The Dallas Cowboys overtime win against the Philadelphia Eagles did not come at a potentially high cost to their secondary, as key starters Morris Claiborne and Barry Church both exited with injuries and did not return.
Just moments ago, Head Coach Jason Garrett provided an update on these two veterans from The Star.
Safety Barry Church’s injury appeared to be the easier of the two to diagnose, as these reports of a broken forearm were put out during the game last night. Now that it is confirmed the day after, Church is looking at missing some time, but potentially avoiding surgery.
With Church sidelined for the near future, the Cowboys will be losing a strong safety that has shined as a pass and run defender this season – on top of his role as a vocal leader for Rod Marinelli’s unit.
Church has two interceptions on the season, along with three pass breakups, and 34 tackles.
CB Morris Claiborne has been one of the best individual stories on this 2016 Cowboys team, escaping some injury scares earlier in the year to play in every game to date. Not only has Claiborne been on the field, but he’s been Dallas’ best corner, improving from the confident play that he put on display in 2015.
In another contract year, Claiborne’s injury is tough, because the timetable for his return is unclear. Initially, the Cowboys feared that it was a sports hernia that Claiborne suffered in the fourth quarter.
Garrett was also unsure if Claiborne will require surgery, but the team certainly does not anticipate him practicing this week, or playing in the coming weeks.
Looking ahead to a Week 9 match up in Cleveland, the Cowboys certainly have enough depth in the secondary to still feel confident going against the win-less Browns. As expected, Garrett is counting on the guys that are already here to step up, even mentioning Leon McFadden – who Dallas went out and added to the practice squad last week.
Orlando Scandrick is back into the starting lineup, which limited rookie Anthony Brown’s playing time last night. Now, both Brown and Scandrick should see more time on the field together.
According to Garrett, Jeff Heath and Kavon Frazier will also be options at safety to play next to Byron Jones – who has the versatility to come down and cover as corner if needed.
As new information becomes available on Morris Claiborne and Barry Church, Inside The Star will have you covered. Follow us on Twitter @CowboysNation to stay informed!
1 Comment
Comments are closed.