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Dallas Cowboys: The 5 most important players for 2018

By Matt Holleran

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 24: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys walks off the field after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-12 at AT&T Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 24: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys walks off the field after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-12 at AT&T Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TX – AUGUST 26: Sean Lee #50 of the Dallas Cowboys closes in on Jalen Richard #30 of the Oakland Raiders in the first half of a preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 26, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – AUGUST 26: Sean Lee #50 of the Dallas Cowboys closes in on Jalen Richard #30 of the Oakland Raiders in the first half of a preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 26, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

2. Sean Lee

Coming in at number two on the list is the Cowboys best, and most valuable defender, linebacker Sean Lee. If you are a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, it should be no shock to see Sean Lee this high on the list. Over the years, Lee has been the perennial leader of the Cowboys defense, and the guy that has lead to most of their success.

Coming off an All-Pro season in 2016, Lee was only able to play in 11 games in the 2017 season due to a hamstring issue. In the 11 games he played in he was still outstanding, and recorded 101 total tackles, which still lead the team in just 11 games. This is a pretty crazy stat, as it shows just how productive Sean Lee is when he can stay on the field.

Lee officially only missed five games, but it really could be counted as six, as in the Atlanta Falcons game he was only able to play one quarter before leaving with a hamstring injury. In the six games that Lee did not really play in, the Cowboys posted just a 1-5 record opposed to a 8-2 record with him on the field. In those six games where Lee did not play, the defense gave up 176 points.

This number is more than the 156 points they gave up in the ten games that Lee did play in. That stat should tell you all you need to know about how important Sean Lee is to the Cowboys defense. In six games without him, they gave up twenty more points than they did in the ten games that he was on the field.

Overall, it is very obvious to see how much better the Cowboys defense plays when their leader and captain Sean Lee is on the field. Having Lee healthy is one of or maybe the biggest concern for the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, and if he is on the field, the Dallas defense will be just fine.

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