The Cowboys travel to Carolina this week to face a Panthers squad that has been much more competitive lately, including narrow losses to the Chiefs and Eagles.
Dallas had a shot to win three straight games but fell short against the Bengals in dramatic fashion yet again.
The Cowboys will try to get back on track with another road game, where they are 4-2 away from home. Here are the 10 big storylines for the week, with five for the Panthers and five for the Cowboys.
Panthers
The record doesn't exactly show it, but the Panthers are certainly playing better football here in the last few weeks. At 3-10 overall, Carolina is tied for the second-worst record in the NFL. But after a 1-7 start where the average margin of victory was 21.8 points per game, the Panthers are 2-3 in the last five games, with a margin of victory at just 3.2 points.
After winning two straight games over the Saints and Giants before the bye week, Carolina has lost three straight, but a three-point loss to the Chiefs at the end, then a 26-23 overtime loss to the Bucs, before losing on the road to the Eagles, 22-16.
Bryce Young is now back as the starting quarterback for the Panthers and starting to show signs why he was picked No. 1 overall in 2023. Young had just a 49.5 QB rating in his first two starts with no TD passes and three picks. Since he's back as the starter, Young has a 81.2 QB rating with seven TD passes and four picks.
Chuba Hubbard eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the Panthers and he's proving to be a tough back to bring to the ground. Hubbard has forced 48 missed tackles this year, including a career-high 10 missed tackles last week against the Eagles.
The Panthers are last in the NFL in points allowed this year, averaging 29.8 points per game. The Cowboys are right in front of them, ranked 31st in the league, allowing 28.2 points per game.
Cowboys
The Cowboys saw their chances for a three-game win streak end in heartbreaking fashion Monday night. The Bengals scored in the final minute for a 27-20 victory, but needed a break the Cowboys gave them when Amari Oruwariye mishandled a blocked punt that gave the Bengals a possession instead of the Cowboys, who had a chance to get the ball for a game-winning field goal. The loss drops the Cowboys to 5-8 and decreased any chances of them making a run to the playoffs.
It appears the Cowboys are still sticking with Cooper Rush as the starting quarterback. While we might see more of backup Trey Lance in spot duty and occasional situations to use his running ability, Rush will get his sixth start of the season against the Panthers.
The injury bug won't stop for the Cowboys, and now it might be dipping into the 2025 season. DeMarvion Overshown suffered a three-ligament tear in his knee and is not only done for the season but the timetable for his return could affect his chances of playing a full season in 2025.
Despite injuries to the offensive line that have included Zack Martin out for the season, Tyler Guyton missing some time and now Cooper Beebe (concussion) potentially missing this week, the running game has improved lately. Rico Dowdle has back-to-back 100-yard games, including a career-high 131 last week against the Bengals. Dowdle needs 269 yards over the last four games to get 1,000 yards.
With the Cowboys now all but out of the playoff race, it could be time to see even more of the younger players. One of them would be wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, who has been a regular in the offensive rotation at receiver. Mingo was acquired from Carolina in a trade back in November. This will be his first game back to face the Panthers, who drafted him in the second round of the 2023 draft.
