Cowboys news: Getting healthy ahead of the postseason could be exactly what the doctor ordered

Cowboys initial injury report for Buccaneers clash is best news possible - Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat

Getting a few key pieces back in time for the postseason run should pay instant dividends.

The Dallas Cowboys laid an egg in Week 18. There’s no other way to put it. Did they try their hardest to win? Probably not, especially when you consider they attempted a grand total of three (!) play-action passes in the game.

The Cowboys will undoubtedly be sent packing against the Buccaneers if they perform like that again, but it’s fair to assume that wasn’t the real Cowboys. Whether you agree with them going through the motions in their final playoff tune-up, that game was a clear outlier relative to how they’ve played all year.

Getting through the game healthy was the most important thing, after all. With several key players banged up, Dallas could ill-afford another important contributor going down right before the playoffs.

Could you imagine a Micah Parsons, Tony Pollard or Jayron Kearse aggravating their current knocks before the Bucs? No, thank you.

3 Bold Predictions for Cowboys in 2022 NFL Playoff Matchup vs. Buccaneers - Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report

Does Dak Prescott need to have a big game passing in order for the Cowboys to win on Monday night?

The postseason narrative surrounding the Cowboys hasn’t been a good one. Despite plenty of name recognition and hype, they have won just two playoff games in the last decade.

Last year’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers was a painful one. Dak Precott and Co. came into the game as slight favorites only to get bullied by the Niners’ run game in a 23-17 loss.

Here are three bold predictions for what’s going to go down in this wild-card contest.

Dak Prescott Throws for Over 300 Yards

At this point, the Cowboys—and their signal-caller—know they’ve proved they can produce in the regular season. All that matters at this point is that they produce in the playoffs.

Prescott’s performance in a key game against the Eagles, combined with the recent poor performance of the Bucs pass defense against the Panthers, sets up the possibility of a big postseason breakout game for the Mississippi State product.

Fact or Fiction: Jerry Jones will fire every staff member with loss against Tampa - Tony Stahl, Inside The Star

Is there any coach on this staff that is on the hot seat?

I know, sort of a bold statement for a title, but how else was I supposed to grasp the scary truth of what could be? It seems like the tension between this upcoming playoff game and Dallas Cowboys fans is starting to strengthen. Many fans know the history of the Cowboys’ playoff games over the last 20 years, spoiler alert, they lost a lot. With that knowledge, everyone is assuming that this Monday night the Cowboys will meet a similar fate to their past experiences.

However, there’s no denying that Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s job Is on the line with this game. The entire NFL knows that the Dallas Cowboys have one of the most talented teams in the league, but their coaching staff lacks leadership. With a large rumor spreading around the internet right now, people are concerned about what Owner Jerry Jones will do if the Cowboys lose.

Do I think Jerry will fire the entire coaching staff as a result of a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? No, but I do think a lot of big-name coaches will be on the chopping block. For one, Jerry Jones is for sure not going to keep McCarthy around. I don’t care what Jerry said at the beginning of the year about how Mike is the answer to the team, if McCarthy doesn’t come out of this game with a win, he is fired.

Cowboys Concern About Tom Brady’s 7-0 Record? ‘Not at All!’ Say Defensive Leaders - Mike Fisher & Adam Schultz

Beating Tom Brady for the first time in franchise history could be a nice kick start to a long playoff run.

What the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive leaders are now saying about legendary quarterback Tom Brady and his intimidating 7-0 lifetime record vs. “America’s Team’’ is technically true.

Said safety Jayron Kearse, getting cute with the calendar: “It’s 2023. He ain’t beat us this year. That’s all we’re worried about.”

Well, that’s accurate. Brady’s Win No. 7 vs. Dallas came by a score of 19-3 in Week 1 of this season ... but in 2022.

Part of the Dallas locker room’s point: These Cowboys, for better or worse, are not the same as those Cowboys. To wit: Brady’s first win came in 2003, when his Patriots won, 12-0.

Xavier Rhodes blowing Cowboys away at cornerback - Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire

Rhodes could be the veteran presence that is very much needed in the secondary.

Since losing Anthony Brown on December 4, the Cowboys cornerback position across from Trevon Diggs has been in a constant state of flux. From the Kelvin Joseph experiment, to Nahshon Wright, to DeRon Bland, to Trayvon Mullen, Dan Quinn has been searching for answers on the boundary.

The Cowboys have mixed and matched their way through the end of the regular season, testing combinations, roles, and situations. At face value, many seem like terrible ideas. Even DaRon Bland, the Cowboys standout nickel cornerback, is a poor fit outside. Nothing has seemed to work and it’s causing panic in Cowboys Nation among the fans. Dan Quinn, on the other hand, is not so concerned, even stating, “I feel very comfortable where we’re at.” Part of that comfort could be because of the new presence of Xavier Rhodes.

After his release from Buffalo, the Cowboys added 32-year-old cornerback, Xavier Rhodes, on January 7. The former Pro Bowler joined the Dallas practice squad initially but figures to be a legitimate player when the Cowboys take the field in Tampa on Monday night.

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