The Dallas Cowboys are taking on the 3-3 Washington Commanders in a crucial NFC East matchup on Sunday. A clash between two high-powered offenses, with the Commanders' mediocre defense and the Cowboys' horrendous defense, should set up an entertaining game in Week 7.
As Cowboys fans are desperately hoping for their defense to take a step forward, the latest injury update out of Washington might be exactly what they needed heading into the weekend.
Commanders' Injury Report Is Excellent News for Cowboys Defense
Despite the optimism earlier in the week from the Commanders about the availability of their star receiver, Terry McLaurin, head coach Dan Quinn has ruled him out for the fourth straight game. Out with a quad injury since Week 3, McLaurin returned to practice for the first time this week, but is still not 100% healthy, per CBS Sports' Carter Bahns.
McLaurin isn't the only playmaker with injury concerns for Sunday. Deebo Samuel missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but was a limited participant for Friday's practice. After the session, Samuel said "we'll just have to see" when addressing his availability, adding that the heel that he has been ailing from, "is aggravating for sure," per ESPN's John Keim.
That could potentially mean the top two receivers and offensive weapons for the Commanders could be out against the Cowboys. For a defensive unit that has been struggling to get any stops all season, that is excellent news. Dallas has allowed more passing yards and net yards gained per passing attempt than any team in the league, and ranks at the bottom of the league in almost all defensive metrics.
It's hard to find a more favorable matchup than this for the Cowboys' defensive backfield. Luke McCaffrey and 34-year-old Zach Ertz are now going to be the biggest pass-catching options for the Commanders if Samuel also can't go.
One big obstacle standing in the way of a bounce-back performance for the Cowboys' defense is the absence of Trevon Diggs. The starting cornerback was ruled out for Sunday after he landed in the concussion protocol following an accident at his home. This means that Kaiir Elam will get an extended run against the Commanders.
Elam, DaRon Bland, and Donovan Wilson, who have all been struggling to start the season, will have an excellent chance to get back on track against a short-handed division rival. Whether they can make the most of it remains to be seen.