Martin’s 5: Will Jaylon Smith Suit Up For Cowboys In 2016?

Welcome to this week’s edition of Martin’s 5!

The Dallas Cowboys have won nine games in a row and hope to continue that streak a few hours from now against the Washington Redskins.

Yes, it’s a quick turnaround after defeating the Baltimore Ravens Sunday afternoon, but you won’t hear anybody making excuses or feeling sorry for the Cowboys.

These divisional games are always hard-fought battles. They usually are decided in the final few seconds of the game, and I would expect nothing else when these two teams square off against one another Thursday afternoon.

You would think that with all of the holiday goings-on my mind would be preoccupied with other things, but you would be mistaken.

There are still a lot of things stuck in my head that I can’t quite get rid of, so luckily I have this space to throw them out there for all of you, with the hopes that they don’t return.

Below are the five things I’m wondering about this week.

One: I thought it was really interesting that the Dallas Cowboys activated both Darren McFadden and Jaylon Smith from the NFI list. Well, not so much McFadden. The last official news about Smith was that he was continuing to rehab from his knee injury, while waiting for the nerve to start to fire once again. Apparently, the nerve in his knee is starting to  regenerate, which makes me wonder if we might see him suit up for the Dallas Cowboys at some point in 2016? Jaylon would have been a top-five draft pick if not for suffering a devastating knee injury. The Cowboys have already gotten more production from their rookie draft class than they could have ever imagined, and Smith would just be icing on the cake. I still think it’s a long shot for him to play in 2016, but the news that the nerve in his knee is starting to regenerate is great news. The Cowboys have three weeks to evaluate him before having to make a decision about whether or not they add him to the active roster.

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Two: The Dallas Cowboys seem to be set at the running back position, so I wonder where Darren McFadden fits in the picture when/if he is added to the active roster? I don’t think we will see him stealing any carries away from Ezekiel Elliott, and I’m not sure that he is better than Alfred Morris. So, that leaves Lance Dunbar as the logical odd man out. Dunbar has struggled staying healthy since entering the NFL, so maybe McFadden is just an insurance policy in case someone gets injured. McFadden could possibly be a valuable asset as the season progresses. He has fresh legs and has already proven that he can be successful running behind the Cowboys talented offensive line.

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Three: I’ve learned not to bet against Dak Prescott, but I wonder if he is as mentally and physically prepared as he usually is for this week’s matchup against the Washington Redskins after such a quick turnaround? Prescott has been simply amazing this season and his performance is a big reason why the Dallas Cowboys have won nine consecutive games in a row. In all honesty, I don’t worry too much about him being mentally prepared, but he did take quite a few big hits last week against the Baltimore Ravens and could be feeling the aftereffects. I personally think that he will be okay, but this is a lingering thought that I just can’t quite shake for some reason.

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Four: The Dallas Cowboys have gotten out to a slow start the past couple of games, but somehow have been able to play from behind and come away with the victory. I personally wouldn’t be surprised if they start slowly once again, especially having to play after such a quick turnaround with so many rookies contributing at key positions. Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, and the rest of the Cowboys 2016 rookie draft class are unaccustomed to playing two games in less than a weeks time, so it makes me wonder if they’re getting any help with their preparation. Let’s just hope that veteran players like Jason Witten and Tony Romo have shared their knowledge with these young players about how to best prepare for these Thursday night games. Everyone will need to be on top of their game to sweep the Redskins this year, because I don’t know if they can continue to fall behind opponents and still hope to win.

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Five: You can call it a gut feeling if you want, but I wonder if Lucky Whitehead makes a key play in the game to help the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins? I don’t know what it is, but I think Whitehead has a game changing play this week. We haven’t really seen him  involved in the offense very much lately, so maybe the coaching staff gives him a jet sweep in a key situation that catches the Redskins defense off guard. The Redskins defense is aggressive and their defensive ends like to crash down to help stop the running game. The use of the jet sweep will not only keep them from crashing down, but also helps open up running lanes for Ezekiel Elliott. Then again, maybe we will see him finally take one to the house as a returner. Regardless, I just have the feeling that Lucky Whitehead will have a game changing moment against the Redskins.

Is there anything you’re wondering about this week?

Please feel free to use the comment section below to share with all of us anything that might stuck in your head this week.