The Cowboys head into Philadelphia with the same kind of setup that put Ryan Flournoy in the spotlight last week against the Green Bay Packers. With CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens drawing the attention, Flournoy stepped in and delivered seven catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, his first score of the season.
Monday night brings a different stage, but the same idea. Dallas is dealing with injuries just like the Eagles, and both teams are in must-win territory with the New York Giants continuing to stack wins. The road hasn’t been friendly to the Cowboys in Philadelphia either, where they’ve won only two games since 2018.
That means the margin for error is thin, and the Cowboys will need production from players who usually don’t dominate the conversation. Three names stand out.
Brandon Aubrey is one of them. Dallas rewarded him with a contract extension this offseason after he’d spent the last three seasons looking like the best kicker in football.
But this year has started differently from long range, where he’s just 2-for-5 on kicks from 50 yards and beyond. With the Cowboys’ offense still searching for its identity over the last two weeks, points may be hard to come by against Philadelphia, especially in an outdoor stadium.
Dallas could easily find itself leaning on Aubrey in a game that might end 15-10.
His job won’t stop there. Aubrey also needs to handle kickoffs cleanly and keep the ball in bounds so the Eagles aren’t handed short fields. The Baltimore Ravens game showed how damaging that can be for the Cowboys defense.
Up front, Cooper Beebe may be facing his hardest assignment yet. While attention often lands on Terence Steele because of his struggles, Beebe is the quieter piece in a line that has seen first-round investments at both guard spots and left tackle. This week, he’ll have to deal with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo.
Against that trio one-on-one, Beebe has given up five pressures on 31 pass blocks, which is 16.1%, according to NFL Pro. Most of the time, though, he’s had help from double teams when matched with that group.
Tyler Smith’s return should help the line, but Beebe still has to hold his own in direct matchups. Dak Prescott was hit against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers, so keeping the pocket clean matters even more if Dallas wants to get CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens going.
Then there’s Jonathan Mingo, who could suddenly become a bigger factor in the return game with KaVontae Turpin out because of a rib injury. Tyler Goodson will be part of that mix too, but if Dallas’ defense keeps Philadelphia from scoring much, Mingo figures to be the main punt returner getting the work.
He flashed a little something against the Packers by bringing back one punt for 16 yards. Still, this isn’t Turpin territory.
For Mingo, the biggest job is simple: protect the football. In a game that could stay tight, Dallas can’t afford a mistake that hands the Eagles momentum.
At the very least, the Cowboys would take a night where Mingo spends more time signaling for fair catches than trying to make something happen.
In Other News...
Dez Bryant Speaks After Frightening Incident In Front Of His Daughters
Dez Bryants latest off-field scare began with a road incident and quickly spilled into a parking lot, turning into a tense scene that played out with his daughters nearby. The former Cowboys star has since spoken about the way the confrontation unfolded, making clear that his biggest concern was how quickly a routine argument seemed to spiral once police got involved.
Officers responded to the scene and the situation was serious enough that guns were drawn before Bryant was handcuffed and later released with a citation. Bryants account has put the focus on the police response and on the fact that his children were there to witness it, adding another uncomfortable chapter to a story that already had plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Just Got A Public Challenge With Their Season On The Line
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ESPNs Football Power Index still leaves some room for optimism, giving Dallas a strong shot to chase the NFC East and a better-than-even path to the postseason. But the confidence only matters if the Cowboys start backing it up, and the looming schedule offers little chance to ease into things as they try to steady a season that has already reached an important crossroads. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Should Watch These Rising Prospects Very Closely
Week 8 offered a useful snapshot for Dallas fans tracking the next wave of draft talent, and a handful of college players made their case in a hurry. Jordan Ross, Caleb Hawkins, Kelley Jones, Rasheem Biles and Jamari Johnson all turned in performances that fit the kind of early scouting exercise the Cowboys have to keep doing if they want to stay ahead of roster needs in future drafts.
Ross flashed as a pass rusher, Hawkins and Jones kept building their resumes, and Biles continued to show why he belongs on the radar for a team always looking for impact help. Johnsons usage also stood out in Oregons expanded offense, a reminder that some of the most useful evaluations come well before a player is anywhere near draft day, especially when one of these names is already shaping up as a long-range watch item for 2028. [Read more 🡒]