Cowboys BREAKING: Terence Steele Season-Ending Knee Injury: Next Move on O-Line?
The Dallas Cowboys won, 27-23, but they were on the ropes Sunday against the Houston Texans. The Cowboys trailed the Texans for all of the second half except the final 41 seconds.
The Ezekiel Elliott rushing touchdown capped off a 98-yard drive that spanned 11 plays. It was the type of drive the Cowboys' offense needed. But, unfortunately, they just waited until the final 3:20 to go out and execute the two-minute drill to perfection. So what changed that drive?
Offensive line coach Joe Philbin and head coach Mike McCarthy made a change, a ballsy one, but a needed one, as in the late going he called on veteran offensive tackle Jason Peters to replace Josh Ball at right tackle. Ball, the second-year offensive tackle, replaced an injured Terence Steele, who went down right before the end of the first half.
And now on Monday, the MRI results: it’s a torn ACL for Steele, ending his season.
A second Dak Prescott interception occurred when Ball was overwhelmed, the Texans hitting the QB's arm as he threw. Dallas held up with a goal-line stand, setting up a final Cowboys shot.
That's when Peters, 40, entered to finish the game at right tackle. He was part of the long and successful drive, engineered by Dak, that pushed Dallas to 10-3.
It was the first time since 2005 that Peters had played on the right, and the move surprised him.
"I had no idea (I'd be going in),'' Peters said.
Peters got the sign-up call from the Cowboys near the beginning of the season after an injury sidelined starting left Tyron Smith. The plan for Peters was to have him be an insurance option and someone who could mentor the young left tackle, Tyler Smith.
But when his number was called?
"That's a real Hall of Fame dude." Tyler said.
With the injury to Steele, the Cowboys could have two Hall of Fame 'dudes' playing at both tackle spots when Tyron makes his return to play, which is on the horizon, likely this week at Jacksonville.
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