Regardless of the situation, a game week is always filled with news and storylines from both sides of the ball.
Each week, Cowboys Catch-Up will get you fully prepared, reviewing some of the top stories and videos of the week. Head into Sunday's game by catching up on everything you need to know from this week, courtesy of the DallasCowboys.com staff.
Monday
- Tyler Biadasz was drafted this year with the legacy of Travis Frederick looming large. He couldn't have known how quickly he would have to step up to try to fill those shoes. He joined Brad Sham and Dani Surek to talk about his rookie year. [Watch Biadasz on Cowboys Hour]
- Speaking of legacies, Dez Bryant was supposed to up against the Cowboys this week. Originally drafted No. 24 overall by the Cowboys in 2010, Bryant grew into one of the most electric playmakers in the NFL, one of the best receivers in team history and an unquestioned bright spot of the post-Triplets era of Cowboys history," David Helman writes. [Read Helman on Bryant’s singular Cowboys’ career]
Tuesday
- The Dallas Cowboys have 60 years worth of history. Which days of the week have treated the franchise most kindly? The DallasCowboys.com staff looked back through the decades and figured it out. [Check out a Rank’Em of Cowboy days of the week]
- Missed the Cowboys/Ravens Tuesday night matchup? Only saw the score? [Kurt Daniels has you covered with his game recap]
- After the game, columnist Nick Eatman dubbed Baltimore's Lamar Jackson the "game-changer" not only for the way he diced through the Cowboys' defense, but even wondered if the NFL actually changed the game from Monday to Tuesday to make sure the NFL's MVP was back on the field. Either way, the Cowboys had no answers for the game-changer.
- Another Cowboys loss, and once again, the Cowboys defense can't hold up their end of the bargain. We know it was bad. But why did the defense look so hapless? [Read the players response to their defensive struggles]
- The Cowboys couldn't find the end zone, and when they called on their kicker, he couldn't find the middle of the uprights. "Greg Zuerlein suffered through easily his worst night as a Dallas Cowboy," David Helman writes. "After connecting on his first kick of the night to open the scoring, the veteran kicker missed his next three to cost the offense nine valuable points." [Read Helman on the red zone struggles leading to Zuerlein’s tough night.]
Wednesday
- We'd heard about the defense improving coming into the matchup with the Ravens. Well, that wasn't what Rob Phillips, Isaiah Stanback, and Hek'ma Harrison didn't see it on Tuesday night. [Watch Talkin’ Cowboys discuss the defensive disaster]
- Bucky Brooks watched the tape, and he knows where he's ready to point fingers: the coaching staff. "From the silly penalties to untimely turnovers to blown assignments, the Cowboys have played bad football from Week 1 and McCarthy's inability to solve the team's biggest problems is disappointing based on his championship pedigree," Brooks writes. [Read the Scout’s Take on Tuesday’s loss]
- Mickey Spagnola doesn't care what day of the week is. It's all starting to blur together. "See, the Cowboys (3-9) just couldn't take a hint from how the Giants went to Seattle to beat the Seahawks or the Washingtons went to Pittsburgh to upset the erstwhile undefeated Steelers," Spagnola writes. [Read Spagnola on the most recent Cowboys blunder]
Thursday
- What does it feel like for players when former Cowboy greats criticize the team? Past Cowboys like Nate Newton and Isaiah Stanback would be the right people to ask. [Watch Hangin’ with the Boys on being haunted by Cowboy ghosts of the past]
- The word is finally popping up around the Cowboys organization: Effort. Ideally, there shouldn't be any issues with effort or finishing, at all," David Helman writes. "But even if there are, it stands to reason that they should be addressed by the fourth month of the season – especially since the Cowboys dealt with these problems earlier in the year." [Read Helman on how players and coaches are responding to the effort question]
- Andy Dalton came to Dallas to be a backup, but in Cincinnati, he was an accomplished starting quarterback. "From 2011 through 2019, Dalton made three Pro Bowls with the Bengals and led them to five playoff trips," Rob Phillips writes. "Sunday will be his sixth start of the season for an injured Dak Prescott." [Read Phillips on Dalton’s mindset in facing his former team]
Friday
- Ben Baby used to cover sports in DFW. Now he covers the Bengals for ESPN.com. He joins Dave and Kelsey to talk storylines for this Sunday's game. [Watch Baby on The Star at Night]
- What do CeeDee Lamb, Terrell Owens, and Amari Cooper have in common? You'll have to read Kyle Youmans' Big Facts to find out. [Check out all the Big Facts for this week]
- While Michael Gallup isn't on pace to record his second straight 1,000-yard season, the wide receiver admitted frustration with the season overall. Read Jonny Auping’s story on how Gallup remains focused on the grind.
- Did the Cowboys change up the defense too quickly? "Less schematic change is a "do-over" Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones wished the team had as they continue through the final month of the regular season at 3-9, coming off two straight losses," writes Rob Phillips. [Read Phillips on Jones’ comments about the defensive scheme]
