An injury gives Dallas Cowboys some uncertainty at cornerback, but defense is better
It wouldn’t be 2020 if the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have an injury issue clouding a potential game plan in the days before a game.
So the uncertainty surrounding cornerback Anthony Brown’s availability for Thursday’s showdown against Washington is par for course.
Brown re-aggravated a rib injury in the 31-28 victory against the Minnesota Vikings and his status for Thanksgiving on a short week is unknown.
Rashard Robinson, who was elevated from the practice squad last Saturday, replaced Brown against the Vikings and could get the call against Thursday. Or it could be Saivon Smith.
“I know Anthony’s going to give it a shot. That’s the outlook,” Cowboys coach McCarthy said. “We’ll see how that goes.”
Brown spent three games on Reserve/Injured with a rib injury earlier this season.
The Cowboys got Chido Awuzie back against the Vikings after he had been out since Week 2 with a strained hamstring, and he was replacing Trevon Diggs who is out at least three games with a broken bone in his foot.
But don’t let Brown’s situation distract from the continued improvement of the formerly-maligned defensive unit of the Cowboys.
Quarterback Andy Dalton garnered headlines following the Vikings game with his game-winning touchdown pass in his first action in three week, but it was defense that set the tone early for victory and made it hold up late.
Safety Donovan Wilson had two forced fumbles in the first half that led to a touchdown and a field goal.
And the defense got stops on the Vikings final two drives to seal the victory, culminating with three straight incompletions from quarterback Kirk Cousins, who passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the game but came up empty when it mattered most.
“I just love the way they fly around,” McCarthy said of his defense. “We’ve really spent a lot of time on getting after the football. Donovan has been outstanding. He’s clearly been our most productive player this year on defense taking the ball away with his hits and his ability to always make plays on the football. You could see the rest of our defense, we’re improving there, and we need to continue to improve.”
Wilson said it was a matter of taking what they practice every day to the field.
“Every day at practice I’m punching, swinging, trying to get whatever ball I can out,” Wilson said. “I think that just carried over to the game. We were just trying to play complementary football. Get the ball to the offense and let them take advantage of a short field.”
McCarthy said the play of the defense was certain evidence of them finally getting comfortable in the new scheme of coordinator Mike Nolan after struggling with uncertainty, alignment and communication earlier in the season.
A unit that was formerly finger pointing and questioning the decision of the coaches is now running instinctively to the ball.
“I think it was obvious that we were thinking too much earlier in the year,” McCarthy said. “We were definitely hesitant, but that’s not the case now. And we have a whole another gear that we can go to. So that’s what we’re focused on. Just their confidence in not only what we’re doing but how we’re doing it and the ability to adjust over the course of the game, we’re clearly getting better and better each week.”
