On the Week 11 edition of Monday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys lost more than their contest against the Houston Texans.
That's right, as fans watched Cooper Rush's offense struggle to get much going on through the air – plus special teams – and Jake Ferguson enter concussion protocol, two more members of the Cowboys were taken out of the game in Zack Martin and Tyler Smith, who exited the game on the very same play.
Playing 588 and 573 out of a possible 613 snaps for the Cowboys through the first ten games of the 2024 NFL season, Smith and Martin have been two of the brighter spots of a Cowboys offense that has been largely devoid of much to root for. Granted, it's not like the Cowboys are using their offensive line to run the ball effectively, as they have never been able to get much going on the ground in 2024. But when it comes to holding things down in the passing game, Smith, Martin, and the rest of the offensive line have been the only things keeping the quarterback position from going to the birds… or at least more to the birds than it has already.
Forced to go to the bench for part of the game, Rush ended up being sacked five times for -34 yards. Sure, he ended up throwing for a career-high 354 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 35 completions versus 55 attempts, a minor consolation prize at the end of a three-hour disappointment. But in the end, Rush added another loss to his record against a Texans team that can be beaten defensively and may now have to play without two of their anchors up front.
And worst of all? As if it can't get any worse? It's not like the Cowboys have some impressive collection of young players just ready to shine, as much of Dallas' offensive line is banged up, and there's no blue chipper just waiting in the wings to become the next great offensive lineman.
Needless to say, it's not a great time to be a Cowboys fan.

Cowboys fans are done with another Dallas disappointment
Speaking of fans being broken up about losing Smith, Martin, and the rest of the Cowboys situation, with some, like ESPN's J Tuck, giving a middle finger to the 2024 Cowboys season.
Others, like Skip Bayless, suggested that the Cowboys should have called it a game early, as continuing to operate without two of the team's top five offensive linemen could put Rush in danger.
“Maybe the Cowboys should just forfeit the rest of the game,” Bayless wrote. “No Zack Martin, no Tyler Smith. Cooper Rush is in danger.”
While many fans were angry, others felt bad for Martin, who has been with the Cowboys for his entire professional career but doesn't have much left in the tank. If this injury ends up costing the rest of Martin's season, it would be a pretty darn brutal way for his NFL run to end, as this Dallas team is doing nothing but disappoint.
You know, maybe Micah Parsons is right; if this really is the end of the line for number 70 in Dallas, the Cowboys didn't exactly let him go out on top, as the season has bottomed out in a pretty incredible way, and the roster may end up being blown up at the end of the year as they look to execute a soft reboot into the future.