One of the aspects of the Dallas Cowboys‘ approach to the Week 5 game against the Buccaneers–a must-win, in a way, because the Cowboys need momentum and Tampa is playing without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield–was that they could finally trot out a reliable, high-end NFL cornerback against a troupe of good receivers. Joey Porter Jr., acquired in a trade with the Steelers a week ago, showed an immediate impact in Dallas’ win over the Texans in Week 4, as he played 24 snaps and quarterback CJ Stroud only threw one targeted pass his way.
With Jalon Daniels, a UDFA rookie, making his second start, having an amped-up cornerback situation in Week 5 at home was a good bit of comfort for the Cowboys. But then came the news: Porter would not play in Week 5.
Cowboys Got Sudden News on Joey Porter Illness
All that was originally said about the situation was that Porter was ill. But then, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones went on his normal pregame segment and shed some light on Porter’s ailment–a stomach bug, apparently, one that forced him off the field despite his best efforts.
Said Jones: “We were gonna play these guys and play them well, I hope, before we got Joey. He really has got a lot of stomach issues. He really wanted to go so bad, we all know that, we saw him go last week. It’s disappointing but we’re going to have to overcome it. This Tampa team, don’t give them too much of a light look because they don’t have their quarterback. That is not how it works in the NFL, we have got our work cut out for us.”
Cowboys Must Not Take Jalon Daniels Lightly
Jones is hopeful that the Cowboys are not going to take Daniels lightly. He kept the Bucs close in Week 4 against the Packers, a 17-14 loss. Daniels was making his first-ever start, but showed himself to be a dual-threat danger.
Said Jones: “He is going to run the ball, a lot. He will make plays that might not have been as orthodox, let’s say. When you see a player you haven’t seen—watching that Green Bay film, they were able to do pretty well. We got our work cut out for us.”
Joey Porter Jr. Backups Lacking
Jones was also asked what he’s seen from the backup defensive backs on the Cowboys depth chart. He was blunt: he’s been less than impressed by the likes of Ameer Speed and Shavon Revel.
The owner said: “What I have seen, we need to see better than that and more. That’s the point. We can do it better. We have not seen them play at the level of our expectation. We have seen them practice that way. We want to see all of these guys, who have had some challenges through the first four games get better. That’s what you should see.”
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Reveals Details of Surprise Joey Porter Injury