America’s team may have won the game, but they find themselves down for the count. Just hours after a Thursday night prime time win, the Cowboys received some stomach-turning news Friday.
Two-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons suffered a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of their crucial win, 20-15, over the division foes, the New York Giants and are waiting with bated breath for further information on how long he might be sidelined, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Parsons was not the only key cog to go down on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys also lost four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who is expected to be on the shelf for several weeks due to a severe foot injury sustained in the narrow victory also, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
The double whammy in the injury department will likely put Dallas’ most reliable edge defenders on ice until after their Week 7 bye.
Parsons initially exited the Week 4 matchup early in the second quarter, but made his way bac on to the field. He played his final snap of the night late in the fourth quarter before leaving for good with the injury.
Lawrence, meanwhile, played into the early portion of the third quarter before his night came to a close.
Lawrence suffered his injury while pursuing quarterback Daniel Jones, stopping suddenly after the signal caller shifted and changed directions. He had a noticeable limp will walking off the field and went to the locker room. While he returned to the sidelines to support his teammates, he did not return to the game. In his post-game press conference, he stated the injury was not related to the foot fractures he had earlier in his career.
Parsons and Lawrence are the Cowboys’ top two pass rushers. Lawrence leads the Cowboys with three sacks this season and Parsons has registered at least 13 sacks in each of his first three seasons, some saying that he is today’s version of Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
The Cowboys have had a turbulent season on the defensive side of the ball, dominating the lowly Cleveland Browns in Week 1 before giving up 72 combined points in back-to-back losses to the Saints and Ravens, respectively. They entered Week 4 ranked in the bottom five in the NFL in scoring and total defense, but managed to post drastically improved totals and played well enough to keep the Giants out of the end zone entirely Thursday night.
In the past two weeks they have promoted veteran Carl Lawson from the practice squad. Tyrus Wheat is on the 53-man roster but has been a healthy scratch over the last two games.
