How will the 5 injury replacements fare?
The Cowboys have ruled out three players from the defense and whether or not their four replacements can perform adequately will go a long way in determining the type of game Trubisky has. Likewise, an injury replacement on the offensive line will impact Prescott’s night.
NT Atwaun Woods, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and strong safety Jeff Heath are all ruled out, compromising the middle of the Dallas defense. Christian Covington and rookie Trysten Hill will see increased snaps to go alongside Maliek Collins and Michael Bennett on the defensive line’s interior.
Meanwhile Jaylon Smith slides over into the MLB position and Sean Lee backfills at the weak-side spot. His mind is still highly engaged, but his tackling ability and reaction times have been pretty suspect this year. Finally, Darian Thompson filling in for Heath has been a mixed bag over the last several weeks, with his run defense being strong but his coverage abilities on a roller coaster.
On the opposite side, Xavier Su’a-Filo will once again man the left guard position with Connor Williams on injured reserve. The veteran gave up a sack in the early going of the relief effort and then allowed two more pressures on his day. Dallas will need to protect Prescott and give him time before the cold settles in his bones.
Will things fall apart if Cowboys fall behind?
All eyes are on Jason Garrett and the seat he sits on. Jerry Jones has been clear that he’s not making a coaching change midseason, but he was clear when Wade Phillips was on his last legs during 2010, too.
The Cowboys had some players who looked like their heads were no longer in the game as it played out on Thanksgiving, but it didn’t appear to impact the entire team. If things start to go south in Chicago, will that spread like an epidemic?
Garrett’s troops have always shown the fight until the last minute, but by losing 6 of their last 9 contests, it’s easy to see how they may be ready to pack it in on the season, a scary thought for a team guaranteed to be in first place of their division in Week 15.
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