The Dallas Cowboys played their biggest game of the season against Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. Despite a Herculean effort from Dak Prescott and the offense, the game ended where it started: all square, with the teams sharing 40 points on the scoreboard.
With injuries mounting and some more picked up during the game, some role players and backups stepped up in big ways to give the Cowboys chances to win. While a tie might not give this team the satisfaction of showing up Parsons, there are some positives to take away moving forward into Week 5 against the Jets. These players in particular are seeing their stocks rise after this game.
3 Cowboys whose stock is rising after the Packers game
1. Donovan Ezeiruaku
When the team traded Parsons, it opened the door immediately for Ezeiruaku to get more playing time. While he is a rookie, the team has high hopes for him.
Ezeiruaku posted five total tackles and one tackle for a loss. He helped the pass rush come to life at times, but he was particularly impactful against the run, which speaks to his potential. ,
Jadaveon Clowney finally suited up, which gave fans optimism he might make a difference, but the night belonged to Ezeiruaku and James Houston. While the Dallas defense gave up 489 total yards and over 30 points for the third week in a row, the Boston College product might finally be finding his way after a relatively quiet start to his career.
If Ezeiruaku can build off this performance, this pass rush has a chance to improve over time. The struggles on defense are still there, but this is also this team's third coordinator in three years. It was not until late in 2024 that players on defense finally started playing better. Hopefully, Ezeiruaku can continue to stand out and see his stock rise more.
2. Jalen Tolbert
With CeeDee Lamb still set to miss the next few games, other receivers need to step up. Sunday night, this group got some much needed energy from Jalen Tolbert. After struggling the first three games to make any impact, Tolbert was second on the Cowboys in receiving with 61 yards on four catches.
The play everyone will remember is the long catch he made in overtime. A hurried Dak Prescott launched the ball 45 yards on the run, and Tolbert came back to it and somehow got both feet in on one of the best catches so far of the NFL season. For a quarterback, a receiver doing something like that is a big boost.
Tolbert's time with the Cowboys has been up and down. Many hoped he would develop into a consistent No. 2 weapon alongside Lamb. He's shown up in big spots every now and then, but Sunday night's stage was on another level.
George Pickens had arguably his best career game with over 130 receiving yards and two scores. He showed he is capable of sharing more of the load while Lamb is out. Incredibly, Tolbert proved that, too.
While KaVontae Turpin and even Ryan Flournoy made critical plays, Tolbert stepping up Sunday night showed he can take on more responsibility. In a contract year, he needs to keep his stock rising every week if he wants to stay in Dallas.
3. Nathan Thomas
Nathan Thomas was one of the quiet heroes of the game. Unfortunately, the Cowboys suffered another o-line injury in the game, with Tyler Guyton having to leave due to a concussion. His status for the Jets game is up in the air, meaning Thomas could very well start his first game next week.
With Parsons coming back to Dallas and the team missing their starting center and right guard, many expected him to have a career game; he only managed one sack. While it was a potential game-deciding play, backups on the offensive line kept him in check for the majority of the game. That includes Thomas.
Thomas got a lot more action in training camp and preseason when Guyton suffered a knee injury. He might not be Tyron Smith, but he looked like he could fill in if an injury happened. Sunday night, he got his chance and held his own.
When Guyton went down, the protection was still there for Prescott. Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass filled in admirably, too, but the left tackle spot is the most important on the offensive line. Dak was still able to make some big plays in the passing game, and Thomas made some key blocks in the running game as well. With Thomas likely having to play next week if Guyton cannot pass concussion protocol, fans should feel okay about him starting. His stock is rising after this one.