LONDON -- Starting middle linebacker Rolando McClain is listed as questionable for Sunday's game. Any optimism for him to play consists of his participation in every walk-through at the team hotel this week.
McClain's injury is more of an insult, considering team captain and weakside linebacker Justin Durant is out for the year with a torn bicep sustained two weeks ago against Washington. If McClain doesn't go, the Cowboys could look to start Kyle Wilber at strong side, rookie Anthony Hitchens in the middle, and Bruce Carter at weak side.
Should this be the case, the staff does have confidence in their rookie middle linebacker to make the right calls.
"He's played three positions for us as a rookie, which in this system, it's really hard playing one," defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli told the media on Friday.
"He's really bright, and I thought he played very well last week."
Through nine games, Hitchens has started four of them: two at weakside (Titans, Cardinals), one in the middle (Rams), and one at strong side (Texans). Dallas has gone 3-1, and the fourth-round pick has 20 tackles and two passes defended.
When Hitchens played the mike, which will be the case if McClain can't play Sunday, the former Iowa Hawkeye had a season-high ten tackles, including a key fourth-and-1 stop of Rams running back Zac Stacy that helped sustain the Cowboys' rally that ended in a 34-31 win.
"He's certainly an aggressive player; a physical player," Garrett said in Wednesday's press conference when describing Hitchens.
"He loves to play and we saw a lot of that last week against Arizona."
The Cowboys will need Hitchens mature play to keep the Jaguars in check as the club looks to advance to 7-3 and keep pace with the first-place Philadelphia Eagles in the competitive NFC East.
