The Bengals got left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. back in the lineup last Sunday and he played every offensive snap of their loss to the Steelers, but it appears he suffered a physical setback.
Brown had missed the previous three games with a fibula injury and head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Thursday that Brown is considered doubtful for Monday nigth’s game against the Cowboys.
Cody Ford started in place of Brown in the three games he missed and got the start at left guard against the Steelers. Cordell Volson started at that spot when Brown was out, so that may be the alignment again on Monday.
Taylor also confirmed that the Bengals expect linebacker Logan Wilson to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Cowboys right guard Zack Martin’s 2024 season is over.
Head coach Mike McCarthy announced on Thursday that Martin will have surgery on the ankle injury that sidelined him in the team’s last two games. Martin will now miss the team’s five remaining games of this season and move into an uncertain football future.
Martin is in the final year of his contract and he said in June that retirement was in the realm of possibilities after the 2024 season. The work needed to recover from season-ending ankle surgery will likely factor into any decision on that front.
If he is done, Martin will go down as one of the most accomplished offensive linemen of any era. He was voted a first-team All-Pro seven times in his first 10 seasons with the Cowboys and season No. 11 will mark only the second time that he didn’t start at least 14 of the team’s games.
The NFL has announced this year’s nominees for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Each NFL team nominates one player for the award, which recognizes players who excel both on the field and in their communities.
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award celebrates Walter’s enduring legacy of excellence on the field and compassion off it,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “This award is the league’s most prestigious honor, and we are proud to recognize these 32 outstanding men for the positive impact they make in their communities every day.”
Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward won the award last year. This year’s nominees are:
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride
Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett
Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith
Bills tackle Dion Dawkins
Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen
Bears defensive lineman Andrew Billings
Bengals tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Browns cornerback Denzel Ward
Cowboys guard Zack Martin
Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton
Lions quarterback Jared Goff
Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark
Texans safety Jalen Pitre
Colts cornerback Kenny Moore
Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby
Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker
Rams running back Kyren Williams
Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold
Vikings fullback C.J. Ham
Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan
Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton
Jets defensive lineman Solomon Thomas
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham
Steelers defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi
49ers linebacker Curtis Robinson
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans
Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons
Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner
Dak Prescott expressed support for Mike McCarthy, saying the Cowboys coach deserves “another contract and a chance to coach this team amongst more influence. ‘On his terms’ may be a good way to say it.”
McCarthy hadn’t seen Prescott’s Tuesday comments a day later and seemed uncertain about what his quarterback meant by the phrase “on his terms.”
“I think it’s like any job and this one specifically: I have a clear understanding of the responsibility,” McCarthy said, via Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “This is the most input I’ve ever been a part of as a head coach in personnel, particularly in the draft. We spend a tremendous amount of time as a coaching staff on the draft. . . . It’s different. Just trying to give you a good answer, compare it to my past.
“I’m not sure what exactly he said, but its just like anything: We are in year five of a program. We have a lot of excellent things in place. I think we have some things we can do better, and I think it’s all part of growing. It’s no different the way I felt in year five or six in my last opportunity.”
McCarthy lasted 13 seasons in Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl in 2010. He is in the final year of his contract in his fifth year in Dallas.
The expectation long has been that the Cowboys will move on after the season, but owner Jerry Jones said last week that it’s “not crazy” to believe McCarthy could return.
The Cowboys had three consecutive 12-win seasons before starting this season 3-7. They have won two in a row and have the Bengals, Panthers and Buccaneers in the next three games.
McCarthy is 47-32 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason in his time with the Cowboys.
Already amid his worst pro season, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson is now dealing with an injury.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, McPherson has a groin issue and is set to miss a few weeks. While McPherson does not need surgery and is not done for the season, he will be sidelined for a bit.
Garafolo also reports the Bengals are adding Cade York to their practice squad to handle kicking duties with McPherson out.
McPherson, who signed a contract extension before the season, has hit just 16-of-22 field goals this season. He has missed four attempts from 50-plus and two from 40-to-49 yards.
York, a Browns fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, made just 24-of-32 field goals as a rookie. He kicked for Washington in Week 1, missing attempts from 47 and 56 yards wide right.
The Bengals will play the Cowboys on the road on Monday night in Week 14.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott checked one box in his recovery from a torn hamstring on Tuesday and he talked about when he hopes to reach other milestones as well.
Prescott drove a car for the first time since having season-ending surgery last month, which he called one of the “small victories” to celebrate on the way back to playing football again. Prescott said that the timing of the surgery and the pace of his rehab have him targeting the start of offseason work as the point to be ready to go without any limitations.
“My plan is to start OTAs and start the offseason no restrictions, full go,” Prescott said, via Garrett Podell of CBSSports.com. “That’s part in getting this jump on this surgery that we thought was inevitable anyways. At that point, just doing everything I can to be the best quarterback and leader of this team to help this team come in next year with the best outfit that we can.”
Prescott also said Tuesday that he hopes Mike McCarthy will still be coaching the team when he is ready to return to a full workload. That remains to be seen, but, one way or another, Prescott is planning to be good to go in the spring.
Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, and the expectation long has been that the Cowboys will move on after the season.
McCarthy was dealt a losing hand when the Cowboys did nothing meaningful in free agency and then expected more with less. Injuries that cost players like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, DaRon Bland, Zack Martin, Brandin Cooks, Trevon Diggs and Dak Prescott multiple games on the sideline didn’t help.
Prescott, who played eight games before a season-ending hamstring surgery, is campaigning for McCarthy to get a new contract with the Cowboys.
“Your coach seems like he’s playing on his last contract and [I’m] almost feeling helpless like I can’t help him in this situation, especially a guy you believe in so much and you believe in being your head coach,” Prescott told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “Control what I can control, help and support Mike to every extent that I can.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said last week that it’s “not crazy” to think McCarthy might return for a sixth season and beyond.
McCarthy has served as the team’s play caller the past two seasons, so his departure would leave Prescott to learn a new offensive system with a new offensive coordinator and a new head coach.
“I believe in him wholeheartedly,” Prescott said. “I don’t want to necessarily get into the nuts and the screws of it all obviously, but I think he definitely deserves a chance — another contract and a chance to coach this team amongst more influence. ‘On his terms’ may be a good way to say it.
“But I wholeheartedly believe in him.”
The Cowboys had three consecutive 12-win seasons before starting this season 3-7. They have won two in a row and have the Bengals, Panthers and Buccaneers in the next three games.
So, it’s not out of the question they could climb back into contention.
But, either way, the Cowboys will have to decide whether they want McCarthy back and, if they do, then it’s up to McCarthy to decide whether he wants to return.
A new record is a new record, even if it barely breaks the prior record.
According to the NFL, the audience for the three Thanksgiving games averaged 34.2 million viewers.
Last year’s record was 34.1 million.
In 2023, the slate consisted of Packers-Lions, Commanders-Cowboys, and 49ers-Seahawks. This year, it was Bears-Lions, Giants-Cowboys, and Dolphins-Packers.
The total, unduplicated audience (i.e., everyone who tuned in at some point for at least one of the three games) was 141 million. That’s also a record.
It’s not a surprise. For millions, football and Thanksgiving are synonymous. It’s part of the ritual, no matter the quality of the games. Even with a so-so Dallas game featuring backup quarterbacks and non-competitive teams, 38.8 million watched.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said last week that the team expected to have defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence back for their Week 14 Monday night game against the Bengals, but the outlook was a bit different on Monday.
Head coach Mike McCarthy said that Lawrence will be working with the rehab group when the team returns to practice and executive vice president Stephen Jones suggested it will be at least another week before Lawrence returns.
“Probably a long shot for Monday night, but it’s not out of the question,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, via the team’s website. “We’ll see how this week goes.”
Lawrence has been out with a foot injury since Week Four. He had 14 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble in the first four games of the season.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow walked with a heavy limp after Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, Ben Baby of ESPN reports.
Burrow said he got cleated on the first play of the game, which caused a gash.
He did not miss a snap, and the Bengals have an extra day since they don’t play the Cowboys until Monday night in Week 14.
But Burrow said he will wait to see how it feels this week before knowing how it will affect his work week.
“It’s always tough to tell right after the game. We’ll know more on Tuesday,” he said, via Baby.
Burrow played another great game, going 28-of-38 for 309 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, but the Bengals defense played another terrible game in allowing 520 yards and 44 points.
According to Baby, six quarterbacks in NFL history have averaged 275 passing yards per game and had 30 touchdowns and five or fewer interceptions through the first 12 games of a season. Burrow is the only one with a losing record and will become only the second of the six to not win NFL MVP.
