Cowboys must start capitalizing on opposing teams missing key players

It’s been a roller-coaster of a ride for the Dallas Cowboys 2019 season. From starting off as one of the best teams in the NFL, the Cowboys have dropped four of their last six, but still lead the NFC East.

Throughout the entire season, the Cowboys have gotten very lucky when key players from other teams did not suit up against them. No one roots for injuries, but there’s no denying that it’s a clear advantage for a team when the opposing team is without one of their star players.

In week four, the Cowboys defense had to deal with Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater, instead of future Hall of Famer Drew Brees after suffering a thumb injury the week before. In week five, Davante Adams was unable to play, due to the turf toe injury he suffered the week before against the Eagles. In week six, the Jets were without star linebacker CJ Mosely, but the offense struggled to get into rhythm. And last but not least, in week ten, the Vikings were without star receiver Adam Thielen as his lingering hamstring injury kept him out. The Cowboys lost all four of those games, while the opposing team was without one of their star players. That is unacceptable for any team, much less one that was looked at as a Super Bowl contender after three weeks.

In week 11, the Cowboys are going to get another go at it as it is official that the Lions will be without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford on Sunday. Stafford has been playing at an extremely high level this year for the Lions, and has been one of the few bright spots for their team at the halfway point of the season. With Stafford out, the Cowboys will be forced to defend Jeff Driskel, which sounds like a win for the Cowboys, but that hasn’t been the case so far this year.

With Stafford out, that will now add him to the list of Golden Tate, Derrius Guice, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Drew Brees, Davante Adams, CJ Mosley, DeSean Jackson, Jason Peters, Sterling Shephard, and Adam Thielen that the Cowboys were able to avoid in 2019. Let’s all just hope that they have better luck in this game, than they did in the brutal three-game stretch against the Saints, Packers, and Jets.