Dallas Cowboys: 3 who stepped up, 3 who stepped down

Step Down: DeMarcus Lawrence, DE

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was just given a hefty extension from Jerry Jones. This is because he has shown he is a star player that just tortures quarterbacks. Unfortunately, he has had a slow first half of the season.

In seven games he has 3.5 sacks and 13 combined tackles. This has him on pace for 8 sacks and 30 tackles. This would be his worst statistical season since his rookie year, other than an injury-plagued 2016 season.

This is a very bad sign for Lawrence, who I looked at as a premier defensive end. Those numbers are not terrible, but definitely not worth being the third-highest paid defensive player in the league.

He made the Pro Bowl in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The 2017 season saw him get 58 tackles and tied for second in the league with 14.5 sacks. In 2018 he had 10.5 sacks and 64 tackles.

It’s also good to note he had 26 and 23 quarterback hits respectively. This season he is on pace for 16. These show just how good Lawrence can play, and just how disappointing this first half of the season is for him.

I’m a huge fan of Tank Lawrence, so this really surprises and hurts me. I would expect him to take a big step starting with the first game back from the bye week against the New York Giants. DeMarcus Lawrence takes a step down for the first half of the season.