FRISCO, Texas – Here is thinking that maybe in 20 years, some guy with a deep baritone voice breathlessly will be declaring, "THIS is the week that was" in Dallas Cowboys history.
And what a crazy week this has been, eh? Even by the Cowboys' standards.
This all began Sunday night at AT&T Stadium with a 34-6 loss to the now 8-2 Philadelphia Eagles, who are in first place in the NFC East. It was the Cowboys' fourth consecutive loss this 2024 season, falling to 3-6, their worse nine-game start to a season since going 2-7 in 2020 and 2-7 to start the 2015 season.
Not only four straight losses, but for a team coming into this year riding a 16-game regular-season home winning streak, they are now 0-4 in games played so far at AT&T Stadium, once their domain of success.
On top of that, for the second straight home game, the Cowboys failed to score a touchdown, also losing 47-9 to the Detroit Lions, the nine courtesy of three field goals, meaning they have failed to score a touchdown at home since Sept. 22, when scoring three fourth-quarter TDs in a 28-25 loss to Baltimore in Week 3.
The reason for this fourth consecutive home loss? Not that the Cowboys were playing with a backup quarterback, then for a quarter with the third stringer. Nor the fact the Eagles ended up rushing for 187 yards, or that they copped five takeaways, or that they held the Cowboys' two quarterbacks to all of 66 yards passing. Nah, too reasonable.
The big story was the sun, mind you. The poor sun, the 4.5- billion-year-old sun, far too bright for CeeDee Lamb to catch a 3-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, though no care given to each of three successive plays from a first-and-goal at the Eagles' 6 that the Cowboys missed a block, disrupting a potential touchdown.
Seriously now, can't make any of this stuff up. And now it's to the point of having to be careful when invoking the phrase "pulling back the curtains" because sure seems to have a whole different meaning these days going forward at AT&T Stadium.
Then there was Micah after the game, trying to explain how during these losing times he feels more hurt for the veteran players near the ends of their careers than he does head coach Mike McCarthy. He created a national firestorm for unintentionally supposedly throwing his head coach under the bus. A firestorm that has continued through Thursday night when one TV sports report equally breathlessly teased, "Wait until you hear what Zack Martin had to say" about Micah using him as the veteran example. And then Martin said absolutely nothing.
Then there was the predictable news of franchise quarterback Dak Prescott having season-ending hamstring surgery, going to be placed on injured reserve, the keys to the offense now in the hands of Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, giving revisionist historians the right to point out when previously blaming the Cowboys for taking too long to sign Dak to an extension to now how foolish the Cowboys were to sign him to that high-priced extension. Mooting the possibility, if this losing continues, of finishing with a high first-round pick that could be used on a quarterback.
Let's see, that ain't all. Heard how the Cowboys after Wednesday and Thursday practices accurately had 18 players on the injury report. But failing to point out eight of those were listed as fully practicing with whatever nick or bruise they had.
Then as if this was breaking news, McCarthy saying of running back Rico Dowdle, "Got to continue to get him the ball. He's the lead back." Stop the presses, Rico is now the "official starter" on that previously proposed "committee," yet stating the obvious since Rico is the same guy who leads the Cowboys with 83 carries, leads the Cowboys with 374 yards rushing, leads the Cowboys running backs with 263 snaps and has started seven of nine games – one of the two missed starts because of "illness." Of course he's "the lead back." He's been the starter, folks.
Come on, what are we doing here?
And on top of all this, the national news out there must have been so depressing my newspaper carrier didn't even bother to throw the morning paper on a gorgeous fall Thursday at our house, leaving me calling and begging for re-delivery or a refund. But then, maybe the carrier missed our house because the morning sun was in his eyes.
Plus, in other news in these parts, the Dallas Mavericks have done the improbable of also losing four consecutive games, but by 1 point, by 2, by 3 and by 2, while on the other hand the Dallas Stars, a team there for a while that couldn't shoot straight, have now won two straight by the even more improbable scores for hockey of 7-1 and 7-2. And of course that was too good for the wise guys out there to refrain from pointing out the Stars have scored more goals in each of those two games than the Cowboys scored points in the loss to the Eagles.
Good gosh, we're talking a seven-day span here, and the week doesn't expire before the 58-year-old Mike Tyson climbs back in the ring Friday night to fight fighter/entertainer Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium. For real.
Thank the gods out there this week will expire before the Cowboys have to play again, Game 10 not until Monday night against the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium, where the sun surely will have expired before kickoff. Oh, and the 6-4 Texans come in on a two-game losing streak, losers of three of their past four after getting off to a 6-1 start, though still lead the AFC South by two games. The second loss inconceivably came on Detroit's walk-off field goal this past Sunday after Houston picked off Lions QB Jared Goff five times.
Now, fair warning so as not create any shock come Monday if things don't change. But not practicing for the Cowboys on Thursday were starting right guard Zack Martin, starting backup corner (since DaRon Bland still hasn't resumed practicing) Caelen Carson and starting slot corner who could have moved outside in two-corner formations Jourdan Lewis. On top of that, starting left guard Tyler Smith was listed as "limited." Official injury designations don't come out until 3 p.m. Saturday.
If these guys can't go – good thing there still is three days before kickoff and the majority of those guys did work in Friday's light practice – better get to know names like Asim Richards, T.J. Bass, Israel Mukuamu, Josh Butler, and don't be surprised if a No. 81 walks out onto the field. That's recently acquired receiver Jonathan Mingo, who McCarthy says, "Should be available this week."
Lastly, farewell to our Kaden Gates, one of the hardest working guys in the TV department. He's defecting to the Mavericks. Will miss our sports-centric debates.
Take all of this from CeeDee Lamb, lamenting the loss to the Eagles but with a stiff chin, saying, "I don't care what happened last week. Last week is last week. … We've got a game on Monday."
Man, can say that again. Next week just can't get here soon enough. And promise you, have not made up or exaggerated any of this stuff.
