Cowboys news: Tyron Smith’s latest injury could force the Cowboys to shuffle their offensive line

Will Tyron’s Latest Injury Force O-Line Shuffle? - Nick Eatman, Dallascowboys.com

The veteran tackle is once again dealing with an injury.

The Cowboys have dealt with this before, not only in the last few years, but even already this year. Once again, Tyron Smith is dealing with injury issues, this time it’s with his ankle. Cowboys owner/GM told 105.3 “The Fan” on Tuesday morning that Smith is dealing with bone spurs in his ankle and it could affect his status of playing this week against Denver.

“Again, we’ll have to see how Tyron practices,” Jones said. “(The medical team) say it’s a spur. We’ll take a look at that as it moves through. We should and will practice with alternatives to him being out there. But it will really depend on how he does, again, respond to a spur that’s giving him some pain.”

Enough pain for Smith to miss the second half of Sunday’s win over the Vikings as he was replaced by Ty Nsekhe, who played at left tackle.

Optimism Around Dak’s Potential Return Sunday - Rob Phillips, Dallascowboys.com

It sure seems like the Cowboys will be getting their star signal-caller back on Sunday.

Prescott was a game-time decision against the Vikings and went through a pre-game workout with associate athletic trainer/director of rehabilitation Britt Brown, but the club ultimately decided another week of rest was best. Cooper Rush played well in a fill-in start for Prescott, throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns, including the winning TD pass to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left.

“Dak obviously wanted to play. There’s no doubt about that,” head coach Mike McCarthy said. “He was at a certain percentage and we made the right decision regardless of the result of the game.” McCarthy said he anticipates Prescott participating in a lighter team practice Wednesday coming off the Sunday night road trip, and if all goes well, he would be “full go” in Thursday’s practice.

That would be a step forward — since Prescott only took first-team reps in walkthroughs last week and was limited to rehab work and individual drills in practice — and a good sign heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Broncos.

Why Cowboys LB Micah Parsons, even as a rookie, is already on the path to NFL stardom - Jean-Jacques Taylor, Dallas Morning News

The rookie linebacker is playing at an unprecedented level.

Think about it. Roy Williams, the eighth player taken in 2002, was a dynamic player. So was Terence Newman, the fifth player taken in 2003. DeMarcus Ware, a future Hall of Famer who was taken 11th overall in 2005, starred as a rookie too. When Newman and Williams arrived, they deferred to Darren Woodson — as they should have. Ware let coach Bill Parcells lead the defense while he adjusted from college football to the NFL. Parsons arrived in Dallas with the force of a summer squall and took advantage of DeMarcus Lawrence’s recovery from back surgery and his subsequent broken foot to become the face of the defense.

Yes, Trevon Diggs is emerging as a star this year, but his personality doesn’t demand cameras to find him the way it does with Parsons. He showed in Sunday’s win why he’ll eventually become a star. Parsons had 11 tackles, 10 solo, four for loss and a hit on quarterback Kirk Cousins. He was a key reason why Dalvin Cook managed just 78 yards on 18 carries, and the Vikings totaled just 278 yards.

He literally wrecked the Vikings’ offense, but that’s not why he’s going to be a star. Parsons’ work ethic is what will launch him into NFL stardom. See, he gets it. The really good ones do.

Lessons learned (and relearned) from Dallas Cowboys’ win over Vikings - Tom Ryle, Blogging The Boys

Taking a look at some lessons learned in Week 8.

We so underestimated Cooper Rush. There was something in the air on Halloween, because Rush was joined by Trevor Siemian and former Cowboy Mike White in triumphing as an unheralded backup quarterbacks on Sunday. But the reality is that we found out exactly why the coaching staff was willing to roll into the season with a backup quarterback who had thrown exactly three passes, and completed one, in regular season action, and that way back in 2017. Rush was not always making plays, but he certainly made some major ones, including the two touchdown passes. His 325 yards were impressive. Although Mike Zimmer did not load up the box to stifle the run the way he claimed he would beforehand, it still seemed evident that the Minnesota game plan was to keep Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard under control and dare Rush to beat them up top.

Oopsies. With some really big pass plays, including a 73-yard touchdown to Cedrick Wilson, one amazingly good play with Wilson throwing the ball, and 100+ yard days from both Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, Rush and the passing game embarrassed Zimmer’s defense. Dallas averaged an outstanding 7.8 yards per pass play. This may turn out to be the highlight game of Rush’s entire career, but what a highlight! Now the Cowboys have exactly what you want in a backup quarterback, a player who can come in and get a win or two while the starter is out briefly. We all hope Dak Prescott is back soon. But the urgency is dialed way down with the knowledge of what Rush can do.

5 Bucks: Who’s No. 1 WR? Rush The Super-Sub - Bucky Brooks, Dallascowboys.com

The Cowboys defense has some real playmakers now.

The "Energizers" spark the defense. It does not take long to figure out that Randy Gregory, Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs are the heart and soul of the defense. As ultra-competitive defenders with non-stop motors, their individual and collective energy sparks the entire unit.

Whether it is Gregory rushing off the edge utilizing a variety of athletic rush moves to blow past blockers at the point of attack to register a sack or quarterback, or it is Parsons hustling from sideline to sideline to make a tackle for loss, or it is Diggs coming down with an acrobatic interception, the big play trio has played a major role in the defense's rejuvenated spirit this season. As a wise coach once told me, "If you want a hard-playing defense, you need to play the players who play the hardest."

Looking at the defense's rise to prominence in 2021, it is not a coincidence that No.94, No.11 and No.7 have emerged as the team's playmakers based on the energy and effort that each defender exerts between the lines. Sure, they are talented and instinctive, but the "hustle hard" mentality that the trio brings to the field is one of the reasons why the Cowboys' defense has a chance to join the ranks of the elite this season.

ICYMI:Cowboys roster move: Dallas waives defensive end Bradlee Anae after playing 11 games with team - Blogging The Boys

With more players set to return, this might not be the last roster move for the Cowboys this week.

Much of the reason for Dallas’ inactivity on the trade market is due to the fact that they have a number of players still set to return from injury. The likes of Michael Gallup, DeMarcus Lawrence, Neville Gallimore, and Trysten Hill will all merit roster spots when they are ready, and so it is going to be difficult enough for Dallas to find ways to fit them in.

Last week saw the return and the first NFL action for the team’s second-round pick in Kelvin Joseph. It is possible that Michael Gallup could be ready to return officially this week, and if he does the Cowboys will need one of those roster spots. Just where is it going to come from? On Tuesday the Cowboys found a way.

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