Dallas Cowboys injuries started to pile up early last year and they quickly derailed the 2020 season. The 2021 season was supposed to be different. There is no way the Cowboys could get that unlucky two years in a row…right? Well don’t get your hopes up just yet.
The 2021 season started off with a bit of a surprise when Zack Martin ended up on COVID-19 protocol just before the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was forced to miss the game. Cowboy fans were optimistic that Martin would return for this weeks match-up against the Chargers and he is on track to play; But, just as it was announced that Martin would return, we find out that Randy Gregory will have to miss this game for the very same reason. In addition to that, the same day we found out about Gregory we also learned that Michael Gallup is going to be out 3-5 weeks with a strained calf muscle.
The good news of Martin’s return was offset to a degree by the loss of Gallup and Gregory but Martin is arguably more valuable than both of those players despite their status as starters. Besides, Gregory will probably miss only one game, so up until that point, Cowboys fans were breathing a collective sigh of relief. Then, out of nowhere, we found out that La’el Collins is going to be suspended for 5 games. To make matters worse, the reason for the suspension was that he missed a drug test, a completely avoidable situation that has triggered a lot of questions about Collins and about the league’s drug testing policy as well. That news was most unwelcome for Cowboys fans. Especially after learning that Terence Steele, who struggled as Collins’ replacement last season, is going to be the starter at right tackle and he will be going against Joey Bosa of the Chargers. Most Cowboys fans want Zack Martin to slide over to tackle and for Connor McGovern to continue to fill in at right guard. Unfortunately, Cowboys fans are not going to get their wish.
So with Collins out, things couldn’t possibly get any worse for the Cowboys. Or could they? Just when we thought things were bad, they quickly went from bad to worse when our best defensive player DeMarcus Lawrence fractured his foot in practice. Lawrence will need surgery and will be out 6-8 weeks. After hearing that news, Cowboys fans have begun asking themselves; “Why us?” “What have we done to deserve this?” “Are we simply cursed?” Such a defeatist attitude might sound like whining or making excuses to some, but it is a painful reminder of last year when things spiraled out of control quickly and Cowboys fans suffered one of the worst seasons in recent history.
But what about perseverance? All great teams experience adversity and have to overcome it. Every team has injuries, so if the Cowboys can’t overcome these obstacles, then they aren’t good enough to become considered championship contenders. Maybe these statements are all true? But, there has limits to how much any one team can endure. Adversity is supposed to make you stronger, but only to an extent. At some point, replacing starters with back-ups and undrafted free agents is going to make your football team worse. There has to be a breaking a point for any team, because “next man up” can only get you so far before there is a serious drop off in talent and ultimately in performance.
It is not time to push the panic button just yet, but history has shown that the Dallas Cowboys teams of recent years have not been able to deal with adversity very effectively. The depth beyond the starters has not been adequate to allow the team to overcome major injuries. This season will be a crucial one for Mike McCarthy to prove that his team can break the trend and overcome these types of challenges. Last year was a free pass for McCarthy but this year can only be considered a failure if the Cowboys cannot manage to win this division regardless of the unforeseen circumstances. No amount of Dallas Cowboys injuries or suspensions can change that. Last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys hung with the defending champs but lost the game. Many Cowboys fans held their heads up high despite the loss but that will not carry over into the game against a tough Charger team. This week, there will be no moral victories. If the Cowboys do not move forward with a win, they will only step backwards.
*Photo by Joe Glorioso; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode