In Week 3 against the Ravens, the Cowboys had a field goal blocked. In Week 4 against the Texans, the Cowboys had another field goal blocked — and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said his team exploited the same flaw in the Cowboys’ protection the Ravens did. Obviously, the Cowboys have to change something.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer says they will.
Schottenheimer said that with offensive lineman Drew Shelton injured and ruled out for tonight’s game against the Buccaneers, the Cowboys have to make some changes because Shelton has been part of the field goal protection unit. But Schottenheimer acknowledged that changes had to come regardless of injuries after two straight games with blocked field goals.
“Moving some pieces around, we were going to move some pieces around anyway because it hasn’t been very good,” Schottenheimer said. “We’ve got a good rotation going but at the end of the day we’ve just got to clean some things up from a technical standpoint.”
The Cowboys are the only team in the NFL this season that has had multiple field goals blocked. That’s something Schottenheimer and his staff need to get fixed, and something the Buccaneers will be well aware of heading into tonight’s game.
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The Cowboys ruled out three players, but they could have their starting left guard back for Thursday Night Football.
Tyler Smith, who has not played this season after undergoing thumb surgery before the season, is listed as questionable. He had full participation in Wednesday’s practice — his first full practice since his 21-day return-to-practice window opened this week — and thus is trending toward making his 2026 debut.
The Cowboys ruled out cornerback Cobie Durant (hamstring), linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) and offensive tackle Drew Shelton (hamstring).
They added wide receiver Jonathan Mingo to the injury report with an illness. He did not practice Wednesday and is questionable to play.
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (thigh) and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (ankle) have no injury designation after full practices all week.
CBS and Tony Romo recently parted ways, which means that CBS wanted out and it negotiated a settlement of Romo’s remaining contract.
On Wednesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed the latest developments regarding his former franchise quarterback.
“Tony is one of the most valued relationships that I have on a personal basis,” Jones said in one of his twice-weekly appearances on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “I love him and I’m sorry that he’s — I’m sorry this has evolved this way this year because I enjoyed him so much, in what he could bring to the NFL and, frankly, I was proud of him as a former Cowboy.
“Now, having said all of that, he’s just getting started. He really is. And he’s — I say that with all sincerity. He’s just getting started. And he certainly has had some — made some mistakes. I can’t look in my mirror without seeing what can happen when you the — experiencing mistakes. But he realizes that there’s an area of his life that he wants to do better in. And that’s been said ad nauseam publicly. He’s got great opportunity ahead of him. I don’t know of anyone — period — that has a better future than Tony Romo. And I’m excited for him. He’s not only got great talent but he’s a hell of a man.”
Romo’s next move remains to be seen. There aren’t many top broadcasting jobs for NFL games, and they rarely come open for a reason.
Most networks won’t want to buy out the current deal of a No. 1 analyst in order to create a seat for Romo. Also, there’s a question as to whether another network will be interested, given the incessant criticism that has happened during the latter years of his CBS tenure.
Regardless, Romo is only 46. The OWI incident in Wisconsin will fade. It’s hard not to think Romo will be back in some capacity, at some point.
49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk wasn’t the only player to win his appeal of a fine for pretending to drink a beer as part of an in-game celebration in Week 2.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that tight end Jake Ferguson also prevailed in his appeal. Ferguson had been fined $13,611 for miming chugging a beer after a touchdown in the Cowboys’ win over the Commanders.
Ferguson’s appealed because he said he was mimicking taking a drink from a Gatorade bottle and shared documentation that showed he has done the same celebration on a number of other occasions.
The NFL also fined Colts guard Matt Goncalves for a similar celebration and there’s been no word about the result of his appeal.
Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin was added to the injury report on Tuesday, but the team won’t be adding a different kicker to handle the role against the Cowboys on Thursday night.
Head coach Todd Bowles said on Wednesday that McLaughlin will play in Dallas. McLaughlin was added to the report as a non-participant due to right hip and groin injuries.
McLaughlin is 9-of-9 on field goals and 7-of-7 on extra points so far this season.
Bowles also said that rookie linebacker Rueben Bain is expected to return after missing two games with groin and shoulder injuries. Quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb), safety Antoine Winfield (rib), cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quad), and linebacker SirVocea Dennis (ankle, foot) have all been ruled out.
The Texans blocked a Cowboys field goal attempt on Sunday, a week after the Ravens blocked a Cowboys field goal attempt. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says the Ravens provided the blueprint.
Ryans said on the Texans’ YouTube show that the Texans figured out how they could block a Cowboys field goal by watching film of the Ravens doing it. The Texans did the same thing and found that the Cowboys hadn’t fixed their protection breakdown.
“During the film study you definitely saw a breakdown in the protection. You’ve seen it consistently. That’s how you study film,” Ryans said. “You look for those weaknesses, how you can exploit a team. We saw a weakness there in the C and D gap area.”
Ryans said any time he sees film that shows the next opponent has a fundamental flaw in its protection, he’s eager to see if they’ve fixed that flaw. The Cowboys hadn’t fixed it.
“We were able to show that kick from the Baltimore game, how they were able to block it, and we’re gonna design a plan similar to that to see if they fixed it. That’s what all teams do. If you see a breakdown, see if they fixed it the next week,” Ryans said.
It doesn’t speak well for the Cowboys’ coaching staff that the same flaw was there for two consecutive opponents to exploit. It’s safe to say the Buccaneers will be trying to exploit the same flaw when they face the Cowboys on Thursday night.
In the offseason, Dak Prescott and his teammates boasted that they wanted their offense to be the Greatest Offense There Is. They called it GOTI for short.
The Cowboys currently rank third in points per game (30.5) and 12th in yards per game (347.5).
“I guess it’s encouraging to your point knowing that those are good numbers, but they can find numbers for everything,” Prescott said Tuesday, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. “I’m not a guy that gets caught up in numbers and the stats and the records or any of that because of things like that. We’re four games in, and they’re already pulling out numbers of teams based on whole seasons. Yeah, it’s encouraging. I guess we’re not even where we want to be, and we haven’t put together all four quarters the way that we believe we can. Yeah, but like I said, I believe that’s who we are.”
The Cowboys finished second in yards and seventh in points last season. With all 11 starters returning, the Cowboys have bigger aspirations for 2026.
Prescott presented the GOTI acronym to the offensive skill players during their annual bonding trip, held this summer in Park City, Utah.
Prescott wasn’t shy about sharing the offense’s goal, and he continues to stand behind it and aim for it.
“No. I got no regrets,” Prescott said. “We’re four games in. I think we can get better. Am I complacent with what we’ve done? Absolutely not. Do I think what we’ve done is enough? Absolutely not. Do I still believe that’s who we are and that’s who we’re going to be? Damn right.”
The Cowboys’ depth chart now lists cornerback Joey Porter Jr. as a starter.
Porter played 25 snaps against the Texans on Sunday, only three days after a trade from the Steelers.
He could see more snaps Thursday night as his conditioning and understanding of the playbook have improved.
“I feel comfortable about that, but it’s all really up to the coaches and what they have for me,” Porter said, via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News. “I just got here not too long ago, so I’m still trying to learn everything and get the grasp of how things are run here. So it’s really up to them.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the team would figure out Porter’s snaps “as we go.”
“I love the way this guy practices,” Schottenheimer said, via Nicole Hutchinson of the team website. “Doesn’t say much in practice; he just goes about his business. Very intentional. I’m blown away by the guy with how he’s come in and been willing to learn.”
Porter has not allowed a touchdown in his last 1,685 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud targeted Porter only once, which was an incompletion.
“I feel like there are no limits to what you can do with me on the football field,” Porter said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com.
The Buccaneers added kicker Chase McLaughlin to their injury report on Tuesday. McLaughlin did not participate due to a right groin/hip injury.
McLaughlin has made all nine field goal attempts, with a long of 59, and all seven PATs this season.
The Bucs don’t have a practice squad kicker, so they will have to sign a kicker for Thursday night if McLaughlin can’t play.
The Bucs made two other changes to their injury report after Tuesday’s walkthrough: They added outside linebacker Anthony Nelson (illness) to the report as a non-participant, and they upgraded linebacker Josiah Trotter (knee) to a full participant after being listed as limited Monday.
Linebacker SirVocea Dennis (ankle/foot), quarterback Baker Mayfield (right thumb), cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quad) and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (rib) remained out of practice.
Tight end Ko Kieft (elbow) was limited a second day, and rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. (groin/shoulder) was a full participant again.
The Cowboys practice report did not change on Tuesday. It was the same as on Monday when the team estimated their injury report based on a walkthrough.
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (thigh) and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (ankle) remained full participants, a sign that both are on track to play in Thursday’s game against the Bucs. Both players were injured in Sunday’s victory over the Texans.
Cornerback Cobie Durant (hamstring), linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) and offensive tackle Drew Shelton (hamstring) were again non-participants.
Offensive guard Tyler Smith (thumb) was limited again after the Cowboys opened his 21-day return-to-practice window on Monday.
Safety Alijah Clark (ankle), running back Tyler Goodson (ankle), safety Malik Hooker (forearm) and outside linebacker James Houston (shoulder) remained full participants.
