The Dallas Cowboys may be ready to open the door wider for Malachi Lawrence, and that could leave Von Miller in a shrinking spot.
On Wednesday, Brian Schottenheimer praised the rookie edge rusher and made it clear Lawrence should see more work going forward. Schottenheimer pointed to Lawrence’s performance last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a strong step forward and tied that progress to the changes he promised for Week 6.
"He's played very well. I think he's starting to show the flash and the acceleration and the ability to rush the passer that we knew we were getting when we drafted him. I think he had a very good game against Tampa Bay, and you'll see him get more opportunities," Schottenheimer said of Lawrence.
Lawrence turned in the best outing of his young career against Tampa Bay, finishing with two pressures, his first career sack, and one run stop. That sack also leaves him tied for the team lead, which says plenty about how the season has gone for Dallas up front.
It wasn’t a dominant performance, but it was enough to count as real progress after a quiet start to Lawrence’s NFL career. With the Cowboys’ defense struggling and badly in need of a spark, giving him a longer runway makes sense.
The problem is that every extra snap for Lawrence has to come from somewhere, and the most obvious place is Miller’s workload.
Through five games, Miller has not come close to living up to expectations on the field. Pro Football Focus has him at six pressures and zero sacks, and his issues against the run were on full display in Week 6. He had trouble setting the edge against Tampa Bay, and Dallas paid for it.
Miller, for his part, said the Cowboys aren't paying him for what he does on the football field.
His snap count has already taken a hit. Miller opened the season with a high of 29.6% in the second game, but since then he has dropped to 25%, then 25.5%, and finally a season-low 13.9% of plays.
If Dallas is serious about leaning into its younger pass rushers, Miller looks like the veteran who could absorb the cost.
In Other News...
CeeDee Lamb Gives Cowboys A Needed Boost Before Packers Test
CeeDee Lamb gave the Cowboys a welcome midweek lift by practicing fully Wednesday and Thursday as they prepared for their Week 6 matchup with the Packers. Lamb took a bruised quad in Week 5, but he has been feeling better and appears on track to handle his usual workload when Dallas takes the field.
For a Cowboys offense that leans heavily on its top target, getting Lamb back at full speed matters just as much as getting him back on the field. He leads the team in receiving yards and touchdowns this season, and his availability gives Dallas a much cleaner outlook entering a test against Green Bay. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Gave Cowboys Fans A Rare Look At His Bigger Vision
Jerry Jones marked his 84th birthday by opening the doors to a side of his world Cowboys fans rarely get to see, giving FOX & Friends host Steve Doocy a tour of his Dallas mansion. The visit mixed personal history with franchise history, as Jones showed off memorabilia tied to the Cowboys past, including Super Bowl trophies, while also moving the conversation toward the clubs present and the work that has gone into reshaping the roster and staff this offseason.
The tour also offered a glimpse of the broader canvas Jones likes to work on, with art pieces and personal items filling the home and reinforcing how much of his life is built around legacy, taste and football. For Dallas fans, it was another reminder that Jones tends to think in terms bigger than a single season, even as the most immediate questions center on how the defense looks and how the coaching changes will settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Need Two Missing Defenders To Help Fix A Shaky Defense
The Cowboys are still trying to steady a defense that has needed help, and the latest move on the coaching side shows how serious the urgency is. Christian Parker has been shifted to the booth to handle play-calling, while Mike Pettine has been added as a senior defensive assistant as Dallas looks for anything that can sharpen a unit that has not looked settled.
There is also a chance the help comes from the lineup itself. DeMarvion Overshown was limited in practice after dealing with a hamstring injury, and Joey Porter Jr. was a full participant after a recent illness, giving Dallas a possible boost heading into its game against the Green Bay Packers. Both have been on the field only once this season, so even getting them closer to available would matter for a defense searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]