The Dallas Cowboys had to navigate some brutal injury luck early in the season. It wasn't until the returns of DeMarvion Overshown, Malik Hooker, and Shavon Revel -- coupled with the arrival of Quinnen Williams -- that the defense finally started to play at a functional level.
It has largely been smooth sailing on the injury front for weeks, but the NFL is unforgiving. The Cowboys were bound to hit some bumps in the road over the final six games.
Sure enough, they could be without starting left tackle Tyler Guyton when they take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving. Guyton is dealing with a high-ankle sprain and is unlikely to play in the game, per ESPN's Todd Archer.
Cowboys likely won't have LT Tyler Guyton against the Chiefs on Thanksgiving
Guyton was a DNP in Monday's walkthrough practice, and Brian Schottenheimer told the media that the 2024 first-round pick isn't expected to do much, if anything, on Tuesday. Given the short turnaround, Guyton feels like a long shot to suit up against the Chiefs.
Losing your starting LT ahead of a massive game would normally feel dire. While Guyton has made noticeable strides in pass protection and blocking in the run game, he has struggled with pre-snap penalties. He committed a false start on 2nd-and-goal from the one-yard line against the Eagles with Dallas trailing 21-0. On the next play, Dak Prescott threw an end zone interception.
Something tells us Cowboys fans won't exactly be devastated if he isn't out there on Thanksgiving. That would put Nathan Thomas in line to protect Dak Prescott's blindside.
A seventh-round pick in 2024, Thomas missed all of his rookie year with a knee injury. However, he got a lot of first-team reps in training camp while Guyton missed time with a bone fracture in his knee. He only allowed three pressures on 45 pass-blocking snaps in Weeks 4 and 5, which featured some reps against Micah Parsons.
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However, Thomas had a rough showing in his next outing against the Cardinals, allowing five pressures and a sack on just 18 pass-blocking snaps while filling in for Terence Steele at right tackle, per Pro Football Focus. Thomas bounced back nicely against the Eagles, conceding just two pressures on 20 reps in pass pro and finishing with a 77.2 pass-blocking grade.
It's been an up-and-down season for Thomas, but he's shown promise for a seventh-round pick. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best in the business. You have to think he'll look to exploit Thomas.
With that said, the Cowboys' offensive line just held its own against another elite DC in Vic Fangio and a defensive front that features Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, and Jaelan Phillips. And it'll help that Thomas will have one of the game's best guards, Tyler Smith, playing next to him.
Losing Guyton is far from ideal, but the Dallas OL played well previously this season when it was down four starters. It can get by without Guyton, even against the Chiefs.