The Dallas Cowboys got some encouraging injury news Monday as they prepare for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers’ injury report delivered another blow on the other side.

Both updates boost the Cowboys’ chances of winning consecutive games for the first time this season. Let’s break it down.

Tyler Smith’s return window is open

Starting on the Cowboys side, Dallas opened left guard Tyler Smith’s window to return to practice. He was officially listed as a limited participant Monday.

Three players who did not practice: Drew Shelton, DeMarvion Overshown, and Cobie Durant.

It should be noted that the Cowboys held a walkthrough Monday, so the practice participation is only an estimation. That’s common on short weeks, especially after a road game the previous Sunday.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Sunday that Smith was trending positively toward playing. On Monday, he clarified that Tuesday’s practice is when Dallas will try to get both Overshown and Smith involved, and that session will give the team a better idea of whether Smith can go.

If you ask me, there’s a strong possibility Smith plays Thursday night. And that by itself is a big deal.

Getting Smith back would be huge for an offensive line that wants to set the tone by running the football. The Cowboys have missed him up front. With Tyler Guyton playing bigger and meaner than ever at left tackle, I think a healthy Smith would help Dallas punish defenses, especially running to the left side.

Additionally, Smith has always been excellent as a pulling lineman working across the formation. That’s a tool the Cowboys’ run game hasn’t had at full strength.

Buccaneers lose Antoine Winfield Jr.

The other injury update comes from the Tampa Bay side, and it’s a disappointing one, because you never want to see players get hurt.

Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. did not practice Monday, and Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles ruled him out for Thursday.

“We won’t have Winfield Thursday,” said Bowles. “He’s got a slight rib fracture. He should be out 2 to 4 weeks, probably, from what I’m hearing.”

That means Tampa Bay is losing one of the bright spots on its defense.

On paper, the Bucs’ defense looks strong. It ranks as a top-5 unit in EPA per play, per Sumer Sports, and sits inside the top 10 in success rate. However, some issues have popped up recently, and they mostly come down to one thing: Tampa Bay can’t get to the quarterback.

The Buccaneers stand out mainly because of their run defense, where they rank fourth in stuff rate. But they’re dead last in the NFL at getting after the quarterback. And that’s despite blitzing at the fourth-highest rate in the league.

That spells trouble against Dak Prescott, who has been terrific against the blitz.

Why Winfield’s absence matters so much

Tampa Bay has been able to survive all that blitzing because its coverage has held up. Remove Winfield from the equation, and things get very complicated for the Bucs.

Their talent at the second level is solid. But they’re facing one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who just combined for 264 receiving yards against the Houston Texans.

That’s a Houston defense with one of the best defensive back groups in the league and one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. The Texans were able to bother Prescott while rushing only four. And yet, Prescott found a way to carve up that secondary in the second half, especially on the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

He found Lamb 17 times on 21 targets.

That is to say, losing Winfield will really hurt Tampa Bay’s chances in this one. Especially because the Buccaneers will once again be without quarterback Baker Mayfield on offense.

Undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels gets the start instead. To be fair, he had a pretty solid game last Sunday. But Thursday night presents a much bigger challenge against one of the best offenses in the NFL.

For now, the Cowboys wait on Tuesday’s practice for clarity on Smith. If he’s cleared, Dallas could walk into Thursday with a healthier offensive line and a Tampa Bay secondary missing its best safety.