The Cowboys are heading into Week 6 with the kind of urgency that usually brings a lineup shakeup, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer made it clear that change is coming after last week’s ugly loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He didn’t spell out every move, but he did confirm that Dallas will look different against the Green Bay Packers.
“I’m not going to get to a bunch of them. Obviously, there’s a competitive advantage.
But there’ll be some roster adjustments you guys will see. Some will be more noticeable than others, and some will be subtle as you look at it,” Schottenheimer said, per Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com.
With the defense still searching for answers, some players who have been sliding this season are running out of runway. At the same time, a few others are staring at a real chance to earn more snaps if they can make the most of them.
One name that keeps coming up is Trevon Bland. He’s been a weekly fixture in this conversation, and that hasn’t changed after his rough outing against Tampa Bay. Dallas has still not made a move on him, but if the Cowboys are serious about shaking things up this week, Bland’s workload could be the first place it shows.
If that doesn’t happen now, another poor performance could force a change later, especially if Cobie Durant gets back from injury. For now, the situation in the secondary is still fluid, and that opens the door for Revel, who could see a bigger role against the Packers because Ameer Speed and Joey Porter Jr. are questionable while Durant remains out.
That kind of opening matters, because Dallas appears willing to reward whatever player can handle the moment. If Revel produces with the snaps he gets, a larger role could follow quickly.
On the other side of the ledger, Lawrence is trending up. The rookie delivered his best game as a pro in Week 5, one of the few bright spots in the loss, and put together his first sack along with two total pressures.
Schottenheimer said that showing should lead to more work this week against Green Bay.
“He's played very well. I think he's starting to show the flash and the acceleration and the ability to rush the passer that we knew we were getting when we drafted him. I think he had a very good game against Tampa Bay, and you'll see him get more opportunities,” Schottenheimer said of Lawrence.
If Lawrence can give Dallas some life in a pass rush that has struggled badly, he should keep seeing a bigger role. If not, he may slide back toward his previous workload, which was already fairly substantial.
Miller, meanwhile, is in a different kind of spot. He hasn’t produced nearly enough, but he did at least take responsibility for it.
“It's time for me to get rolling, too,” Miller said. “I would like to point the finger at myself.
If I get two plays, I need to find a way to make an impact on those two plays. If I get 10 (plays), I definitely should be able to have an impact on 10 plays.
“And don't let me get 15 and 20 plays. I have to be able to do something.
And this Sunday, I'm just pointing the finger at myself. I have to make an impact with the type of burn that I'm able to get.”
Miller’s last sack came at Lambeau Field last season with the Washington Commanders, and he’ll be trying to find that same kind of spark again this week. If he doesn’t, his role could shrink even further - or disappear altogether.
In Other News...
Cowboys Lose Another Key Piece In A Night They Couldnt Afford It
The Cowboys entered Sunday night already needing things to break their way, and losing KaVontae Turpin in the first half only made the margin for error even thinner. Turpin, who usually handles kick return duties, went out with a rib injury against the Packers and did not return, leaving Dallas to patch together yet another important spot on a night when it could ill afford another setback.
Jerry Jones still sounded encouraged by where the team is headed, pointing to the progress he sees despite Dallas sitting at 2-3. But a game like this serves as a reminder of how fragile that optimism can be when key pieces keep disappearing, especially on special teams, where Turpins speed and field-flipping ability are part of what makes this roster harder to defend. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Turn To Rookie As Pressure Builds On Struggling Defense
Pressure is rising on a Cowboys defense that has struggled to find its footing, and the next answer is coming from a rookie. Dallas is turning to Malachi Lawrence to start at outside linebacker against the Green Bay Packers, giving the first-round pick his first career start after taking him 23rd overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Brian Schottenheimer has seen enough from Lawrence recently to make the move, and the coach signaled that more opportunities should follow. For a defense trying to steady itself, the decision gives Dallas a new look up front and a chance to see whether its young edge rusher can bring some needed energy into a difficult spot. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Sit Atop An NFC East Mess That Just Got Worse
The NFC East has spent the last few weeks looking like a division stuck in reverse, and the Cowboys loss to the Packers only added to the mess. With the Commanders set to enter Sunday as underdogs against the 49ers, the leagues most unpredictable division is suddenly staring at a stat line nobody wants attached to it: a chance to go winless in back-to-back weeks when every team played, something that has not happened since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
For the Cowboys, the bigger frustration is that the standings are still wide open even as the losses pile up. The Giants are sitting atop the division for now, but the upcoming slate could reshuffle everything again, leaving Dallas, Washington and the rest of the East to sort out whether this is a temporary rough patch or a much deeper slide. [Read more 🡒]