The first month of football is now, and the Dallas Cowboys still have a lot of questions to answer. With the bye week looming in just three weeks, Dallas has to find a way to weather the storm before they get there.
The Dallas Cowboys suffered a pair of key injuries on defense during their 20-15 win over the New York Giants on Thursday night.
From @NFLGameDay: The #Cowboys will be without two defensive stars — Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence — for a couple games. And Lawrence is likely headed for IR. pic.twitter.com/UmHr0vTPIk
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 29, 2024
First, All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons injured his left ankle late in the fourth quarter. He was forced to leave the game and after undergoing an MRI on Friday, he was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.
DeMarcus Lawrence, who hurt his foot in the third quarter, does not need surgery, but will miss multiple weeks of action.
If the Cowboys defense didn’t already struggle enough, now over the next two weeks before the bye week, they need to somehow weather the storm and get healthy, hoping for a record of 3-3 and not 2-4.
Sunday Night Football
The Cowboys next game will be on Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were handed their first loss of the season this week when they fell to the Colts 27-24.
This is a must win for the Cowboys. They will be on the road without their two best defensive lineman, but you let this game go, and you have a chance to end up 2-4 at the bye week.
Big win for the Colts today over the Steelers. Even with Anthony Richardson going out of the game their offense was outstanding. They outgained Pittsburgh on the ground and made the big plays when it counted. We’ll see if this gets the Colts on a roll? pic.twitter.com/PwTcfwS7on
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) September 30, 2024
This is going to be a game where the offense is just going to have to score touchdowns. If the Cowboys defense can have a bend but don’t break type of feel during this game, they should be okay.
If they can contain Justin Fields and turn him into a passer, then this team has a chance. They have to win this game though, because I have already locked in a loss for when they travel back home the following week.
Detroit Lions
The last game before the much-needed bye is at home against the Detroit Lions, and I will tell you what, they are going to run the ball down their throat.
They play tonight against the Seahawks. That should be a good game, but Detroit is currently 2-1, and looks like they did a year ago.
Dallas is going to have to flat out score them to beat them, and that is the problem. This team was built to play with a lead and let the defense rush the passer. Now, they are without their two best, this game could get ugly in a hurry.
The Good News?
The good news is that the NFC East is terrible. Yes, Washington looks great, but like others have always said about Dallas, who have they played?
The Eagles have gotten worse, and look nothing like they did two years ago. Dallas is 1-0 in the division, and have owned it over the years.
The Eagles are +110 to win the NFC East.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) September 30, 2024
If this team can skate into the bye week at 3-3, weather the storm, and come out on the other side of the bye at .500, they could be alright.
Outside the of the bye they are going to lose to the 49ers, and depending on the health of Micah Parson and Lawrence, they should be back for the game against the Falcons in week nine.
This season got a heck of a lot harder with these two guys out on defense, and Jerry Jones will do nothing to fix it. He will bank on the young guys he drafted, because that is the way he is.
I think they will be good enough to weather the storm and stay around .500, but if they lose back-to-back games at any point, they will have a hill to climb.