The Arizona Cardinals will be without two starters when they face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, with head coach Mike LaFleur confirming Friday morning that defensive lineman Walter Nolen III and offensive lineman Jon Gaines II are out.
Both players are missing a second straight matchup after spending the entire week sidelined by ankle injuries. Their absences leave Arizona thinner in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and that’s a problem heading into Sunday’s game in Dallas.
Nolen, a former first-round pick, has been battling injuries since entering the league, while Gaines had recently been pushed into a starting role. The Cardinals are also expecting right tackle Elijah Wilkinson to play this week, though Hjalte Froholdt was absent from Friday’s practice.
Arizona and Dallas will each release their official injury reports later on Friday.
LaFleur acknowledged that the Cowboys may carry a rough statistical profile on defense, but he said the tape shows talent throughout the unit.
“I just said the talent. There is talent on all their levels, but their defensive line is real.
I’ve been with (Cowboys DT) Quinnen (Williams) in New York. It starts with him.
He can wreck a game quickly. I remember that when he was a young guy, I remember that being with him and it certainly hasn’t changed," LaFleur said.
"Sometimes, particularly early (in the scouting process) as you’re trying to learn some things and stuff like that - you just look at the tape and what your eyes tell you more than the numbers.”
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The catch is that Arizona may have to take advantage with a line that is already stretched thin. Chase Bisontis and Paris Johnson are out for the season, and rookie Jayden Williams has been pushed into the left tackle spot, leaving the Cardinals close to a patchwork front even before the latest injury concern to center Hjalte Froholdt. If the run game is going to matter Sunday, it may need to hold up in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
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Cardinals Game Could Decide What Jerry Jones Does Next
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The timing matters because Dallas has another shot at the Cardinals coming up, and Jones made clear that game could shape what comes next. He did not rule out staying active in the trade market once that matchup is in the books, which keeps the possibility of a deadline move alive without making it feel likely today. For a Cowboys team trying to find traction, the Cardinals game is suddenly about more than just the standings. [Read more 🡒]