Rob Carr
The Dallas Cowboys (6-7) were destroyed 31-24 by the Chicago Bears (7-6) and don't let the score deceive you. Dallas was only in the game for about the first 8 minutes, then the Bears took over and they never had a chance after that.
Recap
For the 2nd week in a row the Cowboy offense took their opening possession and scored a touchdown, but just like last week that was about all they did right.It looks like coach Garrett has lost the team and there needs to be a change.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was 27/49 for 334 yards, 1 touchdown, and NO turnovers. The NFL's leading passer put up another good looking statistical game but it still led to a loss. Prescott connected with 6 different receivers and 2nd year man Michael Gallup led the way with 6 catches for 109 yards. Dallas' #1 receiver Amari Cooper had 6 catches for 83 yards and a late garbage time touchdown towards the end of the game.
Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott had a good game. He carried the ball 19 times for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns. After the first drive he looked like he was set to have a big day but the Bears made better adjustments that Dallas couldn't keep up with.
Dallas (6-7) has now lost 3 games in a row but are luckily still leading the NFC East even though their division rival Philadelphia Eagles (6-7) won. No matter how bad they have been playing, they still have a 67% chance of winning their division and making the playoffs. Essentially they only need to win their game against the Eagles in Week 16.
3 Things to Watch For
1.Ezekiel Elliott (Running Back): Zeke had good game stat wise, but he is going to have to put the team on his back to get them a win this week against another top 10 defense in the Los Angeles Rams.
2.Cowboys Defense (All): Just made Mitch Trubisky and one of the worst offenses in the NFL look like All Pros, hopefully linebacker Jaylon Smith can help contain ProBowl running back Todd Gurley. If not, they could be in for another loss just like the last 2 games.
3.Kai Forbath (Kicker): The Cowboys finally cut kicker Brett Maher who was leading the league in missed field goal attempts so this will be Forbath's first game with the Cowboys this year. Forbath was just cut by the New England Patriots last week. Let's see if he can provide some easy points.
Coming Up
The Dallas Cowboys (6-7) will be at home taking on the Los Angeles Rams (8-5) on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is set at 3:25 pm Central time. The Cowboys are somehow favored to win this but I can't see a scenario where they come out with a win here. They are a very talented team that just can't seem to put together a whole 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)
Rams: Cooper Kupp (WR), Todd Gurley (RB), Robert Woods (WR), Jared Goff (QB)
For you gamblers out there, the Cowboys are currently -1 and the over/under is 48. Dallas has not beaten a team with a record of.500 or better this year, the Rams are 3 games over .500. Bet the Rams for an easy win.
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As the Astros approach the home stretch of the season, it's become clear that they really miss the pop that Kyle Tucker provides in the middle of the lineup.
They were able to get by without Tucker for a while, but now the offense is really feeling his loss. Especially when it comes to power numbers.
And while fans certainly miss Tucker's contributions on the field, what's going on behind the scenes really has people perplexed.
Why is a bone bruise taking so long to heal? Tucker has been out since injuring his leg on June 3, and the club can't share a date we should expect him to return. SportsMap's Charlie Pallilo posted this on X two days ago.
Kyle Tucker started his third month out Sunday and is nowhere close to returning.
Who believes Tucker had or has a leg fracture and the Astros misdiagnosed it and/or failed the forthcoming-ness test?
— Charlie Pallilo (@Pallilo) August 4, 2024
Deep bone bruises can keep players sidelined for significant periods of time, especially when swelling occurs around the knee. But the Astros' reputation for not being forthcoming with injury details have some fans and media rightfully skeptical.
Case in point. How long did it take for the organization to admit Justin Verlander needed Tommy John surgery a few years back?
Being upfront about injuries is only part of it
The Jose Abreu saga is a perfect example. Anyone with eyes could see that Abreu just couldn't cut it anymore in the big leagues. Yet, Jeff Bagwell and Joe Espada were telling us how much better he looked at the Florida Complex League and spreading the “back of the baseball card” nonsense that upset the entire fanbase.
The point being, if they misrepresented the Abreu situation in some people's eyes, why would things be any different with Tucker?
Personally, I think Tucker's extended absence is just bad luck. But it's hard to give them the benefit of the doubt when every injury update seemingly involves some type of “discomfort.”
Looking ahead
At this point, whether his injury was misdiagnosed or the club kept quiet about the severity of the injury really doesn't matter. We'll probably never know the full story, and the most important thing is Tucker returns to the team ASAP and fully healthy.
Blame Game
Who deserves the heat for the team's approach to free agency before the season?
Have the Astros learned from their mistakes (Abreu, Rafael Montero) while operating without a GM?
And do they already regret the Josh Hader contract?
This is one video you don't want to miss as we try to get to the bottom of the Tucker situation, examine who's the final decision maker in the club's front office, and so much more!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.