Sean Lee not expected to play this week
Julius Thomas (80) has a pass blocked by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee (50) in the second quarter at AT
Dallas Cowboys star inside linebacker Sean Lee is one of the most important LBs to their respective defense in this league, and Lee’s importance has been underscored in each of the past two games. When he left the field against the New Orleans Saints, the Cowboys run defense- and pass defense- was clearly worse. And even though the Cowboys defeated the New York Giants in a crucial game on a last-second field goal, the defense was still gashed on the ground by both rising feature back Andre Brown and aging veteran Brandon Jacobs. Lee’s injury coincided with another 3-4 week from fellow ILB Justin Durant, who is also solid and is great against the run. That has led some awful players to play significantly (Bruce Carter, Kyle Bosworth, and immortal bust Ernie Sims) as starters, which hasn’t boded well for the Cowboys defense.
Don’t expect Lee to play this week on a short week against the Oakland Raiders either, so the Cowboys won’t end up being thankful for the return of one of their star players this week. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked on radio if Lee could play on Thursday against the Raiders, and he didn’t sound optimistic (even if he used that word a whole bunch of times).
Here’s the quote from the Dallas Morning News’s John Machota, “That’s probably optimistic. He thinks he’s got a chance, but Sean’s one of the most optimistic players there has ever been on the Dallas Cowboys. But that’s probably optimistic.”
Sean Lee should be back for the Cowboys big Week 14 Monday Night Football tilt against the Chicago Bears, and they will definitely need him if they don’t want to be gashed by Matt Forte. Lee has always been a very good player, particularly when it comes to stopping the run, but he has blossomed into a star and All-Pro player this season. Nowadays, Lee is one of the most well-rounded linebackers in the game, as his coverage skills have been very impressive to watch (he can also blitz pretty well).