]

Mike Zimmer may have unveiled another Cowboys defensive stud in Week 12 win.

The Dallas Cowboys’ thrilling 36-24 win over the Washington Commanders had a little bit of everything, which is ironic because it was a brutal watch for the first three quarters.

On an afternoon littered with special teams miscues, it was fitting that Washington missed the game-tying extra point after Jayden Daniels’ 86-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin with 21 seconds left in regulation. The Cowboys’ defense completely imploded on theTD, but that shouldn’t take away from what was an incredible effort from Mike Zimmer’s unit.

The returns of DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis paid dividends in the secondary, while Micah Parsons, Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith (!!) and Chauncey Golston anchored a fantastic game from the defensive line.

With Bland and Lewis not giving an inch in coverage, Daniels aimed to pick on former undrafted free agent Josh Butler. Making his second start in as many weeks due to injuries, Butler was more than up to the challenge. All he did was turn in one of the best games from a Cowboys UDFA in franchise history.

Mike Zimmer opens up on son's death: NFL firing 'tore him up'

While Butler gave up a lot of catches, he was fantastic in coverage. He broke up three passes and added a team-high 12 tackles and a sack to boot.

The Cowboys announced after the game that Butler’s three pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. The last undrafted Cowboy with three PBUs in a game was Sterling Moore in 2013 against the Packers.

Again, this was Butler’s second career start. He was signed to the active roster before last week’s game against the Texans. His final year at Michigan State was in 2018 and he didn’t play football professionally until 2023 with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League.

Butler’s performance earned him an invite to Cowboys training camp. He has been cut multiple times, but he was signed to the practice squad in August.

Mike Zimmer may have unveiled another Cowboys defensive stud in Week 12 win

With little experience, the Commanders smartly tested Butler to the tune of 12 targets, per Pro Football Focus. We have seen opposing quarterbacks avoid Trevon Diggs and pick on rookie Caelen Carson. The fifth-round pick has allowed chunk play after chunk play and he was benched on Sunday.

Jayden Daniels sought to do the same with Butler.

Bland was hardly heard from all game. It would have been a long afternoon for Zimmer’s defense if Butler wasn’t up to the challenge. Nobody would have batted an eye if the 28-year-old didn’t perform, but he played a prominent role in the team’s best defensive outing of the season.

Butler may need to stack impressive performances before we can say with absolute certainty he deserves a spot on next year’s defense. Given the need for quality depth cornerbacks, though, he may have earned himself another year in the league with Sunday’s display.

Regardless if Diggs is back for Thanksgiving, Butler needs to see significant playing time over the final six games. He might just be the Cowboys’ latest diamond in the rough.

Related Posts

The No Kings movement shocked the world, with more than 2,000 extremely heated protests taking place all over the world. Right in the middle of the storm, Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown made a shocking and controversial move that shook the sports world. Amon-Ra St. Brown just said a sentence…

“No Kings” – The Movement That Shakes the World In less than a week, the “No Kings” movement has exploded globally with more than 2,000 protests taking…

Hollywood goddess Diane Keaton passed away, Tua Tagovailoa posted 3 lines that caused a stir on social networks… chunnem

The entertainment world woke up to devastating news this morning — Hollywood icon Diane Keaton, known for her timeless roles in Annie Hall, The Godfather, and Something’s…

Breaking news: US President imposes taxes, coin market on fire – account wiped out overnight, Jaylen Waddle disappears without a trace, Dolphins community in turmoil over unbelievable news… chunnem

The shockwave hit not only Wall Street but also the sports world. After the U.S. President announced a new wave of economic tariffs against China, global markets…

Breaking News: Ohio State University head coach Ryan Day suddenly released a mysterious conversation 2 days before the conversation with legendary actress Diane Keaton, revealing part of the cause of her death that sent shivers down NCAA fans’ spines….kimhhue

Ohio State University head coach Ryan Day has stunned both the sports and entertainment worlds after releasing details of a mysterious conversation that allegedly took place just…

Report: The NFL is furious and has handed Broncos star Garett Bolles a two-game ban after he publicly praised the “All American Halftime Show” and suggested that singer Taylor Swift would compete in the game to counter the “Latin Music” movement that will spread across America….kimhhue

The NFL has reportedly taken a firm stance against Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles, issuing a two-game suspension following his controversial public remarks about the upcoming…

Breaking: Another familiar defeat – but the scariest thing is happening in the Dolphins locker room…

The Miami Dolphins once again found themselves on the losing end of a close game, falling 29–27 to the Los Angeles Chargers. But while the scoreboard told…