When the clock reads 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys (6-3) return to action against the Minnesota Vikings (8-1). In this game, the Cowboys will hope to bounce back off a loss against the Green Bay Packers — but it could be tough — as they have several players questionable.
On the Vikings' side, they will look to extend their winning streak to eight games and inch closer to clinching the NFC North if they can win against the Boys on Sunday afternoon. Unlike the Cowboys, they are relatively healthy except for three players.
Dallas Cowboys
As mentioned, the Cowboys have several players who are questionable.
They include: P Bryan Anger, LB Anthony Barr, DT Quinton Bohanna, CB Anthony Brown, RB Ezekiel Elliott, and DE Demarcus Lawrence.
Out of all six players, the three who plan to play are Anger, Elliott, and Lawrence. Anger was dealing with an illness, Elliott is returning to the field after suffering a knee injury a few weeks ago, and Lawrence, who's dealing with foot and knee injuries, is “toughing it out” and still playing.
While Anger and Lawrence played last week, getting Elliott back for the offense is huge, as he will be a key player when the Cowboys get into short-yardage situations. However, don't expect him to get heavy touches, as NFL reporter Tom Pelissero said the team plans to ease Elliott in, and running back Tony Pollard will get most of the work.
#Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott returns today against the #Vikings, but I'm told the plan is for Tony Pollard to get more touches as they ease Zeke back in, with a brace on his injured knee. @NFLGameDay @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/ZcI8xRfE9O
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 20, 2022
There have been no official updates on whether Barr, Bohanna, and Brown will play.
Minnesota Vikings
As mentioned above, the Vikings are healthy overall but will be missing two players and could have one more added to the list. According to their official Twitter account, the Vikings will be without CB Akayleb Evans and DL Dalvin Tomlinson, and LB Za'Darius Smith is questionable.
With Evans, the team won't have their starting cornerback, and they will be forced to start rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. Expect the offense to key in on Booth Jr., as it will be his NFL debut.
Shifting to Tomlinson, it will be his third straight game he misses.
Lastly, with Smith, the Cowboys would likely be happy if he isn't on the field, as he leads the NFL in total pressures (55) and has 9.5 sacks this season.
However, all signs point to him suiting up, but things can change as we get closer to game time. Expect a battle of two heavyweight NFC teams, and despite the injuries– it should be an exciting game.
