ARLINGTON, Texas – Sometimes it's not an excuse, but the reason.
A good friend of mine uses that saying a lot, and I'm borrowing it for this purpose.
Because as much as the Cowboys' injuries get dismissed from the fans, critics or whoever else wants to tell us that everyone in the NFL is dealing with it, I think it's safe to say the injuries are one reason – not all of them – but one of the biggest reasons why this team is sitting here at Thanksgiving with a 5-7 record.
Again, it's not just that. The Cowboys struggled early in the season when most of the team was healthy. And you can always place some blame on the front office, coaches, etc. for not having enough depth to counter these injuries. But nonetheless, the Cowboys are showing us right here and now what this team could be when the dudes start coming back.
And they weren't all back for Thursday's game with the Giants, but they're getting there. And it shows. The Cowboys are playing much better football right now, although it seriously might be too little too late.
We'll see about that. And no, I'm not suggesting that a 27-20 win over the 2-10 Giants and their third-string quarterback (who is probably better than anyone they've used this year) means the Cowboys have turned the corner.
But what it shows me is the talent is definitely here to beat teams they are clearly better than.
Yes, they were definitely better than the Giants here Thursday and won this game that didn't feel as close as the final score. Then again, the Week 4 win up in the Meadowlands was the same way, and the Cowboys won by five.
I'll say this – and I don't care about the records – the Cowboys are better than the Commanders. Or at least they were last Sunday. The Cowboys were the better team that day and deserved to win like they did.
That's all I'm saying. Get some of these players back, and the Cowboys should be winning over Washington, the Giants, and maybe even the next three games. We'll find out how they stack up against Cincinnati, who is arguably the best quarterback they'll see all season long on the 2024 schedule, coupled by the best receiver as well in Burrow & Chase.
But hey, that game is 11 days away. We're not going there yet. Let's focus on this Thanksgiving Day clash where the Cowboys showed us what it looks like when they get key players back on the field.
We saw it three weeks ago when Micah Parsons returned – and the Cowboys looked appreciably better on defense. He's been back for four games now and has 5.5 sacks in that time. He had one sack in the first four games before his ankle injury.
And when Parsons is rolling like he is, the others feast as well. I don't think it's a coincidence that DeMarvion Overshown is playing lights out here in the last few games with Parsons back. Osa Odighizuwa has quietly put together a really nice season and will likely get a huge payday next year in free agency. Not sure if the Cowboys can keep him, but they should try.
Anyways, Micah being back has given the Cowboys like four to five better players on the field.
It's not just Parsons. The Cowboys welcomed Brandin Cooks back to the lineup for the first time since that Week 4 Giants game, and his presence was felt, too.
He caught just three passes for 16 yards, but two of them were huge. One scored a much-needed offensive touchdown on third down to give the Cowboys a 10-point lead. The last catch was a diving grab for a first down that iced the game.
Those two plays are the types of plays the Cowboys have missed this year. Sure, CeeDee Lamb has been carrying the passing game, but he struggled on Thursday, not only with two drops but also leaving the game with a shoulder injury.
The Cowboys need another veteran like Cooks to do what he did. He'll get more than three catches in a game moving forward, but what a great start.
Let's keep moving on with the guys returning. Last week it was DaRon Bland, and wasn't that great timing, considering Trevon Diggs has missed the last two with injury.
Wait, Diggs and Bland both know this isn't tag-team wrestling, right? They don't have to tag in and tag out. They can be on the field together. Diggs and Bland have not played a single game together this year. But the way the cornerbacks have been dropping like flies, you wonder if it will ever happen. But Bland coming back has given the Cowboys a solid lock-down corner, and if they can ever pair him up with Diggs again, especially with Parsons doing his thing, the defense has a chance to be even better down the stretch.
Back to the offensive line. Tyler Smith returned this week, and the Cowboys had one of their best rushing games of the season. Rico Dowdle had a career-high 112 rushing yards, and I don't think it's a coincidence Smith was back in the lineup, since he is one of the strongest players on the team.
The Cowboys have gotten healthier here in the last month – and they're better for it, winning the last two games. They are going to get even healthier here in the next few weeks, and we can only wonder what they will do as we head into December.
When you look back to the first game of the season against the Browns, the Cowboys were relatively healthy, and they dominated a Cleveland team like they should. But of the 22 starters the Cowboys lined up in that game, 13 of them have missed at least one game this year. Of those players, 10 of them have made at least one Pro Bowl.
Again, that sounds like an excuse. But it's more of a reason why this team has struggled. It's not the only reason, but a big one.
And maybe it's just too late to really do something this year. But at least they were able to put together a great showing on Thanksgiving and finally give the home crowd their first win of the season.
If for nothing else, that's something to be thankful for.
