The latest NFL trade buzz brings some clarity ahead of the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 9 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. It might make things a little more challenging for Dallas.

That’s because Jordan Schultz, NFL insider, recently reported on the Colts’ trade intentions ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.

“The Colts have received plenty of calls on several players, including RB Jonathan Taylor, WR Josh Downs, and DL Grover Stewart and others,” Schultz indicated. “But the belief around the league is that, barring an offer that blows them away, Indianapolis plans to wait until after Sunday’s game vs. the Cowboys before revisiting the offers on the table and making the trades that make sense on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the deadline.”

Questions existed about exactly which Colts team the Cowboys would be taking on this weekend.

Colts in selling mode but expected to wait 

Indianapolis is a team in selling mode. The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard earlier in the season, and they have since traded away a couple of All-Pros; defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and guard Quenton Nelson.

Rumors have persisted about the Colts moving the likes of Taylor and Downs, among others. It wasn’t clear whether those players would be on the roster for Sunday’s matchup. Based on Schultz’s report, it sounds like they will be involved.

Could this be a negotiation through the media ploy? Absolutely. But at least it provides some insight as to them playing it cool before the Cowboys game. Dallas should be expecting all of them to play. Now, you might think a team shopping its veterans would limit their usage. Avoiding an injury that blows up a deal makes sense for a franchise that needs draft capital to rebuild.

However, Week 8 told a different story. Let’s break it down.

What Week 8 snap counts reveal

Running back Jonathan Taylor played 62% of the Colts’ offensive snaps. He only had eight carries, a stat that went viral during the week because it could point toward Indianapolis protecting him.

To be fair, the Colts played a strange game. They lost in a blowout to the Jacksonville Jaguars, so it’s entirely possible they simply abandoned the run game. Still, a 62% snap share is revealing.

As for Josh Downs, the receiver played 75% of the snaps. The Colts aren’t exactly putting him in bubble wrap.

Defensive tackle Grover Stewart played 50% of the snaps, which more or less fits how the Colts have used him all season. He landed in the mid-to-high 50s the week before against the Tennessee Titans and reached a season-high 70% at one point, but he’s been in that range for the entire year. I wouldn’t read his Week 8 workload as a signal he’s about to get dealt.

Cowboys can’t take anyone lightly

For the Cowboys, the big picture is simple. They’re going to face a Colts team they shouldn’t take lightly, selling mode or not.

After all, Dallas hasn’t earned the right to take anyone lightly this season. We just watched the Cowboys drop one to the Arizona Cardinals, a team led by Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew that scored on four consecutive touchdown drives against them.

Dallas is also expected to be banged up in the secondary, and Downs is a good receiver.

That brings up the storyline I’ve been looking forward to: the Downs brotherly matchup. Caleb Downs mostly plays nickel defensive back for the Cowboys, and Josh lines up in the slot. That would set up a true brother-versus-brother, face-to-face showdown.

The catch? Caleb is in the concussion protocol, which puts his availability in question. But knowing Josh is likely to be on the roster at least gets us one step closer to the family battle.

The Cowboys take on the Colts at noon ET on Sunday, and Dallas needs this one to stay alive in an NFC East race that is quickly getting away from it.

The Cowboys have talked about good teams stacking wins. They can’t do that in one Sunday, but they desperately need a step in the right direction, and the Colts present a winnable matchup.

Let’s see if they deliver.