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Cowboys COVID-19 bout continues: Starting RT Terence Steele will miss Saints game Thursday.
Also unavailable: OL coach Joe Philbin, assistant OL coach Jeff Blasko, offensive assistant Scott Tolzien.
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) November 28, 2021
The New Orleans Saints have dealt with a ton of of losses in recent weeks, but their next opponent isn’t in great shape, either. Dallas Cowboys starting right tackle Terence Steele was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list Sunday, along with the team’s offensive line coach Joe Philbin and assistants Jeff Blasko and Scott Tolzien (as well as their three strength and conditioning coaches). Star receiver Amari Cooper is returning from the list on Monday but he isn’t a lock to play against the Saints on Thursday.
It’s a similar situation to what the Saints experienced in their Week 2 loss to the Carolina Panthers, in which a third of their coaching staff (including the offensive line coach and several assistants) were unavailable due to a series of COVID-19 issues, though obviously not to the same degree. It’s another challenge for the Cowboys to try and overcome along with an injury to all-star running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Maybe all of this adversity is too much for Mike McCarthy’s team to overcome. The Saints have never lost more than four games in a row under Sean Payton (doing so four times: 2021, 2015, 2012, and 2007) and this is a huge opportunity for them to shake back and get back into the NFC playoff picture. Hopefully New Orleans can sort its own issues before the embattled Cowboys come to town.
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