Hangin' with the Boys: Freaking Out Friday?

Is this Falcons game going to decide the Cowboys' direction? Win against a good team and there's hope? Lose big and things go downhill? Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy both hinted that players aren't studying enough, aren't communicating enough and are still having to work on the basics. Is that surprising in Week 9? Let's step it up here on this Friday!

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will take what you give him, and if you give him a lot of time, he can take a lot. So can the Cowboys get any kind of pass rush on him? How do they stop tight end Kyle Pitts? And then there's Atlanta's ground game. Oh, boy. Plus, is there any reason for Micah Parsons to rush back? And why not a little candy corn debate on this Halloween?

Will the Cowboys' offensive line maybe catch a break this week? Atlanta's defense could be diced up by a quick, cutback runner. The problem is, does Dallas have such a guy? And by not leaning on one running back, is that throwing off the whole offense? Speaking of, Dak Prescott isn't running the ball anymore. How much is that hurting the team? Maybe more than we think.

So are the team's struggles an issue with the coaches? Or is it the players? Are the coaches making the necessary adjustments? Or are the players doing what they're supposed to? And is all this related to why they've been so bad in the third quarter? Plus, with the trade deadline next week, should they be buying? Or maybe it's time to sell?

Lot to review after the Cowboys' loss to the 49ers. Was the first half just a mirage? Why did they bother activating Dalvin Cook? Could they have done anything differently to stop George Kittle? How about stopping the run? And yes, what the reporter questioned in his post was probably wrong, but is that an excuse for Trevon Diggs' actions? Nope. The frustration mounts.

The word is the Cowboys have been practicing better this week. That's great but, uh, what took so long? And can they now carry these great practices into the game? After all, the 49ers are pretty banged up and maybe worn out. Are they ripe for the picking? Plus, word is Dalvin Cook is ready, so who sits? Would they rather be right or win games? Showdown Sunday is coming!

How does a football player get picked for jury duty during the season? Is this yet another "distraction"? Plus, we've talked about how the Cowboys need to do something different on offense coming out of the bye week. Does the defense need to make adjustments as well? And Nate gets fired up about the pass rush (or lack thereof) while Jesse shares his theory about Dalvin Cook.

Lot of buzz about the tours that go on around the team's practice facility. Ah, such is the life of the Cowboys. But is it really a problem for the players? Only if they let it be. As far as this coming Sunday, what is Dallas going to do on the offensive line? Will Tyler Guyton be back out there? And what should they expect from Fred Warner and the 49ers defense? One thing is for sure – the Cowboys can't be predictable.

For fans, the thought of playing the 49ers again brings a sense of dread, but how do the players feel? With so much roster turnover, do they care about what happened in the past? Are there mental hurdles to overcome? This might be the best time to face them, though. Are the Cowboys catching a break, given San Francisco's injuries? Plus, who remembers the Jesse Holley game? We do!

So Mike McCarthy said he's going to tweak practices some, committing to more team work. In what way will that help? Plus, Cowboys great Troy Aikman had an interesting opinion on the receivers. Was he right? (Hint: yes.) So what's the problem? Is frustration setting in? And do tough losses affect today's players like it did back in Nate's day? (Hint: sure doesn't seem so.)

Shannon Gross is joined by Nick Harris, Jazz Monet and Josh Rodriguez in a podcast mix-up episode to give grades on the Cowboys skill positions so far and make their picks for the rest of the year.

Shannon Gross is joined by Nick Harris, Jazz Monet and Josh Rodriguez in a podcast mix-up episode to discuss where the Cowboys are heading into the Bye week and if they can still find their identity at this point in the season.

Nothing went right for Dallas as Dan Campbell and the Lions didn't just want to beat the Cowboys, they wanted to embarrass them. So was there accountability? Were business decisions made? Could it get worse? This team is still 3-3 and just one game back in the division race, but something has to change during the break. Will it? Let's get through this misery together.

How big of an advantage is it the Lions are coming off their by week? And could it be a disadvantage the Cowboys are heading into their bye week? Regardless, Dallas has to figure out a way to stop Detroit's running game and equal the force its offensive line will bring. Can Mike Zimmer become the new Freaky Mike? It's Friday fun as we get ready for a big Sunday showdown!

The Cowboys have built a little momentum with back-to-back wins, but are they ready to face one of the bullies on the block? The Lions have one of the best offensive lines in the league, so how does the Dallas defense stop their potent running attack? Or for that matter Jared Goff? Is he one of the more underrated quarterbacks? Plus, Eric Kendricks popped up on the injury report. How important has he become to the defense? (Hint: Huge!)

The Lions are downplaying last year's loss, saying its history. Should we believe them? Yeah, right. So what's ahead for the Dallas offense? They'll have to deal with one of the best pass-rushers in the game in Aiden Hutchinson, but what about the rest of the Detroit defense? Plus, is Jake Ferguson getting too tied up in blocking instead of running routes? And let's throw in a little Dak, Lamb and Tolbert talk as well!

We saw some fight and fire on Sunday at Pittsburgh. Could it have been because of who wasn't on the field? And is this the start of something good? Still, there have been red-zone problems this season. What can they do differently to get in the end zone? Is Zeke the answer? If not, why not? Or has Freaky Mike become Michael from Pittsburgh?

The Cowboys had plenty of reasons to lose that game – injuries, weather, turnovers – but instead of folding up their tents and going home, they fought. And Dak Prescott did so especially. And Rico Dowdle and Jalen Tolbert. What led to the big win in Pittsburgh? Plus, in the case of Tyler Guyton, what will 1,000 reps tell us? Let's talk about it all on Victory Monday!

Coach McCarthy said, "It's about the players. It's not about the plays." Is that true? What if your players just aren't as good as theirs? Don't the coaches have an obligation to get creative with calls? Plus, there could be nasty weather in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Who does that benefit more, the offense or defense? How will it affect special teams? And are team identities important? It's a Wingstop Friday!

Great job of preparing for Cowboys-Steelers Sunday night. Comprehensive injury update, including what happened to Brandin Cooks, running game talk for both sides, what the Cowboys must do to neutralize T.J. Watt, the emergence of The Maz and some Cowboys-Steelers history, including the 2016 meeting.

The Cowboys still have two Pro Bowl-level guards and a solid veteran at right tackle, so should the offensive line be struggling this much? Can they find some cohesiveness this week against one of the toughest defensive lines in the league? Or should they even worry about running the ball? (Hint: Yes!) Plus, now with Brandin Cooks out, who is going to step up in the receiving corps?

So is it time to make a change along the offensive line? Because he's struggling, does Tyler Guyton need a chance to take a step back and develop his technique? Or do you hope the rest of the line improves, so they can give the young rookie more help? Also, why don't the Cowboys use more motion in their offense? Is it all about teaching an old dog new tricks? It's time to let the fans sound off.

You know the old saying, "The best defense is a good offense." That may mean more now than ever before. So what are Mike Zimmer's troops going to do to get to the passer? Will teammates rally around and collectively pick up the slack? Can someone like DeMarvion Overshown step into a larger pass-rushing role? Or is it truly all going to all fall back on Dak Prescott to win games?

Now that the Cowboys have more clarity on injuries to Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, here are some of the possibilities to replace the two starting defensive ends. A little on the Commanders, the Steelers, the Chiefs and the need to establish a run game, with Nate's assessment of the offensive line play.

On the road against a division rival? Thursday night prime time? Sure, the Giants aren't that good, but the Cowboys took care of business and that's all that matters. There's plenty to talk about, both good (Mazi Smith) and worrisome (injuries) on this Victory Friday!