The Dallas Cowboys are heading into a game against the Colts that should not, ideally, be a must-win but given the position they’ve put themselves in, at 3-5 and battling to keep alive in a brutally bad NFC East, is most definitely a must win. The Colts are a team selling off pieces in front of our very eyes, and not expecting to do much winning from here on out. If the Cowboys can’t get this win on the road in Indianapolis this Sunday, and fall to 3-6, then, well, that’s it for the 2026 NFL season at The Star.
No doubt, the Dallas defense has been the biggest of the team’s many problems, but there has been some improvement since the acquisition last month of cornerback Joey Porter Jr.–at least, when he has been on the field. The Cowboys added Porter Jr. after Week 4, and from the get-go, he has been slowed by injuries. When he has been on the field, though, Porter has allowed three receptions on 10 targets, and a quarterback rating of 39.6.
Cowboys See a Step Back for Joey Porter Jr.
For a Cowboys defense that has struggled badly in coverage, having Porter on the field completely changes the math. It puts more pressure on DaRon Bland, but allows him–and the team’s safeties–to cover differently knowing that quarterbacks won’t be testing Porter on the opposite side.
But Porter, who played 94% of the snaps for Pittsburgh last season, is playing just 53% for Dallas this year. And in a bad sign, the Cowboys got rough news on Thursday: Porter is not healthy. He tried practicing on Wednesday but was limited on Thursday.
Per Jon Machota of The Athletic: “Cowboys CB Joey Porter Jr. (ankle) went from a full participant yesterday to limited today. LB DeMarvion Overshown was also limited today because of hamstring and back issues. Rookie DB Caleb Downs (concussion/ankle) and safety PJ Locke (concussion) went from not practicing yesterday to limited today. WR George Pickens (hamstring) continues to be limited.
The Cowboys are going into a must-win, but some of their best players will be out, or not at 100%.
Cowboys Get Concerning Injury News Before Week 9