DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are just one week into the season and it’s already starting to feel like déjà vu. Last year, the Cowboys were bit by the injury bug and it proved too much to overcome. It wasn’t just that the injuries piled up, but that the injuries happened to the most important players and positions where teams could ill afford to lose guys.
The leadup to the 2021 season felt like the team’s injury luck was turning around as only one meaningful player – DT Neville Gallimore – was scheduled to miss time during the season after a full training camp. Dallas’ fortunes have turned in short order, however.
First came the news that WR Michael Gallup was expected to miss three to five weeks with a calf injury that he suffered in the Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay, and now comes the bigger blow. DE DeMarcus Lawrence is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after suffering a broken bone in his foot during Wednesday’s practice.
Unlike with the depth at wideout to mask the absence of Gallup, the Cowboys can’t hide from being without Lawrence. The 2014 second-round pick is the best pass rusher on the team and is the best player overall on that side of the ball for Dallas.
The defense might find a way to manufacture sacks, but Lawrence’s presence as a leader leaves a huge void. There isn’t another player on Dan Quinn’s unit who commands the attention in the huddle or on the sideline like Lawrence does. After the changes made in the offseason, the team is young on defense and Lawrence is the unquestioned captain.
To make matters worse, the Cowboys might also be without fellow end Randy Gregory for the Week 2 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. Gregory was placed in COVID-19 protocol during the week. The "next man up" philosophy for Dallas has quickly become "next men up" and will be tested if both of their starting defensive ends aren’t available to play.
If Gregory can’t play, the likely starters would be four-year veteran Dorance Armstrong and free agent pickup Tarell Basham. Armstrong is coming off a strong preseason, but has just 2.5 career sacks, while Basham has 7.5 takedowns during his five years in the league. Basham’s best season was last year when he picked up 3.5 sacks while playing for the New York Jets.
Obviously, the Cowboys will need more than the starters to play, so expect to see additional snaps from second-year man Bradlee Anae and an expanded role for rookie first-round selection Micah Parsons from the edge. Dallas raved about Parsons’ instincts as a pass-rushing linebacker, now we’ll get to see if the team was right in their praise.
We might also see HBO’s "Hard Knocks" star Azur Kamara get on the field to help the pass rush, or rookie third-rounder Chauncey Golston, who has yet to play since a hamstring injury knocked him out early in training camp.
No matter who lines up in his place, Lawrence’s shoes will be virtually impossible to fill by just one player. He’s one of the best two-way defensive ends in the league and he had already forced one of the turnovers in the season-opening loss. Lawrence’s Week 1 performance was among the best in the league at defensive end.
If there’s any positive news about Lawrence’s injury, it’s that he won’t miss the remainder of the season. The six-to-eight-week timetable allows the veteran edge rusher to get back in time for the stretch run if the team is in a playoff push. If the Cowboys are in position to make the postseason, a fresh-legged Lawrence will be a huge boost late in the year.
However, these types of foot injuries tend to linger, and Dallas must make sure Lawrence is fully healed before trying to return. Former wide receiver Dez Bryant had a similar injury during the 2015 season before he rushed back into action only to break his foot again. Bryant was never the same again.
The Cowboys didn’t need another injury-riddled season, yet here they are trying to dig themselves out of one again. DeMarcus Lawrence’s injury is a crushing blow to a defense that doesn’t have anyone capable of replacing him and overall questions about the level of talent.
Dallas now must hope that they can stem the tide until Lawrence returns, a proposition that is easier said than done.
Who do you see stepping up for the Cowboys on defense in the absence of DeMarcus Lawrence? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.