Cowboys dodge disaster as Zack Martin provides update on quad injury

Perhaps the most exciting part of the Dallas Cowboys' 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday was when Zack Martin bulldozed Bills safey Taylor Rapp after he lowered his shoulder into Dak Prescott's helmet after Prescott gave himself up on a scramble.

It was the ultimate teammate move from Martin. The play suggested the Cowboys were ready for a dogfight, but that was anything but the case as the Bills imposed their will on the ground and didn't give an inch on defense.

Maybe the Cowboys "quit" because Martin missed most of the game. In the second quarter, Martin was subjected to an awkward collision while blocking. He stayed down for several minutes before he limped off the field to get examined.

Martin was swiftly ruled out for the game and his reaction, coupled with the huge wrap around his leg prompted Cowboys fans to fear the worst.

In a huge sigh of relief, though, Martin revealed postgame that he's dealing with a quad injury and expressed optimism that he could play next Sunday against the Dolphins on Christmas Eve.

Zack Martin's injury update is great news for the Cowboys

In a scary admission, Martin initially thought he suffered a serious knee injury.

While in the blue medical tent, Cowboys trainers determined that Martin's knee was stable. It seems as though the All-Pro guard suffered a bone bruise (potentially a dead leg). The wintery and rainy conditions aren't conducive to quick healing, which would explain why the quad stiffened up and hindered his mobility.

A week of treatment should help loosen up the quad and hopefully Martin will get cleared for Sunday's game in Miami.

While Martin's absence against the Bills isn't to blame for the Cowboys offensive disaster, his absence was felt in the trenches. With Dak Prescott under constant duress, play-caller Mike McCarthy pivoted to quick-hitting passes that didn't produce much success.

The Cowboys punted on six of their first seven possessions. The one non-punt resulted in a measly field goal while Buffalo was scoring TDs at will, and they didn't score a touchdown until their final possession trailing 31-3 late in the fourth quarter.

Again, Martin's absence isn't totally to blame for that. Standout left guard Tyler Smith committed a killer penalty and wasn't great as a blocker. The Bills generated pressure seemingly whenever they wanted, but it's no surprise an already-struggling Dallas offense was stuck in neutral once its all-world OG went down.

There aren't many moral victories or silver linings to take into next week, but Martin's self-assessed update absolutely meets the criteria.

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