How Cowboys can keep afloat after Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence accidents; can Dak Prescott save the day?

The Dallas Cowboys secured a much-needed victory Thursday evening with a triumphant 20-15 slog of a win on the New York Giants to enhance to 2-2.

Nevertheless, the win got here at excessive worth: Dallas’ greatest two edge rushers suffered accidents. Three-time All-Professional Micah Parsons departed on a cart within the fourth quarter with what’s now reported as a high-ankle sprain, and four-time Professional Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence is expected to be out multiple weeks with a foot damage he suffered within the second half. Lawrence was seen on the sport broadcast getting his foot taped and labored on, however he didn’t return to motion after the damage. It might be affordable to anticipate each might miss in any case subsequent two weeks on the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 5) and versus the 2-1 Detroit Lions earlier than Dallas’ Week 7 bye. 

Now, Cowboys proprietor and normal supervisor Jerry Jones’ reliance on youth and low price range veterans as depth items from his “all-in” offseason that reworked into the “get it done with less” offseason can be examined. Veteran rotation edge rushers like Dorance Armstrong (three years, $33 million) and Dante Fowler Jr. (one yr, $3.25 million) have been allowed to stroll in free company, and so they each adopted former Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the NFC East rival Washington Commanders. 

That leaves 2024 second-round choose Marshawn Kneeland, 26-year-old veteran Chauncey Golston, second-year undrafted veteran Tyrus Wheat and post-Achilles tear veteran Carl Lawson. Lawson has been elevated off the follow squad in every of the final two weeks, and a 3rd elevation can be his final earlier than Dallas has to signal him to the 53-man roster. 

The Cowboys will most definitely be banking on Kneeland, the rookie out of Western Michigan, to have an effect much like that of cornerback DaRon Bland, who as a rookie grew to become an impactful starter when pressed into responsibility after accidents to starters. Kneeland has but to document his first regular-season sack, however his six quarterback pressures are tied for the fourth-most amongst rookies this season. 

Most QB Pressures
2024 Rookie Class

It is going to definitely be a gaggle effort when dashing the passer and setting the sting within the run sport for a protection that lastly put a struggle on the bottom after getting into Week 4 rating useless final within the league in dashing yards per sport allowed (185.7) and yards per carry allowed (5.4). Their Week 4 efficiency towards the Giants was excellent, permitting a lightweight 26 dashing yards on 24 New York carries. That’s the Cowboys’ fewest yards per carry allowed (1.08) in a sport when dealing with 20 or extra carries in franchise historical past, per CBS Sports activities Analysis. 

Defensive deal with Mazi Smith, Dallas’ 2023 first-round choose, performed as much as his draft standing Thursday evening, incomes an 88.5 Professional Soccer Focus defensive grade, one of the best of any defender on the sector on “Thursday Evening Soccer” whereas clogging up rush lanes and wreaking havoc within the inside. Parsons’ 79.5 PFF defensive grade was the subsequent greatest on Thursday for both group after Smith. His ascendance, which started within the fourth quarter virtually comeback towards the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, might go a good distance in additionally mitigating the affect of the Lawrence and Parsons accidents. 

Exterior assist

Following top-dollar extensions for 2023 Second Workforce All-Professional quarterback Dak Prescott (4 years, $240 million) and 2023 First Workforce All-Professional huge receiver CeeDee Lamb (4 years, $136 million), Jones’ Cowboys have $23.8 million in efficient cap area this season, the seventh-most within the NFL for the time being, per OverTheCap.com, due to with the ability to unfold out their stars’ respective cap hits. 

That does give Jones the latitude to make a commerce for a veteran edge rusher within the interim till Parsons and/or Lawrence return. Dallas owns the rights to every of its draft picks in Rounds 1-6 in 2025. The Cowboys even have every of their very own picks in Rounds 1-5 in 2026 after which two additional seventh-round draft decisions on prime of their very own due to buying and selling tight finish Peyton Hendershot to the Chiefs and buying defensive deal with Jordan Phillips from the New York Giants. 

Positive, it is early within the season for groups to be parting with vets, however Jones can not less than make a number of calls. The Chargers, who’re within the technique of rebuilding with a brand new regime, may very well be amenable to buying and selling 33-year-old, eight-time Professional Bowl edge rusher Khalil Mack for compensation within the realm of Day 3 choose. He’s within the last yr of his present contract with a cap hit of $25.4 million. Positive, that is barely over what Dallas possesses, however a pair restructures may very well be sufficient to fit Mack into the entrance seven. His 17.0 sacks at age 32 in 2023 have been the fourth-most within the NFL, and he’s already as much as two-and-a-half this season by three video games. A less expensive possibility may very well be Dolphins veteran Emmanuel Ogbah, whose cap hit is a small $3.2 million on a one-year deal. 

Extra required from QB Dak Prescott, Cowboys offense

Given Dallas can be with out it is prime two edge rushers, it might be affordable to undertaking the Cowboys protection may have some offensive assist to select up the slack. It is unfair to anticipate Kneeland and Co. to fully exchange the disruption that Parsons and Lawrence create. 

Prescott balled out in Week 4 regardless of minimal assist from each coach Mike McCarthy’s scheme and his run sport. Prescott let it rip with precision, concluding his evening with an environment friendly 221 yards on 22 of 27 passing, together with a 15-yard landing move on a display to working again Rico Dowdle and a 55-yard catch-and-run rating to All-Professional huge receiver CeeDee Lamb. He accomplished 13 of his 14 passes within the fast passing sport, underneath 2.5 seconds, for 143 passing yards and each of his touchdowns. In brief, he was locked in. 

Nevertheless, it is miraculous Prescott was in a position to succeed on the stage by which he did contemplating Dallas is under league common or in some instances, bottom-10 and bottom-5 within the NFL in dashing offense in addition to play-action, movement and screen-play utilization. The 2024 Cowboys offense merely would not have many straightforward buttons for Prescott to hit. Prescott leads the NFL with a good window throw price of 27.5%, per the NFL’s Subsequent Gen Stats. That claims quite a bit about Dallas’ lack of separation and creativity to this point in 2024. That being mentioned, they nonetheless want extra from the face of their franchise in any case. 

Cowboys offense in 2024

Lamb’s bounce again that he proclaimed would come is very large: he totaled 98 yards on seven catches, together with the 55-yard rating. Nevertheless, Prescott might want to proceed to be Superman to beat his offensive ecosystem exterior of Lamb, and it would not damage for McCarthy to get a bit extra artistic along with his offensive construction. Dallas can also must get energetic and commerce for a working again for the reason that committee of undrafted veteran Dowdle, late stage Ezekiel Elliott and 2023 sixth-round choose Deuce Vaughn simply is not working. 

It is time for Dallas’ defensive youth to show its value, and maybe for Jones to lastly begin performing a bit extra “all in.” Prescott definitely is along with his play regardless of the circumstances. It is now on the remainder of the Cowboys to satisfy him at his stage. In any other case, the 2024 season might slip away from them in a rush.