Zeke Elliot keeps rolling. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
The Dallas Cowboys got a much-needed win on Sunday when they beat the Detroit Lions 35-27. It was important for them to get a win because their next two opponents are the New England Patriots (9-1) and the Buffalo Bills (7-3).
Recap
Once again the Cowboys spotted the opposition an early lead but were able to take control of the game by halftime. The coaching staff improved their play calling which helped keep them out of bad situations. The Dallas offense was unstoppable though the air as they totaled 434 yards (509 yards total) and 26 first downs.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was 29/46 for 444 yards, 3 touchdowns, and NO turnovers. This is the third game in a row he has thrown for at least 3 touchdowns and keeps showing why he deserves a big contract at the end of the season. Prescott connected with 7 different receivers, which included a duo of 100 yard pass catchers. They were led by 2nd year wide out Michael Gallup who caught 9 balls for 148 yards. Slot receiver Randall Cobb was second on the team with 4 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Superstar Amari Cooper only had 3 receptions for 38 yards but 2 of them were for 1st downs that led to a Cowboys score.
Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott only got 18 touches but he did not have to be the workhorse this week with Dak and Company having such success through the air. Zeke carried the ball 16 times for 45 yards and 1 touchdown. He also caught 2 balls for 28 yards and another touchdown.
Dallas improves to (6-4) and is in all alone in first place atop the NFC East. They are ahead of their division rival Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) who lost this past week.
3Things to Watch For
1.Ezekiel Elliott (Running Back): I can guarantee the coach Belichick will have the Patriots defense locked in on him. The Cowboys are going to have to come up with some creative ways to put Zeke is a position to succeed against the #1 defense in the NFL.
2.Randall Cobb (Wide Receiver): Has scored a touchdown in each of his last 2 games and should be in line for some more big plays this week with the New England defense having to worry about Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.
3.Jason Garrett (Head Coach): Needs to have a good game plan and must be able to make adjustments during the game. Dallas is usually able to overcome coaching mistakes due to their talent on the field but this week could get out of hand early if Garrett is not properly prepared.
Coming Up
The Dallas Cowboys (6-4) will be on the road taking on the New England Patriots (9-1) at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Kickoff is set for 3:25 pm Central Time. The Cowboys are going to have to be at the top of their game if they want to beat the defending Super Bowl champs. Dak Prescott is going to have to be mistake free and keep the #1 offense in the NFL going.
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)
Patriots: Julian Edelman (WR), Tom Brady (QB)
For you gamblers out there, the Cowboys are currently + 6.5 and the over/under is 46. The Cowboys haven't beaten any team with a current record over .500 and I am not sure if they will this week. It is a no play for me but if you have to play, I would lean on the under unless you can get Dallas at +7 or more.
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Feb 28, 2025, 3:51 pm
Now that spring training is officially underway, we're able to make some observations about how the Astros 2025 roster is taking shape.
Houston's starting rotation is basically set, but we got to see Hayden Wesneski make his first start in an Astro uniform. Wesneski pitched two innings against the Mets on Tuesday, allowing one run with three strikeouts.
He's working on a curveball that's a new pitch for his repertoire, and he saw some success with it. Hopefully, adding this pitch will help keep batters off balance (especially left-handed hitters) and help elevate his game. Which is nothing new for the Astros, who have a history of helping pitchers get to the next level.
Forrest Whitley also looked good, pitching a clean inning and finishing off his final hitter with a 97 mph fastball. Whitley finally realizing his potential in the big leagues could be a huge deal for the Astros, as they're looking to lighten the workload for Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader this season.
Hader in particular could benefit from this adjustment, as he was much worse when pitching in non-save situations last season. An easy fix with Hader could be trying to limit his workload to mostly save situations. That way, you get the most out of him and achieve the goal of him pitching less innings this year.
The Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara wrote about Hader's struggles pitching when games were tied or Houston was trailing.
“Hader converted 34 of 38 save chances but faced more batters in non-save situations (142) than in save situations (136), a sharp pivot from his previous few seasons. Opponents slugged .271 against him in save situations and .411 in non-save situations, while his ERA was more than two runs higher (4.98) in the latter.”
And while it's easy to say “suck it up, you're getting paid a fortune to pitch,” if he's not having success in those situations, and you're looking to back off his workload, this seems like an obvious way to pivot. He's under contract for another four seasons, so the Astros are right to want to be careful with him.
Astros plate discipline
Manager Joe Espada has made it very clear that he would like his offense to see more pitches this season. And we're seeing a stark difference in the approaches from the newly acquired players (Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker) and Houston's returning hitters.
Keep in mind, Paredes was first in pitches per plate appearance last season, and Walker was 10th.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Paredes and Walker both worked a full count in their first at-bats on Tuesday, while Mauricio Dubon, Yainer Diaz, and Chas McCormick swung at every pitch in their first at-bats.
Hopefully the new blood in the clubhouse will rub off on the rest of the Astros lineup, which is full of free swingers, especially with Alex Bregman now playing for Boston.
Which is why we're so excited about Cam Smith's early results. While we're super pumped about his two home runs on Tuesday, we're equally impressed that he walked in his first two at-bats this spring. If anyone would naturally be jumping out of their shoes to make a strong first impression, you would think it's the guy that was traded for Kyle Tucker. But Smith was patient, and he was rewarded for it.
What is Dana Brown saying privately?
Just last offseason, Brown was talking about extending Tucker and Bregman while also signing Hader to a shocking 5-year, $95 million deal. Plus, the team signed Jose Altuve to a whopping $150 million extension. Fast-forward one year and Tucker has been traded, Bregman left in free agency, and Ryan Pressly was dealt in a salary dump. Safe to say, his vision for the ball club has changed drastically in one season. Welcome to baseball economics under Jim Crane!
We're just scratching the surface on everything covered in the video above. Be sure to hit play to watch the full conversation!
The countdown to Opening Day is on. 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. Click here to catch!
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