The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants square off in an NFC East showdown in Week 2. Both teams are looking to secure their first win of the season, and the Cowboys will have to do that without cornerback DaRon Bland.
Bland is sidelined with a foot injury that happened during Monday's practice. With a hole created in the secondary, the Cowboys will need to rely on their depth to fill in. Nick Harris of the Star-Telegram reported that CB Reddy Steward looks to be the one who will start in the nickel.
Harris also added that Zion Childress could make his NFL debut and get elevated from the practice depth as a depth option.
Cowboys Will Rely on Secondary Depth in DaRon Bland's Absence
While Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer did add that the team will lean on safeties to help out in the slot, Steward is the guy who could be asked to step up.
Although he didn't play in the season opener, Steward was a player who made plays this summer. In 46 preseason snaps, he finished with an 83.6 overall grade and an 85.7 coverage grade per Pro Football Focus. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said (h/t @NickHarrisFWST), "He [Steward] knows the position... He's got really good quickness and ball-hawking ability... He's got tremendous ball skills."
In his collegiate career, Steward had 181 total tackles, 33 pass deflections, nine interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns. That plays a role in why Eberflus says he has great ball skills, and his play this summer gave the coaching staff confidence to keep him on the roster.
Childress is expected to get the call-up to the active roster and was another player who made the most of his reps this summer. He played in all three preseason games and appeared in 88 total snaps. Childress made 11 total tackles, while finishing with a 71.8 overall grade and 66.2 coverage grade on PFF.
Dallas will have Trevon Diggs and Kaiir Elam on the boundaries, but getting some steady play in the slot could go a long way. There's still no timeframe on when Bland will return, so the opportunity to be an effective player with the starters in the short term is up for grabs.
It'll be interesting to see the snap distribution in Week 2, but Cowboys fans should expect a mix of Steward and some safety in the slot.