Fresh out of a thrilling Thursday night victory, the Dallas Cowboys were hit with some unfortunate news on Friday.
Two-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons suffered a high ankle sprain during the prime-time win against the division rival Giants. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Parsons is currently awaiting further information on the extent of his injury and how long he might be sidelined. Adding to their woes, four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is also expected to miss multiple weeks due to a foot injury sustained in the same game, as per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
Parsons had to leave the Week 4 matchup early in the second quarter but managed to return to the field. However, his night came to an end after playing his final snap late in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, Lawrence soldiered on until the early stages of the third quarter before being forced to exit the game due to his injury.
The Cowboys’ defense has faced its fair share of challenges this season, starting off with a dominant performance against Cleveland in the season opener followed by back-to-back losses where they conceded a total of 72 points. Heading into Week 4, Dallas was ranked in the bottom five in the league in terms of scoring and total defense. Despite their struggles, they showed improvement and put up a solid enough performance to shut out New York’s offense entirely in the recent Thursday night clash.
When commenting on the injuries to Parsons and Lawrence, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy expressed his concerns, stating, “It’s always tough to see important players go down with injuries, but we have faith in the depth of our roster to step up and fill the void.” Meanwhile, star quarterback Dak Prescott remained optimistic about the team’s ability to overcome adversity, saying, “We have a resilient group of guys in this locker room who are ready to face any challenges that come our way. We’ll keep fighting and working hard to get the job done.”
As the Cowboys navigate through this rough patch and look ahead to their next game, they will need to rely on their depth and team cohesion to maintain their competitive edge on both sides of the ball. Only time will tell how the absence of key defensive pieces like Parsons and Lawrence will impact their performance moving forward.
