Cowboys inactives list for Thanksgiving Day game vs. Giants
By Jerry Trotta
The Dallas Cowboys firmly believe they can salvage their season. That all hinges on whether they defeat the 2-9 New York Giants on Thanksgiving. The difference between 5-7 and 4-8 is mountainous. Even with a win, Dallas may still have to run the table.
Injuries are once again a major storyline for the Cowboys. While they are getting some major pieces back, their injury report still reads like a CVS receipt.
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Tyler Smith is back after missing last week while both CeeDee Lamb (back/foot), Cooper Rush (knee) and DaRon Bland (foot) are good to go after logging limited practice time. Additionally, Brandin Cooks was activated from injured reserve and will play Thursday for the first time since Week 4.
Now time for the bad news.
The Cowboys ruled out Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and Trevon Diggs (knee/groin), who will each miss a second straight game. Jake Ferguson still has not practiced after suffering a concussion in Week 11 and won't play.
Cowboys Week 13 inactives
Player | Position | Injury | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Zack Martin | RG | Ankle/Knee | Out |
Jake Ferguson | TE | Concussion | Out |
Trevon Diggs | CB | Groin/knee | Out |
Marshawn Kneeland | DE | Knee | Out |
Ryan Flournoy | LB | Healthy scratch | Out |
Deuce Vaughn | RB | Healthy scratch | Out |
Andrew Booth | CB | Healthy scratch | Out |
Diggs tested out his groin and knee in pregame warmups before the Cowboys ruled him out, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The quick turnaround was not enough time for Diggs to get healthy.
With Diggs out, Bland will help contain Giants star rookie receiver Malik Nabers. With Caelen Carson likely headed to injured reserve, Josh Butler will once again play a prominent role. Butler paced the defense against Washington with 13 tackles and three passes defended.
In regards to the offensive line, Brock Hoffman started for Martin at right guard last week. While T.J. Bass played well at left guard vs. the Commanders, expect Dallas to start Hoffman again for continuity purposes.
Giants Week 13 inactives
Player | Position | Injury | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Jermaine Eleumunor | OT | Quad | Out |
Tommy DeVito | QB | Forearm | Emergency QB |
Deonte Banks | CB | Rib | Out |
Anthony Johnson Jr. | S | Healthy scratch | Out |
Tre Hawkins III | CB | Healthy scratch | Out |
Greg Dulcich | TE | Healthy scratch | Out |
Jake Kubas | OG | Healthy scratch | Out |
While Tommy DeVito is listed as questionable, reports are swirling that he won't play. Drew Lock is expected to start at quarterback for the Giants.
Whether that's good or bad news for the Cowboys is open for interpretation, but this team has more problems than we thought if they were hoping for DeVito to start. Simply put, nobody is shaking in their boots because Lock will be under center.
At the end of the day, the Giants are the worst team in the NFL. They will likely come out with some juice given the Thanksgiving stage, but Dallas has no excuse not to dispose of its division rival.
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