Getty Cowboys OL Zack Martin
Adding injury to the insult that was their Thanksgiving Day massacre, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy announced Friday that starting tackles Zack Martin and Cameron Erving “are going to be out multiple weeks.”
McCarthy did not provide further details except to confirm that Martin sustained a calf injury and Erving a right MCL sprain. Both linemen were hurt on the Cowboys’ opening drive against Washington.
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Martin’s ailment is especially worrisome considering its graphic nature — he was writhing in pain and needed to be escorted, with a limp, to the locker room — and his obvious All-Pro talent. Remember, this line already is without fellow All-Pro LT Tyron Smith and RT1 La’el Collins, both of whom are on injured reserve.
“No, I don’t know how serious they are, but I do know that they got the potential to be with us — the potential to impact us the rest of the season,” Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan, prior to McCarthy’s news conference.
No matter if he’s stationed at right tackle (in place of shaky rookie Terence Steele) or his natural right guard spot, Martin is in the midst of another all-star season. The six-time Pro Bowler had graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2-rated OG entering Week 12. He was key in keeping quarterback Andy Dalton upright amid last Sunday’s upset of the Minnesota Vikings.
Without Martin and Erving on the field, no such luck for Dalton, who was sacked three times and hit seven times in the 41-16 trouncing to the Football Team. The downturn was evident once Steele and fill-in LT Brandon Knight entered the game. And here’s proof: 44 scoreless rushing yards — combined — for running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
It’s possible with 3-8 Dallas falling out of playoff contention in the lowly NFC East that Martin and Erving have played their final snaps of the season. Meaning things could get worse beginning in Week 13 when the Cowboys are scheduled to face the Ravens’ ferocious defense on Monday Night Football.
The ever-reshuffled OL should look like this (Knight-Connor Williams-Joe Looney-Connor McGovern-Steele) for that contest.
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NFL Reschedules Cowboys-Ravens Week 13 Game
A rash of positive Ravens COVID-19 infections, including that of superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, prompted the league to change its Week 13 plans.
The NFL announced in a statement Friday that the Cowboys‘ upcoming road tilt in Baltimore, scheduled for next Thursday, Dec. 3, has been moved to Monday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on FOX and NFL Network.
McCarthy on Friday broached the possibility of the game being altered, confirming the contingencies put into place for such a maneuver.
“If we did move to Sunday, I wouldn’t anticipate us going into a normal seven-day week where I would just treat this weekend and probably Monday, Tuesday like a bye week. I think our team could use that,” McCarthy told reporters.
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