Getty Amari Cooper
If Amari Cooper plays against the Philadelphia Eagles, it’ll be through severe discomfort.
The Dallas Cowboys‘ star wide receiver, having suffered a quad injury in Sunday’s loss to the Jets, was diagnosed with a thigh bruise, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who noted the issue — although not a long-term situation — can feel “horribly” and “extremely, extremely” painful.
“#Cowboys WR Amari Cooper was diagnosed yesterday with a thigh bruise, source said, which can be horribly painful and knocked him out of the loss to the #Jets. At the least, though, there is no indication of long-term damage,” Rapoport tweeted.
“My understanding is nothing structural here, so it should not be a long-term injury, but it is extremely, extremely painful,” Rapoport said Monday on Good Morning Football, via NJ.com. “Amari Cooper was in a lot of discomfort yesterday. We’ll see about his status this week, but this did not seem like something they’ll need to worry about for several weeks.”
Cooper was injured in the first quarter of the Cowboys’ road game at East Rutherford when he landed hard on his hip while attempting to make a catch. He was listed as questionable to return, then ruled out for the remainder of Dallas’ stunning 24-22 defeat.
Cooper, who leads the club with 33 catches for 515 yards and five touchdowns, initially hurt his quad following Week 5, but he practiced (on a limited basis) despite being hampered. The thigh/quad malady adds to a frustrating few months for the former Pro Bowl wideout, who’s also overcome heel and foot/ankle injuries since the season started.
“The quad has already gotten a lot better, but the ankle is what is bothering me,” he said last week.
The Cowboys return to The Star on Wednesday to begin full-scale preparations for their primetime home matchup versus Philadelphia.
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Austin Soaks Up Significant Snaps
With Michael Gallup coming off knee surgery, Randall Cobb ruled out with a back injury, and Devin Smith declared a healthy scratch, the Cowboys were left with Tavon Austin, Cedrick Wilson and special-teamer Ventell Bryant as WR depth against the Jets.
Austin was the biggest benefactor from Cooper’s absence, logging 76 of 82 offensive snaps and finishing with a team-high 64 yards on five grabs (six targets). A gadget-type player, he showed surprisingly solid chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott.
Wilson, too, earned an extended look. He notched 50 offensive snaps and turned them into five catches for 46 yards. For as long as Cooper’s sidelined, Wilson will function as Dallas’ No. 4 wideout behind Gallup, (a healthy) Cobb and Austin.
Prime Matchup vs. Eagles
If Cooper can gut through the pain, he has a get-right opponent in the Eagles, who own the NFL’s 28th-ranked pass defense, surrendering 280.2 yards per game. This, in sharp contrast to Philly’s second-best run defense (72.8 YPG).
The Eagles, as a whole, are largely exploitable. Through six weeks, they’re allowing 24.8 points per game (23rd) and 353.0 total yards per game (14th). The Cowboys’ offense ranks tenth and second overall, respectively, in those categories.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL