For the second year in a row, the Dallas Cowboys are playing without the services of Sean Lee.
The team's premier inside linebacker was expected to miss three to four weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered in a Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints, but there's hope he'll beat that timeline.
Team owner Jerry Jones told KRLD-FM on Tuesday that Lee -- whom he dubbed "Superman" -- could return sooner than expected, per ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins.
Already a week into his rehab, Lee would be a welcomed sight for a Cowboys defense that bled a franchise-record 625 yards to New Orleans in the 49-17 drubbing.
Durability has been a concern for Lee, who landed on injured reserve last season, but nobody on the team comes close to his combined abilities as a run-stopper and cover man.
We're starting to lose faith in Dallas as a playoff team -- namely because of a leaky defense -- but getting Lee back sooner than later would have a major impact on an NFC East still very much up for grabs.
We recapped every Week 11 game on the latest "Around the League Podcast."