FRISCO — Friday: a big day for those with a hankering for candy, and for an NFL team looking to make some changes.
The Dallas Cowboys had a light walkthrough practice on Friday. The day was mostly about sharpening their mind and resting their bodies. That’s a benefit the Cowboys have because they play on Monday at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer referred to Friday as a bonus day when he spoke about it earlier in the week.
“It’s a big day for us,” Schottenheimer said, “just because, again, you get a chance to hit second, third down, which is the biggest part of the game when you look at it in terms of the number of snaps that happen. Like we’ve talked about, we’re in the midst of some changes that we want to look at, and there’s going to be some things maybe we like more than other things. I think that helps us to get another day to look at it.”
The changes Schottenheimer referred to haven’t been defined, but they do stem from the team’s most recent performance. The Cowboys fell 44-24 in Denver on Sunday to fall to 3-4-1 on the season. The defense is allowing over 31 points per game, ranking them 31st – fittingly – in the NFL.
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Change is needed. Having an extra day for it helps. Schottenheimer also indicated that bigger changes – if deemed necessary – would likely come during the team’s bye week after the Monday game against the Cardinals. The Cowboys will also have a bonus day the following week because they plan on Monday, Nov. 17, in Las Vegas against the Raiders.
“We get a chance after this game to go back and really dive into the first … nine games and find some patterns and maybe find some answers … in some of the areas we need to improve,” Schottenheimer said. “But right now the focus is solely on Arizona.”
The Cowboys are currently 3.5-point favorites over the Cardinals, according to ESPN Bet. That line could shift if the Cardinals don’t start quarterback Kyler Murray, who hasn’t played since Oct. 5 due to a foot injury. The Cowboys have said they plan for Murray to start, but he was also seen by reporters working with second-team receivers during practice on Friday.
If he can’t go then veteran Jacoby Brissett will start for the Cardinals.
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