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Mike McCarthy might not have gotten the Dallas Cowboys over the hump they've been battling for three decades but his offense was highly productive at times.
Take the 2023 NFL season as an example. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb both received All-Pro honors. His quarterback finished second in MVP voting and his wide receiver was in the mix for Offensive Player of the Year.
But one thing McCarthy's offense never did during his five-year tenure in Dallas was produce two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. In fact, the last time that happened for the Cowboys was in 2019 with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, per Blogging the Boys' Editor-in-Chief RJ Ochoa.
There are 7 instances in Dallas Cowboys franchise history of multiple players having 1,000 receiving yards in a season:
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) May 20, 2025
1979: Pearson/Hill
2006: Owens/Glenn
2007: Owens/Witten
2009: Austin/Witten
2010: Austin/Witten
2012: Bryant/Witten
2019: Cooper/Gallup
We will see if CeeDee…
It's safe to say, Brian Schottenheimer's offense is already better positioned to achieve that mark in Year 1 than McCarthy's ever was. That has more to do with the Cowboys wide receiver room than coaching itself, however. Throughout most of Lamb's career in Dallas, there hasn't been a consistent No. 2 wide receiver backing him up.
In 2025, that's changing with the presence of George Pickens, who Lamb sees as more than a No. 2.
"Oh no, we both ones," Lamb said last weekend. "It ain't no A/B, none of that, it's one, you look over there you see one, you look over here, you see another one. So do what you gotta do with that."
In three years at Pittsburgh, Pickens crossed the 1,000-yard mark once (2023). As a rookie, he logged 801 yards and 900 last year. But context is important: Justin Fields, Kenny Pickett, and the 2024 version of Russell Wilson were throwing the ball for those offenses and the overall scheme didn't help him a lot. Not to mention, he didn't receive plenty of relief from the rest of the pass catchers on the team.
In Dallas, Pickens is walking into the best situation he's been a part of at the NFL level. Dak Prescott represents a significant QB upgrade for him and he will have Lamb pulling coverage away, which should help him find one-on-one situations, where he excels at making contested catches.
Multiple 1,000-yard receivers should be expected from the Cowboys in 2025 even if it's Schottenheimer's first season as a head coach and Pickens is the reason why.
More must-reads:
- Bengals' Zac Taylor explains shocking Joe Flacco move for Packers game
- Lions CB Terrion Arnold to return 'sooner than expected'
- The 'Most NFL QB two-rushing-TD games' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Cowboys list 18 players on their injury report but a couple of names steal the spotlight as their return appears very likely
The Dallas Cowboys just revealed their first injury report of Week 6 on Wednesday and it's a long one. The team listed 18 players on it ahead of their matchup against the Carolina Panthers, five of which were non-participants while 10 were limited. The remaining three players on the report were listed as full participants. Two of latter stole the spotlight amid the bitter updates as their "full" participation means they're close to making their 2025 debut very soon: Cornerback Caelen Carson and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. Neither of the them are currently on the 53-man roster but the Cowboys activated their 21-day practice window last week. Carson and Mingo were limited participants in each of last week's practices. To be upgraded to full on the first practice of the week is a promising sign for their chances of playing against the Panthers. The coaching staff would need to open up roster spots to place them on the 53-man roster. Other notes on Cowboys' initial injury report for Week 6 CeeDee Lamb was a non-participant once again as his chances of playing Week 6 remain up in the air. KaVontae Turpin also missed practice and told reporters he wasn't expecting to play. Right guard Tyler Booker also missed practice. The new additions to the non-participants were LB Jack Sanborn (concussion) and S Donovan Wilson (elbow/knee). Safety is starting to look like a serious concern. Malik Hooker was placed on Injured Reserve last weekend and now Wilson missed practice while Juanyeh Thomas popped up on the injury report as a limited participant. Other starters that were limited participants: CB Trevon Diggs, CB DaRon Bland, OT Tyler Guyton, LG Tyler Smith. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer suggested Guyton will start at left tackle if cleared. Thursday's full Cowboys' injury report window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
North Carolina reportedly considering nuclear option with Bill Belichick, and that's justified
Bengals QB Jake Browning angry about being benched for Joe Flacco, but team had no choice
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning has officially been benched, and he is not taking it lightly. Browning has started the last three games for the Bengals in the wake of a toe injury that Joe Burrow suffered in Week 2. After going 0-3 in those games, the Bengals decided to acquire Joe Flacco in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced on Wednesday that Flacco will start in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. That means the new guy is taking Browning's job right away, which is hardly a surprise. Jake Browning is not happy about losing his job Browning spoke with reporters shortly after Taylor revealed that Flacco will start in Green Bay. The 29-year-old quarterback said the situation "sucks" but that he understands how the business of the NFL works. "I think it sucks but, like I said, everyone's in the middle of a season. I think, 'Welcome to pro football,'" Browning said. "If you don't play well, you're gonna get replaced, and that's what I'm going through." Browning also admitted he is angry over being benched. Though, he said he is not willing to shoulder the blame for everything that has gone wrong for Cincinnati since Burrow went down. "For me, I'm trying to respond the right way. Obviously, I'm pi--ed. If I wasn't pi--ed, then I shouldn't be in this locker room," Browning added. "I'm aware of the role I played in the offensive struggles over the last few weeks, but I'm also not shouldering the entire situation. I went through yesterday, watched my throws, tried to come up with some stuff I want to work on, and just doing that." Zac Taylor had no choice but to make a switch Browning threw three interceptions in Cincinnati's 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He completed 26 of 40 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns as well, but anything positive that the veteran did came when the game was essentially out of hand. In his two starts prior to the Lions loss, Browning threw for a total of 265 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Bengals scored 13 points in the two games combined. Ja'Marr Chase looked extremely frustrated at times and even had a heated exchange with Taylor on the sideline. Taylor had been facing tremendous pressure from fans to make a quarterback change. It would not be a surprise if Cincinnati's front office and some players expressed a desire for Browning to be benched, as well.
Is it time for the Chiefs to part ways with Harrison Butker?
For the past eight seasons, Kansas City Chiefs' Harrison Butker has been one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL. According to Pro Football Reference, his career FG percentage (.880) ranks third among active kickers, trailing only Cameron Dicker (.943) and Eddy Piñeiro (.891). In an injury-shortened 2024 season, Butker missed six kicks total (four field goals, two PATs). But after only five games in 2025, he has already missed five (Three field goals, two PATs). What is most unsettling is that every game so far this season has been sullied by some sort of miss or mistake by Butker. For a kicker with his history, this sudden dalliance with inaccuracy is alarming. After a boneheaded out-of-bounds kickoff in Jacksonville that gifted the Jaguars a head start in their game-winning drive, social media was set ablaze by fans trolling Butker for his blunder, with many demanding his dismissal. Chiefs' coaching staff discusses Harrison Butker's struggles But the Kansas City coaching staff seems unfazed. According to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, Chiefs' special teams coach Dave Toub addressed Butker's recent troubles, vowing to work through them. "We're going to keep working...obviously, we don't like misses," he said. "We're going to keep working to see if we can get more consistency. In a little bit of a struggle right now, everybody can see it, but we're going to keep working." Chiefs head coach Andy Reid echoed Toub's point of view, shrugging off Butker's travails with a golf analogy. “Yeah, I think, like any golfer, right? You guys have all golfed, and sometimes you’re hitting it good, and other times it’s off, but you work through it,” Reid explained. “You keep swinging, man. And he’ll do that. He’s a talented kid, tough, mentally tough. I’m not really worried about him.” To be fair, Butker has not yet missed a kick that has cost the Chiefs a game, at least not directly, so unless (or until) that happens, and with votes of confidence from coaches Toub and Reid, his status as the Chiefs' placekicker appears to be safe, at least for now. With 12 regular-season games remaining, he will likely have multiple opportunities to redeem himself and prove that this rough patch is an anomaly, rather than evidence of an irreversible decline. For their part, Chiefs Kingdom will just have to be patient and see how the season plays out.
LeBron James & Steve Nash Send Strong Message to Adam Silver Over Long-Standing Kawhi Leonard Issue
Steelers Worked Out Two Linebackers, Including Isaiah Simmons
The Pittsburgh Steelers tried out two linebackers, including Michael Barrett and Isaiah Simmons, per the NFL Transactions wire. Simmons, 27, was a two-year starter at Clemson and won the Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker in 2019. The Cardinals used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 draft on him. Simmons signed a four-year, $20,664,055 rookie contract that includes a $12,588,404 signing bonus. Arizona wound up trading him to the Giants in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick. He was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent after the Cardinals declined his fifth-year option in May 2023, and he opted to remain in New York on a one-year deal. Simmons then signed with Green Bay this offseason but cut him loose at the end of August. In 2024, Simmons appeared in all 17 games for the Giants and made one start. He recorded 21 tackles and one forced fumble.
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