Cowboys difficult to read after Parsons trade overshadows Prescott return, Schottenheimer debut

DALLAS COWBOYS (7-10)

It's tough to tell which direction the Dallas Cowboys are headed under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer after the five-year run with Mike McCarthy ended with a losing record that stopped a three-season streak of 12-win playoff teams. The Cowboys traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay after an offseason full of contract drama. The deal came a week before Dallas opens the NFL season in prime time on a Thursday night at defending champion and NFC East rival Philadelphia. Quarterback Dak Prescott is back after missing half of last season with a torn hamstring that required surgery. Receiver CeeDee Lamb had a full offseason after missing everything a year ago in a contract squabble similar to what led to Parsons' departure this year. If Prescott can find the form of the MVP runner-up in 2023, Schottenheimer might have a chance to shine in his debut after a quarter-century as an NFL assistant. But the Parsons trade could mean that debut is a big dud.

WR George Pickens, G Tyler Booker, QB Joe Milton, RB Miles Sanders, RB Javonte Williams, DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, LB Jack Sanborn, CB Kaiir Elam.

Parsons, CB Jourdan Lewis, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, RB Rico Dowdle, LB Eric Kendricks, QB Cooper Rush, WR Brandin Cooks.

Prescott's health and the addition of Pickens in a trade give the Cowboys a chance to get their passing game back to where it was two years ago, when Prescott had a career-high 36 touchdown passes. With Parsons, the pass rush had a chance to be a strength with Sam Williams back after missing all of last season with a knee injury, Marshawn Kneeland showing promise as a rookie before an injury a year ago and Ezeiruaku getting solid reviews in his first camp. Without Parsons, the pass rush might not be a weakness. But at the moment, it's much more of an unknown.

The offensive line is in a serious state of flux after the retirement of seven-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin in the offseason. Four of the five spots are filled by players with no more than three years of experience. But Dallas has used a ton of draft capital up front. Three of the four relative newcomers are first-round picks named Tyler (Smith, Guyton and Booker). The Cowboys could be in trouble at cornerback if Trevon Diggs doesn't return soon from a knee injury and can't find the All-Pro form of his second year in 2021.

The uncertainty surrounding Parsons dominated the headlines for a month. And now the trade has raised the question of whether the Cowboys even have a chance to contend without the two-time All-Pro and 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Schottenheimer maintained he was confident Parsons would be on the field for the Sept. 4 opener at defending champion Philadelphia. Instead, Parsons should be on the field in Green Bay against Detroit on Sept. 7.

Lamb is the obvious choice since he had a full offseason and training camp for the first time since setting career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns when he was an All-Pro two years ago. Pickens is a sleeper pick since he is now playing in a stable QB situation, which he never had in three seasons with Pittsburgh.

Win Super Bowl: 60-1.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb celebrates a first down as he watches play from the sideline in the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons talks with teammates on the sideline in the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard Rodriguez)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer responds to questions during a news conference after the team's preseason NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard Rodriguez)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott talks with teammates on the sideline in the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

AL HENAKIYAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Ricky Brabec deliberately gave up his motorbike lead over Luciano Benavides in the Dakar Rally while Nasser Al-Attiyah was happy to cruise through another day closer to his sixth car title on Thursday.

Al-Attiyah started 346-kilometer stage 11 between Bisha north to Al Henakiyah with a 12-minute overall lead and let it drop to less than nine minutes over new second-placed driver Nani Roma in a Ford.

Al-Attiyah was content to let Dacia teammate Sébastien Loeb catch up and pass him to have a teammate nearby for any help and to minimize errors on the mazy, dirt track. Al-Attiyah was 17th, nearly 13 minutes behind stage winner Mattias Ekström, and said he needed to execute the same plan on Friday's last effective racing stage before the end on Saturday.

“If we lose two, three, four minutes no problem,” Al-Attiyah said. “We just need to finish this Dakar in first place.”

Honda cooked up a strategy in the Saudi desert for Adrien van Beveren to open the way and let Brabec catch up after the 190-kilometer pit stop and pick up time bonuses.

Brabec boosted his overall lead from 56 seconds to nearly four minutes just 25 kilometers from the finish. He was also within a minute of the stage lead but he slowed down so KTM rival Benavides was the new overall leader, but only by 23 seconds.

Brabec got his his wish to start Friday's stage 12 six minutes behind Benavides, so he can eye him. They head west to the rally starting point of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast on 311 kilometers of gravel, some river beds with a finish in the dunes.

“A little bit of strategy today and hopefully it pays off tomorrow,” Brabec said. "I feel like its going to be a good day. We’re going back into the rocks so it will be a little bit better for us.”

Brabec is counting on his experience of winning the Dakar in 2020 and 2024 to trump Benavides, who has a best placing of fourth last year.

“I've been in this situation before,” Brabec said. “For the whole two weeks I've been just trying to stay relax, stay comfortable and just be confident, so two days more. I'm gonna do the same thing tomorrow that I've been doing every day; ride dirt bikes and have fun.”

Van Beveren helped Brabec with navigation while fighting with another teammate, Skyler Howes, the entire day for the stage win.

Howes prevailed by 21 seconds for his first career major stage in his eighth Dakar. He was third in 2023 and sixth last year. He's running fifth, 34 minutes off the pace.

Benavides was fourth in the stage and believed the race will be decided on the final 105-kilometer sprint on Saturday.

“I played no strategy like Ricky. I don't care,” Benavides said. “I'm doing what I can to control what I can control.”

Ekström won his third car stage of this Dakar, a special so fast that 12 other drivers were within 10 minutes.

Ford achieved another 1-2-3 stage. Romain Dumas, a three-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, was a career-best second just over a minute back and Carlos Sainz was third.

Only Toyota's Henk Lategan beat Ekström to a checkpoint but Lategan's podium hopes were wrecked after 140 kilometers when a bearing broke on his rear left wheel. Lategan was second last year and second overall overnight but he plunged out of the top 15, at least.

Loeb moved up to third overall, 10 minutes behind Roma and three minutes ahead of Ekström.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Rider Daniel Sanders competes during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Fabian Lurquin compete during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Rider Skyler Howes competes during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Henk Lategan, left, and co-driver Brett Cummings repair their car during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Nani Roma and co-driver Alex Haro compete during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)