yard stuff on the opening play exemplifying the offensive struggles.

Cash Jones is now the Falcons' RB3 following Tyler Goodson's departure to the Cowboys practice squad. This represents a depth chart shift for Atlanta.

Emari Demercado was added to the Cowboys via waiver claims after training camp as part of the team's running back depth additions. He represents one of several moves Dallas made to address the position before Malik Davis's injury.

Israel Abanikanda was signed from the practice squad to the active roster following Malik Davis's season-ending hip surgery. The source suggests the Cowboys may view Goodson as a better replacement for Davis's skill set than Abanikanda, indicating Abanikanda may have a lower priority in the depth chart hierarchy.

Javonte Williams is the primary running back for the Cowboys. The source indicates his backups underperformed against the Giants on Sunday night, which prompted Dallas to upgrade the depth chart by adding Goodson and Abanikanda.

Malik Davis underwent season-ending hip surgery in practice, creating an immediate vacancy in the Cowboys running back depth chart. This injury prompted Dallas to accelerate roster moves, including signing Goodson and Abanikanda to the active roster.

The Cowboys signed Goodson from the Falcons practice squad to the active roster as a running back depth addition. The source notes Goodson had standout preseason moments, particularly against the Colts, and his running style is viewed as similar to Malik Davis, suggesting Dallas may view him as a better replacement for that skill set than Abanikanda. This move follows Davis's season-ending hip surgery and reflects Dallas's effort to upgrade the RB room after backup performance issues against the Giants.

Dart threw for 3+ touchdowns without any interceptions for the first time in his career on Sunday night against the Cowboys; this is only his second NFL season and he did not start every game last year, making the performance damning of the Cowboys defense's inability to generate pressure up front.

Williams committed a taunting penalty while the Cowboys were down by a touchdown, which literally cost the team a point. The source emphasizes that Williams knows the rules and that the penalty was avoidable, making it a critical mistake in a close game.

Dez Bryant held the 5th spot in Dallas Cowboys all-time receiving yards history with 7,459 yards before being surpassed by CeeDee Lamb in Week 1 of the 2026 season. Bryant's predecessor status in Club 88 (the Cowboys receiving jersey number) establishes the historical context for Lamb's achievement.

Lamb surpassed Dez Bryant for 5th in Dallas Cowboys all-time receiving yards history with exactly 44 yards in Week 1, reaching 7,460 career receiving yards in just 96 games. This achievement before reaching 100 career games speaks to his elite production pace and trajectory; he now has two receivers ahead of him (Drew Pearson at 7,822 and Michael Irvin at 11,904) that he may chase, with Jason Witten's franchise record of 12,977 yards as the ultimate benchmark.

Williams committed a taunting penalty against the Giants secondary while the Cowboys were still trailing in the fourth quarter, after Dallas had managed to answer New York's early fourth-quarter drive and position themselves within one score. His penalty pushed the Cowboys back 15 yards, which magnified the impact when Brandon Aubrey missed the extra point. The source states Williams' actions 'fully encapsulates how the Cowboys lacked disciplined in all facets, which proved to be their undoing.'

Skattebo had many tough runs through the Cowboys' defense and nearly turned the ball over in the fourth quarter when he slipped a tackle and Cobie Durant forced a fumble. However, the ball bounced back to Skattebo before Dallas could recover it, denying the Cowboys a turnover on a drive where the Giants overcame 2nd-and-17, 3rd-and-9, and 2nd-and-12 to score the game-deciding touchdown. The source notes Skattebo's tough running was a consistent problem for Dallas' defense.

Dart led the Giants' opening drive with a big run that capitalized on the Cowboys' decision to punt on 4th and 1 instead of going for it. The source states 'Jaxson Dart toyed with them' and notes the Giants' drive led by Dart's big run gave New York the early lead they never relinquished. Dart was instrumental in the Giants' time-of-possession dominance throughout the game.

Pickens had multiple drops against the Giants' secondary, most notably a deep ball from Prescott before halftime when the game was tied and the Cowboys were positioned to take the lead. The source emphasizes this drop especially stung and was emblematic of the Cowboys' passing futility in the loss, as the Cowboys' aerial assault was grounded and lacked explosiveness against New York's secondary.

Prescott completed a slant to George Pickens on the opening drive that was initially ruled a first down but overturned on replay review, leading to a punt on 4th and 1. Later, Prescott threw an ill-advised interception to Jevon Holland after eluding the pass rush; Prescott claimed he was trying to throw the ball away, but replay suggested otherwise. The interception nullified a Giants turnover and set up New York's two-score lead after halftime. The source notes Prescott made a terrific throw to Pickens on a deep ball before halftime that Pickens dropped, but overall the Cowboys' aerial assault was grounded and lacked explosiveness.

Javonte Williams, a veteran on his second contract with the Cowboys, drew a taunting penalty while walking into the endzone after catching a touchdown pass from Dak Prescott in the third quarter against the Giants on September 13, 2026. The penalty occurred at a critical moment when Dallas was down by one possession and attempting to rally; the source characterizes it as a completely avoidable mistake that hurt the team's momentum, particularly given head coach Brian Schottenheimer's emphasis on team culture.

Williams committed a taunting penalty among other personal foul infractions the Cowboys committed throughout the game. The source notes this was particularly notable because Williams is described as a 'nice-guy,' making the penalty stand out as part of the Cowboys' sloppy, undisciplined play with nine penalties for 90 yards.

Nabers made some nice catches in the game, which showed his resiliency after returning from his injury a year ago. The source highlights him as part of the Giants' sharp offensive performance.

Skattebo was running over people, flexing, and doing backflips, showing an aggressive, dominant running style. He had a fumble in the second half that bounced right back into his arms, avoiding a turnover. The source highlights him as part of the Giants' sharp offensive performance.

Lamb benefited from a pass interference call in the end zone during the second half that the source describes as looking 'a little suspect.' The source notes the Cowboys probably score anyway on that drive, so the questionable flag was likely moot, but Lamb and the Cowboys kept benefiting from grabby Giants defenders and flag-ready referees throughout the game.

Prescott threw a costly interception late in the first half when he tried to throw the ball away on third down and heaved it downfield instead; Giants safety Jevon Holland intercepted the pass. The turnover led directly to a Giants touchdown drive of 55 yards in six plays in 29 seconds, giving the Giants a 14-7 halftime lead. This miscue was particularly damaging because the Cowboys' offense was poised to take the lead into halftime.

Likely had an impressive debut with the Giants, finishing with eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, including several key third-down conversions. The source notes the Cowboys had no answer for him, making him the Giants' biggest offensive hero of the game despite a fumble that was recovered by a Giants offensive lineman.

Dart was impressive, making good decisions all night and finding wide-open receivers in space in soft coverage. He threw a forced fumble that was recovered by a Giants offensive lineman, but otherwise executed the Giants' offense effectively, including a 55-yard, six-play touchdown drive in 29 seconds before halftime and a 74-yard, 12-play drive in the second half.

Pickens made a third-down catch on the Cowboys' opening drive but the offense made a conservative decision not to QB-sneak it when they came up inches short after his reception, resulting in a punt. Later, Pickens benefited from a pass interference call on the Giants' defense during the Cowboys' second drive, which helped keep the drive alive and set up the Cowboys' first score.