The Dallas Cowboys are preparing to face a hostile environment when they jet off to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets. They will be forced to take the field without at least three offensive linemen. NFL reporter Todd Archer @todd_archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and the Dallas Cowboys since 2003. He did say Tyler Smith’s availability was up in the air still due to a knee injury. Smith missed practice all week with his ankle and had an MRI earlier this week, putting his availability for the game in serious doubt.
If Smith is unable to take the field, the Cowboys may turn to Hakeem Adeniji and Trevor Keegan as potential replacements at left guard. With Smith’s absence, their already disastrous offensive line woes will only worsen. They’re doing so while preparing to face a very tough Jets defense.
The Cowboys were said to be monitoring Miles Sanders. He’s now questionable due to knee and ankle ailments, on top of Smith’s deal. Sanders did not practice at all leading up to the game. This lack of presence makes for an even tougher task in planning an offensive game script for the Cowboys. With Sanders’ status up in the air, rookie Jaydon Blue is likely to make his season debut. He is a candidate to handle the kick return duties. Blue would be in line for his first carries of the season should Sanders be unable to go.
Kenneth Murray’s emergence Dallas happy Kenneth Murray Kenneth Murray’s development would make this one way more complicated for Dallas. He’s iffy with a knee injury. This would indicate an ankle injury as he has been restricted in practice for three straight days. It’ll be up to the Cowboys to judge whether he can contribute as they finalize their in-game roster against the Jets.
In Guyton’s absence, Nate Thomas will draw the first start of his career as he’s still in concussion protocol. Coach Schottenheimer was really responsive to understanding the challenges that young players have when they can’t practice on a regular basis.
“I do think it’s harder for young players when they don’t practice, to play,” – Schottenheimer
Schottenheimer emphasized that practice is key to being ready for a game. This is particularly the case for younger athletes who may not have developed the mental wherewithal to perform in pressure-cooker moments.
“But guys that have played a lot of football, they tend to get a little more grace with me. But I’m a visual guy, man, I want to see them move around on Friday and see how they do. No. 1, we always want to be smart for them to protect them and not put themselves in a position where they can have worse injuries or make it worse.” – Schottenheimer
Key players have tricky injuries heading into next game It’ll take a combination of depth and adaptability for the Cowboys to extend their streak of overcoming strong early season challenges against the Jets. The outcome of this matchup could hinge on how well they manage these personnel changes and maintain their competitive edge.
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