It’s only Week 5 of the NFL season, but the Cowboys are already ravaged by injuries like it’s late December. Thursday’s practice report saw 12 players either limited or not participating at all in the day’s session. And these are some of the team’s key contributors. KaVontae Turpin has a foot issue that’s expected to keep him sidelined this weekend, Miles Sanders could be out, only one of the season opener’s five starting O-linemen is currently healthy… and that’s just the offense. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that rookie running back Jaydon Blue could finally make his eagerly-awaited debut.
That will be one storyline to watch this Sunday, but the Cowboys will also be trying to make sure that recent history doesn’t repeat itself when they take on the winless Jets. It’ll be a sibling rivalry as Juanyeh Thomas and his little brother occupy opposing sidelines, Jake Ferguson will hope to become the fourth tight end ever to record 40 or more catches in his team’s first five games, and Dak Prescott looks to join an elite club of passers who have posted 30 or more completions in four straight outings. That last mark would certainly help boost the incredible start to Prescott’s season; Troy Aikman says No. 4 is No. 1 in the league right now, and another outlet even has him as an early MVP candidate.
The Jets are working hard to soar above their 0-4 record, and they’re focusing on messaging this week, with Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and head coach Aaron Glenn all saying the right things as they try to stir up the upset and notch their first win of the season. Justin Fields has been effective in some very close losses that could have easily gone the other way, but there is a pass coverage weakness that Prescott & Co. could look to exploit.
Meanwhile, the NFL is making plans to expand its international slate of games, but they’re also preparing to launch new professional flag leagues ahead of the 2028 Olympics. The Athletic is naming award frontrunners at the quarter-season mark, including a big one for Dak Prescott. And for all the talk about kickers getting stronger and more accurate, there’s also a growing theory that the NFL has entered an “asterisk era” of field goals, due to rules quietly slipped in for this season allowing teams to prep their K-balls in an entirely new and unpoliced way.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys Headlines: Turpin, Sanders, Kneeland among injured; Dak warning against letdown
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
