As embarrassing as last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints was, the Dallas Cowboys can’t afford to dwell on the past any longer. The Cowboys will look to get back into the win column when they host a desperate Baltimore Ravens squad for a pivotal Week 3 clash at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.
Several key Cowboys are banged up ahead of the looming collision, including No. 1 tight end Jake Ferguson. Despite being “really close” to playing in Week 2, Ferguson was absent from the loss to the Saints due to a lingering MCL sprain and bone bruise.
When it comes to Ferguson’s Week 3 outlook, the Cowboys had some positive news to share on Friday.
Cowboys Injury News: Jake Ferguson Fully Practices on Friday
According to Cowboys insider Jon Machota, head coach Mike McCarthy was impressed by Ferguson’s performance during Friday’s practice. McCarthy said that the veteran TE “looked good” and that he’d go as far as labeling him as a full participant.
Machota added that McCarthy’s update means that Ferguson “should return Sunday.” Cowboys fans should be excited by this news given that the 25-year-old pass-catcher was limited in back-to-back practices on Wednesday and Thursday.
Ferguson played in the Week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns, however, that’s when disaster struck. The ex-Wisconsin Badger caught 3-of-5 targets for 15 yards before suffering his knee injury during the third quarter, which subsequently forced him out of the game.
While Ferguson’s absence wasn’t the only reason behind last week’s loss to the Saints, it isn’t as if the Cowboys’ other TEs were productive in his absence. Luke Schoonmaker caught all six of his targets for just 43 yards while undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford didn’t do anything despite playing 22 offensive snaps.
Hopefully, Ferguson’s recovery will be speedy so he can be healthy in time for Sunday. The Cowboys could certainly use the boost that he could potentially provide given that they’re projected to be 1.5-point underdogs against the Ravens, per FanDuel Sportsbook.