The Cowboys have nothing to play for today, but that apparently isn’t going to keep them from playing hard and competing.
Dallas has taken an early 7-0 lead on the Chargers.
The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and marched 79 yards in 10 plays. Ryan Flournoy, who is having a breakout season, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott with only 4:40 gone in the game.
Prescott went 6-of-7 for 69 yards on the drive, including a fourth-down pass to George Pickens. He saw man coverage on Pickens and hit him for a 28-yard gain to the Los Angeles 11 on fourth-and-2.
Center Cooper Beebe was poked in the eye on the fourth down play but appears ready to return on the next series.
The Bills will try to wrap up a playoff berth without the help of wide receiver Keon Coleman on Sunday.
Coleman is inactive for Buffalo’s game in Cleveland. Coleman was not on the injury report at all this week, but will miss his third game of the season. Coleman was scratched for disciplinary reasons earlier this year, but Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reports Sunday’s deactivation is solely a coach’s decision. Coleman was a 2024 second-round pick and he has 36 catches for 355 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Mecole Hardman, who was activated from injured reserve this week, is active.
The Bills need a win and a loss by either the Texans or Colts in order to book a playoff berth. A win will also help their chances of ending the season as the AFC East champs for the sixth straight season.
Bills at Browns
Bills: WR Keon Coleman, WR Gabe Davis, DT Jordan Phillips, K Matt Prater, OL Tylan Grable, DB Darnell Savage, DT Larry Ogunjobi
Browns: CB Denzel Ward, RB Dylan Sampson, DT Mike Hall Jr., G Wyatt Teller, WR Jamari Thrash, TE David Njoku, DT Sam Kamara
Buccaneers at Panthers
Buccaneers: QB Connor Bazelak, TE Devin Culp, G Elijah Klein, WR Sterling Shepard, DL Elijah Simmons, LB Anthony Walker, S Rashad Wisdom
Panthers: WR Hunter Renfrow, LB Trevin Wallace, S Demani Richardson, DT Jared Harrison-Hunte, OT Ikem Ekwonu, TE James Mitchell, DT Tershawn Wharton
Jets at Saints
Jets: QB Justin Fields, TE Mason Taylor, DT Mazi Smith, LB Kiko Mauigoa, DT Payton Page, DE Eric Watts
Saints: RB Alvin Kamara, OL Cesar Ruiz, OL Asim Richards, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, S Ugo Amadi, CB Rejzohn Wright, DT Khristian Boyd
Chiefs at Titans
Chiefs: WR Rashee Rice, CB Trent McDuffie, OT Jaylon Moore, WR Tyquan Thornton, RB Dameon Pierce, OL CJ Hanson, DT Derrick Nnadi
Titans: OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, OL Garrett Dellinger, OL Drew Moss, DL Cam Horsley, LB Cedric Gray, S Erick Hallett
Chargers at Cowboys
Chargers: WR Derius Davis, S RJ Mickens, EDGE Bud Dupree, OL Branson Taylor, OT Trey Pipkins, TE Tyler Conklin
Cowboys: DT Quinnen Williams, WR Jalen Tolbert, CB Caelen Carson, RB Jaydon Blue, DT Jay Toia, OT Tyler Guyton
Vikings at Giants
Vikings: LB Austin Keys, DT Javon Hargrave, OT Walter Rouse, QB John Wolford
Giants: LB Caleb Murphy, WR Ryan Miller, WR Jalin Hyatt, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, G Jon Runyan, DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches, QB Russell Wilson
Bengals at Dolphins
Bengals: QB Jake Browning, WR Charlie Jones, DB Brayln Lux, S P.J. Jules, DE Joseph Ossai, TE Noah Fant, DT Jordan Jefferson
Dolphins: S Minkah Fitzpatrick, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, CB Isaiah Johnson, T Kendall Lamm, WR Tahj Washington, DT Matthew Butler, QB Tua Tagovailoa
The 60th Super Bowl will be played this year. It’s now official that the Dallas Cowboys will not be playing in the game.
It’s also official that the Cowboys have gone 30 years without playing in an NFC Championship. They last played in the game to get to the Super Bowl in January 1996, against the Packers.
Few stats are more stunning than this one: For the first 30 Super Bowls, the Cowboys played in the game to get there 16 times. For the next 30 Super Bowls, not one.
They made it to the Super Bowl semifinal game in 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995.
Since then, the Cowboys have made it to the playoffs 13 times, but they’ve never made it back to the conference title game. They’ll try again in 2026.
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs will return to the field on Sunday against the Chargers.
Diggs, who has been on injured reserve since Week Seven, has been activated.
It’s still not clear exactly what has been going on with Diggs, who was on injured reserve with a knee injury but then was also dealing with a concussion from what was called an “incident at home.” But he’s now ready to play.
Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland, however, will not play again this season. He’s going on injured reserve with a foot injury.
Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (concussion) appears on track to return for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
He had full participation in Friday’s practice after limited work on Thursday but still must gain clearance from an independent neurologist.
Thus, the Cowboys list Williams as questionable.
Cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) also is questionable after another limited practice. The Cowboys have to decide whether to activate Diggs from injured reserve before his 21-day window runs out Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
“Mr. Diggs is having a very good week,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said Friday, via Tommy Yarrish of the team website. “We’ll see how he does today, but I’ll say this: When you look at Trevon this week, what I’ve loved the most about him is he’s having fun playing football. He’s smiling, running around, but to his credit, he’s having a really good week. So we’ll see how today goes.”
Cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) will land on season-ending injured reserve this week, opening a roster spot.
Left tackle Tyler Guyton (ankle) will miss another game this week as the Cowboys have ruled him out.
Cornerback Josh Butler (knee), cornerback Caelen Carson (shoulder/hamstring), fullback Hunter Luepke (concussion), running back Phil Mafah (shoulder) and defensive end Payton Turner (ribs) are questionable.
Butler, Turner and Mafah, like Diggs, are in their 21-day-return-to-practice windows.
