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The Dallas Cowboys (6-5) were unable to score a touchdown for the first time all year in their 13-9 loss to the New England Patriots (10-1).
Recap
The Cowboys' No. 1 offense was shut down this past Sunday by New England's top ranked defense. Dallas was unable to cross the goal line and their best offensive players were kept in check. The Cowboys gave the ball to the Patriots twice (Interception and a blocked punt) deep in their own territory that led to 10 point deficit early in the 2nd quarter.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was 19/33 for 212 yards, 1 interception, and NO touchdowns. He was forced into having his worst performance of the year so far. Prescott was unable to connect with super star Amari Cooper who had zero catches.Receivers Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb both led the team with 4 catches each.
Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott had 21 carries for 86 yards and 4 catches for 40 yards. He was unable to make any big plays as the Cowboy offense went 2-13 on third down. With the offense unable to move Zeke was unable to carry his team to a much needed win.
Dallas falls to (6-5) but luckily they stay in first place atop the NFC East because their division rival Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) also lost.
3 Things to Watch For
1.Ezekiel Elliott (Running Back): Zeke was contained this past week, but I would look for him to have a break out game this week.He will be going against another top 3 defense but the Buffalo Bills are average against the run and strong against the pass.
2.Randall Cobb (Wide Receiver): Led the team this past week in receiving and should have another opportunity to do it again with Bills lock down cornerback Tre'Davious White shadowing Amari Cooper or Michael Gallup.
3.Jason Garrett (Head Coach): Finally looks to be on the "Hot Seat" according to owner Jerry Jones.Garrett had some very questionable play calls last week and was once again out coached. Let's see if he can figure something things out and put his best athletes in position to make big plays.
Coming Up
The Dallas Cowboys (6-5) will be at home going up against the Buffalo Bills (8-3) on Thanksgiving Day in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is set for Thursday at 3:30 pm Central time. The Cowboys are up against a team with a winning record and so far this year, that looks like a loss for them. Hopefully, Zeke will be able to carry the team to a win with a 20+ touch game.I can see it going either way and at least it will be a very good game.
If you have any fantasy players, the only must start players are:
Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott (RB), Amari Cooper (WR), Dak Prescott (QB), Michael Gallup (WR), Randall Cobb (WR)
Bills: Josh Allen (QB), John Brown (WR), Devin Singletary (RB)
For you gamblers out there, the Cowboys are currently - 6.5 and the over/under is 45. After last week, there is no way I can lay 6.5 points. I would lean on Buffalo but I think the under is the play here.
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How Astros enter exciting stretch with familiar names in unfamiliar spots
May 15, 2025, 5:52 pm
The Houston Astros took a step in the right direction this week, securing a hard-fought series win over the Kansas City Royals with a strong combination of pitching and timely hitting. While the offense still isn’t firing on all cylinders, recent signs suggest the bats may finally be waking up—albeit slower than hoped.
Over the past seven days, Houston ranks 6th in OPS, 7th in slugging, and 10th in runs scored across MLB—a noticeable jump from their underwhelming season-long ranks of 13th, 18th, and 19th in those categories, respectively. But perhaps the biggest concern remains their lack of home run power. The Astros are just 23rd in home runs over the past week and 24th on the season. That’s a major problem for a team that has historically relied on slugging to fuel its October pushes.
Only two Astros hitters currently boast an OPS over .800: Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes. Peña’s breakout season has been one of the few bright spots for Houston’s offensive staff, while Paredes continues to deliver consistent production that aligns with his career norms. But beyond those two, it’s been a struggle.
Christian Walker has emerged as the biggest red flag in the lineup. After a hitless series with 7 strikeouts against Kansas City’s tough rotation, Walker’s strikeout total climbed to fifth-most in the American League with 50. His offensive regression now spans over a quarter of the season, drawing troubling comparisons to José Abreu’s disastrous 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
And he’s not alone. José Altuve, a longtime engine for Houston’s offense, is in a prolonged slump of his own—slashing just .220/.268/.297 over his last 30 games. Combined with Walker’s woes, the middle of the order has become a black hole that may soon force a change.
With 10 of their next 13 games coming against division rivals, the Astros must decide quickly whether it’s time for a lineup shakeup. Dropping Walker in the order feels increasingly necessary. And unless Altuve finds his rhythm, manager Joe Espada may need to explore new options in the two-spot to spark the offense.
The potential return of Yordan Alvarez could help remedy the power problem. When healthy, Alvarez is one of baseball’s premier sluggers and could be the missing piece that lifts Houston’s home run totals and extra-base hit production.
But even with Alvarez’s return looming, broader questions about the team’s hitting development persist—especially when contrasted with the pitching staff’s continued excellence. Houston's pitching coaches have consistently gotten the most out of arms, while the hitting side has seen a pattern of stagnation.
A recent reminder of that contrast comes from an unexpected source: Alex Bregman. Now thriving with the Boston Red Sox, Bregman is putting up MVP-caliber numbers after working with Boston’s hitting coaches on timing and mechanical tweaks. He credits their staff with helping him get back to his 2019 form—raising eyebrows in Houston. It’s hard not to wonder why those same adjustments never materialized under the Astros' watch.
To be fair, Jeremy Peña’s breakout could be considered a win for the current hitting coaches, but even that comes with caveats. Meanwhile, Isaac Paredes’ production isn’t a surprise—he’s done this before. And for every Peña, there are several Walkers or Abreus who join the Astros and regress at the plate.
As the Astros look to gain more ground in the AL West race, their pitching remains a strength and their offense is showing signs of life. But if the bats can’t fully turn the corner—and if the team’s approach to hitting development doesn’t evolve—the gap between Houston and the elite teams in the league may continue to grow.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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