FRISCO, Texas – Fresh off a big win in Minnesota, the Cowboys have a long weekend to rest up before they begin preparations for the New York Giants.
The added time off is bound to help a team that just played three games in 12 days – but it can only do so much in regard to some injuries. During his weekly interview with 105.3 FM The Fan on Friday, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones was asked about Morris Claiborne's availability for the Dec. 11 game against the Giants.
Even with the time off, Jones said he wouldn't expect to see Claiborne back that soon.
"I think it's probably not likely," he said. "You never rule anybody out. But I still think Mo is still several weeks out. The likelihood of him returning are probably closer to being more toward the last two games of the season rather than these two."
Claiborne severely injured his groin during the Cowboys' overtime win against Philadelphia on Oct. 30. There was some speculation the fifth-year corner would undergo surgery on the injury, but Claiborne said last week they had opted to allow the injury to heal on his own.
There's definitely been some progress in the month since the injury. Claiborne said last week that he had started to do light resistance and conditioning work. Team owner/general manager Jerry Jones also said he "absolutely" expects Claiborne back before the end of the regular season.
With just four games remaining on the schedule, though, it certainly seems like the hope is to ease Claiborne back with the hope that he can contribute to a playoff run.
His return would certainly be a boost for the Cowboys' secondary. Before he got hurt, Claiborne was arguably the Cowboys' best defender, as he tallied 26 tackles, five passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery in seven started.
