Injuries have become synonymous with the San Francisco 49ers at this point. However, ahead of their matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, the injury bug seems to have crossed state borders. The latter team is down quite a few players for this very important game.
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“The Cowboys ruled out outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku (ankle),” Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk reported. “Tight end Jake Ferguson (knee/ankle), running back Tyler Goodson (knee/ankle), safety P.J. Locke (concussion), and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (ankle/foot).”
All five of these players were reported to be dealing with injuries after the Week 9 27-23 win against the Indianapolis Colts. Ferguson scored the first touchdown for the Cowboys before getting hit in the third quarter. Ferguson suffered a posterior cruciate sprain and medial collateral ligament injuries in his left knee. It was expected that he’d be ruled out for the game, as head coach Brian Schottenheimer had already said the TE would miss a few games.
Goodson suffered a knee injury but was able to come back, finishing the game with 77 receiving yards. Locke, a starter, suffered a concussion, his second this season.
Ezeiruaku is dealing with an ankle injury. In his absence, Von Miller, Marist Liufau and James Houston can take more defensive snaps, per RotoWire. With Ezeriruaku gone, the Dallas defensive line will be down some pass-rushing prowess.
None of the five players practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, per the injury report.
“A lot of these guys, they play on adrenaline, and this is a guy that has been incredible for us really the last two weeks,” Schottenheimer said of Goodson. “And these guys, they want to tough it out. They care. They want to win. They want to do whatever it takes. And just doing some more exams and scans and things like that, a few things showed up that we’ll keep an eye for.”
But the injury report doesn’t end there, as defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard (calf), safety Alijah Clark (illness), and cornerback Devin Moore (hip) remain questionable for the game. Bullard was on injured reserve last week.
Joey Porter Jr. and Daron Bland also injured
Porter joined Dallas this season after Pittsburgh traded him. He was notably sick before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game and was sent home after he grew even more ill. Soon after, Bland was also sent home from practice.
Now, the pair is dealing with ankle injuries, and Porter is also dealing with a heel issue.
“The whole foot’s jacked up,” Porter said. “I was playing on it for a while, and it just kept getting worse to where I had to shut it down. It’s definitely frustrating. I’m on a new team and I want to show these guys what I can do, and I feel like I have been for the most part when I’m on the field.”
No one thought to see the team that made a plethora of changes on the defensive end before the season started, along with having the “Greatest Offense There Is,” struggle to make it to the playoffs. But here we are, as an injury-plagued Dallas now tries to win against the 49ers, who are 7-1 in the league.
With so many notable players off the field, the Dallas defense will lack prowess. The secondary in particular has become a cause of concern, as Locke is on concussion protocol and Jalen Thomas is on injured reserve. Cornerback Cobie Durant also missed time and returned in the Eagles game, and rookie defensive back Caleb Downs also suffered a concussion in the Cardinals game. Luckily, he was able to come back for the Colts clash.
Meanwhile, Schottenheimer pointed out that “we got to handle our business” amid the challenge from the 49ers, saying that they are a “really good opponent.”