The Dallas Cowboys are facing a crisis ahead of their Week 5 clash with the New York Jets. CeeDee Lamb headlines a growing injury list that’s testing the depth of Brian Schottenheimer’s roster. With 11 key players banged up, Dallas enters the weekend with more questions than answers.

The Cowboys are dealing with their longest injury list yet, and it starts with wide receiver Lamb. He sprained his ankle during the game against the Chicago Bears and missed practice on Wednesday, October 2.

The 26-year-old WR’s injury isn’t considered serious, but the Cowboys are playing it safe. While Lamb sat out, wide receiver George Pickens stepped up with 8 catches for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is expected to bring that same fire against the Jets, while Lamb’s status for Week 5 remains up in the air.

Another player who went down in Week 3 is guard Tyler Booker, who suffered the same high ankle sprain. While he hasn’t been placed on injured reserve, he also missed practice.

Booker allowed no sacks and just two pressures in 40 pass-blocking snaps. This is clearly the best performance by a rookie player. Now, tackle Nate Thomas and guard T.J. Bass are expected to step up and match Booker’s impact from the last three games, but clearly that won’t be easy.

Tackle Tyler Guyton, safety Malik Hooker, running back Miles Sanders, guard Tyler Smith, and wide receiver KaVontae Turpin didn’t practice on Wednesday. Guyton is still under the concussion protocol after he suffered one in the 40-40 tie in the game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. If he were to miss a few more games, the team would have to rely on Thomas.

In the same matchup, Hooker aggravated his toe injury and had to leave. The player has been candid about how it might take him a few weeks to recover. He was ranked as the Cowboys’ fourth-highest-rated defender in that game, as per PFF, which is a big loss. With Hooker potentially out, safeties Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas are expected to see more playing time.

Sanders injured his ankle in the second half of the same game and didn’t return. That could explain why he hasn’t practiced this week and might even sit out the upcoming game. As per Sources, the Cowboys are looking to give running back Jaydon Blue more playing opportunities.

There hasn’t been much information on Smith, who injured his knee after playing 67 offensive snaps in the last game. Another what would have been a nightmare for the Cowboys is Turpin, who sustained a foot injury in Week 4. Many feared he would aggravate his neck injury. Instead, he has come up with a new hit.

The question still looms over players with limited participation on Wednesday, and that includes cornerbacks Caelen Carson, who started the season on IR. After he injured his knee during the training camp, he returned to practice on Wednesday but saw limited action.

Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo began the season on IR but recently had his 21-day practice window opened ahead of Dallas’ Week 5 game against the New York Jets. There’s a chance he could return to action soon. CB Trevon Diggs, who had been rehabbing his knee injury, had limited participation.

And as for linebacker Kenneth Murray, he took part in warmups and some drills on Wednesday’s practice, but was listed as limited. He logged 75 snaps, which is the second-most on Dallas’ defense in the last game.

This is good for the Cowboys, who can use as much help as they can in defense. Jerry Jones’ team’s defense struggles are no secret. In analyst Dan Orlovsky’s words, “The Cowboys’ defensive tape is a disaster Scheme Communication Execution Leverage Discipline About as bad as can be.” However, this time, the injuries have been a headache for the Jets too.

Aaron Glenn might be without Braelon Allen

The Jets might not have their running back, Braelon Allen, on Sunday (October 5) due to his left knee injury that he suffered in the 27-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He left the game after taking a hit while returning a kickoff in the second quarter.

The initial diagnosis pointed to a sprained MCL, but the RB is seeking a second opinion before the team decides whether to place him on injured reserve. This injury, which head coach Aaron Glenn called “pretty serious,” could see him out for at least 3-4 weeks.

The coach explained, “We’ll see exactly where he’s going to be when it comes to designating if he’s going to be on IR or not.” In the absence of the team’s third-leading rusher, running back Isaiah Davis is expected to step up as the backup to running back Breece Hall against the Cowboys. While running back Kene Nwangwu can contribute, he has missed three games due to his hamstring injury.

Despite the injuries, quarterback Justin Fields appeared confident about the depth of the Jets’ running back room. “Isaiah’s a great back,” Fields shared. “We’ve got Kene as well. Like I’ve said since OTAs, since I got here, our running back room is loaded.” The coach has also kept Nwangwu day-to-day.

As coach Glenn shared, defensive end Jermaine Johnson is kept “day to day” while cornerback Michael Carter II, recovering from a concussion, is not expected to play on Sunday. It will be a tough game for the Jets as well as the Cowboys.