McCarthy: Cooper, Neal could play for Cowboys; Armstong, Watkins, Nsekhe out for MNF
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy delivered updates on several players as the team gets into their prep for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. Three line players have already been ruled out of the Week 3 matchup, while the team’s top wide receiver and the linebacker who last week led the team in snaps both have a chance to be ready, with four full days to go before kickoff.
During his pre-practice press conference Thursday, McCarthy revealed that wide receiver Amari Cooper would be limited in the day’s work. Cooper left the field during the offense’s game-winning drive on Sunday. McCarthy classified the injury then as bruised ribs, a re-aggravation of a hit he took in Week 1 versus Tampa.
Defensive end Dorance Armstrong sustained a high ankle sprain in the Week 2 game against the Chargers, and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins suffered a knee injury. Neither will play Monday in the Cowboys’ home opener. McCarthy confirmed.
Of Watkins, McCarthy told reporters that he had just seen the former fourth-round pick in the weight room, and that “he feels good and he’s making progress.”
Armstrong may be out, but McCarthy was not ready to say whether that would mean another week subbing on the edge for rookie linebacker Micah Parsons.
“I’m not going to really get into that,” the coach said. “There’ll be more opportunities playing different combinations. I think, really, the true focus is: this [Eagles] offense is different than the first two teams we played. This offense is about speed and space. Their offensive line is- they just had the one injury last week- but this is the healthiest they’ve been in some time. A big athletic offensive line with five perimeter players that can really, really go. So we’re really focused on speed and space and what we need to do to combat that.”
Randy Gregory has been re-activated from the Reserve/COVID list and is back fully with the team; he is expected to start Monday night at defensive end.
Linebacker Keanu Neal was just placed on the COVID watchlist on Wednesday, but apparently has not tested positive. McCarthy explained, “There’s definitely a chance” he could be cleared to face the Eagles.
Safety Donovan Wilson remains a non-participant in practice as he nurses a groin injury.
And of offensive lineman Ty Nsekhe, who was taken to a Dallas hospital last week with what was termed heat exhaustion, McCarthy says he will not play in Week 3. “It’s an illness,” the coach shared. “There’s a plan to bring him back. Just got to be smart. This is a long year.”
It’s already been an epic adventure for the Cowboys, with players moving to and from the Reserve/COVID list and the La’el Collins suspension adding to the complications of regular football injuries. It’s made for a delicate dance with the club’s practice squad players to keep them ready for action.
“That’s the beauty of this new roster setup,” McCarthy explained. “It gives you the ability to move guys up; you have potentially a COVID exempt also. So all those things factor into it. You have a projected 48 [players] each week, but you never just work 48 players.”
McCarthy went on to say that the whole goal is to not let various injuries paint the coaching staff into a corner when it comes to assigning positions for gameday.
“I think it’s clearly why you play chess the whole week,” he concluded. “You play the different combinations. You want to have foresight on what move you want to make next, because, really, when you get into the game, you want to be playing checkers.”
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