Getty Chidobe Awuzie
While just about every NFL team is hurting these days, it seems the injury bug is fattening itself on the Dallas Cowboys.
The latest blow to the current NFC East leaders involves starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who strained his hamstring amid Dallas’ Week 2 win over Atlanta. Head coach Mike McCarthy announced Wednesday that Awuzie was injured on a fourth-quarter punt-block attempt and will miss “multiple weeks.”
It’s unclear as of this writing if Awuzie will be moved to injured reserve, which would force him to sit out at least three games. The club already lost CB Anthony Brown (IR, ribs) until Week 5.
Awuzie, playing in a contract year, is responsible for the Cowboys’ lone interception thus far. He’s added three tackles and two pass breakups across 127 defensive snaps (85.81%). The team’s Byron Jones-less secondary ranks 23rd against the pass, surrendering 268 yards per game.
With Awuzie sidelined, the Cowboys will lean on their collection of healthy corners: Jourdan Lewis, Trevon Diggs, Daryl Worley, and CJ Goodwin. The “plan,” per the Dallas Morning News, is to involve defensive back Brandon Carr — primarily stationed at safety — along the boundary, as well.
The team also has DBs Chris Westry, Deante Burton, and Saivion Smith eligible for promotion from the practice squad.
Regardless, it’s a particularly unfortunate time for the back end to absorb another hit with Russell Wilson and the 2-0 Seahawks, in Seattle, next on the docket. Wilson threw for 322 yards in Week 1 and 288 yards in his Week 2 takedown of the New England Patriots. He ranks first in the NFL with nine passing touchdowns and fifth in yards (610).
“We’re still working through the kinds of things you might be working through midway through training camp,” Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Tuesday. “Now other teams are too. And so, we’ve got a lot to work on, but that’s the good news.”
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