A vital, if somewhat underrated, cog within the machine of the Cowboys’ suddenly-resurgent defense will be a true game-time decision for the team in their all-important Week 14 showdown with Detroit.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney did not practice at all on Monday or Tuesday and was officially listed as limited in the team’s final practice Wednesday with a hamstring issue. That kind of week would render most players “questionable” only in the strictest sense of the word, but Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer says he’s willing to give the 12-year man every opportunity to prove himself ready to go, right down to the last minute before inactives are due Thursday night.
“We’re going to take it up to gametime and see,” Schottenheimer said this week on 105.3 The Fan. “As a veteran, he’s earned that right to do that. We’ll get him out there early before the game and see how he does.”
Signed to a one-year deal in Week 2 of this season, Clowney didn’t make his Dallas debut until Week 4’s tilt with the Packers. And while he hasn’t played more than 60% of the defensive snaps in any contest since, the former No. 1 overall draft pick has shown at 32 he still has plenty left in the tank as part of a rotation.
Clowney currently ranks second among all Cowboys players in sacks, is tied for third on the team in passes defended, and is just barely outside the top 10 in total tackles. He had six tackles on Thanksgiving Day in the Cowboys’ thrilling win over the Chiefs and led the defense with a pair of sacks on quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“It’s not just the way he plays on the field, because he’s always been a very talented player, ” Schottenheimer explained, “but the absolute strain and finish and the way he’s running to the ball is just different, man. And I also love the way he’s impacting our young players like Donovan Ezeiruaku and Jay Toia and guys like that. Just the knowledge he’s impacting on those guys, I think, is great.”
The Cowboys defense will face a stiff challenge against the Lions, who rank second among all NFC teams in both points and yards. Dallas is tops in the conference in both categories, so the task of keeping the game from becoming a full-blown offensive shootout will require every available man on defense.
Schottenheimer- as well as the Cowboys fanbase- is keeping their fingers crossed that Clowney will be among them when things kick off at Ford Field.
“Hopefully, he can play,” the coach said, “and if not, next man up.”
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Jadeveon Clowney to be true gametime decision for Cowboys vs Lions
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
