Will 6-2 Cowboys be active at trade deadline as they enter bye week?

ARLINGTON, Texas – As November beckons, the mind starts to dance to what could be for the Dallas Cowboys.

After the 49-29 win against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Cowboys are 6-2. Only the Philadelphia Eagles have more wins than the Cowboys in the NFC, and they visit AT&T Stadium on Christmas Eve.

The Cowboys’ defense has been the strength, although they allowed more than three touchdowns in a game for the first time and gave up 240 rushing yards to the Bears. The offense finally topped 25 points in a game. Dak Prescott’s passing efficiency reappeared (21-of-27, 250 yards, 2 touchdowns), and the Cowboys still ran for 200 yards without Ezekiel Elliott.

Running back Tony Pollard matched his career highs in carries (14) and yards (131) while rushing for three touchdowns as the Cowboys rested Elliott, who has a hyperextended right knee.

Maybe it’s because Prescott has been through this before that he sounded pragmatic afterward. Last year, the Cowboys were 6-2 after eight games and lost two of three. In 2016, they were 7-1, and despite having the best record in the NFC, lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. The run to the playoffs in 2018 did not start until after a midseason trade for receiver Amari Cooper.

“You got to stay in the moment,” Prescott said. “When you play for this organization, you know what the ultimate goal is, so let’s not be mistaken about that. But, however, you can’t get ahead of yourself, and it’s about taking it one day at a time, one game at a time, one week at a time. And right now, we’re going to go and enjoy this bye week and know we’ve got to take care of ourselves this week. And then after that, get right back to it, put our heads down and grind.”

The feeling in the locker room Sunday was in stark contrast to their feelings after losing the Sept. 11 season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Prescott suffered a fractured right thumb.

“We’re in the mix. And certainly after that first game, you go back to that and you’re thinking, hell, Dak might miss 8-10 games,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “Obviously, this team stepped up and showed a lot of resilience and done everything we’ve asked them to, and we’ve just got to keep playing hard.”

And now it’s time to see what the front office can do by Tuesday’s trade deadline. The last time they made a major in-season trade was when they acquired Cooper from the then-Oakland Raiders for a 2019 first-round pick. He made a major difference, as the Cowboys went from 3-4 at the time of his arrival to 10-6 and an NFC East title.

The Cowboys acquired nose tackle Johnathan Hankins last week from the Raiders and have had discussions with teams about adding a wide receiver.

“I think it all has to be the right move,” Jones said. “… If we can make ’em, we’ll make ’em. If not …”

The Cowboys have won six games without Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith. They went 4-1 without Prescott. They beat the Bears without Elliott. They have had to deal with injuries to safeties Jayron Kearse (knee) and Malik Hooker (hamstring), cornerback Jourdan Lewis (foot), wide receiver Noah Brown (foot), linebacker Anthony Barr and even their long-snapper, Jake McQuaide (triceps) and succeeded.

“I mean, we’re comfortable,” Jones said. “Obviously, everybody wants to point to the receiving corps, but we like that group there. Noah will be back. We got, of course, James [Washington; on injured reserve, close to returning], and just see what happens. And then there’s some guys that don’t belong to anybody that are out there.”

Was that a hint at free-agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in the Super Bowl?

“I didn’t say that,” Jones said.

Whether the Cowboys make a sizable trade — or add a free agent — doesn’t change coach Mike McCarthy’s approach. He reminded players to be safe during the bye week and said the third quarter of the season starts when they get back to work on Nov. 7.

On Monday, the players will go through what he calls an “across the hall” breakdown, when the defensive coaches meet with the offensive players and the offensive coaches meet with the defensive players to discuss how to break tendencies in their games.

“September football is what it is; teams are just trying to get going. October football is when teams start to separate a little bit, and what you do well and what you don’t do so well is fairly evident to everybody,” McCarthy said. “So that’s really where my mind is at …. You got to know who you are and know how they are going to come at you.”

And teams will be coming for the Cowboys. Four remaining opponents have winning streaks of at least three games at the moment: Minnesota Vikings (five), Philadelphia (seven), Tennessee Titans (five) and Washington Commanders (three).

Their next game, against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Nov. 13, will be emotional, as it is McCarthy’s return to Green Bay against the team he used to coach. They also host the Giants on Thanksgiving, and while they beat them at MetLife Stadium in September, their NFC East rivals are also 6-2.

“We’ve had a good start to the season, but the real football starts in November and December,” All-Pro right guard Zack Martin said. “It’s great that we get the week off to get our bodies right, and we hit the ground running for big-time football heading down the stretch.”