Cowboys injury update: Caelen Carson, Markquese Bell, DeMarcus Lawrence...

Going up against running backs Alvin Kamara and Derrick Henry in back-to-back weeks really must have taken its toll on the Dallas Cowboys defense. Their lack of ability to control the line of scrimmage and stop the run was glaringly apparent in their last two home games against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, during which they allowed Kamara to score four rushing touchdowns and Henry to score two and allowed a combined total of 464 yards on the ground.

Pouring salt in the wound is the fact that Dallas is now dealing with several injuries on the defensive backfield ahead of their Week 4 Thursday night game against the New York Giants on the road.

Injury rears its ugly head on Dallas’ D

Of the seven players listed on Dallas’ injury report on Tuesday, five of them are defensive players.

The Cowboys are already shorthanded without All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland, who was placed on Injured Reserve ahead of the regular season opener. That injury thrust rookie CB Caelen Carson into the starting lineup right away. Unfortunately, Carson is dealing with a shoulder injury after the physical game against the Ravens on Sunday and with a quick turnaround this week, he’s now going to be a gametime decision after missing practice all week. If Carson ends up sitting out, it will be either Israel Mukuamu or Andrew Booth seeing more action in his place.

Safety Markquese Bell also missed walkthroughs this week as he’s dealing with an ankle injury. Playing without both Bell and Carson on Thursday is a worst-case scenario for the Cowboys. Head coach Mike McCarthy said that Bell will also be a gametime decision, but that “Carson is closer”.

In addition to Carson and Bell, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was listed as a limited participant in Monday and Tuesday’s practices after appearing to suffer a shoulder injury on Sunday. Cornerback Trevon Diggs and defensive tackle Mazi Smith missed some practice time last week with foot and back issues, respectively. This week, however, they have been full participants in practice. The same can be said for offensive players wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and tight end John Stephens Jr.

Kickoff between the Cowboys and Giants is set for 8:15 p.m. ET from MetLife Stadium. You can follow all the action from the game with our live text updates, brought to you by yours truly, right here on AS USA.