DALLAS — When Thursday Night Football cameras caught a glimpse of Tyler Biadasz riding a golf cart to the locker room and the center's right shoe was already off, Dallas Cowboys fans expected the worst.
The center got caught in the scrum and had his right leg rolled up during the final play of the third quarter at the Tennessee Titans in Week 17. Rookie running back Malik Davis went for no gain up the middle, but the Cowboys took a loss to their starting offensive line on the play.
The day after Dallas' 27-13 win over the Titans, executive vice president Stephen Jones indicated the injury to Biadasz wasn't as gruesome as it appeared.
"Hopefully we dodged a bullet and we can get Tyler back for the playoffs and everybody back in their spots," Jones told "GBag Nation" on 105.3 "The Fan" [KRLD-FM] on Friday.
With Biadasz out, the Cowboys shifted two other spots on the offensive line. Rookie left tackle Tyler Smith moved to left guard, incumbent Connor McGovern moved to center, and future Hall-of-Famer Jason Peters came off the bench to left tackle.
According to Jones, the MRI results have already come back and present a favorable prognosis for the former 2020 fourth-round pick from Wisconsin.
"We feel like he’s got a real chance to make it back for our first playoff game," said Jones. "So, we’ll see how that comes along. Obviously everybody saw the injury on TV. It was a rough looking deal. He’s had that high ankle before on the same ankle, and, believe it or not, when it’s the second time around, those guys tend to recover a little faster, a little quicker than they did the time before. We’ll just have to see."
With Biadasz recovering, the Cowboys will have to use their fourth quarter line combination in Week 18 when they take on Washington. Dallas won't know whether the game is consequential for their own playoff seeding until the conclusion of Week 17 after the New Orleans Saints versus Philadelphia Eagles contest.
If the Eagles prevail on Sunday, they win the NFC East and possibly home-field advantage in the playoffs, depending on the results of the Minnesota Vikings' contest with the Green Bay Packers. If Dallas can't help their playoff positioning in Week 18, it could mean an offensive line combination that protects the unit's depth in Washington.
Jones indicated Biadasz will work heavily behind the scenes to expedite his return for the postseason.
"Tyler is a tough guy who is competitive as hell and wants to be out there," Jones said.
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