Injury Report: Cowboys Hoping Dez Bryant Back to Full Strength
By Shawn S. Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 of the NFL season, even without Dez Bryant in the game. This week, they have Bryant back but are without Tony Romo, who has been on the disabled list since he broke his collarbone in that Eagles win. Now, Dallas has lost five straight games and needs a desperation win in order to somehow save their season.
Of course, the biggest name on the Cowboys list of missing players is Tony Romo, who won't show up on any injury report until he is eligible to return from the temporary disabled list. Romo returned to practice this week, but he isn't eligible to play again until the Miami Dolphins game, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. That means that the Cowboys need to get past the Philadelphia Eagles this week and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week to have a chance. Otherwise, they Cowboys could drop seven straight games and have no chance of a playoff run at the end of the season.
It has been two weeks since the Cowboys chose to bench Brandon Weeden and start Matt Cassel at quarterback. While Cassel has been better at attempting down-field passes, he hasn't won yet and needs to show something against the Eagles. Cassel is listed on this week's injury report with an injured knee and had it in a brace this week during practice. The injury came on a roughing the passer call against the Seattle Seahawks last week, and Dallas said that Cassel will start this weekend.
What Cassel needs is for Dez Bryant to finally return to full strength. Last week, Bryant was questionable, but played and only caught two passes for 12 yards. Dallas needs more than that from their play maker this week. The good news is that a lot of Bryant's problems last week came because he was shadowed by Richard Sherman. This week, Dallas lists their receiver as probable and there is a good chance he rebounds.
James Hanna is another offensive star listed as probable, and he is a huge part of blocking for the Cowboys running game, as well as providing another target in the passing game. That is important because Bruce Butler is questionable, with hamstring problems. He didn't practice on Friday and that does not bode well for his availability on Sunday.
On defense, Randy Gregory is not two weeks without an injury report appearance and it looks like the Cowboys will get him more involved in the defense as the season wears on. DeMarcus Lawrence, another defensive end, is listed as probable this week and should be a part of the rotation as well. The only other player listed on the injury report is Barry Church, who is dealing with an ankle injury. He played against the Seahawks last week after missing practice, and that should be the case this week as well.
Probable:
Dez Bryant, WR (foot)
Matt Cassel, QB (knee)
James Hanna, TE (ankle)
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (back)
Questionable:
Brice Butler, WR (hamstring)
Barry Church, S (ankle)
Doubtful:
None
Out:
None
Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.