The Dallas Cowboys are hitting a critical part of the season where things are squaring up to be highly critical games from this point forward in their pursuit of reaching the playoffs.
Dallas has potentially taken a notable hit to their defensive line with defensive tackle David Irving suffering a high-ankle sprain in practice, according to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network.
#Cowboys DL David Irving, who was carted off in practice, is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, sources tell me and @SlaterNFL. X-Rays were negative. He’ll still have tests, but the early returns are not as bad as they could’ve been.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2018
This latest setback will more than likely take him out of Week 9 action against the Tennessee Titans as it is an injury that typically takes a couple of weeks to fully heal. Irving had played in only two games since his return from the four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy where he has notched four tackles along with a sack.
The hope was that he could immediately step in to provide a dependable presence along the defensive line as a strong asset in pass-rush situations as he was coming off a career-high 7.0 sacks last year. However, this injury could keep him off the field for the next few weeks while putting the Cowboys in a tough spot to look for another pass-rushing option while he's on the mend. Dallas has tallied 19.0 sacks on the season with Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence leading the way with 5.5 on the season.
This is a situation that the Cowboys will look to monitor closely with Irving that could see him miss a couple of games as he gets his health in order for the stretch run of the season. In the meantime, this is a notable blow to their defensive line as the 25-year-old was picking up his level of play as he had his first sack of the year against the Washington Redskins. There should be more clarity on this front to come over the next few days.
Follow Us
Subscribe