The Cowboys Report
Cowboys win 2 in a row; playoff matchup with Seahawks up next
Jan 3, 2019, 8:27 am
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are in the playoffs. Tim Warner/Getty Images
The Dallas Cowboys (10-6) beat their divisional rival New York Giants (5-11) in a close game on Sunday by the score of 36-35. Even though the Cowboys couldn't improve their playoff position they played hard the entire game and came away with a last minute come-from-behind win.
Dallas sat several key players like the NFL's leading rusher Ezekiel Elliott, offensive lineman Zach Martin, and Tyron Smith (OL), which opened the door for other players to show off their talent. Despite Zeke sitting out the game, he still wound up winning the rushing title with 1,434 yards. Rookie Saquon Barkley ended up second with 1,307 yards and Todd Gurley was third with 1,251 yards as he also sat out his game on Sunday.
Quarterback Dak Prescott played the entire game and ended up going 27 of 44 for 387 yards, 4 touchdowns, and NO turnovers. With Elliott out of the game, the Cowboys were relying on back up running back Rod Smith to carry the load.That did not work well, which led to Prescott throwing the ball over 40 times.He connected with nine different players, most notably tight end Blake Jarwin who caught seven balls for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Jarwin has come on as of late as he has taken over for the injured starting tight end Geoff Swaim. He has had 20 catches over the last four games for a little over 300 yards.
Once again, the Cowboys defense was great. They held to Giants to seven points in the first half before they put it in cruise mode. They caused two turnovers and one sack. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch led the team in tackles again with nine (three solo) but left the game early in the fourth quarter with a lower leg injury and luckily has turned out to be a shin bruise.
With Dallas locked into the four seed, they will be hosting the five seed Seattle Seahawks this weekend. If the Cowboys win, their next game all depends on what happens in the Eagles vs Bears game. If the Bears win, Dallas will be heading to New Orleans to play the Saints in the divisional round. If the Eagles win, Dallas will be going to Los Angeles to play the Rams.
3 Players to Watch
1.Ezekiel Elliott (Running back): The NFL's 2018 rushing title winner has a semi-favorable matchup this week. Seattle is the 13th best rushing defense and Zeke could exploit that if the Cowboys can get him the ball on good play calls.
2.Leighton Vander Esch (Linebacker): Finished the season as the NFL's third leading tackler with 140. He is going to have his hands full this week as he will be going against Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson and the No. 1 rushing offense in the league.
3.Blake Jarwin (Tight end): This second year player out of Oklahoma State seems to have good chemistry with Prescott and looks to be his security blanket. He has been the Cowboys leading pass catcher in two of the last three games and could be in for another big day as he goes against Seattle's 17th ranked passing defense.
The Cowboys (10-6) will be hosting the Seattle Seahawks (10-6) on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX (AKA:Jerry's World). Kickoff is set for 7:15 pm Central time and looks to be one of the better games of the weekend. Both teams play the same type of style, they both are run heavy offenses that occasionally take deep shots down the field on play action fakes and rely on the defenses to keep them in games.This game is going to come down to whichever quarterback plays best and doesn't turn the ball over.
For you gamblers out there, the Cowboys are -2.5 and the over/under is 43.5. With the Cowboys being 7-1 at home this season and Seattle usually not being as good on the road as they are at home, I would play Dallas at any number 3 or under.
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!
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