Dallas Cowboys Notebook #DENvsDAL | Week 9

Familiar Face

This week's assignment should feel awfully familiar for Trevon Diggs.

After all, Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy was his Alabama teammate for three seasons in college. It's a safe bet that two such highly-touted players got to know each other quite well in Tuscaloosa.

"We used to go against each other every day in practice, so I know everything he comes with. He's a really good receiver," Diggs said.

Jeudy's second season hasn't gotten off to quite the same explosive start as Diggs', since he missed seven weeks after spraining his ankle in Denver's season opener. He's back now and figures to add another layer to the Bronco's passing attack.

It's ironic, given that Diggs has been nursing an ankle injury of his own these last few weeks. Asked about it Thursday, he said it shouldn't be a problem.

"Just keep treating it," he said. "But it's getting better. As the days goes on, the week goes on, it's getting better and better."

-David Helman (11/4)

Immaculate Vibes

Amari Cooper chuckled when he was asked why the Cowboys seem to have such good team chemistry this season. Anyone who watches the games can tell that this is a close knit group, but it's harder to pinpoint why exactly that's the case.

"I don't know, I guess vibes," Cooper said. "The vibes were there, I guess."

The Cowboys could make a fortune if they could bottle the type of vibes that have fueled this 6-1 start. Cooper might know for sure how it happened, but he did point to the fact that it's a team-wide thing. In a world where players typically build chemistry within their position groups, Cooper said it's special when the camaraderie extends to the entire roster.

"That's how you know you have good chemistry on the team," he said. "Typically, the guys in the same position group are close to each other. Other than that, it's really the guys who probably came in in the same draft class or something like that. But you got guys who haven't known each other for a full year and are really close to each other."

-David Helman (11/4)

McKeon Back

The Cowboys on Wednesday activated second-year tight end Sean McKeon from the Injured Reserve/Designated to Return list.

McKeon started his 21-day practice window on IR last month. He was having a strong training camp before suffering an ankle injury in the Aug. 14 preseason game against the Cardinals.

-Rob Phillips (11/3)

Top-5 Zeke Play

Ezekiel Elliott has made a lot of special plays in his first six seasons with the Cowboys. But his 15-yard catch-and-run on third-and-11 against the Vikings ranks right up there on his personal list.

Elliott broke two tackles for a first-down conversion that set up backup quarterback Cooper Rush's winning touchdown pass with under a minute left in regulation.

"It's definitely a top-five play of my career," Elliott said. "Definitely proud. It's my job. It's what I'm supposed to go do."

Why does that play mean so much to him?

"Just the moment. We could've gotten tackled there and ended up kicking a field goal and go into overtime, but who wants to go to overtime? No one's trying to play any extra plays, especially on Sunday night," he said with a laugh. "But just the moment and what it meant for the game."

-Rob Phillips (11/3)

Dak's Practice Plan

Quarterback Dak Prescott (calf) will participate in a shorter, lighter team practice than usual Wednesday, partly because the Cowboys are coming off a Sunday night road game, and partly because they're going to spend a little more time in the film room studying the Denver Broncos, an uncommon opponent.

"He would probably have been limited in a normal Wednesday," McCarthy said. "And this is a limited practice, so he gets to carry the full status."

McCarthy said Monday that Prescott could be full-go in Thursday's practice if all goes well.

"Just really how he comes out of today's practice," McCarthy said. "It's no different than any player once he goes through the release to play through the rehab process. He's crossed that hurdle. He has a certain number of reps to take today and we'll evaluate in the morning."

-Rob Phillips (11/3)

Tyron Update

Not only will Tyron Smith not practice on Wednesday, but Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said his chances of playing Sunday seem unlikely.

McCarthy said Smith would be "pressed to play" this week against Denver because of spurs in his ankle.

Smith missed the second half of the Vikings game and parts of the New England game as well two weeks earlier with an ankle injury.

McCarthy said the Cowboys will work on a few options at left tackle but said he'd "rather Denver find out when they find out."

Those options likely include Ty Nsekhe starting at left tackle, or perhaps La'el Collins. Terence Steele has started the last six games at right tackle, but he practiced at left tackle during training camp.

-Nick Eatman (11/13)

Green Dot

While the Cowboys had two weeks to get a new quarterback ready for the Vikings, they also had a new play-caller on defense as well.

It certainly wasn't as visual, but safety Jayron Kearse was the new signal-caller on defense, taking over the duties for Micah Parsons.

Head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the switch in his press conference on Monday. Kearse was seen wearing the 'green dot' on the back of his helmet, which signals that he is wearing the headset in the helmet that can hear the calls from defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

"There's some game planning components to it. We made the change. Micah was still a part of the rotation. But I thought Jayron did an excellent job with the communication," McCarthy said. "He's an excellent communicator. It was probably as clean as a performance as we've had."

Parsons seemed to play his best game as well, recording 11 tackles and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

-Nick Eatman (11/13)