The NFL is a war of attrition. Every team is dealing with injuries to a certain extent. Nobody should feel sorry for the Dallas Cowboys, who are right up there among the most banged-up teams in the league.
After all, they should be 2-1 after gifting a victory to the Ravens, and they were within striking distance of the Giants in the fourth quarter of Week 1.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys might be close to rebranding as the Motley Crew. That's how depleted the secondary is entering Sunday's Battle of Texas against the Houston Texans.
Malik Hooker, DeMarvion Overshown, and Shavon Revel don't even account for half of the injuries Dallas is navigating this week. Let's get into the latest on all three, plus updates on the other banged-up Cowboys entering Week 4.
Malik Hooker is back at practice
A sight for the sorest of eyes. Hooker practiced on Wednesday for the first time since fracturing his forearm in Week 1. The veteran safety underwent surgery and was given a multi-week timeline. He did not travel with the team to Brazil, but it seems like he's on track to return on Sunday.
Hooker was wearing added protection on his arm, which is hardly a surprise. Whether it's wearing a club around their hand or extra padding over an injured shoulder or elbow, players will do whatever they can to protect a vulnerable area without compromising their movement.
As long as Hooker moves well in practice and avoids a setback, he should reclaim his spot in Dallas' defensive backfield. His return would be huge for a safety room that will be without Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke.
DeMarvion Overshown not quite ready to practice
This may change as the week progresses, but Overshown (hamstring) worked with the rehab team again on Wednesday. Brian Schottenheimer is pleased with Overshown's recovery, but he also told reporters that Hooker is "closer" to returning than the fourth-year linebacker.
Overshown will need to get in at least a limited session by Friday to have a chance at suiting up against the Texans. If he can't go, Jaishawn Barham and Dee Winters will play the bulk of the linebacker snaps.
At the rate Barham is ascending, Overshown may not get his MIKE job back once his hamstring is healed. Having said that, Winters has been a disappointment, so Overshown would have a strong argument to claim the WILL spot, which would send Winters to the bench.
Shavon Revel practiced in a limited capacity
Like Hooker, Revel was on the practice field Wednesday. The second-year corner suffered an awkward fall in the second half of Sunday's game in Rio. His right knee appeared to hyperextend as he landed after shoving a Ravens ball carrier out of bounds.
Revel was in a full sprint and had little chance to brace himself for the fall. What's odd is that Schottenheimer said he's dealing with both knee and ankle injuries.
It's encouraging that Revel, who dealt with lingering knee trouble as a rookie, seemingly avoided anything serious. However, he's far from a sure thing to suit up this week.
"I don't feel 100%," he said, via Calvin Watkins. "I'll find out tomorrow [and] will work my way into it."
ESPN's Todd Archer noted that Revel "wasn’t moving great" and he was ultimately a DNP on the first injury report of the week.
Cowboys place Jalen Thompson and Jonathan Bullard on IR
The hits. They keep on coming.
The Cowboys announced Wednesday that they placed Thompson (hamstring) and Bullard (calf) on injured reserve/designated to return. Both players departed Sunday's loss to Baltimore and will now miss a minimum of four weeks while they recover.
Dallas now has two safeties on IR: Thompson and P.J. Locke, which underlines the importance of Hooker's potential return this week.
Even accounting for missed snaps in Week 3, Thompson has played the third-most defensive snaps (167) of any Cowboy, per PFF. Only DaRon Bland (200) and Caleb Downs (196) have played more snaps. Even if Hooker plays, Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell will both see the field.
Bullard, meanwhile, is a sneaky big loss. He's averaged just over 20 snaps per game, including 23 against the Ravens, and was instrumental in one of Dallas' fourth-down stops against Derrick Henry. He had a rough go of it in Week 1 (who on the defense didn't?), but he's emerged as an impactful run defender over the last two games.
The silver lining? Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Otito Ogbonnia were all great in Week 3. Dallas has the depth to get by without Bullard, but he was playing an important role. Fourth-round pick LT Overton, who's logged 48 snaps this season, is headed for an increased workload.
Add us as a preferred source on Google