Banged up all over the place, the Dallas Cowboys had no choice but to turn to some unusual faces in Week 5. Despite the adversity, the Cowboys battled back to win at MetLife Stadium, and it's safe to say that wideout Ryan Flournoy won't be an unknown player for much longer after his performance against the New York Jets.
With CeeDee Lamb still nursing an ankle injury and KaVontae Turpin also out with an injury, head coach Brian Scxhotenheimer deployed Flournoy with George Pickens and Jalen Tolbert. Notably, the 2024 sixth-rounder, who had never drawn more than three targets in one game, responded by logging six receptions on nine targets for 114 receiving yards. He also logged a couple of carries for 10 yards.
And while Lamb's job is all but guaranteed, Flournoy may have climbed his way up the depth chart with this performance.
Cowboys WR Ryan Flournoy's Week 5 Performance is Bad News for Jalen Cropper
Fournoy was quarterback Dak Prescott's big-play specialist in the first half, and while he wasn't involved as much in the final two frames because of the game script, he still made a strong impression in a game the Cowboys were severely undermanned on offense.
That only spells trouble for Jalen Cropper, who could've been the next man up in the rotation, but might have a tough time getting on the field now. He had played just one snap in Week 4, and while Flournoy's playing time was slightly on the rise (he played 11, 24, and 16 snaps in Weeks 2 through 4), there should be no doubt now about the Cowboys' next man up.
Throw in the fact that Cropper still can't get on the field after being with the team for nearly three years, and it's hard to like his outlook.
After running a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, the Cowboys drafted the speedy Flournoy out of Southeast Missouri State with the No. 216 pick in last year's draft, but he spent most of the year in the practice squad. He now seems poised to be a key part of the offense moving forward, regardless of what the injury situation looks like.
The Cowboys were supposed to lean heavily on George Pickens again in Week 5 like they did in the tie to the Green Bay Packers, but that wasn't the case. He did have another touchdown reception and 57 yards, but he took a big backseat to both Flournoy and Jake Ferguson in the blowout win, finishing with four targets while the duo had nine apiece..
Flournoy's stock is clearly on the rise, and Cowboys fans want to see him rewarded with more snaps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Unfortunately, that reward could come at Cropper's cost.