No Sweat: Washington Injury Pain Equals Cowboys Gain?

Dallas' NFC East foe suffers multiple significant injuries ahead of Sunday showdown

The Dallas Cowboys have yet to board the airplane for D.C. yet already it feels as though they have an advantage in Sunday's NFC East showdown against the Washington Football Team.

Why? Injuries. For WFT, they're mounting. For the Cowboys, they're healing.

When they attempt to protect their divisional lead Sunday, the Cowboys will have back in uniform significant contributors in offensive lineman Terence Steele and defensive linemen Neville Gallimore and Randy Gregory.

While Dallas is as close to full strength as its been since September, Washington continued to get bad news Tuesday as defensive end Montez Sweat tested positive for COVID.

Because he is unvaccinated, Sweat will be forced to miss the next 10 days. He will sit out Sunday's game and won't be allowed to practice all next week. He could return for the team's Dec. 19 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sweat's absence is yet another blow to Washington in what has deteriorated into a litany of debilitating injuries. Projected starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw only six passes. Star tight end Logan Thomas was placed on injured reserve - twice. Last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year, Chase Young, recorded only 1.5 sacks before suffering a torn ACL. Linebacker Khaleke Hudson was placed on injured reserve this week. And Playmaking safety Landon Collins missed last Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders, which was climaxed by the team's fourth kicker.

And now a team more and more reliant upon its defense will face one of the NFL's best offenses without arguably its best pass-rusher.

Sweat had spent a month on injured reserve with a fractured jaw, but was prepared to return to the field this week. He has four sacks in eight games, second on the team behind Jonathan Allen.

Despite all the injuries, coach Ron Rivera has guided his team from 2-6 to 6-6 and back in the hunt for an NFC playoff spot and a realistic shot at the NFC East. Washington plays the division-leading Cowboys twice in the next three weeks.

WFT's defense has held its last five opponents to 21 points or less.