New Cowboys linebacker Ernie Sims made an immediate impact last week, sacking Giants QB Eli Manning. (US Presswire)

Two weeks ago, the Cowboys were rather comfortable at inside linebacker with Sean Lee emerging as one of the bright young superstars in the league.

But when Lee went down with a toe injury that required season-ending surgery, the Cowboys were at least confident veteran Dan Connor was around and could fill the void left behind.

Now, Connor is out this week with a stinger injury, forcing the Cowboys to again make changes in the middle.

Newly acquired linebacker Ernie Sims, a former first-round pick of the Lions in 2006, made his Cowboys debut last week mostly on the nickel package. This week, he’s expecting to get a lot more reps.

“Ernie’s going to play a ton this week,” defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts the game. We’ve got some good guys there -- Alex Albright and Orie Lemon -- so they’ll all play.”

But Ryan kept going back to Sims, stating he’s picked up the defense very quickly in a short time.

“Not only is he really tough, he’s really smart,” Ryan said. “He’s not really tall, but he’s got everything else going for him. I love this guy. He’s been what we thought he was. He’s a tough kid. He’s smart. He loves football. It looks like he really likes his new teammates, and we expect big things out of Ernie.”

And this is quite a change for Sims, who admitted two weeks ago he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get another call to play in the league again.

“Well, I’m human. That’s only natural,” Sims said of his uncertainty. “But I kept working out every day, training, taking care of my wife, my son, taking care of my business back home, doing the things I had to do to live life. At the same time, I was staying ready for the phone call, praying and hoping that one day I’d get my opportunity to prove myself all over again.”

Sims played four years in Detroit, followed by one-year stints the past two seasons in Philadelphia and Indianapolis. He was out of the league until the Cowboys called him last week after Lee went down for the rest of the season.

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