The Cowboys’ receiving corps was dealt a significant blow Friday with news that Michael Gallup, injured late in the previous night’s loss to Tampa Bay, will miss 3-5 weeks with a strained calf. Gallup was initially thought to be battling an ankle issue, but subsequent tests revealed his calf to be the culprit. Assuming that timetable holds, the earliest we’d see the fourth-year receiver back in uniform would be October 3rd against Carolina, and, given the lingering nature of soft-tissue injuries, even that seems ambitious.
Gallup, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, was targeted seven times over his 50 offensive snaps Thursday night, pulling in four grabs for 36 yards in the losing effort. The 25-year-old has been a staple of the Cowboys’ offense in recent years, finishing sixth among NFL receivers in yards per game (79.1) in 2019. Slot man Cedrick Wilson (3-24-0 on three targets in Week 1) will be elevated to first-team status in Gallup’s absence, joining deep threats Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb in three-wide sets. Cooper and Lamb saw as much work as they could handle against the Bucs, combining for 20 catches, 243 yards and three touchdowns on 31 targets.
The Cowboys made the defending champs work for their win Thursday night with Tampa Bay needing a last-second field goal from Ryan Succop (and a favorable “no call” on what appeared to be offensive pass interference against Chris Godwin) to preserve a 31-29 victory at Raymond James Stadium. Dallas’ inspired play in hostile territory should give Cowboys fans reason for optimism heading into a softer stretch with winnable games coming up against the Chargers, Eagles, Panthers and Giants. Most encouraging of all was the health of starting quarterback Dak Prescott, who, despite missing most of training camp with various injuries (he was still recovering from ankle surgery when he came down with a strained shoulder), threw for over 400 yards while setting an opening-week record with 42 completions.
Dallas will be on the road again in Week 2, traveling to Los Angeles for a September 19th date against the Chargers, led by reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert.
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