Dallas Cowboys biggest challenge is availability

With only two games remaining and their postseason fate still to be determined, the Dallas Cowboys must find a way to stay healthy down the stretch.

It feels like just about every year we find ourselves having the same conversation when discussing the Dallas Cowboys in December; who is hurt and who will be replacing them? 2017 looks like it will be no different.

In the final two weeks of the season and the margin for error being possibly the slimmest its been all year, the Cowboys are once again battling injuries to some of their most integral players. Some, if not all, of the players battling injuries are irreplaceable and the evidence has already been on display throughout the year.

Let’s begin with All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith. The dominance and overall value of Smith to the Cowboys was on full display during the game against the Atlanta Falcons where backups Chaz Green and Byron Bell made a slightly above average pass rusher look like a hall of fame caliber player. The Cowboys do not possess any players capable of replacing Smith if he goes down for any substantial amount of time.

Thankfully, Smith will reportedly be in the starting lineup for the Cowboys when they face the Seattle Seahawks after being speculated earlier in the week he could miss this week. However, Smith is battling a knee injury and is being rested during the week while sitting out practices.

Standout defensive tackle David Irving is currently battling concussion symptoms and has missed the last two games. The prognosis on Irving is not as optimistic as Smith as reports are currently circulating that the Cowboys are concerned he could miss the remainder of the regular season.

While the Cowboys do possess a good amount of bodies to run defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s preferred “rotation style” up front on the defensive line, they do not have anyone with Irving’s burst, size, and length. The pressure coming from the middle of the line has been noticeably less the last two weeks without Irving.

Lastly, middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens is also being hobbled by a knee injury and missed practice on Thursday. Hitchens has had a very solid season and has clearly established himself as the Cowboys middle linebacker. There is a very noticeable difference in this defense when Anthony Hitchens and fellow linebacker Sean Lee are on the field together.

While second year linebacker Jaylon Smith has improved drastically from the beginning of the year and could be the middle linebacker of the future, parts of Smith’s game are still lacking as he is still getting healthy and adjusting to the NFL game.

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The Dallas Cowboys have not been able to address their issue of lacking depth as it has plagued them for years. Their lack of depth has already had a devastating affect on their season and could deliver a knockout blow to their playoff hopes if a crucial starter goes down.