Cowboys take a huge L in Week 5 and it's not even Sunday
The Dallas Cowboys' weekend is off to a rough start as Saturday made some already-bad news even worse as they're placing wide receiver Brandin Cooks on Injured Reserve.Cooks is dealing with a knee infection originating from a procedure he was taking on to avoid a scope surgery, and it was already known that he was […]
The Dallas Cowboys' weekend is off to a rough start as Saturday made some already-bad news even worse as they're placing wide receiver Brandin Cooks on Injured Reserve.
Cooks is dealing with a knee infection originating from a procedure he was taking on to avoid a scope surgery, and it was already known that he was going to miss the Pittsburgh Steelers matchup but now it's official he'll miss at least four games.
For the Cowboys offense, it's a massive blow. The unit has struggled getting any consistent results on the field as opposing defenses zero in on superstar CeeDee Lamb. A big reason for optimism was the idea that Cooks could get going to open up the passing game.
Now, Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott will need young, still inexperienced players to step up. That will start with Jalen Tolbert, who has had some impressive flashes with few opportunities. Tolbert has produced the 11th highest passer rating when targeted among qualifying WRs, per PFF.
Two more players to watch are Jalen Brooks and fifth-round rookie Ryan Flournoy. The latter will be likely making his debut after being a healthy scratch through the first four weeks of the season. Flournoy could provide a different build to the offense, as he projects more as a X-receiver due to his size and speed.
Beyond wide receiver, tight end Jake Ferguson will play a major role as the likely No. 2 target for Prescott. He was clearly banged up last week but hopefully a long week returns him to his usual form.
And if you're wondering, the Cowboys have publicly ruled out any possibility of trading for Davante Adams.
