Dallas Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin suffers leg injury vs Bills

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro right guard Zack Martin suffered an apparent leg injury in the first quarter on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. After some knee-to-knee contact with a Bills defender, the veteran went down on the field before receiving further evaluation in the blue medical tent on the sideline. Dallas ruled the guard questionable to return with a quad injury then downgraded him to out after halftime.

Replacing Martin at right guard is rookie lineman T.J. Bass. Bass has started one game for the Cowboys this season. He filled in for Martin after the veteran suffered an ankle injury in Week 3.

Zack Martin took a shot to the knee pic.twitter.com/0xdfdh6cpI

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 17, 2023

Before he exited the game, Martin drew a flag for shoving Bills defensive back Taylor Rapp after the defender came in late for a tackle on quarterback Dak Prescott. The officials flagged Rapp as well.

Cowboys, Bills defenses missing starters

The Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills are both without key members of the team on Sunday for their Week 15 matchup. Due to injuries and illness, neither has a defense at full strength. While Dallas, first in the NFC East, chases win No. 11 on the year, the Bills are looking for their eighth win as they trail the Dolphins in the AFC East.

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert and cornerback Stephon Gilmore were among the list of Dallas’s sick players this week. They sat out of practice on Thursday. Tolbert was able to return as a limited participant Friday but Cooks and Gilmore did not. Luckily, all three are active for gameday.

Safety Malik Hooker was also questionable heading into the weekend, however, he is out for Sunday. Hooker suffered an ankle injury in the Week 14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys are also without starting defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins. Hankins suffered an ankle sprain against the Eagles.

So far this season, Hankins has 26 tackles with three sacks. The last time he had three sacks in a single season was in 2016 for the Giants.

Hankins joined Dallas last October in a trade with Las Vegas that sent a Cowboys’ 2023 sixth-round pick to the Raiders, and a 2024 seventh-round pick back to Dallas. The veteran out of Ohio State came in to bolster the Cowboys’ already stout defensive line group.

To make up for what the Cowboys’ defense will lose against the Bills’ run game, Mike McCarthy plans to insert first-round draft pick Mazi Smith. The rookie has 10 tackles through 13 games, including a tackle for loss.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills ruled out safety Micah Hyde and defensive end A.J. Epenesa due to injuries.