It’s been a week full of news in the ever-entertaining world of the Dallas Cowboys. From Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal hearing extending from Tuesday to Thursday, to a cancelled game, it’s been a busy week for Cowboys Nation.
Among all of this, America’s Team received good news regarding the recently injured Anthony Hitchens.
After suffering a knee injury last week versus the Oakland Raiders, the fear of him missing the season was strong. Concerns from all of Cowboys Nation were calmed down a bit when they announced that the injury was not an ACL tear, but a tibial plateau fracture.
Instead of losing him for an entire season, it seemed the Cowboys were getting Hitchens back in just eight weeks. It is never a good thing to lose your potential starting linebacker for eight weeks, but it’s way better than a year.
But this week, things got even better. Although we still don’t know how long it will be until Anthony Hitchens is back on the field, we know it will not be eight weeks.
Cowboys have gotten better news on Anthony Hitchens. Stephen Jones says he could be back before initial 8-week timeline.
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) August 30, 2017
Fortunately, Hitchens suffered no ligament damage. This means he will not need surgery and he might be back before the original timetable. Good news for the Dallas Cowboys. While the linebacker position may not seem as concerning as the secondary or the defensive line, the depth is not great.
Sure, Jaylon Smith looks incredibly promising and has progressed way faster than we all thought he would… but will he be ready to be an important contributor against the New York Giants on week 1? Maybe not – but we should keep an eye out for a lot of nickel defense from Marinelli’s squad. Not only is this a question of “will Jaylon be able to play?” but also, “should the Cowboys rush him into playing?”
Cowboys working nickel defense and Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith on the field at LB.
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) August 29, 2017
Even still, the Cowboys will turn to Justin Durant, and while he may not be the best option from an athletic point of view, he does bring experience to the group. He may get quite a few snaps to start the season. Probably not what we want, but we’ll be fine.
For now, Cowboys fans around the world hope to see Anthony Hitchens back on the field as soon as possible. If When you read this Hitch, know that we wish you the best.
