Unsung hero from Cowboys' Week 1 win misses practice with concerning injury

The Dallas Cowboys did not pitch a shutout on defense in Week 1, but they twirled the equivalent of a perfect game in Mike Zimmer's first game as defensive coordinator. They sacked Deshaun Watson six times, intercepted him twice and generated the most pressures of any team.

The likes of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, who received the game ball, Eric Kendricks and DeMarvion Overshown deserve their flowers. Given how lopsided the game script was, a lot of performances got swept under the rug.

Zimmer's cornerbacks in particular were nothing short of spectacular. Trevon Diggs recorded an interception, Jourdan Lewis set the tone with his physical tackling and rookie Caelen Carson put himself on the national map by putting the clamps on Amari Cooper.

Carson was exceptional in his debut, but he wasn't the only member of Dallas' 2024 draft class that shined on Sunday. Second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland produced six pressures, three tackles, three QB hits and a pass deflection.

Cowboys fans are excited for what's to come from Kneeland, but that excitement might be put on hold after Kneeland popped up on the Week 2 injury report Wednesday with a calf injury.

Cowboys rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland dealing with calf injury after strong debut

Kneeland was a non-participant in Wednesday's practice with an apparent calf injury. Kneeland worked with the rehab group at the start of Thursday's practice, but did partake in team drills in the portion of practice that was open to reporters, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.

That's a good sign for his availability on Sunday, but you have to wonder if the Cowboys should exercise caution with the talented rookie given the fickle nature of calf injuries, which have a tendency to linger if not given enough time to heal.

Perhaps Kneeland was merely dealing with soreness. The Cowboys' training staff and rehabilitation team is among the best in the NFL. They wouldn't clear Kneeland if there was a high risk of re-injuring the muscle and they took precaution by starting him out on the resistance cords on Thursday.

Right now it's hard to say if Kneeland will play agains the Saints. The DNP on Wednesday sounded alarms, but if he's listed as a full participant on Thursday and makes it through Friday's practice without any setbacks, Cowboys fans can expect him to play. It would be an impressive turnaround given that calf injuries almost always require a multi-week absence.

That brings us back to the "soreness" possibility. Regardless, it would be huge if Kneeland can build on his strong debut. He finished with just three fewer pressures than Parsons, logged a 67.8 run-defense grade and played the fourth-most snaps among Dallas' defensive linemen.

The Cowboys' final injury reports of the week will be crucial in determining Kneeland's availability, or lack thereof, for Sunday.

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