The Cowboys Report
Cowboys rock Redskins but fall short of postseason
Jan 2, 2020, 6:57 am
Tim Warner/Getty Images
The Dallas Cowboys (8-8) came away with an easy win on Sunday when they blew out the Washington Redskins (3-13) by the score of 47-16.
Recap
The Cowboys needed to win and have the New York Giants (4-12) beat the Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) for them to win the NFC East and make it into the playoffs. Dallas played hard and looked like the team everyone expected them to be all year but sadly, the Giants couldn't beat the Eagles and the Cowboys season came to an end.
Quarterback Dak Prescott had one of his better games of the year. He was 23/33 for 303 yards, 4 touchdowns, and NO turnovers. Dak connected with seven different receivers, second year man Michael Gallup led them with 5 catches for 98 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was Gallup's first multi score game of his career. Also, super star wide out Amari Cooper finally showed up for the first time in a few weeks, he had 4 catches for 92 yards.
With Dak and Company having so much success through the air, Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott also had a big day. He carried the ball 18 times for 118 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully, this was just a glimpse of what this team can in the years to come.
Improvements to watch for in the Offseason
New Head Coach: First and foremost, they need a new voice in the locker room.I believe this team has quit on Jason Garrett and he is the main reason this extremely talented team under performed. I don't know why he wasn't fired first thing Monday morning but if they stick with him next year will just be more of the same.
Offense: They locked up Zeke with a huge contract this year, now it's time for them to pay both Dak and Cooper as they enter free agency. The QB position is way more important than receiver so believe Dallas will give Dak a market value contract and then probably franchise tag Cooper to make him prove his worth, especially with the play of Michael Gallup towards the end of the year. The resigning of slot receiver Randall Cobb would be great for them as well if they can get him at a reasonable price.
Defense: They all are set with their two core stud linebackers Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch but Vander Esch missed most of the year with a neck injury. Hopefully he can recover during the offseason and come back at an elite level. I believe Dallas will look to sign some secondary help and improve the defensive backfield.The top free agents at this moment are Chris Harris (CB), Jimmy Smith (CB), and Logan Ryan (CB).
NFL Playoffs
With that being said there are still 11 NFL Postseason games to be played:
Saturday January 4th:
AFC Wild Card:Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans at 3:35 pm Central Time
AFC Wild Card:Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots at 7:15 pm Central Time
Sunday January 5th:
NFC Wild Card:Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints at 12:05 pm Central time
NFC Wild Card:Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles at 3:40 pm Central time
Saturday January 11th:
NFC Divisional Round Games:Will be at 3:35 pm and 7:15 pm Central time
Sunday January 12th:
AFC Divisional Round Games:Will be at 2:05 pm and 5:40 pm Central time
Sunday January 19th:
AFC Championship:Will be at 2:05 pm Central time
NFC Championship:Will be 5:40 pm Central time
Sunday February 2nd:
Super Bowl LIV (54):Kickoff is at 5:30 pm Central time
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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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