For a long time, the Dallas Cowboys were considered a sure playoff candidate. They have now lost three of their last four games. Off the field, the team has Corona problems. The “Americas Team” is in crisis at an inopportune time

Munich/Dallas – After years of disappointment, the Dallas Cowboys are clearly on course for the playoffs.

From the second to the seventh game day, the team around franchise quarterback Dak Prescott managed six wins in a row. At one point, the Cowboys were even considered the most complete team in the league. But then a small slump followed: Only one of the last four games could be won.

Apart from inaccuracies in the game, the “Boys” have also been struggling with problems off the pitch for several weeks.

Mike McCarthy missing: Corona problem in Dallas

With Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys are missing the next important pillar of the team due to a Corona infection. Already in the previous weeks, the leader of the NFC East had to repeatedly do without important key players.

Already in the previous week, star receiver Amari Cooper tested positive. In losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, the absence of the top receiver was clearly felt.

It’s still unclear whether Cooper will be able to return for Thursday’s important game at the New Orleans Saints. Because he continued to be unable to practice on Tuesday due to lingering symptoms, Coach McCarthy remained skeptical. “If he can’t practice with us on Wednesday, I don’t know if it’s going to last until Thursday,” said the quarantined coach.

Team owner Jerry Jones, on the other hand, was more optimistic: “We expect him to be back on Thursday,” said the 79-year-old. In addition to Cooper, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is filling in for McCarthy as head coach, could expect several players back.

Lazarettes thinning out: boosters for offense and defense?

With CeeDee Lamb, the second star receiver, also missing due to a concussion, the offense stuttered, especially against the Chiefs. While Cooper is not yet 100 percent sure to return, Lamb is back at full strength.

Against the Raiders, the offence worked again without Lamb and Cooper, but the Cowboys defence allowed 36 points on the other side of the field. It is high time that defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, nominally the best defender, makes his comeback.

“He’s going to make a huge difference. He had a good week. He’ll be back on the field on Thursday,” Jones expressed confidence. The veteran broke his foot in the first game of the season and has been missing since due to injury.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who has been banged up lately, also seems to have overcome his knee problems. Against the Saints, the running game will be extremely important anyway.

Plan against the Saints: Return to dominant running game

Against the Raiders, the Cowboys backfield managed only 64 rushing yards. To get back to winning ways in New Orleans, Elliott and Co. will look to return to their dominant running game from previous weeks.

“Running the ball was extremely important for us in the first few weeks. That helps the team extremely. We’re much better right away when we run the ball well,” Elliott succinctly summed up the plan against the Saints.

While shooting star Tony Pollard is getting more and more playing time, Elliott has had to move back into the second row more and more often lately. Despite pain in his knee, the star running back is a major factor for the Thursday Night Game: “I think he’ll get a lot of work,” predicted Owner Jones in the run-up.

NFC East doesn’t admit defeat

With a record of seven wins and four losses, the Cowboys remain in fourth place in the NFC and safely in the playoffs. However, there is no such thing as marching through without opposition in your own division.

The Washington Football Team and the Philadelphia Eagles are now also on five wins and are fighting their way closer and closer to the Cowboys. With a total of three duels against the two direct competitors still to come, a division win by Dallas is by no means guaranteed.

That the Cowboys also have their eyes in the rear-view mirror by now is shown by their reaction to the Eagles’ defeat last weekend: “Their defeat was like a victory for us,” Jones explained after the game.

So to nip a possible three-way battle for the playoffs in the bud, a win against the New Orleans Saints would be essential. However, if this game is also lost, the crisis in Dallas would finally be perfect.