Dallas Cowboys Injury Report Clears Up As 2014 NFL Season Starts
The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers open their 2014 NFL season against each other on Sunday, Sept. 7, in a game with an afternoon kickoff time. It will be very interesting to see how the teams fare, with San Francisco coming off their third straight NFL Championship appearance and the Cowboys coming off a season where they had one of the worst defenses in the history of the NFL.
One of the big questions about the Cowboys was how their defense would fare after last year's debacle. They lost two of their top starters to free agency and lost two more to the injured reserve before the season even started. Here is a look at the injury reports for the Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers opening week game.
Dallas Cowboys
Outside of the defense, the biggest question mark for the Cowboys comes with their starting quarterback Tony Romo. He had back surgery on a herniated disc last December, an injury that kept him out of the team's must-win season finale game with the playoffs on the line. Dallas lost and now Romo is back to start in 2014, with fans hoping another injury doesn't take him out again.
Jerry Jones has said that he feels Romo will be better than ever in 2014 while Jason Garrett said that they have been working since spring to get Romo in game shape by the time the season starts. Romo started in two preseason games and continues to have limited reps as the preseason wears on. After recovering from his back injury, Romo will 100 percent play in this opening game.
There are two players who won't play on Sunday in defensive end Anthony Spencer and offensive tackle Darrion Weems. Spencer will be out until around Week 4 and Weems is suffering from a chest injury from a weight room accident. Wide receiver Terrance Williams was a Thursday scratch from practice due to a back injury and his availability on Sunday remains questionable. Rookie Zack Martin also missed practice on Thursday with a foot injury.
All other Cowboys participated in practice, even if in a limited capacity. Linebacker Terrell McClain practiced on a limited basis as did defensive end George Selvie. Both men are expected to start on Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers come into their season opener relatively healthy. The biggest concern comes with the absence of Michael Crabtree earlier in the week with a calf injury. The good news for the 49ers is that Crabtree returned to practice on Thursday, albeit in a limited role. This calf injury is based on some hamstring problems he has suffered through all preseason.
Cornerback Chris Culliver (ankle) and tight end Vance McDonald (hamstring) both practiced in a limited fashion as well. McDonald is the 49ers backup tight end to Vernon Davis while Culver starts at the corner. With both players practicing, the signs are good they will play.
Anthony Davis missed practice for the second straight day. The 49ers starting offensive tackle is bothered by hamstring problems. He has played in 64 consecutive games and is listed as probable. However, the 49ers rookie backup center Marcus Martin injured his knee in the preseason and will miss the first six weeks of the season.
Injury Report
Dallas Cowboys
Probable
- Tony Romo, QB - Back
- Zack Martin, G - Foot
- Terrell McClain, DT – Ankle
- Rolando McClain, LB – Knee
- Henry Melton, DT - Groin
Questionable
- Terrance Williams, WR - Back
- George Selvie, DE - Shoulder
Out
- Anthony Spencer, DE - Knee
- Darrion Weems, T - Shoulder
San Francisco 49ers
Probable
- Anthony Davis, T - hamstring
- Chris Culver, CB – ankle
- Vance McDonald, TE - hamstring
Questionable
- Michael Crabtree, WR - calf
Out
- Marcus Martin, C - knee
For more Cowboys news and updates, visit Cowboys Central.
Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.
