News: Final injury report released, are Cowboys good enough without Beckham?

As Monday’s meeting with who-know-who approaches, the Cowboys front office may be looking internally for a reference point when it comes to questions about Beckham’s knee. Plus, why Cowboys fans shouldn’t lose sight of the year CeeDee Lamb is having while they pine away for OBJ, and why a look at the stats would seem to indicate that this drawn-out courtship might be something of a waste of time.

Meanwhile, we’re previewing Sunday night’s game: from the updated injury report to the keys to a Dallas win, and why the seemingly lopsided Cowboys/Colts matchup stayed in primetime at all. We’re looking in the secondary at the vast improvement by Trevon Diggs (even if his picks are down) and why Mike McCarthy singled out another DB as the team’s most improved player. All that, plus a look at what point differential tells us is different about this year’s squad, and who’s talking Deion Sanders up as a future NFL head coach. Here’s the News and Notes.

Stephen Jones on not overlooking the Colts, end-of-season goals, OBJ medicals :: 105.3 The Fan

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The team’s COO emphasized the importance of getting a handle on Beckham’s medical status when the two sides meet on Monday. He pointed out that Beckham’s second ACL tear came about six weeks after Michael Gallup’s, giving the Cowboys a possible frame of reference for when Beckham might be similarly ready to contribute on the field.

Do Dallas Cowboys really need Odell Beckham Jr.? Maybe not :: ESPN

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The Cowboys have made it abundantly clear that they want Odell Beckham Jr. But whether they need him is debatable. They’re already No. 1 in offensive points per game, points per drive, and third-down conversion rate. They’re No. 2 in red zone touchdown rate, and Dak has the best completion percentage in the league. Does OBJ really make them exponentially better? That’s the ultimate question.

Unsilenced Lamb; CeeDee's play speaks for itself :: The Mothership

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Despite the clamor to bring Odell Beckham Jr. to Dallas, don’t lose sight of the fact that the team’s WR1 is already having his best season as a pro. Dak Prescott’s five-game absence hurt Lamb’s numbers early, but he’s making up for it now and ranks seventh in the league in receiving yards. With Michael Gallup returning to form, James Washington nearing a return, and possibly a Pro Bowler joining the mix, Lamb will continue to get looks aplenty in a high-powered offense.

Cowboys bug clearing? Colts rule out 2 in final Week 13 injury report :: Cowboys Wire

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DeMarcus Lawrence and Terence Steele will play Sunday, and the five Cowboys who were limited on Friday are all officially questionable, but all are expected to play.

3 Keys to Cowboys, Dak Prescott extending 3 different win streaks :: Cowboys Wire

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Cleaning up penalties and safeguarding against turnovers may be the biggest key to beating a poor Colts team Sunday. But the Cowboys will also have to earn the right to pass rush (by stopping Jonathan Taylor and putting enough points on the board on offense to keep Indy throwing), and then they’ll have to make those pressures pay off with sacks and takeaways.

Mike Tirico pulls back the curtain on ‘Sunday Night Football’ flex scheduling :: SI.com

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The 4-7-1 Colts admittedly aren’t a huge TV draw this year, but the broadcaster says, “You’re never gonna lose a Dallas appearance, right?” when talking about how games at this time of year get flexed in or out of the Sunday primetime slot. “If [Indianapolis] would’ve beaten Pittsburgh, they’d be 2–1 under [interim head coach Jeff] Saturday. That’s a pretty good story. But they lose to Pittsburgh, and here we are. But we’ll still have the Cowboys, so people will still be watching.”

Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs moving beyond reputation of a gambler on defense :: Blogging the Boys

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Depending on who’s counting, Diggs ended 2021 allowing anywhere from 790 to 1,068 yards in coverage. The cornerback decided all those figures were too high and worked on his technique over the offseason. He kept Ja’Marr Chase to 14 yards, Justin Jefferson to 19, and allowed a 0.0 passer rating against Washington. His passes defended are the second-most in the league. His interceptions are way down, but that just means that he’s become a DB that opposing quarterbacks don’t want to even test.

Mike McCarthy names second-year DB 'most improved' Cowboys player of 2022 :: Cowboys Wire

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Drafted as the other South Carolina DB behind Jaycee Horn, Mukuamu has put in the work since arriving in Dallas. While he’s seen most of his defensive snaps filling in for injured starters, he’s making strides of his own and earned a call-out from McCarthy as the most improved Cowboy since last year.

What’s different about these Cowboys? A statistic that meant nothing last year has answers :: Dallas Morning News

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The Cowboys lead the NFC in points differential, having scored 92 more points than their opponents thus far. They led in the category in 2021, too (by a lot more), but most of those landslides came against their weak divisional foes. This year feels different, though, with Dallas owning the top record against teams with winning records and outscoring quality opponents at a rate of more than eight points per hour.

Deion Sanders is capable of being NFL head coach, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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He’s in the running at schools like Colorado, Cincinnati, and South Florida, but Deion Sanders could coach on Sundays if he wanted to, says his former boss. “Deion is very capable of being a head coach in the National Football League,” said Jerry Jones. “It’s a positiveness about him. He has a real understanding of what a player’s mentality can and should be… He’s a great communicator and he’s a real leader of men.”

4 Cowboys prospects to watch in USC-Utah matchup :: Cowboys Wire

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Friday’s Pac-12 championship features more than a few players worth knowing before draft day. Among them are Utah cornerback Clark Phillips and tight end Dalton Kincaid, as well as Trojans Jordan Addison- a wide receiver- and outstanding defensive tackle Tuli Tuipulotu.

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire