The Dallas Cowboys have, like any team in the NFL, experienced the injury bug this year. Fortunately to this point, they have avoided anything that would be considered catastrophic, but the fourth quarter of the win over the Detroit Lions threatened all of that, with several prominent players getting attention on the field and sidelines.
It seems, however, that they’ve dodged the proverbial bullet yet again as owner Jerry Jones tells 105.3 The Fan. He expects three key players to suit up against the New England Patriots. Wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and right tackle La’el Collins should all see action in the team’s biggest game of the year.
Jerry Jones on @1053thefan said he expects Amari Cooper, La’el Collins and DeMarcus Lawrence to play Sunday at New England despite dealing with injuries
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 19, 2019
Cooper has been dealing with lower-body injuries since August and only played about half of the offensive snaps in Sunday’s win over the Lions. Lawrence left Sunday’s game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, though he returned shortly after and Collins was taken off the field with a knee injury after being fell into by quarterback Dak Prescott.
Their situations will be heavily monitored by the team in an attempt to get them to the point of being able to play.
The game against the Patriots this upcoming Sunday isn’t technically a playoff game and in the grand scheme of the chase, one of the least important contests of the year, coming against an AFC foe. But the Cowboys are searching for a signature win to signal not only to the rest of the league, but to themselves that they can play with any team at any time.
The Patriots are the gold standard; the measuring stick against which all others are compared. To beat them is impressive, to do it while missing key pieces would be near-impossible. With Cooper, Lawrence and Collins all expected to be ready to go in Foxborough on Sunday, Dallas will have a puncher’s chance to go toe to toe with its best players in tow.
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