A Cowboys team looking to get back in the win column will have one less playmaking weapon to worry about when they square off against a suddenly-depleted Saints squad on Thursday night.
New Orleans has declared running back Alvin Kamara out for a fourth straight game as he continues to deal with a knee injury. The four-time Pro Bowler had been limited in practice this week and was considered questionable to play. But NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater reported Thursday morning that Kamara will sit once again.
Both of the Saints’ starting offensive tackles, also deemed questionable, have been ruled out of the Week 13 contest as well, both with knee injuries.
The #Saints won’t have star RB Alvin Kamara (knee), OT Ryan Ramczyk (knee) or OT Terron Armstead (knee) for tonight vs. #Cowboys, sources tell me and @SlaterNFL. They are out. Short-handed again.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 2, 2021
“These are huge absences,” notes John Sigler of Saints Wire. “The Saints offense hasn’t been functional without Kamara during the last month, and the line depth that New Orleans has invested in has been eroded by injuries — they’re replacing their two best blockers with veteran backups James Hurst and Jordan Mills. Even a change under center might not be enough to turn the tide considering [newly-named starting quarterback] Taysom Hill has been managing a painful foot injury.”
For the Cowboys defense, edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence is expected to return to action after a ten-week absence, and linebacker phenom Micah Parsons was just named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month.
DeMarcus Lawrence & Micah Parsons getting to go against an offensive line without either of its All-Pro tackles feels like the type of break the Cowboys haven’t been getting this last month.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) December 2, 2021
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