WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY: Cowboys Nuggets

Welcome to WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY, where you can feast on a few nuggets of information as the Cowboys improved to 3-1 on the season. After the Cowboys schooled the master last week, giving Bill Belichick his worst defeat as a head coach, this week they turn their attention to a road game against their most recent nemesis in San Francisco. Here are some thoughts (1,900+ words worth) on Brandon Aubrey’s right leg, the emerging homefield advantage, Mr. September, the 49ers and lots more. Let’s get to it.

WHAT’S UP WITH A HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE?

From the time it opened until Mike McCarthy arrived as head coach in 2020, AT&T Stadium has been far from a place that opponents hated to play.

The Cowboys are currently on a home heater, winning their last 10 straight in Arlington. It is the longest home winning streak for the Cowboys since the 1981 season, when they were in the middle of a franchise best 18-straight victories at old Texas Stadium.

“You have to win at home,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said. “As long as I have been in this league … you have to win your home games. You have to take advantage of this phenomenal crowd and incredible atmosphere. We are very very blessed to have this tremendous fan base. But you have to win your home games.”

From Jean Jones’ art collection to the Sky Mirror to the window glare during afternoon games late in the season (including one glare that cost them in last year’s playoffs), it has been a place that has been more about its features than its football.

The Cowboys lost the opener in the building, a 33-31 loss to the Giants in 2009, and for a long time it was a place where opponents had as much success as the home team.

But McCarthy has changed the football perception at Jerry World.

Since taking over, the Cowboys are 19-8 at home, including a 2-0 to start this season. He is also 0-1 in the playoffs, the only loss coming last season to San Francisco.

In McCarthy’s three completed seasons at the helm in Dallas he has yet to have a losing record, including a 4-4 record in his first season where the Cowboys finished 6-10. Last season, the Cowboys went 8-1.

The Cowboys are now 68-47 at AT&T Stadium in the regular season, and 3-2 in the playoffs.

WHAT’S UP WITH THE JAKE, LUKE, PEYTON & SEAN?

With the departure of Dalton Schultz in the offseason, the Cowboys tight end room lost most of its experience.

But they have found a replacement for his production.

Jake Ferguson has been a primary target for quarterback Dak Prescott, while 2023 draft pick Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot are getting their opportunities.

Ferguson is second on the team in catches with 17 on 25 targets, behind only CeeDee Lamb (23 catches). He’s third in yards receiving, behind Lamb (309) and Michael Gallup (165).

His 77 yards against the Patriots was a career high for the second-year pro.

“Jake has been given a real opportunity to become a complete tight end – the run, the protection and the passing game,” McCarthy said. “He’s always had a knack for yards after the catch. You’re seeing a guy that has paid the price. He has got his weight up from year one to year two. He needs to maintain that and keep it. The tight end position, they do a lot of heavy lifting. They are asked to get in there and compete in the C gap and D gap area. We are also asking more of those guys in protection, as far as assignments there. The passing game, he has a really good feel for man-zone. He is a bright and instinctual football player.”

Schoonmaker has played in all four games but has just one catch, although it was the first touchdown of his career.

Hendershot played in 43-percent of offensive snaps in the first three games of the season, but his spot went to McKeon against the Patriots.

In his first start, McKeon played 18 snaps and had a crucial fumble recovery on KaVontae Turpin’s 46-yard run. That recovery set the Cowboys up at the New England 14, and the ensuing drive ended with a Hunter Luepke 3-yard touchdown run.

WHAT’S UP WITH BRANDON AUBREY’S LEG?

Right now, Aubrey’s right leg is one of the Cowboys best weapons.

Since missing his first attempt of the season, the former soccer player has been automatic. He has connected on 13 of 13 field goals and nine extra points this season.

That is 19-straight kicks made.

The confidence in Aubrey has grown so much over the first few weeks, that McCarthy trotted him out for a 66-yard field goal attempt to end the first half last week against the Patriots. But a false start by Chuma Edoga backed the Cowboys up another five yards and they elected to punt instead.

Had he attempted and made it the 66-yard boot, it would easily be the longest kick in Cowboys history. Currently, the 55-yarder he hit against the Jets is third longest in team history behind 59- and 62-yarders from Brett Maher against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, respectively, in 2018.

Aubrey is the eighth kicker in the history of the NFL to start his career going 13-for-13 on field goals. He is six away from setting the NFL record.

The only kickers that have had better starts to their careers are Greg Zuerlein (15 in 2012), Garrett Hartley (16 in 2008-09), Austin Seibert (16 in 2019), Kai Forbath (17 in 2012), Chandler Catanzaro (17 in 2014) and Travis Coons (18 in 2015).

WHAT’S UP WITH THE INJURIES?

The Cowboys could use some good news on the injury front headed into Sunday night’s matchup against San Francisco.

With Nick Bosa coming for your quarterback, it would be nice to have a healthy Zack Martin, Tyler Biadasz and Tyron Smith going into the game.

After missing the loss in Arizona, both Martin (ankle) and Biadasz (hamstring) returned for Sunday’s win over the Patriots. But before the game ended, Martin exited with a quad injury.

Smith missed his second straight game with a knee injury, which left Chuma Edoga as the Cowboys starting left tackle.

Running back Rico Dowdle exited the New England game early with a hip contusion and didn’t return.

Linebacker Micah Parsons was also bitten by the injury bug against New England when he got stepped on in the first half. But he returned and finished the game.

The Cowboys are optimistic that all four could play on Sunday.

Martin and Dowdle will work with the rehab group today and Thursday, while Parsons will be limited today. While Smith is probably headed for the rehab group, he could still find himself doing limited work in today’s practice. Either one gives him a real chance to play on Sunday in San Francisco. It would be the first time the top line of Smith, Tyler Smith, Biadasz, Martin and Terrence Steele would be starting together.

WHAT’S UP WITH THIS TEAM’S BOUNCE BACK ABILITY?

Since the start of the 2021 season, the Cowboys are the best team in the NFL after a loss.

In the last two years, they have 10 losses and the week after are 9-1.

That begins with the players.

“We have a lot of leadership here,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been impressed with that, especially the last two years. I think we are all on the same page on the process of how we operate. … Our guys do a really good job of not getting too high and not getting too low. That serves you well over a 17-game season.”

The only time they followed up a loss with a loss in the last 38 games came in the 2021 season, when the Cowboys followed up a 19-9 loss at Kansas City with a 36-33 loss in overtime to Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Day.

The Cowboys followed up their most recent loss to Arizona with a win over New England and

WHAT’S UP WITH MR. SEPTEMBER?

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons opened the 2023 season grabbing 10 tackles, including two for loss, along with f 15 quarterback pressures and four sacks – including one against the Giants and Cardinals and two against the Jets.

He added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against the Jets, and because of his game he landed the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.

Because of his great start to the season, Parsons was named the NFC Defensive Players of the Month for September. He is the fourth Cowboys player to win the award in the franchise’s 63-plus years, joining cornerback Trevon Diggs (September 2021), defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (September 2017) and linebacker Sean Lee (October 2013; September 2011).

Parsons is the fifth player to start a season with a three-game sack streak, and the first since Lawrence did it in 2017.

WHAT’S UP IN LAMB’S FIRST 53?

CeeDee Lamb is on pace to become the leading receiver in Cowboys history.

Through the first 53 games of his career, Lamb has the most receptions – 283, ahead of Dez Bryant (252, 2010-13), Herschel Walker (211, 1986-89) and Jason Witten (208, 2003-06). He also owns the most receiving yards – 3,705, for a Cowboys receiver through 53 games.

“I’m not necessarily a one-dimensional receiver,” Lamb said. “I wanna be anywhere, everywhere, lineup and run every route. I feel like the fun in that brings me a lot of matchups in favor of myself.”

When Lamb dropped his 143-yard receiving afternoon against the Jets in Week 2, it was the 11th time he has crossed the 100-yard threshold in the first 53 games of his career. He is just the third Cowboys receiver to do it, coming in only behind Bob Hayes (16 times) and Michael Irvin (12 times).

NEXT OPPONENT: WHAT’S UP WITH SAN FRANCISCO?

Is there a team, not in the NFC East, that Cowboys fans hate more than the 49ers?

I can’t think of one, at least one in the current landscape of the NFL.

They have knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs the last two seasons, not to mention the NFC title game battles in the 1980s and 90s.

“There’s no bitter taste,” Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons said about the matchup. “But this is a top NFC team – I think you put us, Philly and the 49ers. This is a playoff game. This is something you look forward too. Something we are going to get on tape. It’s going to mean a lot.”

These 49ers are one of three unbeaten teams left in the league, with wins over Pittsburgh (30-7), Los Angeles Rams (30-23), New York Giants (30-12) and Arizona (35-16). Their 31.3 points per game is third best in the NFL, behind only Miami (37.5) and Buffalo (34.8) and just in front of Dallas (31.0). Pair that with a defense that is allowing just 14.5 points per game and the Cowboys have a real test on their hands. The 49ers have the running game with Christian McCaffrey and the speed on the outside with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel to give the Cowboys defense problems. Add tight end George Kittle’s hands and his ability be a safety valve for quarterback Brock Purdy, and the Cowboys and Dan Quinn will have their hands full. With the best pass rusher, besides Parsons, in the game, Nick Bosa will be a major problem for the Dallas offense, especially if Tyron Smith is not ready to go at left tackle. This group shut the Cowboys down by stuffing the run and putting pressure on Dak Prescott when they met in last year’s playoffs, the game plan will be much the same in this Week 5 showdown.

“It’s going to be a test,” Parsons said. “It is going to be a battle tested game. It is going to be back and forth. It’s going to go down to the wire. It’s a rivalry at this point. It is super exciting.”