The Dallas Cowboys were one of the most impressive teams through the first two months of the NFL season.
Now, however, it seems like they've hit a bit of a wall, and injuries are taking a big toll on their ability to compete at the highest level.
They've lost three of their past four games and are in desperate need to make a statement when they visit the New Orleans Saints for Thursday Night Football.
However, that will be easier said than done given the context.
According to a recent report, the Cowboys will face this key game without head coach Mike McCarthy, who recently tested positive for COVID-19:
"Cowboys’ HC Mike McCarthy has tested positive for COVID, sources tell @diannaESPN and me," tweeted Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Like all coaches, the 58-year-old is fully vaccinated so he's not expected to miss an extended period of time, as long as he's asymptomatic.
But visiting the Superdome against a top-notch strategist like Sean Payton without your coach is far from an ideal setting.
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To make things even worst, America's Team could also be without star running back Ezekiel Elliott, who continues to struggle with a knee injury and has been limited on the field over the past couple of weeks.
According to Ed Werder of ESPN, the team is reportedly considering giving him some time off to get back to full strength.
That would leave backup Tony Pollard as the Cowboys' three-down back, and while he's been fairly efficient this season, it's still a big downgrade over one of the league's finest rushers.
At least it's not all bad news for the Cowboys. Following a two-game absence, they're expected to have star wideout Amari Cooper back in the gridiron:
Coach McCarthy confirmed that Cooper would practice on Monday, “and we’ll work him back in to see where he is with his conditioning and so forth," per Cowboys Wire.
Cooper decided not to take the vaccine and was forced to miss the tilts against the Chiefs and Raiders, as stipulated by the league's health and safety protocols.
The Cowboys are also expected to have speedster CeeDee Lamb back in action for Thursday's game.
“I see CeeDee Lamb going through the whole work day today,” coach McCarthy said.
Lamb was inactive for the Thanksgiving game after failing to clear the league's concussion protocols, further decimating Dak Prescott's offense.
The Cowboys will head to the Big Easy with plenty of question marks and concerns to play their third game in fourteen days but hopefully, they'll be able to get back on track.
