Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones surveys the field before an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys are heading to the NFC Divisional Round, but owner Jerry Jones is worried about the status of one of the team’s starters.
Dallas dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 31-14 win, but they did see starting offensive lineman Jason Peters exit the game with what was called a hip injury. Now, Jones is expressing his concerns on the 40-year-old’s future.
“I certainly am concerned. I don’t know any more than we knew when we left there last night. We’ve got a little hope that it might not be serious,” Jones said in an interview with 105.3 The Fan. “But it’s important to realize that he’s not sitting here in his rookie year.”
Peters is a rare breed, still playing at a high level at 40 years old. The former Philadelphia Eagles star joined the Cowboys this season as the team needed reinforcements on the offensive line, and Peters has ended up playing an important role with the team.
Without him, Dallas could take a significant downgrade at the offensive line. However, the Cowboys did have success after Peters went out as Connor McGovern came into the game.
Cowboys Keep Momentum without Peters, But 49ers a New Test
If there’s one thing Dallas and Jones can look at to feel more optimistic, it’s that the Cowboys‘ offensive line did not give up a single sack with McGovern on the field. The first and only sack of the game came before Peters’ injury, as center Tyler Biadasz was beaten by Bucs defender Vita Vea.
Dallas didn’t do as well in the running game as the team averaged 3.7 yards per carry and RB Ezekiel Elliott struggled to find space all game, going for 27 yards on 13 carries while Tony Pollard took 15 touches for 77 rushing yards.
However, McGovern and the Cowboys have a new test with the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners boast a stacked defensive line featuring names like Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead. Bosa racked up 18.5 sacks in the 2022 regular season.
Rookie Tyler Smith will have a difficult task, and McGovern will have to help with Bosa and account for Armstead and 49ers DT Javon Kinlaw. It won’t be easy, but the left-side duo can point to this past Monday’s success if Peters can’t play.
Dallas Star Gives Personal Injury Update
While Jones addressed the status of Peters, the Cowboys’ star pass rusher Micah Parsons spoke about his own injury situation. The second-year defender had an injury scare late in the first half, but came back to finish the game.
But speaking to the media after the game, the hybrid defender offered an important update.
“I’m feeling good,” Parsons explained according to the team’s website. “I feel I finished the game well. Continued to get my pressure, continued to keep going, understanding the circumstances I was faced with. I’m excited for next week, excited for the matchup.”
Parsons registered his first playoff sacks in the win over the Buccaneers, bringing his total for this season to 14.5. With 26.5 total sacks over the past two regular seasons, Parsons ranks sixth among NFL defenders in the category according to StatMuse.
San Francisco’s Bosa tops the list, with 34 sacks over the course of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.