👋 Good morning! - Imagine being on your phone in the middle of a show… like seriously. Jeff and Jesse, if you’re reading this, this one’s for you — because me and Chill are actually locked in and paying attention. - Ali Jawad

Cooper Flagg’s night at the American Airlines Center went from hopeful to heartbreaking in a matter of minutes.

With 6:01 left in the second quarter, the 19-year-old landed awkwardly, rolled on the floor clutching his ankle, and the building basically stopped breathing. He tried to gut it out and even returned before halftime, but he was clearly laboring, and when he didn’t come out for the third quarter, the worst-case vibe hit fast.

Moments later, Dallas ruled him out with a left ankle sprain, leaving the Mavericks without one of their only consistent bright spots.

And just when it felt like the Mavs couldn’t afford another body blow, Daniel Gafford re-aggravated his own ankle injury and didn’t return either. Jason Kidd didn’t sugarcoat the brutal reality:

“We’ve been hurt since day one of training camp… this is the norm.”

Dallas was already trying to survive without Anthony Davis (out roughly six weeks) and with no clear update on Kyrie Irving, so losing Flagg mid-game felt like the final straw. Ryan Nembhard slid into the starting lineup to open the second half, but without Flagg’s punch, Dallas couldn’t keep up in a 118-109 loss.

Even without Nikola Jokic, Denver still looked like Denver, because Jamal Murray turned into the full-on problem Dallas couldn’t solve.

Murray dropped 33 points, hunted mismatches all night, and made the Mavericks pay every time he got the defender he wanted. Naji Marshall fought hard and poured in 24 points while Caleb Martin chipped in a season-high 15, but the Nuggets’ offense stayed too sharp late, shooting nearly 50% from the field and over 42% from deep to close it out.

Now Dallas heads into a back-to-back vs. Utah with Flagg and Gafford both in question… and the Mavericks’ season somehow feels even more fragile than it already was.

The Cowboys’ DC search just got three more twists, requesting interviews with Giants interim coordinator Charlie Bullen and Eagles DB coach/passing game coordinator Christian Parker, and Packers DL coach/run game coordinator DeMarcus Covington sources confirmed to DLLS.

Bullen jumped from Giants OLB coach to interim DC after Shane Bowen’s firing, while Parker is coming off a Philly run that helped produce an elite pass defense and All-Pro stars in the secondary.

With Dallas now up to seven total candidates, the shortlist is getting crowded, and the next hire could define the entire defensive reset in 2026.

Chris Young says the Rangers are comfortable with their current position-player group, meaning the Opening Day lineup might already be in-house even as the front office keeps hunting for pitching help.

So if no more bats are coming, what does the batting order actually look like, and where are the real spots for lineup creativity versus pure “please bounce back” internal improvement?

With the international signing period opening tomorrow, Texas is also turning the page to the long game, because rebuilding that farm pipeline may be just as important to the Rangers’ future as whatever move (or non-move) comes next.

After last night’s 3-1 loss in Anaheim, the Stars are staring at a fast-approaching roster-shaping window with 10 games left before the Feb. 4-22 Olympic roster freeze kicks in.

Once Dallas returns, there are only four games before the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline, meaning Jim Nill won’t have much time to wait around if this team wants another deep playoff run.

With the clock speeding up, it’s officially time to get serious about who might be selling, what players could shake loose, and what Dallas can realistically spend to upgrade the lineup.

Stability must be nice.

Be sure to subscribe to our shows wherever you listen to your podcasts. Traffic can be the worst, and one of the best ways I get through it is by listening to the audio versions of our DLLS shows. You should, too!

Ali Jawad
Dallas Cowboys ​Content Creator/Newsletter Writer
[email protected]