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Can Demarcus Lawrence be the Cowboys next lead pass rusher?
http://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/201...awrence-be-the-cowboys-next-lead-pass-rusher/
Dominant defenses wins championships, but is this a recipe for which the Cowboys have the necessary ingredients?
In today’s NFL, a dominant defense means a dominant pass rush; one capable of stifling even the best quarterbacks. Of the 12 playoff teams in 2015, 8 of them were in the top-10 of sacks. Denver lead the pack with a whopping 52 sacks. Their pass rush potency was repeatedly on display in the Super Bowl, totaling 7 sacks on the day and knocking the league MVP completely off his game.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, ranked 25th with a paltry 31 sacks on the season. In fact since the 2011 season where the Cowboys were ranked 9th. Dallas has stayed in the bottom third of the league when it comes to getting to the quarterback. Since 2012, they haven’t ranked higher tied for 20th.
Despite these struggles, the Cowboys front office has done little to infuse the defensive line with significant pass rushing talent. Their biggest signing this offseason has been rotational player, Benson Mayowa, who has 2 sacks in 3 years as a defensive end. With the other big pass rushing free agents signed elsewhere, the Cowboys are putting their hopes on Demarcus Lawrence becoming the Cowboys next premier pass rusher.
Is Lawrence up to the task? He did finish the season on a pass rushing hot streak, notching 7 sacks in the final 8 games. Is Lawrence capable of carrying this into the 2016 season? Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News does regular weekly breakdowns of the Cowboys during the season and tracks splash plays made by defensive players.
In his own words:
“What is a splash play? Well, for purposes of this blog I believe a splash play will include the following: A sack, a pressure that forces a bad throw, and big hit on the QB, and a batted ball that may lead to an interception opportunity…a splash play will include tackles for loss, a big hit for a short gain, or a stop which is an open field tackle where a player is pulled down on 3rd down short of the marker because of an exceptional effort from a defender. An interception is clearly a splash play, but so is a defended pass that required a great effort. A major hit in the secondary could be a splash play, but I believe that the outcome of the play will determine that (did the ball come loose?).”
By this metric, Lawrence was one of the Cowboys best defensive players, leading the team in splash plays with 25...
http://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/201...awrence-be-the-cowboys-next-lead-pass-rusher/
Dominant defenses wins championships, but is this a recipe for which the Cowboys have the necessary ingredients?
In today’s NFL, a dominant defense means a dominant pass rush; one capable of stifling even the best quarterbacks. Of the 12 playoff teams in 2015, 8 of them were in the top-10 of sacks. Denver lead the pack with a whopping 52 sacks. Their pass rush potency was repeatedly on display in the Super Bowl, totaling 7 sacks on the day and knocking the league MVP completely off his game.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, ranked 25th with a paltry 31 sacks on the season. In fact since the 2011 season where the Cowboys were ranked 9th. Dallas has stayed in the bottom third of the league when it comes to getting to the quarterback. Since 2012, they haven’t ranked higher tied for 20th.
Despite these struggles, the Cowboys front office has done little to infuse the defensive line with significant pass rushing talent. Their biggest signing this offseason has been rotational player, Benson Mayowa, who has 2 sacks in 3 years as a defensive end. With the other big pass rushing free agents signed elsewhere, the Cowboys are putting their hopes on Demarcus Lawrence becoming the Cowboys next premier pass rusher.
Is Lawrence up to the task? He did finish the season on a pass rushing hot streak, notching 7 sacks in the final 8 games. Is Lawrence capable of carrying this into the 2016 season? Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News does regular weekly breakdowns of the Cowboys during the season and tracks splash plays made by defensive players.
In his own words:
“What is a splash play? Well, for purposes of this blog I believe a splash play will include the following: A sack, a pressure that forces a bad throw, and big hit on the QB, and a batted ball that may lead to an interception opportunity…a splash play will include tackles for loss, a big hit for a short gain, or a stop which is an open field tackle where a player is pulled down on 3rd down short of the marker because of an exceptional effort from a defender. An interception is clearly a splash play, but so is a defended pass that required a great effort. A major hit in the secondary could be a splash play, but I believe that the outcome of the play will determine that (did the ball come loose?).”
By this metric, Lawrence was one of the Cowboys best defensive players, leading the team in splash plays with 25...
