Dallas, TX
Cowboys at Commanders: The good, the bad, and the ugly from the regular-season finale
It started off a little shaky, but the Dallas Cowboys were able to take care of business in the regular-season finale with a 38-10 victory over their division rival, the Washington Commanders. They will now set their sights on the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy’s former team, when they host them next week at AT&T Stadium in the playoffs.
Before we shift our focus on to the playoffs and the Green Bay Packers, let’s take a look back at the Week 18 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders and identify the good, the bad, and the ugly from this game. Who knows? Maybe we can even learn something from it.
THE GOOD – Tony Pollard
CeeDee Lamb being CeeDee Lamb is no doubt one of the bright spots from the Dallas Cowboys regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders, however, it was really good to see Tony Pollard ball out and return to his pre-injury form just in time for the postseason. He finished the night with 17 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, and in so doing, hit the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season in a row. This was quite possibly the best he’s looked all season as both a runner, receiver, and even as a pass protector. If he can carry this over into the playoffs Dallas’ offense could be close to unstoppable.
Tony Pollard also eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in 2023. He’s the sixth running back in team history to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, joining Calvin Hill, Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith, DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott.
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) January 7, 2024
THE BAD – Stephon Gilmore’s injury
In an ideal world the Dallas Cowboys would’ve walked away from FedEx Field with the victory and absolutely zero injuries. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Stephon Gilmore exited the game early with a shoulder injury in the second quarter and didn’t return at any point in the second half. As players go, if he’s unable to play next week in the playoffs or if he’s limited, that’s a significant blow to the Cowboys secondary. He’s been a godsend for Dallas’ secondary after Trevon Diggs’ season-ending injury and will be needed just as much, if not more so, in the postseason. Luckily, it’s looking not too serious.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on CB Stephon Gilmore (shoulder): “He told me he was fine and he’d be ready to go.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 8, 2024
THE UGLY – Brandon Aubrey
Having his first FG attempt blocked and his next “doink” off the upright, Brandon Aubrey was suddenly giving Dallas Cowboys fans Brent Maher vibes after being automatic all season on field goals. Fortunately he was able to redeem himself by splitting the uprights right down the middle on his next and final attempt from 50 yards. The thought of entering the postseason once again with a liability at kicker is not something any of us wanted to see. Fortunately, he closed out the regular-season on a high note and looked unfazed by his previous misses. Chalk it up to nerves or whatever you want, but there’s no need to worry.
THANK YOU … BRANDON AUBREY NAILS IT FROM 50. BACK IN THE SADDLE. HUGE KICK FOR HIS PSYCHE. SLUMP-BUSTER. DEMON-KILLER.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 8, 2024
Dallas, TX
Dallas Cowboys 2026 NFL Draft debate heats up
Jeff Kolb and Sam Gannon welcome Cowboys insiders Clarence Hill (All City Dallas) and Calvin Watkins (Dallas Morning News) for a hilarious breakdown of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Giving insight, arguments, and plenty of laughs as two of the best Dallas Cowboys writers in the business go head-to-head on what Dallas should do next.
Dallas, TX
New video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
Dallas, TX
Dallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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