Dallas Cowboys safety ruled out after injuring ankle vs. Ravens

ARLINGTON, Texas — Early in the second half of Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys ruled safety Markquese Bell out for the remainder of a game with an ankle injury.

Bell, an experienced reserve and a special teams contributor, has made eight starts and appeared in 25 games with the Cowboys over his three-year career. While Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker remain Dallas' starting safeties, Bell provided valuable depth to a defense that hasn't proven capable of weathering adversity in recent weeks.

The Cowboys allowed the Saints to score touchdowns on their first six possessions of a rout last week and have struggled to slow the Ravens in Week 3. Baltimore found the end zone on four of its first six drives and jumped out to a 28-6 lead over Dallas on Sunday.

Aside from Bell, Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu can provide insurance at safety for the Cowboys.

If Bell misses significant time with his injury, he'd be the second member of the secondary to do so this year. Pro Bowl cornerback DaRon Bland underwent foot surgery in August and will remain sidelined at least until early October.

The Cowboys have a short week after facing the Ravens, because they play at the New York Giants on Thursday. The condensed timeline could place greater strain on Bell or other players who hope to recover from injuries to suit up against the Giants.