Where do the 3-3 Cowboys stand as they exit their bye week? – Todd Archer, ESPN

The Cowboys didn’t shuffle the roster at all over the bye, leaving just on-field adjustments against the 49ers as the last thing they can do to show hope for the season.

Despite the collective bargaining agreement saying players must have four consecutive days off during the bye week, the Cowboys took six. At 3-3 and left dispirited after the Lions’ loss, maybe getting completely away from things was the better call than one or two practices.

But the season hangs in the balance as the Cowboys return to play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium Sunday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).

Entering Week 7, the Cowboys did not have better than a 43% chance of winning any of their next five games, according to ESPN Analytics.

The Niners, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders are a combined 21-13, and San Francisco — yes, San Francisco — is the only team below .500 (3-4).

The Texans and Commanders lead their divisions. The Eagles and Falcons are in second in their divisions. Three of those five are away from home, though that may be a good thing since the Cowboys’ three wins gave been away from AT&T Stadium. Two are at home against the Eagles and Texans.

A week ago, coach Mike McCarthy’s news conference was delayed by nearly two hours. He had a full player meeting and then met with the leadership council (a select group of veterans designed to keep the pulse of the locker room), which ran long. From there he had to go to personnel meetings.

McCarthy’s message to the players: “A number of things. Obviously, I addressed the performance [versus Detroit]. Just the things, really the basics. … We cannot function where we are as far as the number of giveaways and lack of takeaways. … Just kept it about the things we did do, didn’t do and make sure the direction was clear.”

Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons’ status ‘up in the air’ for Sunday night against 49ers – RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys

The Cowboys defense sorely misses Micah Parsons right now.

While Parsons is eligible to play for Dallas on Sunday night, the other Cowboys pass rushers who are out at the moment – DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland and Sam Williams – are not as they on injured reserve (Williams won’t return this season). If there is any kind of reinforcement coming, it will be Parsons. Given that he is the best pass rusher on the team the situation could certainly be worse.

One has to wonder if the Cowboys did not sit Parsons through the bye week with his high ankle sprain in hopes that he could return for this specific game. While the Cowboys feel rather down at the moment, the season is a marathon so ensuring that he is back in time to help the overall cause is more important than beating a rival that has owned the team as mentioned.

Updates: Bland’s chances of returning vs. 49ers – Staff, DallasCowboys.com

With the 49ers depleted at the skill positions, this might be an ideal week for DaRon Bland to return to the Cowboys secondary.

While it seemed DaRon Bland was ready to return to action last week, the cornerback suffered a minor setback in his rehab of a stress fracture in his foot.

While he was held out of the game against the Lions, Bland could be ready for his 2024 season debut this Sunday against the 49ers.

However, head coach Mike McCarthy was non-committal on Bland’s return, as well as linebacker Eric Kendricks (shoulder/calf), stating it was to early in the week to see if they’ll be ready to play.

Bland has been on IR since the start of the season but the Cowboys opened his 21-day window on Oct. 9, suggesting Bland will make a return sooner than later.

On the flip side, the 49ers could be without star receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who suffered a knee injury on Sunday against the Chiefs.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk out for rest of 2024 season after suffering torn ACL, MCL vs. Chiefs – Nick Shook, NFL.com

The Cowboys will have one less weapon in Kyle Shanahan’s offense to worry about on Sunday night.

An MRI confirmed the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Sunday’s 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan later confirmed the the extent of Aiyuk’s injury to reporters.

Aiyuk went down with the injury in the final minute of the first half when he collided with Chiefs defensive backs Chamarri Conner and Trent McDuffie after catching a 15-yard pass from Brock Purdy. Replays showed Aiyuk’s right leg bending awkwardly upon contact, and Aiyuk remained on the ground for several minutes after the collision, receiving medical attention before being helped to the sideline. He was eventually carted to the locker room.

After initial tests, Aiyuk was ruled out of the remainder of the game in the third quarter. Shanahan told reporters afterward the 49ers were ”worried” Aiyuk suffered an ACL injury, and Monday’s scans confirmed their fears.

McCarthy: Cowboys coaches to focus on one basic thing to help solve team’s issues – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire

The Cowboys are trying to get a ton of young players up to their speed and standard very quickly, in time to save the season.

The team traditionally uses the beginning of the post-bye work week for its “across-the-hall” meetings, where offensive positional groups hear from defensive coaches and vice versa, so that players can hone in on details that their opponents have scouted. And while that will happen again this year, McCarthy says there will be more emphasis on this Cowboys team preparing… as a team.

“We’re doing a little more group-oriented [work], because we feel like we needed to improve the connection and understanding because of our inexperience and youth in some of the areas,” the coach told reporters Monday morning. “More group, as a whole moving forward, we want to do more work there.”

At 3-3, the Cowboys have definitely felt like a splintered bunch. One week, the offense plays well but the defense is atrocious. Or special teams has to bail out the offense over and over due to penalties and red-zone stalls. Linebackers doing too much because of deficiencies on the defensive line. The quarterback having to play hero ball because there is no run game or because receivers can’t get open.

McCarthy suggests that more group work and a more prevalent team-first mindset could go a long way in helping solve all of those issues.

What Dallas has to do over the next 4 weeks to save its season – Richard Paolinelli, Inside The Star

Solving the Cowboys’ run game woes has been a season-long mystery with no end in sight.

Grind It Out

The other two Cowboys’ wins have been close. A five-point win over the Giants and a three-point victory over Pittsburgh.

In both games, the Cowboys put up 20 points while the defense managed to allow just two touchdowns over those eight quarters.

The key might be the running game. In the three wins, Dallas has had 80 yards or more rushing.

In the three losses, they have had 68, 53, and 51 yards on the ground.

If Dalvin Cook is healthy enough, the Cowboys need to bring him up and feed him the ball along with Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott.

Jerry Jones recently said the Cowboys were “saving” Elliott for later in the year. If they don’t start winning games against teams with winning records, there won’t be anything to save him for.

Start pounding the rock and the wins will come.

Also, stop ending drives with field goals.

That’s been an all-too common refrain for Dallas that hearkens back to the Jason Garrett days.

On the flip side, the defense needs to figure out how to stop the run. They’ve been gashed by Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry, and David Montgomery.

Their next four opponents can also run the ball well.