The Cowboys are heading into Sunday night with a better injury picture than they’ve had in weeks, and that matters. Dallas got 10 days to reset after a brutal stretch that included three games in 12 days, a trip to South America and a road trip to Houston. Now comes Green Bay, and the Cowboys have a few key names trending the right way.
The biggest boost is CeeDee Lamb. After dealing with a thigh bruise in Week 4 and then aggravating it against the Bucs, Lamb practiced in full all week and is set to play without any restrictions.
He was limited to two catches against Tampa Bay while managing the injury on and off the field, but the mini-bye appears to have come at the perfect time. Lamb said his thigh is fully healthy now, and Dallas will need him that way if it’s going to keep up with Green Bay.
On the other side of the ledger, DeMarvion Overshown looks like a long shot. The linebacker returned to practice Thursday and Friday after sitting out early in the week with a hamstring issue, which at least got him to questionable.
But Brian Schottenheimer cooled expectations Friday, calling him a “long shot” to play. That’s a frustrating development for Cowboys fans, especially after Schottenheimer initially downplayed the injury coming out of Week 1 and said the recovery would take one to two weeks.
Dallas also appears set to get Joey Porter Jr. back in the lineup despite his own injury report entry. Porter missed Week 5 with an illness that forced the Cowboys to send him home after he arrived at AT&T Stadium last Thursday.
This week he was limited Wednesday, full Thursday and limited Friday because of an ankle injury, but the team doesn’t sound worried. The expectation is that he’ll be a full go Sunday, which should help against Jordan Love and Green Bay’s deep-shot passing game led by Christian Watson and Matthew Golden.
Cobie Durant, though, remains out. He’ll miss a fourth straight game because of a hamstring injury and still hasn’t logged an official practice.
Schottenheimer said he is “getting closer,” but he was also described as a “long shot” for Sunday night. Durant has moved into individual drills, but not team work, and the DNPs keep piling up.
The rest of Dallas’ report brings some good news. Tyler Smith is playing after a full week of work, and Tyler Guyton is also good to go after practicing all week.
Shavon Revel practiced fully too, benefiting from the 10-day layoff. Rookie offensive tackle Drew Shelton is out again with a hamstring injury, while safety Alijah Clark is set to play.
Cornerback Ameer Speed is questionable after a full practice Friday, and James Houston has continued to show up on the report without missing practice time. Von Miller returned to full participation Thursday after a veteran rest day to open the week.
There was one late surprise on Friday: rookie defensive tackle LT Overton popped up with a foot injury and did not practice. He had not been listed Wednesday or Thursday, so this appears to have surfaced late in the week.
Green Bay has its own issues. The Packers will be without linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and defensive tackle Javon Hargarve, both of whom suffered Achilles tears in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively.
Jonathan Ford is also out with a calf injury, and that matters for a defense that has had trouble slowing the run, ranking 20th in EPA per rush and 25th in total rushing yards allowed. Skyy Moore is out too with an ankle injury, taking away Green Bay’s top specialist in the return game.
Keisean Nixon, however, will be available. He sat out Wednesday with a groin injury, but that won’t keep him from extending a streak that has seen him avoid missing a game in five years with Green Bay. The Packers also ruled out Benjamin St-Juste after he aggravated a hamstring injury against the Bears last Sunday and didn’t practice all week.
And for the Cowboys, the wait continues on Micah Parsons. When the schedule came out, this matchup was widely seen as his likely return from ACL rehab, but that was always more hope than reality. Parsons has not had his practice window opened, and he won’t be on the field against his former team Sunday night.
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