Dallas Cowboys: Amari Cooper fires back at critics of Dak Prescott

In a turn of events from last season, the Dallas Cowboys defense has been the one winning games. It’s been a struggle for quarterback Dak Prescott and the offense, barely getting through the past two weeks.

Much of the blame has been put on Prescott, who has not been the same since injuring his calf. Wide receiver Amari Cooper came to his defense, saying everybody on the team needs to step up.

“That’s typically how it works,” Cooper said. “When we’re doing good, he gets all the praise. When we’re doing bad, he gets all the blame. At the end of the day, it’s a team game, no matter which way you swing it.”

Prescott has thrown five interceptions over the past four games and at times, has not looked like his normal self when making routine throws. Not having a mix of Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup has not helped. Both running backs in Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard have been banged up as well.

However, the New York Giants are next up on the schedule, a team Prescott has traditionally played well against. The entire offense, not just the quarterback, will need to get back on track as the playoff race begins to heat up.

Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker signed by New York Giants

The New York Giants have signed former Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith to their practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Dallas released the former second-round pick on Oct. 5.

After his release, he briefly played with the Packers this season, appearing in two games and recording one tackle. Ultimately, they too released him on Nov. 2.

A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Smith spent his collegiate career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was a standout linebacker for the team, winning the Butkus Award in 2015. He recorded 115 tackles (nine for loss), five passes defended and two fumble recoveries as a junior before declaring for the 2016 draft.

Smith spent the first four years of his career in Dallas, quickly making a name for himself. He started every game from 2018-20 and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2019. However, he fell behind on the depth chart in 2021, starting just two of the six games he played with the Cowboys.

The signing of Smith comes with the Giants placing linebackers Oshane Ximines and Trent Harris on the COVID-19 reserves list. Additionally, New York has four linebackers on injured reserve.

Given how thin the Giants are at the position group, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the former Cowboys linebacker play this week.