Until the Cowboys put together a full defensive performance, the spotlight is going to keep landing on the individual guys doing the heavy lifting. Against the Commanders, that meant Dallas still had to answer on offense almost every time out, even in a game where Washington finished with only 20 points before Jayden Daniels got hurt.
And if you’re looking for one of the early bright spots, first-round pick Malachi Lawrence is giving Cowboys fans plenty to work with.
He hasn’t had the kind of eye-popping splash play that grabs attention right away, and he’s still waiting for that moment through two games. But the No. 23 overall pick is showing up in the places that matter if you know where to look.
The box score doesn’t tell the full story. Lawrence has six combined tackles, no tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, four pressures and two stops in two games. That’s not the kind of line that jumps off the page, but his pass-rush work is starting to stack up against some of the league’s best.
According to a pass-rush win rate graphic shared Sunday, Lawrence is sitting ahead of names like Aidan Hutchinson, Maxx Crosby, Nick Bosa and Will Anderson. He hasn’t played nearly as many snaps as those players, but even being in that conversation this early is a strong sign for what Dallas might have in him.
Pro Football Focus has Lawrence at a 26.9 percent pass-rush win rate, which ranks third among edge defenders who have played at least 20 snaps and fifth among all edge defenders. His sample is still small - just 27 pass-rush snaps - but that only makes the production more notable. Most three-down edge rushers are already well north of 60 snaps, so Lawrence is doing this in limited work and making it count.
The Cowboys aren’t asking him to be the face of the pass rush yet. Still, he’s making a convincing case for more chances.
His performance on Sunday backed that up, too. Lawrence posted a 37.5 percent win rate in true pass sets, and his 73.0 pass-rush grade through two games is the best among rookie edge rushers, per PFF.
There’s also plenty to like about the broader picture in Dallas with Lawrence and Donovan Ezeiruaku both flashing. The sacks haven’t piled up yet, and that’s the next step. Pressures matter more than sacks for judging edge play, but eventually the quarterback has to hit the turf.
On Sunday, there were multiple snaps where Lawrence and Ezeiruaku came close to finishing the job. They could have combined for five sacks.
Jayden Daniels had a hand in that, using his mobility to slip away and turn pressure into something else. But the rushers also have to close once they win the rep.
That’s the tricky part against a quarterback like Daniels. One bad angle, one extra step, and a sack turns into a scramble or a broken play completion.
The encouraging part for Dallas is that both young rushers are already getting there. The pressures are coming.
The finishes should follow. And when they do, the sack numbers won’t be far behind.
In Other News...
Cowboys Could Benefit From The Chargers Tight End Desperation
The Chargers tight end depth has suddenly become a problem, and that sort of roster squeeze tends to send teams searching for help wherever they can find it. With David Njoku and Charlie Kolar on injured reserve, Los Angeles is down to just one healthy tight end on the active roster in Oronde Gadsden, while the other options are practice-squad players who have yet to see game action.
For the Cowboys, that kind of urgency can create an opening. Luke Schoonmaker has surfaced as a possible trade fit for a Chargers team that needs reinforcements, and his place on Dallas depth chart and contract status make him at least worth monitoring. Nothing has been agreed to, but the connection is the kind of situation that can turn a player from roster depth into a name to watch before long. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Win Sparked An AT&T Stadium Buzz Fans Couldnt Ignore
The Cowboys Week 2 win over Washington at AT&T Stadium gave fans plenty to talk about, but so did the sideline presence of Josina Anderson. Her cheetah-print outfit drew a wave of attention on social media during the game, adding an unexpected flashpoint to a night already packed with interest around Dallas and the matchup itself.
Anderson later posted a thank-you message to the Cowboys PR staff after the game, and the response was immediate, with the post drawing more than 100,000 views along with praise from fans and fellow reporters. Dallas left the field with a 37-20 victory, while Washington also had to absorb the blow of Jayden Daniels suffering a serious arm injury, making it a night that carried plenty of conversation well beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Showed Class In A Brutal Rivalry Moment
The late-afternoon trip to Washington turned into another physical chapter in a rivalry that rarely needs much help getting tense. Jayden Daniels went down late in the first half against the Cowboys and was forced out after dislocating the same elbow for the second consecutive season, a reminder of how quickly a divisional game can swing from sharp to severe. Dallas went on to win 37-20, but the bigger picture was the sight of a young quarterback leaving the field in obvious pain.
Dan Quinn confirmed afterward that the injury was a dislocation without fracture, and Marcus Mariota is expected to start until Daniels recovers. For the Cowboys, the moment carried a familiar mix of rivalry and respect, because even in a game with real stakes, there are still lines everyone recognizes. What happens next for Daniels will matter far beyond one November result, and Washington now has to wait on the next update while trying to steady itself at quarterback. [Read more 🡒]