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2023 Cowboys rookie report: Jalen Brooks has highlight catch on Thanksgiving
The Cowboys had a very happy Thanksgiving as they rolled the Commanders in a 45-10 victory. There’s a pretty long list of players who had a great game in this one, and a few rookies found their way onto that list. Let’s take a look.
iDL Mazi Smith
The Commanders are a fairly pass-heavy offense, and they were especially inclined to throw it around with a large deficit for much of this game. Despite this, the Cowboys kept Mazi Smith to his usual workload, as the rookie saw 20 defensive snaps on the day.
That meant Smith saw more exposure in the pass rush game than he has all year, and he looked good in those reps. He finished with two pressures on seven true pass sets, a strong figure for the rookie. He also made a tackle in run defense, though Smith only played on eight run defense snaps in the game. This was an encouraging sign for Smith’s development as a pass rusher, an area where Cowboys coaches felt he had untapped potential coming into the NFL.
TE Luke Schoonmaker
Luke Schoonmaker put up another quietly productive day at the office, playing on 22 offensive snaps with 18 of them coming as a blocker. On his four routes run, though, Schoonmaker saw two targets.
The first was a catch that saw the tight end break two tackles as he powered forward for a first down; in total, he picked up 12 yards, with half of that coming after the catch. His second target fell incomplete, but it was a rare poor throw from an off-balance, under pressure Dak Prescott. Schoonmaker nearly came up with it anyway, but it would’ve been a difficult catch given the angle it was thrown.
Schoonmaker was credited with a drop for the play, though it’s hard to really fault him for this one. Overall, this was another solid performance for the tight end, who’s been getting more confident as his role expands in this offense.
LB DeMarvion Overshown
DeMarvion Overshown tore his ACL in the preseason and is on the injured reserve for the year.
EDGE Viliami Fehoko
Viliami Fehoko is on the injured reserve.
OL Asim Richards
Asim Richards was inactive for this game.
CB Eric Scott Jr.
Eric Scott Jr. was inactive for this game.
RB Deuce Vaughn
Deuce Vaughn was inactive for this game.
WR Jalen Brooks
Jalen Brooks has been gradually seeing more involvement this season. He went from being a frequent inactive to playing on special teams and, most recently, even seeing work on offense. He had four catches against the Giants in Week 9, but he put up the longest catch of his young career on Thanksgiving. The strangest part: he did it without even being the target.
Cowboys rookie Jalen Brooks comes up big on the tip for the crazy catch.
The seventh-round pick out of South Carolina had four catches last week and now does this on Thanksgiving. pic.twitter.com/BivB26nrLj
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) November 23, 2023
The heads-up play from Brooks to catch the tipped pass gained 24 total yards and set the Cowboys up for a touchdown right before halftime. That, along with the stellar special teams work he’s been putting up, is only going to result in more snaps for Brooks moving forward.
G T.J. Bass
In a bit of a surprise move, the Cowboys didn’t pull their starters in this one despite the huge lead. That meant T.J. Bass was relegated to just blocking on Brandon Aubrey’s six kicks for the day.
FB Hunter Luepke
It was more of the same for Hunter Luepke, seeing just four snaps on offense with all of them coming at fullback. Luepke also remained busy on special teams, with 15 snaps there.
K Brandon Aubrey
Brandon Aubrey has proven that he’s automatic on field goals, as the rookie kicker drilled his only attempt of the night from 52 yards out. Someone might need to tell him that he’s kicking a field goal on extra points, though, as Aubrey missed a PAT for the second straight week.
LB Tyrus Wheat
Tyrus Wheat continues to be a core piece of this special teams group, playing on 15 snaps there and often getting featured on punt coverage groups. Wheat also saw three snaps on defense late in the game, and he managed to record a tackle in his brief work.
The Dallas Stars looked poised for a chance at the Stanley Cup as they head into the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers. Despite being the favorites, the Stars sealed just one win as the Oilers won the series in five games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Not only did the Stars fall apart in the series, but head coach Peter also DeBoer may have put himself in hot water with the rest of the organization. DeBoer pulled star goalie Jake Oettinger early and in embarrassing fashion in the deciding Game 5, a move that likely put a damper on morale.
Following the game, DeBoer defended his move by saying Oettinger had a track record of struggling against the Oilers. DeBoer later referenced a conversation he and the coaching staff had about possibly not starting Oettinger in Game 4 thanks to an illness.
Between the awkward pulling in Game 5 and standing his ground on his decision, Stars players are not happy with DeBoer. According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, players voiced their concerns during exit interviews.
“Noise out of Dallas re: Pete DeBoer,” Pagnotta said in a tweet. “Per multiple sources, players are not pleased with how he handled several situations during the WCF, along with post Gm5 & exit media remarks. Told players voiced concerns during internal exit interviews.”
Pagnotta also mentioned that DeBoer only has one year left on his contract. With just one year left, the chances of a head coach firing are much more likely. If not a firing, talks of a contract extension are almost surely not happening.
Head coaching searches have been taking place with numerous teams across the league. The Stars would be very late to the part if they decided to part ways with DeBoer right now, with most of the big names already being scooped up.
The Stars have a good team, three straight trips to the Western Conference Final is nothing to scoff at, but they need more. The players know their roles but don’t seem to be speaking highly of their bench boss.
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The Dallas Cowboys offense will be looking to make a statement this upcoming season, after injuries stole what could have been a potential great season in 2024.
The front office has made some moves in the offseason and in the 2025 NFL Draft that should give the unit a lot of confidence heading into a new year, including the biggest move of adding wide receiver George Pickens after a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, what role can returning players expect in the offense during the upcoming NFL campaign?
MORE: Future HOFer rips Cowboys for ‘ one of worst offseasons of all-time’
Tommy Yarrish of the Dallas Cowboys’ official website feels that running back Hunter Luepke could play a pivotal role in 2025.
“The Swiss army knife that is Hunter Luepke can serve in a lot of different roles for the Cowboys’ offense, and that’s been on display early in OTAs and his overall time in Dallas. He’s played running back, fullback and tight end along with special teams,” he wrote. “So, which spot does he settle into the best? Is it all of the above, or does Brian Schottenheimer find a permanent home and role for him in his offense?
“The good news for Luepke and the Cowboys is he can do a lot, and with an emphasis on wanting to run the football his ability as a blocker or short down back gives him a versatile skill set that can be used in-line as a tight end or as a fullback.”
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Luepke could become a do it all player for the franchise, that could be the Achilles heel for any defense the Cowboys face.
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