The Dallas Cowboys are just two games into their 2016 season and unfortunately there are several players not living up to the teams, fans, or even their own expectations. It’s sad I know, but unfortunately factual.
This is especially true for arguably the Cowboys best cornerback, Orlando Scandrick.
If you are anything like me, then you were really looking forward to seeing Scandrick back on the field this year after missing the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL and MCL knee injury.
Personally, I was so excited about Orlando Scandrick’s return that I wrote an article back in May about how I thought he would be the key to success for the Cowboys defense.
Unfortunately, things haven’t quite gone Scandrick’s way so far in 2016. So much so that he looks like a shadow of his former self.
Now, I’m not saying that he is starting to decline as a player, although that may be happening. What I am saying is that he doesn’t look nearly like the player the he did prior to his 2015 knee injury.
Scandrick’s problems on the field this year mostly have to do with the reoccurring injuries that he has been battling through.
We saw him leave the game briefly in Week 1 against the New York Giants with a tweaked hamstring, only to return a little later and play through the injury.
Despite the lingering effects of a tweaked hamstring, he still managed to battle through the discomfort and help his team beat the division rival Washington Redskins, thus helping the Dallas Cowboys avoid a 0-2 start.
Unfortunately, the word on the street is that Orlando Scandrick has not practiced all week and is dealing with not one, but two strained hamstrings. Double Whammy Hammy!?
This is definitely concerning news considering a CB depends on their speed and change of direction abilities to cover wide receivers all over the field in the NFL.
Quarterbacks at this level are a lot like sharks, and if they smell blood in the water they know exactly where to attack. So, you know defensive coordinators and quarterbacks around the league are well aware that #32 is less than 100%.
Fortunately, the Dallas Cowboys’ opponent with this week is dealing with their own rash of injuries and this could possibly be the closest to a give me game that the Cowboys could ask for all season.
The Chicago Bears have an abundance of players injured on both sides of the ball and that could allow the Cowboys to sit Scandrick this game in hopes that another week of rest will allow him to get back closer to 100%.
I know I’m not the one making the decisions, but I think I would be extremely cautious in regards of how I would handle Scandrick’s hamstring injuries.
He didn’t really get the benefit of the off-season to knock off the rust or get into “football shape”. The Cowboys coaching/training staff decided it would be better to take the cautious approach and I think that is exactly what they should do now.
Remember, the 2016 season has just started and there is a lot of football ahead of us.
If Orlando Scandrick continues to miss practice I don’t think I would suit him up at all, but the Cowboys may decide to keep him on the active roster for the Bears game Sunday night and play him only in an emergency situation.
Who knows, maybe Scandrick can pull a Peter Pan and catch his shadow prior to the 2015 knee injury?
Whatever happens, we have to be thinking of the long-term goal and that requires doing what is best for not only #32, but the entire team.
Do you agree or disagree?
Let me hear what you think in the comment section below.
Injuries to your legs are so detrimental to playing in the secondary. I’m not talking about his knees, but his hamstrings. Right now his body seems to be compensating and putting more pressure on his hamstrings during gameplay. He’s going to have to work through it and try and strengthen them when he can. Not an ideal situation for him, but knowing Scandrick, he will do what’s necessary to get on the field at 100%.
Kevin, that’s kind of the point I was trying to make in my article. That’s why I think it would be a good idea to allow him to rest up this week against the Bears. I’m not sure I would even suit him up for the game, but the Cowboys may choose to and just play him in emergency situations.
Sit him!! With all the Bears injuries I think the Boy’s will be fine. We’re going to need Scandrick as healthy as possible later in the year. I forget the backups name right now but he’s not bad, especially with their relievers banged up.
Thanks for taking the time to comment Kevin. Rookie cornerback Anthony Brown would be the one filling in for Scandrick. Brown has played pretty well when on the field and the Chicago Bears don’t really have an impressive group of wide receivers to cover. But, I do agree with sitting 32.