With only 2.5 sacks in five games thus far in 2019, DeMarcus Lawrence is currently on pace to have less than 10 sacks on the season. That would be a disappointment for all parties after the Cowboys defensive end just signed a massive contract extension this offseason, but today’s game against the New York Jets may give him a chance to make up some ground.
The Jets have been abysmal at protecting their quarterbacks so far this year. Despite only playing four games, being one of the few NFL teams to already have its bye week, New York has given up a league-high 23 sacks already in 2019.
That’s almost six sacks per game. Six!
Granted, some of that volume has come from having third-string QB Luke Falk playing the last three weeks. But even when Sam Darnold was playing in Week One he still got taken down four times.
The opportunities should be there for Lawrence to pad his stats. Even just a two-sack day would greatly boost his numbers, but there’s potential for more with how bad the Jets have been at pass protection.
DeMarcus’ slow start in 2019 has been due to a variety of factors. For one, he missed almost all of training camp and preseason practices by remaining on the PUP list until August 20th. Lawrence had offseason shoulder surgery and was recovering until just a few weeks before Week One.
Another reason is that, at least through the first four weeks of 2019, Tank was the most double-teamed edge rusher in the entire NFL.
That hasn’t been all bad for the Cowboys. After all, the attention that Lawrence draws has helped Robert Quinn get off to a hot start since his Week 3 debut.
In fact, Quinn may be who prevents Tank from having a big day in New York. It will be interesting to see which guy gets to the QB first.
There’s also a chance that, if this game winds up being a blowout, Dallas will limit Lawrence’s playing time due to some nagging injuries. They want their franchise DE ready to chase down Carson Wentz next Sunday night.
Wins are bigger than stats, of course. DeMarcus Lawrence gets that and hopefully most fans do as well. His impact is bigger than just sacks; just his presence can positively impact games and create opportunities for other pass rushers and blitzers.
Still, we all love seeing our favorite Cowboys among the league leaders at season’s end. Lawrence probably won’t be catching Shaquil Barrett (9 sacks) this year, but hopefully today’s game allows him to move up the board.
