DeMarcus Lawrence suffered a foot injury during the Dallas Cowboys' 20-15 win over the New York Giants in Week 4. As per reports, the 32-year-old defensive end is expected to miss multiple weeks due to the injury.
This is a huge blow for the Cowboys, who will also be without Micah Parsons in the coming weeks. Parsons and Lawrence are the main pass rushers for the Cowboys, and it will be quite challenging for the team to win the next two games before they have their bye week.
The Cowboys are 2-2 and will face the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions in their next two games. Given how much their defense has struggled this season, they could be 2-4 by the time one of their star pass rushers gets healthy.
In four games this season, the Cowboys defense is giving up an average of 26 points and 364.5 yards of total offense per game. Moreover, they have allowed an average of 145.8 rushing yards per game this season, and both the Steelers and Lions could exploit them.
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In the first four games of the season, DeMarcus Lawrence registered 3.0 sacks, 14 total tackles, four tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.
DeMarcus Lawrence injury: A look at Cowboys options on defense
With both DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons out, players like Marshawn Kneeland, Mazi Smith, Chauncey Golston and Osa Odighizuwa will be required to step up and make an impact.
This is a great opportunity for the players mentioned above, and other players on the roster to make a name for themselves. No matter how good Dak Prescott or CeeDee Lamb play, they need the defense to show up against the Steelers and Lions to have a shot at winning.
If the Cowboys' defense continues to play like they have done so far, not many will be surprised if the franchise misses the playoffs.
Replacing players like Parsons and Lawrence is not easy for any team, but there was a reason why Mike Zimmer was brought in this offseason. He needs to bring the most out of the players that he has available on the roster, and try to replicate things Sean McDermott did with the Buffalo Bills' defense at the end of the last season.
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