Although the Dallas Cowboys won on Thursday against the New York Giants, they paid a price for getting a tally in the win column.
The Cowboys announced that DeMarcus Lawrence will end up on the IR and miss at minimum four games, but Dallas does have a bye week in three.
He will probably be out longer than that, reports are four to eight. I see it being closer to the end.
Thursday was good right until the second half of these injuries.
After Lawrence got hurt, 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.
Let’s hope he returns after the bye week.
Lawrence, on the other hand, hurt his foot in the third quarter, does not need surgery, but as noted will end up on IR. That is going to make things a lot harder for Mike Zimmer in the coming weeks.
Lawrence still had two years left on his current deal and was owed base salaries of $19 million and $21 million when he signed a new three-year deal. He was due $15 million and $10 million over the final two seasons of the deal when Dallas restructured his deal in March 2023.
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.
Fans are ready to write them off and just end the season now, but look around. This season is truly a week-to-week league.
Teams look unbeatable for one week, and then awful the next.
I really do think Dallas can stay alive until they get at least Micah Parsons back, but it is going to be a grind on both sides of the ball.
Can We Trust The Replacements?
This defense has looked below average for two weeks against the run, and now they lose their two studs on the defensive line.
As you could see above and below, the Cowboys signed Kj Henry off the Bengals practice squad this afternoon.
Henry, 25, was a fifth-round pick by Washington in 2023 and recorded 1.5 sacks and 19 tackles in 10 games (three starts) for the Commanders as a rookie.
Waived by Washington on Aug. 27, Henry signed with the Bengals and has played a total of 11 snaps on defense and seven on special teams in two games this season.
This is reported to be a two-year deal. It is a body.
Chauncey Golston and Marshawn Kneeland are the two who take over the bulk of the snaps while the Cowboys star duo is out.
Kneeland has looked good in flashes, now he will get his chance to make an impact probably a lot sooner in his rookie year than he thought.
At this point, Randy Gregory is a free agent, and you could get him for probably cheaper.
Who cares, if he can come in and stay on the field, it could be better than what they have now.
Mike Zimmer is going to have his hands full. The Lions last night looked like they had the best offense in football.
The Cowboys have to weather this storm before the bye in three weeks. They play the Steelers on Sunday Night Football this week. You HAVE to win that game.
They won’t beat the Lions, not without Micah and DLaw in the lineup. Just no chance. Jared Goff did not have an incomplete pass in last night’s game.
Offense Will Need To Carry
The offense hasn’t looked great, but they have done enough to get two wins and have a chance to win that Ravens game if the defense did not give 5,000 yards on the ground.
Yes it was late, but they were down three with over three minutes left in the ball game.
That is the other problem. I don’t trust what Mike McCarthy is calling on offense either. Yet, people think this season is over, and I don’t agree. I am worried, but to say it is over is crazy.
Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb can do enough to keep you in the football game. As long as they beat the Steelers this week, they will go into the bye at .500.
The plan of attack should be bend but don’t break defense. They are going to give up yards without two studs, but if you can hold teams to three instead of seven, that is a win.
The offense will need to pick up the pace, and stop trying to run the football with a bunch of guys who are averaging less than four yards a carry.
A lot easier said than done, I completely understand this.