FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys' inactives are going to be fairly straightforward for a second consecutive weekend.
That was bound to happen with the injuries on this team's defensive line, as they ruled Taco Charlton, David Irving and Daniel Ross out on Friday afternoon. Antwaun Woods was also listed as doubtful on Friday, and he was confirmed as inactive 90 minutes prior to today's kickoff.
The full list of inactives is defense-heavy in Atlanta. All told, Mike White, Tavon Austin and Sean Lee will join Charlton, Irving, Ross and Woods on the inactives list.
These are all lingering issues that stem back several weeks. Austin has been missing in action since he suffered a groin injury in Week 6 against Jacksonville, while Lee is missing his fifth game of the season with a hamstring strain.
The defensive line injuries have been a problem for a couple of weeks now. Irving hurt his ankle during practice before the Tennessee game, and Charlton injured his shoulder in that Monday night loss to the Titans. Add in the injuries that Ross and Woods suffered in last week's win against Philadelphia, and the Cowboys are left with a bit of a depleted group.
The front office promoted defensive tackle Christian Ringo from the practice squad to help with that. He'll get playing time alongside Tyrone Crawford, Maliek Collins and Caraun Reid to help offset the injuries.
There had been some speculation that Connor Williams might be inactive while he recovers from his knee injury, but it's a good bet that the injuries to the defensive line bumped him onto the game day roster. Instead, Austin and White will be the only inactives on offense.
