12:46 a.m. – Jayron Kearse exited the Cowboys home opener with a knee injury that needs to be further evaluated, but the good news for the safety unit in Dallas is they’re deeper than they have been in several years and that was evidenced by Donovan Wilson in Week 1 against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
Wilson, who had a breakout season in 2020 before being slowed by injury in 2021, is again healthy and flew around the field en route to grabbing an interception against Brady in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, as was often the case throughout the evening, the offense failed to turn the takeaway into points, but it did serve as a reminder of what a healthy Wilson brings to the team.
Even when Kearse is on the field, the Cowboys often deployed three-safety sets in Week 1 that allowed Wilson to play alongside Malik Hooker and it proved to be an effective strategy in flummoxing and otherwise unshakable Brady – who showed signs of frustration at times in being unable to capitalize on drives with touchdowns, instead often settling for field goals.
Should Kearse miss any amount of time, Wilson will be looked upon to help Hooker keep the safety unit churning in the right direction, and to help mentor young talent such as rookie Markquese Bell and second-year safety Israel Mukuamu. He finished Week 1 with five combined tackles to go along with his INT.
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