Today, the 1-0 Dallas Cowboys defend their home turf at AT&T Stadium against the 10-0 New York Jets.
With Friday’s status report listing wide receiver Brandin Cooks as questionable, the ultimate question is — will Cooks play, or will the team hold him off until next week?
Is Brandin Cooks Going To Play Week 2?
Cooks is currently dealing with an MCL sprain that kept him from participating in practice all week.
Friday’s status report listed him as questionable for the game, but Adam Schefter tweeted that he is not expected to play per his source.
Cowboys’ WR Brandin Cooks, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a sprained knee, is not expected to play vs. the Jets, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2023
On Friday, Jerry Jones implied that Cooks would be a game-time decision during an interview with 105.3 The Fan.
The inactive list will be released 90 minutes before the start of the game, and we will have a solid answer.
However, the Cowboys didn’t activate a wide receiver from their practice squad for the game, implying that they believe in the group they have.
CeeDee Lamb would still be the starter and get most of the attention. But this could be an opportunity for Michael Gallup, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, or Jalen Brooks to see more opportunities during the game.
Potential Fantasy Options If Cooks Is Out Includes Michael Gallup
Analysis from Jason Katz
We didn’t get to see much of the Cowboys’ passing game last week as the game was all but over by the second quarter. While Dak Prescott attempted just 24 passes, Brandin Cooks ran a route on 19 of them — the same number as Michael Gallup. He certainly wasn’t the clear WR2, but the Cowboys run a ton of 11 personnel.
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Cooks’ absence could give training camp standout sophomore WR Jalen Tolbert a chance to earn a bigger role. There’s no immediate action to be taken, but perhaps fantasy managers should at least keep an eye on Tolbert. If he plays well, it could be a sign of a larger role going forward.
For this week specifically, Prescott and the rest of the offense shouldn’t feel any noticeable impact from Cooks’ absence.
The Cowboys are likely to win this game with ball control and defense, just the way Mike McCarthy likes it.
CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard are every-week starts regardless of matchup. There will be spots in which Prescott, Gallup, and Cooks are viable starters. In a game that projects to once again be a showcase for this elite defense, this week is not one of them.