The NFL season is here. Don't miss any of the action with our daily updates: news, notes and more throughout the Cowboys' 2019 season. Presented by Sleep Number
Nov. 29 Updates
4:21 p.m. – Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett sounded optimistic about wide receiver Amari Cooper's health status after the star receiver took a helmet to his left knee in the fourth quarter against the Bills. Cooper missed two plays and returned for the rest of the game.
"Hopefully he'll be ready to go this week. Looked good today coming in," Garrett said.
Defensive lineman Michael Bennett (foot), linebacker Sean Lee (pectoral strain) and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (thigh contusion) had injuries in the game, but Garrett also sounded optimistic about their availability moving forward. The Cowboys play at Chicago next Thursday.
Asked if linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (neck) is closer to returning to action, Garrett said, "We'll see. Taking his situation day by day and really just kind of getting his feedback as we go forward."
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4:21 p.m. – Chief operating officer Stephen Jones does not anticipate a kicking change.
Brett Maher was 0-for-2 on field goal tries from 35 and 47 in Thursday's 26-15 loss to the Bills, though it appeared his first attempt just before halftime got blocked. Maher is 19-of-28 on field goals this season.
"I think one of the kicks was blocked as it turned out," Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan. "There was a hand on the ball that probably affected the trajectory of the ball.
"We've got confidence in Maher. … You look at what's out there and you see what we have and we do like his mindset, the way he responds to adversity. We're going to stick with him."
Head coach Jason Garrett also expressed confidence in Maher on Friday, saying, "He's made a lot of big kicks for us over the last couple of years. Obviously, you need to make the kicks from the game yesterday and some of the other ones that he's missed over the course of the season. We'll always continue to evaluate that situation. We believe in him. We believe he can do the job for us. And that's an ongoing process for us."
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Nov. 28 Updates
10:05 p.m. -- The Cowboys had plenty of issues on Thursday, but the kicking game was again a problem. Brett Maher missed two more field goals, although the 35-yarder before halftime was blocked. Maher also missed a 47-yarder in the second half.
Jason Garrett said after the game the Cowboys will "evaluate the kicking situation."
Garrett added that Maher "needs to make those kicks. Brett has done a really good job for us through the course of his time here, but we'll evaluate that situation, just like we'll evaluate everything else."
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10:05 p.m. -- Against the Bills, quarterback Dak Prescott reached the 350-yard passing mark (355) for the third time in the last four games. But he lamented his two turnovers Thursday: a lost fumble and an interception that led to six Bills points.
"Not good enough, simple as that," Prescott said. "Turnovers, just mishaps. I can't do that."
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5:58 p.m. -- Connor Williams has been ruled out of Thursday's game against the Bills.
Williams left in the second quarter with a knee injury. He returned to the lineup at left guard for the opening drive of the third quarter. But Xavier Su'a-Filo is back in again for Williams.
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4:41 p.m. – Starting left guard Connor Williams exited Thursday's game against Buffalo in the second quarter with a knee injury. His return is questionable.
Williams returned to the lineup last Sunday against the Patriots, just a week after undergoing a knee scope. It's unclear if it's the same knee bothering him against the Bills today.
Xavier Su'a-Filo has replaced Williams at left guard.
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Ezekiel Elliott hadn't run the ball further than 20 yards since Week 2 of the season. But that changed with a 30-yard carry midway through the first quarter. He also had a 20-yard pass reception as well on the Cowboys' first series.
After the first two possessions, Zeke had 74 all-purpose yards, including 54 rushing. Those yards put him over the 5,000 career mark, becoming the fifth player in Cowboys history to reach that milestone.
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2:06 p.m. – Jeff Heath won't be available for this Thanksgiving matchup against Buffalo.
The veteran safety tried his best to fight through injuries to both shoulders, which he aggravated in Sunday's loss to New England, but there just wasn't time during a short week.
Heath is the third defensive starter ruled out for this game, as Leighton Vander Esch and Antwaun Woods were already declared inactive. Vander Esch is still recovering from a neck injury, while Woods hurt his MCL last week in New England.
The rest of the Cowboys' inactive list is Cedrick Wilson, Devin Smith, Joe Jackson and Brandon Knight. All four of those guys are healthy scratches.
Amari Cooper and La'el Collins are both available for this game, and Trysten Hill will be active for the first time since Oct. 20. The rookie defensive tackle will try to offset the absence of Woods, along with Christian Covington and Michael Bennett.
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Nov. 27 Updates
Right tackle La'el Collins has been battling through injuries all season but even on a short week, he appears ready to go for Thursday. In fact, he's not even listed as questionable on the final injury, as safety Jeff Heath, who is battling two shoulder injuries.
The Cowboys have ruled out two players but look for Collins and left tackle Tyron Smith to be in the starting lineup as they take on the Bills and their No. 3 ranked defense.
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1:10 p.m. – Against the Patriots, Amari Cooper did not record a catch in a game for the first time as a Cowboy. The last time that happened was a 2018 when Cooper still played for the Raiders -- and he left that mid-October game against Seattle with an injury in the second quarter.
"It's always frustrating – the point of going into a game and playing in a game is to go out there and dominate," Cooper said. "If you don't do that, you should always be frustrated."
But the Cowboys' lead receiver has moved forward quickly with the Bills up next on Thanksgiving.
"I'm just going to go out there and put my best foot forward, play my best football and let the chips fall where they may after I know that I've given it my all," he said.
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10:22 a.m. -- For the first time in five weeks, rookie defensive tackle Trysten Hill will be back in uniform.
With Antwaun Woods out with an MCL injury, Hill should be the backup at the 1-technique on Thursday against the Bills. Hill will likely get snaps behind Christian Covington, who is expected to slide up to the starting lineup.
Hill, the Cowboys' top draft pick this year, has just one tackle and one quarterback pressure.
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Nov. 26 Updates
4:02 p.m. - The biggest question mark heading into Thursday's game from an injury standpoint is likely the availability of safety Jeff Heath. The Cowboys have all but ruled out Leighton Vander Esch and Antwaun Woods for this week. But Heath, who was limited in practice on Tuesday with injuries to both shoulders.
Heath re-aggravated the injuries last week against the Patriots when he made a big hit over the middle to force an incomplete pass. He did return to the game but was in obvious pain.
Heath is sixth on the team with 49 tackles and ranks second on the team with six pass deflections.
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10:35 a.m. - The Cowboys will likely be without linebacker Leighton Vander Esch for a second straight game, according to owner/GM Jerry Jones. On his weekly radio show on 105.3 "The Fan" on Tuesday, Jones said he didn't expect Vander Esch to play on Thursday because of a lingering neck injury.
"I don't expect to have him this week," Jones said. "That's about all I can say."
The Cowboys are hopeful Vander Esch can return for the final month of the season but in the meantime will rely on Sean Lee and Joe Thomas to fill the void at linebacker, alongside Jaylon Smith.
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Nov. 25 Updates
6:41 p.m.- The Cowboys likely won't make any changes at kickoff returner this week. Coach Jason Garrett said Tony Pollard will continue to handle the return duties despite some fielding and decision-making issues he has had the last two games, particularly Sunday in New England where he dropped a kickoff and failed to come up twice and make the catch on a short kick.
Garrett admitted that Pollard "should've been closer" on the second-half kickoffs, but doesn't plan on removing Pollard.
"We just have to do a better job there," Garrett said. "Tony has done a good job for us. He'll keep learning form those opportunities."
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6:29 p.m.- Amari Cooper was shut out for the first time as a member of the Cowboys, held without a catch against the Patriots. While he was matched up most of the day with Patriots' Pro Bowl corner Stephon Gilmore, coach Jason Garrett said it was a few reasons why he didn't have a single catch.
"Gilmore is a good player. He did a good job," Garrett said. "He was on Amari a lot. Again, it was a challenging day to throw the ball for both sides. Hopefully we'll learn from that experience and get better."
Cooper did have a catch called back because of a penalty and he dropped a diving catch attempt on fourth down – the Cowboys' final play of the game.
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Nov. 24 Updates
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8:02 p.m. - The Cowboys' left tackle is one of the best offensive linemen in all of football, but Sunday should be one he'd like to forget.
Smith was flagged for three different penalties. A false start early in the game pushed them back just enough and the Cowboys missed a field goal. A tripping penalty later in the quarter led to a punt, that was blocked and turned into a touchdown. And then a holding call in the third quarter negated a first-down pass and the Cowboys stalled on another drive.
7:19 p.m. – Safety Jeff Heath aggravated a left shoulder injury in third quarter when he delivered a hit on Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, forcing an incompletion and punting situation. Heath also appeared to hurt his right shoulder earlier but was able to finish the game.
"I'm kind of dealing with both shoulders right now," Heath said. "It's just something that I'm going to have to deal with for the rest of the season, and luckily I was able to finish the game. I don't think I hurt them any worse to where I won't be able to go on Thursday (against Buffalo). Just a short week to rest up and get ready for Thursday."
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7:18 p.m. – On the Cowboys' next-to-last drive trailing 13-9, center Travis Frederick was called for a tripping penalty – the second of the game against Dallas – that wiped out a third-down conversion at the two-minute warning.
The offense then faced third-and-11 and ended up turning the ball over on downs.
Asked about the call, Frederick said, "Situations come up. We've got to be able to overcome it either way. Obviously you don't want to be in that situation to start. When it happens we've got to move on to the next play."
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7:18 p.m. – Held without a catch deep into the fourth quarter, Amari Cooper nearly hauled in a critical 20-yarder on fourth down that would have kept the Cowboys' next-to-last drive alive down 13-9. Replays showed the ball hit the ground, however, and the Patriots took over to seal the game.
"It hit the ground. I knew it hit the ground," Cooper said. "I gave it my best effort to catch that ball, just came up short."
Trailed by Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore for much of the game, Cooper was targeted by Dak Prescott twice with no catches Sunday. A 15-yard catch in the third quarter, putting the
Cowboys into Patriots territory, was wiped out by penalty.
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5:44 p.m. - The rainy conditions have affected all phases of the game so far. Brett Maher is the only player to score for the Cowboys after two quarters Sunday in New England. Maher has a couple of field goals, however he did miss a 46-yard attempt in the first quarter, with the kick hitting the left upright. Maher is 18 of 25 on field goal attempts this season.
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4:16 p.m. - The veteran tight end suited up Sunday in New England for his 250th career game, becoming the 46th player in NFL history to reach that milestone. Witten is the third tight end in league history, along with Tony Gonzalez and Trey Junkin.
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3:07 p.m. – Joe Thomas is good to go for this cross-conference matchup with New England.
The Cowboys announced their seven inactives 90 minutes prior to kickoff, and Thomas was not among them. The veteran linebacker missed practice all week while he battled the flu, but he will be available on Sunday.
Thomas will help Jaylon Smith and Sean Lee offset the loss of Leighton Vander Esch, who was ruled out on Friday with a neck injury.
In addition to Vander Esch, the Cowboys also announced Cedrick Wilson, Devin Smith, Donovan Wilson, Joe Jackson, Brandon Knight and Trysten Hill as inactive.
Wilson is inactive on account of an illness. Newly-signed cornerback Deante Burton and safety Josh Jones will provide depth in the secondary.
For New England, wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and Mohamed Sanu, as well as cornerback Jason McCourty, are all inactive.
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Nov. 21 Updates
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The Cowboys have ruled out Leighton Vander Esch for Sunday's game with a neck injury, but one of his top backups hasn't been practicing this week at all. Still, Joe Thomas is listed as questionable to play despite missing three days with an illness.
Thomas, a veteran who has played mostly special teams this year, will be a starter in the base defense assuming he can play this week.
Full Cowboys/Patriots Injury Report
2:53 p.m. – Sean Lee feels badly that Leighton Vander Esch is out Sunday with a neck injury, but the veteran linebacker knows it's his responsibility to be ready for more snaps against the Patriots.
"It's obviously unfortunate because he's such an unbelievable player – one of the great linebackers and players in this league," Lee said.
"He is so intense, loves the game so much, it's a matter of time before he's back."
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11:37 a.m. – As expected, La'el Collins returned to practice Friday.
The Cowboys have been helping Collins manage his knee injury throughout the week, but they've been optimistic he can play against New England. He was sporting a brace on his injured knee, but his presence on Friday is a good indicator of his availability.
Joe Thomas was once again absent Friday, as he continues to fight through an illness. Leighton Vander Esch is out with a neck injury, so the Cowboys could be stretched thin at linebacker if Thomas isn't available.
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Nov. 21 Updates
3:16 p.m. – Only one change to today's practice report from Wednesday's: backup safety Donovan Wilson did not practice today because of an illness.
Right tackle La'el Collins (knee/back) did not practice again, left guard Connor Williams (knee) had limited participation again, and wide receiver Amari Cooper (knee) had another full practice.
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2:48 p.m. – Ten games into the season, it seems Dak Prescott has entered the NFL MVP conversation with league standouts such as Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, Kansas City's Pat Mahomes and the Patriots' Tom Brady.
As quarterback of the league's top-ranked offense, Prescott currently ranks first in the league in passing yardage (3,221) and tied for second in touchdowns (21). MVP talk is the furthest thing from his mind, though -- particularly with so much football left to play.
"The only thing I care about is wins," he told reporters Thursday. "If that means I'm the most winningest quarterback in the league, sure, I want it."
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Nov. 20 Updates
3:23 p.m. – Amari Cooper played fewer snaps than usual against the Lions as he continues to manage a knee contusion, but the veteran receiver was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.
Only two Cowboys were unable to participate Wednesday: right tackle La'el Collins (knee) and linebacker Joe Thomas (illness).
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12:01 p.m. – Guard Connor Williams was on the field for open portion of practice for the first time since undergoing a knee scope early last week.
Williams did not play against Lions, and Xavier Su'a-Filo replaced him at left guard. It remains to be seen what Williams' practice work looks like this week.
Right tackle La'el Collins (knee) was not on the field during Wednesday's open portion. Wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who were banged up against Detroit, and safety Jeff Heath, who did not play last Sunday, are all practicing.
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For the second time this season, Dak Prescott has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance Sunday against the Lions. Prescott passed for 444 yards with three touchdowns and no picks in the 35-27 road win for his third straight 3-TD game.
The Cowboys have now won four NFC weekly awards this season with Prescott now with two, joining Xavier Woods and Brett Maher.
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Nov. 19 Updates
10:33 a.m. - Dak Prescott is one of the finalist for this week's FedEx Air Player of the Week after passing for 444 yards and three touchdowns last Sunday against the Lions. It was Dak's third 400-yard game of the season and the just the second time in his career he's thrown for three TDs in a game three weeks in a row.
Dak joins San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo and Minnesota's Kirk Cousins as the finalists this week.
Fans can visit NFL.com/FedEx or the NFL Twitter page to vote for their favorite performances of the week, with FedEx awarding a $2,000 donation in the winning players' names to The USO.
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9:20 a.m. – Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones sounded optimistic about the availability this week of right tackle La'el Collins (knee), wide receiver Amari Cooper (knee/ankle), defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (shoulder) and other players who have been managing injuries.
"We'll watch how it works this week, but if they go as our trainers and people feel like that they can go, then we'll have them available for us," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan. "Right now, knock on wood, our availability of our talent is one of the plus things for us this year."
Cornerback Anthony Brown is expected to have season-ending triceps surgery, head coach Jason Garrett said Monday.
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Nov. 18 Updates
5:39 p.m. – Amari Cooper had 41 offensive plays Sunday against Detroit, his lowest total of the season in games he's been able to finish. (He left the Oct. 13 Jets game after three snaps due to a quad injury.)
The Cowboys tried to manage their lead receiver's workload Sunday. He still made an impact: three catches for 38 yards, including an acrobatic sideline catch in the fourth quarter on the Cowboys' final touchdown drive.
"He was just working through some things really all week long and through the game and made some good plays in the game," head coach Jason Garrett said. "But I still think he's fighting through some things with his knee and hopefully he'll continue to get better and better as the season goes on."
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10:15 a.m. – Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett told 105.3 The Fan that the team will re-evaluate CB Anthony Brown (triceps) and RT La'el Collins (knee) today. Both were injured in the fourth quarter against Detroit. Collins appeared to aggravate a previous MCL sprain.
Safety Xavier Woods dislocated his finger but was able to return to the game late, Garrett said.
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Nov. 17 Updates
8:33 p.m. - Michael Bennett had a pair of offsides penalties, including one in the fourth quarter that could've been costly.
But the Cowboys will probably take two 5-yarders if they can get two more sacks out of Bennett as they did Sunday. Bennett had one of his sacks late in the fourth quarter, forcing the Lions to punt and the Cowboys never gave the ball back.
Through three games, Bennett has three sacks with the Cowboys since coming over from the Patriots, the team the Cowboys play next Sunday.
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7:27 p.m. – Randall Cobb continues to deliver big games against his old division.
A week after catching 6 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings, Cobb posted his best yardage total as a Cowboy to date Sunday against the Lions: 115 on 4 catches, including a 19-yard touchdown just before halftime.
It's the first time Cobb has posted back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since 2014 with the Packers.
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4:22 p.m. - La'el Collins has been battling through injuries all season and will likely have another week of managing the pain after suffering a knee injury late in the game Sunday.
Afterwards, coach Jason Garrett wouldn't speculate on the severity but said Collins "had a good look on his face" when he saw him in the locker room and hoped Collins' demeanor and body language suggests he could return for next week's game in New England. Collins re-aggravated his MCL sprain and the Cowboys will likely spend all week trying to get him ready again.
Cameron Fleming, who had been out with a calf injury, replaced Collins on the final two drives.
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1:59 p.m. - While the rookie might've made a bad decision to return a kickoff out of the end zone earlier in the game, Pollard made up for it on a touchdown-scoring drive to give the Cowboys the lead.
Pollard scored his first touchdown reception of his career, and second overall, when he caught a 21-yard pass over the middle and shook off a defender in his way to the end zone.
Pollard is coming off one of his worst games of the season when he rushed just once for -4 yards with no catches as well. Watch Here!
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11:35 a.m. – Jeff Heath won't be available for Sunday's homecoming.
The Michigan native was declared inactive for this week's game against the Detroit Lions, as he has been battling shoulder and leg injuries throughout the past two weeks.
The Cowboys' full list of inactives features Heath, Cedrick Wilson, Devin Smith, Connor Williams, Joe Jackson, Luke Gifford and Trysten Hill.
With Heath out of the lineup, look for Darian Thompson to start at safety, while Donovan Wilson and newly-signed Josh Jones will provide depth. With Connor Williams recovering from a knee scope, Xavier Su'a-Filo will start at left guard.
Amari Cooper and La'el Collins are both active for Sunday.
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Nov. 16 Updates
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12:37 p.m. — The Cowboys on Saturday placed center Adam Redmond on Reserve/Injured and activated defensive back Josh Jones from their practice squad.
Jones, a former second-round pick of the Packers, could add secondary depth this Sunday if active. Starting safety Jeff Heath (shoulders) is officially listed as questionable against Detroit. Darian Thompson would figure to see increased snaps if Heath can't play.
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Nov. 15 Updates
3:17 p.m. – Right tackle La'el Collins (knee/back) and safety Jeff Heath (shoulders) are officially questionable for Sunday's game against Detroit. Both did practice on a limited basis Friday. As expected, the Cowboys have ruled left guard Connor Williams (knee) out of Sunday's game.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (hip/back) has officially been ruled out against Dallas.
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1:55 p.m. – By increasing his season sack total to 7.5 last Sunday against Minnesota, Robert Quinn reportedly earned a $800,000-plus roster bonus that will count towards the Cowboys' salary cap after this season.
Quinn, who is signed through 2019, said his teammates knew all about the extra money he'll pocket.
"I got dinner," he said with a laugh. "They were excited. Me reaching that accomplishment just goes to the guys playing lights out each and every week and giving me the opportunity."
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11:34 a.m. - For the first time this week, La'el Collins was on the practice field Friday and it looks as if the right tackle will at least try to be ready for Sunday's game with Lions.
Collins has sat out this week nursing both a back and knee injury. But like he's been able to do the past few weeks, Collins got on the practice field for Friday, a good indication that he can play this week against the Lions.
If Collins plays this week, the starting lineup should be Smith, Collins, Frederick, Martin and Su'a-Filo, who is filling in for an injured Connor Williams.
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Nov. 14 Updates
3:55 p.m. – Wide receiver Amari Cooper (knee/ankle) and guard Zack Martin (back/ankle/elbow) returned to practice Thursday on a limited basis after being held out Wednesday.
Starting right tackle La'el Collins (knee/back) did not practice for a second straight day. Starting left guard Connor Williams is expected to miss some time following a knee scope.
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3:18 p.m. – Starting safety Jeff Heath has been a limited participant the last two days of practice as he works through injuries to both his shoulders.
"He's been dealing with both of those shoulders for a little bit now and he was only able to play on special teams the other day in the game," head coach Jason Garrett said. "We'll take his situation day by day."
Darian Thompson filled in at safety for Heath against the Vikings.
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12:16 p.m. – Cornerback Byron Jones is one of 32 nominees (one per team) for the sixth annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, given to an NFL player "who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition."
Current players will vote the winner from a group of eight finalists (four from each conference) selected by an NFL Legends Community Panel. The winner will be announced during NFL Honors on Feb. 1.
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10:25 a.m. - Xavier Su'a-Filo has been here before. And the Cowboys can only hope it plays out the same.
In 2018, Su'a-Filo replaced Connor Williams for the final eight games and the Cowboys finished the season 7-1 down the stretch. The only loss in that group occurred in Indianapolis, where ironically enough, Su'a-Filo didn't finish the game with an eye injury.
A second-round pick of the Texans in 2014, Su'a-Filo said he prides himself on staying ready for every game.
"I've started before, you never stop wanting to start," Su'a-Filo said. "It's a mindset you have to have every week. As soon as you're content with not starting, I don't know why you're still playing. I know I do what I can to be prepared at every moment."
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Nov. 13 Updates
4:17 p.m. – Travis Frederick will be matching up with a familiar opponent Sunday in Detroit: Lions veteran defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison, formerly of the New York Giants.
It's a matchup Frederick says lightheartedly "I, one, look forward to and two, don't forward to," knowing how tough the 350-pound Harrison is to block.
"It's a great challenge every single time, and that's what you do this for, is to be in competition like that," Frederick said. "We've had a lot of great battles through the years. He's a really good player. I'm going to have to be at my best this week to be on his level."
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3:22 p.m. - Michael Bennett was one of six players who did not practice with the team on Wednesday. However, the defensive lineman was the only non-injury related player on the list. Bennett, who turned 34 today, had an excused absence that forced him to miss practice.
Amari Cooper (knee/ankle) also didn't practice along with three offensive linemen.
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Nov. 12 Updates
10:52 p.m. – Michael Bennett has seen a lot of things in his career. He's also played with a lot of great players in his stops with the Bucs, Seahawks, Eagles and Patriots. But even after two games, Bennett thinks he might be playing with his best teammate of anyone so far in DeMarcus Lawrence.
"Whether it's Ronde Barber, whether it's Cliff Avril, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Fletcher Cox. All these great players that I've played with, I would say that DeMarcus Lawrence is probably at the top of that list of guys I've played with in this league," Bennett said. "He's got great leadership, he's also a great captain and he goes out there and puts it on the line every single week and I think he leads by example. For me, it's great to be around a young guy like that, to be able to feel that energy and feel excited about playing football. It's an honor."
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Nov. 11 Updates
5:52 p.m. – Head coach Jason Garrett explained the thought process behind Tavon Austin's decision to fair-catch his punt return prior to the Cowboys' final drive in Sunday's loss to Minnesota.
"We didn't communicate that well enough," Garrett said. "The biggest coaching point for Tavon was make sure you don't bleed the rest of this time off by spending a lot of time trying to return the ball. So fair catch was a very viable option. The part of it that we didn't communicate well enough was just simply if you do feel like you have a good return opportunity, take advantage of it. Catch it and go north and south and get as much as you could.
"We did a poor job as a staff making sure he understood that. Hopefully we'll learn from that experience."
The offense took over at its own 46-yard line with 17 seconds left. Three plays later, quarterback Dak Prescott's fourth-day Hail Mary attempt from the Minnesota 45 was intercepted.
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5:02 p.m. – Guard Connor Williams is expected to undergo a knee scope this week, though the Cowboys are hopeful the second-year starter won't miss significant time.
Williams missed two games last season due to a scope for his other knee. Xavier Su'a-Filo took over at left guard in his place and would seem to be an option again this time.
The Cowboys will also monitor the health status of starting offensive linemen Zack Martin (elbow) and La'el Collins (back) coming off Sunday's 28-24 loss to the Vikings.
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4:02 p.m. - Technically, Cooper has played in all nine games, but he missed all but a handful of plays in the Jets game a few weeks back.
Still, Cooper has already posted numbers that are only behind Dez Bryant's magical 2014 season.
Already this year, Cooper has 53 catches for 848 yards and seven touchdowns. The The receiving yards are the most single-season total by any receiver since Dez went for 1,320 in 2014. That year, he also had a club-record 14 touchdown catches. So far, Cooper has seven, including one in each of the last two games.
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Nov. 10 Updates
11:44 a.m. - The Cowboys certainly kept trying to get Ezekiel Elliott on track, even gving him the ball twice in the final minute. But Zeke never was a big factor Sunday night, rushing for just 47 yards with his longest rush from scrimmage just six yards.
Not only did the Cowboys fail to record a first down by rush, but it was only the fourth game of his career where Elliott failed to get 50 yards.
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11:28 a.m. - Randall Cobb had his best game since signing with the Cowboys, despite the loss. He had six catches for 106 yards, the first 100-yard game of the season. Cobb also went over 500 catches, finishing the game with 501.
Cobb's 22-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter tied the game, but he also had two catches on the Cowboys' second-to-last drive as they were marching for the go-ahead score.
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8:14 p.m. – Starting safety Jeff Heath is questionable to return due to a shoulder injury against the Vikings.
Heath was on the injury report during the week with a shoulder and knee injury.
Darian Thompson has entered the defensive lineup alongside Xavier Woods. Heath was on the field for kickoff coverage after Michael Gallup's second-quarter touchdown, however.
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8:03 p.m. – After missing last week's game with a stinger injury, Leighton Vander Esch was cleared to play this week. But before the end of the first quarter, the linebacker had to leave the game, limping off the field before the Vikings' second touchdown with an apparent knee/leg injury.
Vander Esch went to the medical tent for a few minutes as the doctors and trainers evaluated him. He then came out and sprinted towards the locker room.
He did return to the field and helped the defense get their first stop of the game.
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5:58 p.m. – Amari Cooper is good to go.
After practicing Friday, the Cowboys' Pro Bowl receiver is healthy enough to play on his injured knee, ensuring the Cowboys will have their full complement of receivers on Sunday night against Minnesota.
The Cowboys released their inactives Sunday evening, ruling Cedrick Wilson, Devin Smith, Joe Jackson, Luke Gifford, Adam Redmond, Cam Fleming and Trysten Hill out of the game.
Six of those seven inactives are healthy scratches, while Fleming is still working his way back from a calf strain.
Across the field, the Vikings will be without several starters. Adam Thielen, Trae Waynes and Linval Joseph are all out of the lineup for Minnesota.
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Nov. 8 Updates
2:19 p.m. – Wide receiver Amari Cooper (knee/ankle) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
Cooper did return to practice Friday on a limited basis and told reporters Thursday that the knee injury is "manageable." The only Cowboys player ruled out for Sunday is backup offensive tackle Cam Fleming (calf).
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Nov. 7 Updates
4:40 p.m. -- The Vikings' defense made things tough on Dak Prescott and company in 2016, holding the rookie quarterback to 139 passing yards in the Cowboys' 17-15 win.
Minnesota will present a similar challenge in terms of personnel and scheme this time around. But Prescott believes he's a "completely different" quarterback in terms of experience.
"Just a more confident quarterback now obviously," he said, "believing in myself and every throw out there. I saw some throws, going back at that tape, that I definitely would make now and let it rip that I didn't back then. That's just the growth that comes with it."
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2:49 p.m. – Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is among six players who had limited practice participation Thursday, joining offensive tackles La'el Collins (knee) and Tyron Smith (ankle), guard Zack Martin (back/ankle), linebacker Sean Lee (pectoral) and safety Jeff Heath (shoulder/knee).
Wide receiver Amari Cooper (knee/ankle) and swing tackle Cam Fleming (calf) did not practice.
Michael Gallup (knee) was added to Thursday's injury report but was a full participant in practice.
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2:40 p.m. -- Amari Cooper didn't get into specifics on the results of the MRI he got on his bruised knee, but the Pro Bowl receiver believes it's a "manageable" issue.
Cooper did not practice Thursday but will see what he do Friday, sounding optimistic he'll be able to play Sunday night against the Vikings.
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10:52 a.m. – Amari Cooper won't practice Thursday, as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Cooper suffered the injury last week in practice and aggravated it during the win against New York on Monday. He underwent a precautionary MRI on Wednesday.
This seems more precautionary than anything, due to the short week after a Monday game. The Cowboys are optimistic Cooper can practice Friday and play against Minnesota on Sunday.
But for a guy who has dealt with a variety of leg injuries this season, a day off seems like a smart decision in the meantime.
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10:51 a.m. -- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett says the team is hopeful linebacker Leighton Vander Esch can practice on some level Thursday. The second-year linebacker did not play against the Giants after missing part of the Eagles game with a neck stinger before the bye.
Sean Lee and Joe Thomas got more snaps against the Giants in Vander Esch's place. Lee tied Jaylon Smith for the team lead with 12 tackles in the Cowboys' 37-18 win.
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Nov. 6 Updates
4:30 p.m. – Only Cameron Fleming (calf) did not participate in Wednesday's jog-through practice, a lighter workout for the team coming off of Monday night's road game against the Giants.
Seven Cowboys players had limited participation, including Amari Cooper (knee/ankle), Jeff Heath (shoulder/knee) and Leighton Vander Esch (neck).
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4:01 p.m. – The Cowboys are aware of an incident involving Daniel Ross and are gathering information on the matter.
Reports indicated Wednesday afternoon that Ross was arrested Wednesday morning for possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a weapon.
The veteran defensive tackle was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury in Week 1, so he hasn't been part of the lineup since the preseason. Ross was originally signed in 2017 and has 19 career tackles.
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7:35 a.m. – Xavier Woods is the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
The Cowboys' third-year safety recorded an interception and forced fumble that led to six points in the Cowboys' 37-18 win over the New York Giants.
Woods has an interception in consecutive games, already tying his season career high (2). He's the first Cowboys safety to win the award since George Teague in 1996.
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Nov. 5 Updates
Despite getting 12 stitches on his knee after the game, safety Jeff Heath could still play this week against the Vikings.
Head coach Jason Garrett said there is optimism surrounding Heath's availability, although he suffered a laceration on his knee during the game.
"We feel like he's going to be OK," Garrett said on Tuesday. "I think they (medical staff) feel like it's going to be OK as the week goes on. They're confident he'll heal up and be ready to go."
Without Heath, the Cowboys played Darian Thompson, who was able to recover a fumble in the third quarter.
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Nov. 4 Updates
11:53 p.m. - All week leading up to the game, Jason Witten reiterated that playing for the Cowboys is exactly where he wants to be. So he tried not to make it emotional as he returned to Monday Night Football, where he spent last year calling games for ESPN.
However, Witten found a way to provide a spark for the Cowboys, catching eight passes on nine targets, for 59 yards.
"I felt like I could create a spark," Witten said. "I felt good tonight. I liked our plan and some of that stuff early on was a good matchup for me. And really, that's my role – get the first downs, open it up and then you come back with Zeke (Elliott). Blake Jarwin had a huge play and then of course (Amari) Cooper and (Michael) Gallup down the stretch. That's kind of the way this offense is formed."
Witten moved into 20th place on the NFL's all-time receiving list, surpassing Art Monk (12,271).
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11:51 p.m. – Dak Prescott's recent success against the Giants continued Monday night.
With three touchdown passes in the Cowboys' 37-18 win, Prescott now has 11 in his last three games against New York (all wins) dating back to Week 17 of last season. He threw four touchdown passes in that game and in this year's opener at AT&T Stadium.
Monday's matchup didn't start off well. Prescott threw an interception on the game's first play and the offense scored only 10 points on five straight trips inside Giants territory in the first half. But the big plays finally arrived in the second half.
"A lot of great guys on this offense," Prescott said. "Obviously, a great defense that holds those guys down that allows us to go out there and score more points."
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11:34 p.m. - The safety started off the game with a big pressure on third down to help the Cowboys' goal-line stand. But Heath couldn't finish the game, dealing with multiple injuries.
Heath needed stitches on his leg after accidentally being cut, possibly by the bottom of cleats. It also sounded like the safety was battling a shoulder injury.
Darian Thompson filled in for Heath and had a big fumble recovery in the third quarter.
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11:12 p.m. - Michael Bennett became just the 19th player in NFL history to record at least one sack with five different teams.
Bennett's fourth-quarter sack in his Cowboys debut wrapped up a rather solid game that included two tackles for loss and four hits on the quarterback.
Bennett now has career sacks for the Bucs, Seahawks, Eagles, Patriots and Cowboys.
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11:09 p.m. - Playing more because of the injury to Leighton Vander Esch (stinger), Sean Lee turned back the clock with one of his best performances in years. Lee recorded 12 tackles, including a key third-down stop on Saquon Barkley in the red zone that led to a Giants field goal.
Lee had a pass deflection and a tackle for loss, and helped anchor a defense that only allowed one touchdown and limited the Giants to 271 yards of total offense.
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11:08 p.m. – The Cowboys knew they needed pressure on rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, and the defensive delivered with five sacks, tying a season high against New Orleans in September.
"Once you get one, they come in bunches," said defensive end Robert Quinn, whose half-sack brought his season total to 6.5. "I don't know why that happens, but it just happens that way."
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9:03 p.m.– Safety Jeff Heath is questionable to return against the Giants due to a leg injury.
Heath went to the locker room for further evaluation during the Cowboys' first defensive drive of the second half.
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The Giant-Killer strikes again! Jarwin has scored yet another touchdown against the Giants, and another at MetLife Stadium, where he had three scores in Week 17 last year. He also had a touchdown against New York in Week 1 this season. But Jarwin now caught a 42-yard touchdown Monday night just before halftime, trimming the Giants' lead to 12-10.
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This doesn't seem to be Cooper's favorite place to play. After missing nearly all of the Jets game at MetLife Stadium with a quad injury, now Cooper is dealing with a left knee injury, but is still in the game. Cooper suffered the injury on his only catch of the game, a play where he lost his footing in the open field, negating a bigger play.
Behind Cooper, the Cowboys only have Michael Gallup, Tavon Austin, Randall Cobb and Ventell Bryant at receiver.
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6:52 p.m. – The Cowboys will be without Leighton Vander Esch for Monday night's matchup against the Giants.
The second-year linebacker tried all week to work back from the stinger he suffered back on Oct. 20 against Philadelphia, but the Cowboys ultimately opted to hold him out. Sean Lee will get the start on the weak side, though Joe Thomas figures to get some added snaps, as well.
Vander Esch was the most noteworthy name among the Cowboys' inactives. The other six inactive players are Cedrick Wilson, Devin Smith, Adam Redmond, Cam Fleming, Joe Jackson and Trysten Hill.
Fleming is the only other injury concern, as he works back from a calf strain. Brandon Knight will serve as the offense's swing tackle in his place. Anthony Brown is back in the lineup after missing time with a hamstring strain, so look for he and Jourdan Lewis to split reps as the Cowboys' extra cornerbacks.
Wilson, Smith, Redmond, Jackson and Hill are all healthy scratches.
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Nov. 2 Updates
2:39 p.m. – Starting linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (neck) and cornerback Anthony Brown are officially listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Giants. Both had limited practice participation all week.
If Vander Esch and Brown can't play, Sean Lee and Jourdan Lewis would figure to get more playing time at linebacker and corner, respectively.
Only backup swing tackle Cam Fleming has been ruled out by the Cowboys. The Giants don't have anyone with their playing status in question for Monday.
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11:05 a.m. – Leighton Vander Esch may be the last unknown for the Cowboys heading into Monday Night Football.
Most of the Cowboys' injury concerns have participated at least somewhat in practice this week, though Vander Esch has mainly been limited to individual work while he works back from a stinger.
Asked about it Saturday morning, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett wasn't sure how much Vander Esch would do in the final practice of the week.
"If he practices in the team, it'll be limited," he said. "He's getting better and better, so we've just got to take him day by day."
The team anticipates that Vander Esch will make the trip to New York, but his availability will be something to keep an eye on over the next two days.
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Nov. 1 Updates
5:17 p.m. -- The Cowboys (4-3) are 1-2 on the road this year, having lost their last two games at New Orleans and the New York Jets. Monday, they'll return to MetLife Stadium for the second time in three weeks, this time to face the Giants.
One key to ending the road slide? Faster starts on offense, as they did before they bye in a 37-10 victory over the Eagles.
"Just got to focus on our execution individually," quarterback Dak Prescott said. "I always tell the offense in the huddle, if we do our 1/11th, everything will come together. It's just that immense amount of focus."
That's something NBA legend Isiah Thomas spoke to the team about recently," Prescott said.
"When we're able to do that, or the times that we do that, we look up and we're in the end zone," Prescott said.
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3:17 p.m. –For the second straight day, backup swing tackle Cam Fleming (calf) was the only Cowboys player on the 53-man roster who did not practice.
Five players had limited participation: Anthony Brown (hamstring), La'el Collins (knee), guard Zack Martin (back/ankle), Tyron Smith (ankle) and Leighton Vander Esch (neck).
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12:20 p.m. – With reports that Trysten Hill was late to a Tuesday meeting and sent home the rest of that day, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was asked about the rookie defensive tackle's progress this season.
"Trysten's a young player who needs to continue to learn to grow and understand how to be a professional," Garrett said. "We have a lot of players like that. We've had a lot of players like that in the past. Part of our job is to help them grow that way."
Hill has practiced the last two days. He has been active for four of the Cowboys' first seven games, though it's unclear how the defensive line rotation will look going forward with veteran Michael Bennett arriving from the Patriots.
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Oct. 31 Updates
4:21 p.m. – The Cowboys have restructured new defensive lineman Michael Bennett's contract, which is now a one-year deal.
Bennett originally had two years remaining on his contract before the Cowboys traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Patriots for the 33-year-old veteran pass rusher. He's now eligible to be an unrestricted free agent in March of 2020.
Bennett has participated in both practices this week as the Cowboys prepare for Monday's road game against the Giants.
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4:12 p.m. – Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (neck) was limited in Thursday's practice, along with four other players: starting tackles Tyron Smith (ankle) and La'el Collins (knee), starting guard Zack Martin (back/ankle) and cornerback Anthony Brown (hamstring). Only backup swing tackle Cam Fleming (calf) did not practice.
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12:01 p.m. – The Cowboys appear to be in much better shape injury-wise coming off the bye week.
Only backup swing tackle Cameron Fleming (calf) was not on the field during the open portion of Thursday's practice, though it remains to be seen how much work linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (neck) and cornerback Anthony Brown (hamstring) will get.
Defensive tackles Antwaun Woods and Trysten Hill were back at practice after both reportedly were sent home Tuesday for being late to a meeting.
The team signed cornerback D.J. White to the practice squad to replace cornerback Mike Jackson, who signed with the Lions.
