The Cowboys head into Week 6 trying to flush away a rough home loss and use a primetime road trip as the reset button. Dallas is back on the practice field Wednesday afternoon before taking on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, and the matchup comes with plenty of contrast baked in: Green Bay just rolled past the Chicago Bears 31-7, while Dallas is coming off a defeat to a previously winless team.
Before the kickoff, the Cowboys put out their latest unofficial depth chart, and it shows a roster that’s getting closer to whole. DeMarvion Overshown appears to be making process, and Tyler Smith and Malik Hooker are both back and healthy.
The secondary is also starting to take shape. Joey Porter Jr. and DaRon Bland are listed on the outside, with Caleb Downs in the slot. There’s still more to sort out, though, and the group should get another boost when starting safety Jalen Thompson comes back from injured reserve.
Even with those pieces in place, the back end remains a work in progress. Christian Parker still has plenty to prove after a slow start, but the Cowboys have made a couple of moves that could help the unit settle in. Mike Pettine has joined the staff as a senior consultant and analyst, and Parker has been moved to the coaches’ box so he can get a wider look at the field.
For Dallas, the hope is that getting healthier and shoring up the defense can finally lead to cleaner results. Week 6 would be a good place to start.
The Cowboys and Packers are scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth on the call from Lambeau Field. Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung will report from the sidelines throughout the game.
In Other News...
Cowboys Defensive Struggles Make One Coaching Miss Hurt Even More
Through five weeks, the Cowboys defense has been sitting at the bottom of the league in EPA per play and EPA success rate, a brutal start for a unit that was supposed to stabilize things under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. It has also put a spotlight back on the process that led to the hire, especially since Dallas spent time looking at several candidates before choosing Parker, most of whom had little or no prior play-calling experience.
The part that stings a little more now is the name Dallas tried to get in the mix before Parker was hired. The Cowboys requested permission to interview Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, but Atlanta blocked it, keeping him in place after he had already built a strong defensive reputation there. Ulbrichs group has again been disruptive this season, leading the league in pressures and pressure rate even while working through personnel challenges, which only makes the missed opportunity feel bigger in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cowboys Fan Favorite Could Help Philly At Worst Possible Time
The Eagles backfield has been hit hard enough that outside help is starting to make sense, and CBS Sports Jordan Dajani recently floated a familiar name as a potential fix before the November 10 trade deadline. With Saquon Barkley sidelined and depth thinned by injuries to Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby, Philadelphia could be forced to shop for another runner just to stabilize the rotation.
One option under discussion is a former Cowboys fan favorite who knows the division well and has long shown he can handle meaningful carries. For Philadelphia, the appeal is obvious: a proven back who could absorb snaps now and still fit as insurance if Barkley returns to the lineup, leaving the Eagles with a late-season decision that could ripple far beyond the trade market. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys May Need Real Lineup Changes To Stop This Early Slide
The Cowboys uneven start has left little room for patience, with a 2-3 record already putting extra weight on the next stretch of the schedule. Green Bay and Philadelphia are up next, and with both games carrying obvious playoff implications this early, Dallas may have to do more than tinker around the edges if it wants to keep the season from slipping further.
Ameer Speed has given the staff a reason to look harder at the cornerback rotation after making the most of his limited snaps, and the offensive line has its own pressure point on the right side. Terence Steele has struggled in both pass protection and the run game, which is why Broderick Jones is now part of the conversation as a possible replacement if Dallas decides the slide requires a more aggressive lineup shakeup. [Read more 🡒]