Dallas Cowboys: This player must step up his game

Oct 9, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (90) rushes during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

The Dallas Cowboys pass rush has been average at best for several years. But there is one player who has the potential to be a legit sack specialist, and he needs to step up his game.

The Dallas Cowboys have not had a dominant pass rusher since former defensive end DeMarcus Ware. In his prime, he racked up sacks and went to Pro Bowls on the regular.

The elusive “war daddy” has eluded the Cowboys for several years now, like a fugitive running from law enforcement. The Cowboys have tried everything to find that “war daddy”.

From signing troubled and talented edge rusher Greg Hardy to drafting Randy Gregory, (suspended for 2017 season for violating NFL’s substance abuse policy) to using rotational players, the Cowboys have done everything in their power to find someone to sack the opposing team’s quarterback.

Although Dallas lacks a legit pass rusher, there is one player on the roster with the potential to sack the quarterback on a regular basis. This player has shown flashes of being a really good pass rusher. That player is Demarcus Lawrence.

And now’s the time for Lawrence to step up his game and take it to a new level. Going into his fourth year, there are no more excuses for his subpar play, stupid and untimely suspensions, and lack of production.

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Simply put, Dallas needs the DeMarcus Lawrence they saw in the draft room. They need him to be a relentless sack artist capable of recording 10-15 sacks a year. Dallas traded up in the 2014 draft to select the former Boise State star in the second round.

At the time, Lawrence was seen as the replacement to the Cowboys’ beloved and future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware (the franchise all time sack leader).

Before Lawrence could hit the field as a rookie, he suffered a foot injury during training camp. That caused him to miss the majority of the 2014 regular season. So Dallas waited patiently as Lawrence recovered, and the team cruised to a surprising 12-4 record, earning a playoff birth and a victory against the Detroit Lions.

In that game, everyone got a glimpse of Lawrence’s potential as a legit edge rusher. He recorded a sack and recovered two fumbles. The play of the game happened when he sacked and stripped Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford for a huge loss. Lawrence then recovered the fumble, sealing a playoff win for Dallas.

He then picked up where he left off of from the previous season when he had a career high with eight sacks, 35 tackles, one forced fumble, and one safety in 2015. Lawrence received some help from the opposing teams double teaming Hardy, but he appeared to be the man Dallas drafted.

Not so fast, however.

If Lawrence can regain the form we witnessed in 2015, Dallas can breathe a lot easier knowing they have their “war daddy”. The lack of a dominant pass rusher is why this team has lost twice to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs in the last three years.

Lawrence missed the first four games of 2016 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Nonetheless, he was non-existent, tallying one sack, one forced fumble, eight tackles, and three assists.

I understand he missed four games because of the suspension, but I expected Lawrence to at least record six to eight sacks. I was looking for that defensive stud from the previous season. Maybe it was because of a lingering back injury that occurred towards the end of the regular season.

For the second straight offseason, Lawrence has had back surgery. That’s not a good sign: especially playing defensive end and going against mammoths of offensive linemen. Hopefully, for Lawrence’s sake, its not a nagging injury and he can continue to play football.

With no one able to pressure Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have literally broken the Cowboys’ hearts into a thousand pieces. That’s one reason why it’s important for Lawrence to step up his game this season.

If Lawrence had produced the sacks expected of him, Dallas wouldn’t have to find one so desperately in the draft. Because this team lacks a bona fide pass rusher, it has to draft one.

There is hope that fellow defensive linemen David Irving and Benson Mayowa will take the next step and become sack specialists since both of them have shown the ability to get to the quarterback.

Next: Dallas Cowboys Complete Mock Draft (V4.11): Overhaul the Secondary

But it’s Lawrence I’m expecting to be the missing link to Dallas’ lethargic pass rush. If he disappoints, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys will continue to search for that elusive “war daddy”.

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Dallas Cowboys: This Player Must Step Up His Game

By Dink Kearney | Apr 13, 2017

The Dallas Cowboys pass rush has been average at best for several years. But there is one player who has the potential to be a legit sack specialist, and he needs to step up his game.