Cowboys legend DeMarcus Ware always had an incredible first step. Now he’s just one step away from Canton. Ware was named one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. The news comes as several current Dallas defenders look to make some long-lasting waves of their own. Micah Parsons claimed his second straight Defensive Rookie of the Month award and is within sight of the league’s single-season sack record; Trevon Diggs is closing in on a 40-year-old franchise interception record. Together, their stats have made the Cowboys defense the first team in history to hit a special benchmark.
Elsewhere, the Cowboys get a cornerback off the COVID list, while another defender misses practice ahead of Sunday’s game. Ezekiel Elliott has encouraging news on his knee, and Mike McCarthy is going to the tape (and stopwatch) to show how dangerous Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray can be… even if his Arizona team is mired in a slump that continues a troubling trend for Kliff Kingsbury. We’re checking grades and snap counts from Sunday’s big win and adding up all the little things that have contributed to the massive turnaround in Dallas. All that, plus recognizing the job Mike McCarthy has done, summing up 2021 in one word, and reliving some of John Madden’s most memorable Cowboys calls. Here’s the News and Notes.