The Dallas Cowboys will likely be without starting linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and safety Malik Hooker for the next two games, according to coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Overshown, who handled the coach-to-player communication as the middle linebacker, could miss one to two weeks with a hamstring strain that knocked him out of the second half of Sunday's season-opening loss against the New York Giants. Hooker is scheduled to undergo surgery on a fractured forearm but will not go on injured reserve, which would knock him out for at least four games.
Schottenheimer indicated the Cowboys will keep Caleb Downs in his role as a safety and slot player in passing situations, with P.J. Locke taking over the snaps Hooker would see in the sub package. "Caleb's a guy that can move around, but we like him down near the line of scrimmage," Schottenheimer said.
Replacing Overshown is trickier. The Cowboys mostly went with rookie Jaishawn Barham next to Dee Winters but mixed in Shemar James for a handful of snaps. Schottenheimer also mentioned practice squad elevations Curtis Robinson and Justin Barron as options, calling Winters the most experienced of the group and saying the team has high expectations for Barron.
The injuries come after an inauspicious debut for the Cowboys defense under first-time coordinator Christian Parker, who saw his unit give up 28 points and 394 yards while forcing just one punt against the Giants, who ran for 165 yards and converted 9-of-11 third-down tries. Schottenheimer defended Parker, saying, "I have no question Christian Parker is the right guy for this job. He's an outstanding coach.
