While the Dallas Cowboys were just haunted by the 23-second play from the Baltimore Ravens resulting in a 34-31 loss in Week 3, this wasn’t the end of the odyssey for the franchise, as the team now deals with a plethora of injuries following Joey Porter Jr.’s trade.
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“CB Cobie Durant, LB DeMarvion Overshown ruled out, but Malik Hooker returns,” Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk wrote on X.
Williams highlighted, “The Cowboys expect cornerback Joey Porter to play on Sunday in Houston. That’s good news since they won’t have cornerback Cobie Durant (hamstring)… Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) will also miss another week. He has not played since his Week 1 injury.”
The Cowboys have been plagued by injuries since the start of the season. Durant and Overshown were placed on injured reserve with hamstring injuries, with Durant suffering his in Week 2 and Overshown dealing with his in Week 1.
While the Cowboys were already dealing with those injuries, Weeks 2 and 3 brought more setbacks for the team. Versatile safety P.J. Locke tore his plantar fascia in Week 2. With the loss against the Ravens, the Cowboys further lost veteran safety Jalen Thompson with a hamstring injury in Week 3, and cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. suffered a sprained knee and ankle in the same game.
The Cowboys are on the road for Week 4 against the Houston Texans, and wouldn’t want to go with such an injury-plagued team, especially when they want to desperately grab a win. With this many injuries, owner and general manager Jerry Jones also hinted at bringing in a player, saying that the team was “right on top” for considering options.
Well, those “conversations” led to Porter joining in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Durant being injured and Revel facing a knock earlier, the cornerback position was one of the positions that were deprived of depth, with the fourth-year cornerback gaining experience as Porter fits right in.
Porter was the second-round pick by the Steelers in 2023 and started 41 of 47 games played in the league over three seasons, tallying 165 tackles, 31 pass breakups, and three interceptions. The quarterbacks averaged only a 66 passer rating whenever they threw in Porter’s direction. With Porter coming in, the new, first-time defensive coordinator, Christian Parker, gets help in a familiar player with great physicality and height, having trained stars like Pat Surtain and Quinyon Mitchell in his previous stops.
“He fits well,” Parker said of Porter’s fit in his scheme. “He’s a high-level coverage player, plays with great length. He has a lot of experience against a lot of high-level receivers, so we have evidence about how he does in that environment. Really excited about having him here.”
Porter was told by the Cowboys that he “could fit in any scheme,” which he loved to hear and was “all ears, ready to go.”
The timing of the trade comes perfectly as well, as Porter has shut down the Texans’ best wide receiver, Nico Collins, in their previous bout in the Wild Card game, having 18 matchups, five targets, allowing only two catches for 17 yards.
“I feel like I played well last time I played them, in the playoffs,” he said. “So, now, the first time I’m suiting up, well, hopefully suiting up, it will be against them. That would be ideal. I’m pretty used to their scheme and what they want to do with (Nico Collins). I think I could be a matchup for that.”
Amid Porter joining the team, the Cowboys also made more moves, shifting the roster to cover as many injuries as possible.
The Cowboys secondary can see multiple stars step up ahead of Week 4
With the Cowboys’ safeties and cornerbacks being injured, the team was quick to have workouts, including familiar fan favorite Juanyeh Thomas and defensive back Alex Austin, signing both of them for depth. Reddy Steward was another cornerback picked up from the practice squad, who could also play as a nickel and safety, giving Dallas more options.
Revel is likely to come back and play for the team, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer earlier stating, “Shavon is actually doing pretty good.” Meanwhile, Hooker will also be back from his forearm injury, expected to feature for the Cowboys in Week 4. But standouts amid the team’s injury run have been rookie Caleb Downs and Jaishawn Barham. The two lead the team in tackles with 21 and 20, respectively, with Downs also recording a sack and Barham recording four tackles for loss.
The Cowboys could mix up the lineup a bit to fit in Porter if he plays against the Texans, with Schottenheimer having a “really good plan if Porter does play.”
On the other hand, Jones hopes Porter could “mirror the George Pickens move.”
It will be intriguing to see how the Cowboys line up their secondary amid so many injuries, with their remaining stars stepping up and a new addition hoping to adjust as quickly as possible.