.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Dallas Cowboys: Injuries plaguing playoff hopes
By James Rangel
The Dallas Cowboys have lost their second game with backup quarterback Brandon Weeden, yet he has been doing a phenomenal job replacing Pro Bowler Tony Romo. The blame is not directly caused due to Weeden’s play, but rather the outrageous amount of injuries the Dallas Cowboys have sustained every week.
The Cowboys have had multiple injuries throughout the season dating back to week 1, although this may seem ordinary in the NFL, it is the specific players that are being injured which concerns the future of this team’s success. In week 1, the injury streak began with the devastating loss of Dez Bryant for the majority of the season with a broken foot. Then in week 2, the Cowboys suffered another catastrophic loss with Tony Romo breaking his clavicle early on in the game. Continuing into week 3, no major losses were sustained in the game against the Falcons with only one loss on the defensive line. Finally in week 4, the list piled up with big names including Lance Dunbar, Sean Lee, and Brice Butler. Although Brice Butler is not a core player for the Cowboys, his loss is still major since he was brought in to replace Dez Bryant.
The tale of the Dallas Cowboys 2015 season so far has been “How well can the Cowboys’ depth chart hold up against healthy teams?” Up to now, they have done a great job playing against historically good teams, but not good enough to come out on top in the win column. For the most part the Dallas Cowboys are winning the first half each game, however, it is their second half play that diminishes their chance of winning games. It is not even the fact that they play poorly in the second half because they still have put up great numbers, it is the pure athleticism that they lack without having Bryant or Romo. Without them in the game you can’t expect to have a great chance in winning simply due to the fact that they are playmakers and will get the job done by any means necessary. Not that Weeden wouldn’t do the same or any other receiver other than Bryant would, but they are just those type of players that you can count on when the game is on the line.
Now the Dallas Cowboys have a tough road ahead of them with the Patriots, Giants, Seahawks and Eagles all coming up in the schedule with the extremely restricted depth they have at each position. The future of the Cowboys’ playoff hopes will be determined by the outcome of these next four games. With two being division games, they are must wins in order to stay on top of the NFC East and ultimately secure a playoff berth.
More from isportsweb.com:
Undisputed
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
First Things First
Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander
The Skip Bayless Show
The Carton Show
FOX Sports
