We waited seven months for Dallas Cowboys football to return, only for the team to get thoroughly bullied by the New York Giants. A slow start from the offense was compounded by a defensive showing that looked a lot like last season's historically bad group.
It's always difficult to say that a team was ready to play. Surely, Dallas was amped to take the field, but that should never be in question. The Giants were far and away the more prepared, disciplined, and physical side.
To twist the knife, the Cowboys watched Malik Hooker and DeMarvion Overshown exit the game with injuries in the second half. According to Brian Schottenheimer, Hooker may have fractured his forearm, and Overshown will undergo more testing on his hamstring.
Womp. Womp. Womp.
Cowboys' defense may be without Malik Hooker for a while
Hooker stayed on the ground after getting tied up with a Giants defender. The NBC broadcast cut to commercial while Dallas' medical staff attended to him. He was later spotted walking to the locker room with limited mobility in his right arm, which was hardly an encouraging sight.
If Hooker needs surgery, he'll likely miss 4-6 weeks. Marist Liufau is currently recovering on that timeline after suffering the same injury in the preseason.
That would be a blow to a Dallas secondary that got gutted all night by the same route concepts and allowed Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart to enjoy maybe the most prolific game of his young career.
Assuming Hooker misses time, expect more snaps from Jalen Thompson, Caleb Downs, P.J. Locke, and even special teams mainstays Alijah Clark or Markquese Bell.
DeMarvion Overshown's injury woes return
The Cowboys should know more about Overshown's hamstring after he undergoes testing once they return to Dallas.
The former third-round pick got pushed and tripped while pursuing Cam Skattebo and immediately grabbed the back of his right leg. It was an awkward-looking sequence. He went into the blue medical tent and was seen stretching out his leg on the sideline.
Considering how thin the linebacker room is, the Cowboys cannot afford for Overshown to miss time. Unfortunately, hamstrings are notoriously fickle. Rushing back before they're fully healed can lead to a reaggravation, potentially turning a manageable injury into a much bigger problem.
In a best-case scenario, Overshown will be questionable on the first Week 2 injury report. It might be premature to call him a long shot to play against the Washington Commanders, but the list of players who haven't missed any time after tweaking their hamstring is very, very short.
We said it all offseason: a linebacker trio of Overshown, Dee Winters, and Jaishawn Barham is enough to get by. But one injury? That would send the room into a crisis.
The Cowboys have Justin Barron on the practice squad, and Christian Parker can drop Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson into the box in subpackages. Markquese Bell also has experience playing linebacker for more than half a season. That depth will be put to the test if Overshown has to miss time.
Parker could not have scripted a worse start to his tenure as defensive coordinator. Now, he's set to be without at least one starter, and potentially two, depending on the severity of Overshown’s injury.
Talk about capping off a miserable night.
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