Cowboys news: Jerry praises McCarthy, Parsons' brother goes off, Ezekiel Elliott history

We are quickly approaching the end of the 2024 regular season with two games left to play. The Dallas Cowboys have scratched and clawed its way back up and are now just one game under .500 after being as many as four games under just over a month ago. Week 17 they’ve got a date in Philadelphia with Eagles and although the postseason is out of reach, the Cowboys can get back to .500 for the first time since Week 6.

However, before that, we’ve got news on Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy, Micah Parsons and more.

Jerry Jones praises Mike McCarthy

Get ready Cowboys fans, because it feels like you’re about to be disappointed. Just when it seemed like head coach Mike McCarthy had come to the end of his rope in Dallas, the team turned things around and began to win. Heading into their Thanksgiving matchup with the New York Giants, Dallas was 3-7 and it looked as if the train had gone completely off track.

McCarthy was coaching without a contract and there was so much uncertainty surrounding his situation coupled with the team’s horrible performance that it felt like he had one foot out of the door already. But low and behold the Cowboys have won four of their last five games and now sit at just one game under .500 at 7-8. They may be eliminated from playoff contention but they could still finish the season with a winning record by taking their final two games of the season.

Because of this Jerry Jones is singing a different tune about his coach and that might be the worst news Cowboys fans have received all year. The Cowboys could end up doing just enough to keep McCarthy around another couple of years with a new extension. What a difference a few weeks makes.

"Proud of those guys. They wouldn't give it up out there. So I'm real, real proud of them," Jones said after the 26-24 victory Sunday night. "And Mike McCarthy, he just won't let them not think they're playing for the Super Bowl out there. He won't let them do it. So proud of that."

Talking too much seems to run in the Parsons family

Whenever family members insert themselves into locker room matters it’s never a positive experience. Most times family members of pro athletes should sit back and be spectators but far too many times we see them take to social media to voice their opinions on things they shouldn’t.

It’s not that they can’t have an opinion, but many times these family members want to interject in situations involving their loved one and a teammate. That’s where this becomes irritating. Enter the Parsons family.

That’s right, not only is Micah Parsons a talker, so is his brother. Terrence Parsons Jr. just couldn’t help himself when the opportunity came up to blast Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott as if Dallas hasn’t had enough problems this season.

"I wish Dak trusted CeeDee more fr like just give it to him," wrote Terrence Parsons Jr. on X. "Cooper Rush understands that, (Tony) Romo, he understood that (expletive) too lol. CeeDee should be (a) 140-catch guy. He’s that dynamic. You see the (expletive)."

Ezekiel Elliott closing in on history

This has not been the most productive year for Ezekiel Elliott. In fact, 2024 has been the least productive we’ve ever seen Elliott but Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay was special. Simply winning a game in the NFL is quite the feat but Elliott came one step closer to Cowboys history with his 1-yard touchdown scamper Sunday night.

That TD was the 71st of Elliott’s Cowboys career and pulled him to within one of tying all-time great, Tony Dorsett. While Elliott will never catch Emmitt Smith at this point (153), passing Dorsett before season’s end would be a wonderful way to end an otherwise letdown of a season.

Elliott has two games left to score two TDs and pass Dorsett for second on the Cowboys' all-time rushing list. While it won’t be easy facing Philadelphia and Washington these last two weeks, this should be motivation for the team. Any playoff aspirations went out the window before kickoff on Sunday and Dallas still came out and played like everything was on the line. It’s time to go do it again this week and get Elliott that record as this is likely to be the last time we’ll see him wearing the star on the field.