The Dallas Cowboys were gashed for 266 rushing yards by the Buffalo Bills in their Week 15 loss, and they may struggle stopping the run once again this weekend.
Cowboys defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins, who was sidelined against the Bills due to a sprained ankle, will likely be out again when Dallas takes on the Miami Dolphins this Sunday.
“(Hankins) is doing better,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said, via Dallas’ official YouTube account. “He’d be hard-pressed to go this week but yeah, he’s doing better.”
That’s the same thing McCarthy said last week, and Hankins ended up missing the Buffalo matchup, so, chances are, he will be out against the Dolphins, as well.
Given how crucial Hankins has been in the Cowboys’ run defense, this is absolutely a significant injury, especially with Miami boasting the NFL’s fourth-best rushing attack.
In 13 games this season, Hankins has logged 26 tackles and three sacks.
Hankins, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was originally selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
He spent his first four seasons with the Giants, with his best campaign coming in 2014 when he racked up 51 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defended.
Following his tenure with New York, the 31-year-old made his way to the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent one year before heading to the Oakland Raiders.
Hankins was not nearly as productive with the Colts or the Raiders as he was with the Giants, but he at least remained a consistent threat as a run stopper.
After spending four-and-a-half seasons with the Raiders, Hankins was traded to Dallas midway through last year.
The Cowboys rank 19th in defending the run, so they aren’t really a great run defense even with Hankins. Without him, they are well below average, as we saw last week.
Dallas is 10-4 heading into its clash with the Dolphins.
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