KaVontae Turpin’s night ended early on Sunday Night Football, and the Cowboys now have one more problem to sort out in real time against the Packers.
Turpin injured his ribs in the first half and was ruled out for the rest of the game, leaving Dallas without the player who usually handles kick return duties. That means the Cowboys will need somebody else to step into that role for the remainder of the matchup.
The injury comes during a stretch in which Turpin has not produced much on offense. Last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught two passes for 22 yards and also lost a fumble after Tampa Bay had just gone ahead 21-10. The Buccaneers later turned that mistake into a field goal.
Dallas entered the night at 2-3, and the team’s uneven start has been a talking point around the club. Before the game, owner Jerry Jones said he still felt good about where the Cowboys stood.
“Our grade speaks for itself. We’re 2-3,” Jones said via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “What I would tell you is, I like where we are today as opposed to this time last year or, frankly, this time the year before.”
The biggest area Dallas needs to clean up is on defense, the part of the roster the team made a point to address in the offseason. Offensively, the Cowboys have been steady enough, but not consistent enough to turn that into the kind of win total they want.
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