The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens will make history on Sunday, participating in the NFL's first-ever game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It's arguably the marquee matchup of the week in the league, even though it's not in a standalone or primetime time slot.
If you can believe it, the Ravens don't have any former Cowboys on their roster. Kind of a surprise, given how many players have left Dallas in recent years.
That got us thinking. Since there is so much happening around America's Team and the NFC East, some folks may not have a clue what some former Cowboys are up to. We may or may not be "some folks." Who's to say? Let's remedy that ASAP.
Some former Cowboys are starring for their current teams, while others are floundering
Jourdan Lewis, CB - Jaguars
Regarded as the one that got away in DFW, Jourdan Lewis has been as steady as ever in Jacksonville.
The now 1-1 Jaguars lost to the Broncos in Week 2, but that's no fault of Lewis, who intercepted Bo Nix in the end zone in the second quarter. He read Nix's eyes the entire way, sagged off to the corner, and outjumped Courtland Sutton to come down with the football.
The Cowboys may have Caleb Downs patrolling the slot now, but it's quite upsetting to think how much better this secondary would be if it had Downs and JLew.
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE - Seahawks
Super Bowl champion DeMarcus Lawrence*
It surprised just about everyone that Lawrence didn't ride off into the sunset. What isn't surprising is that he still has good football left in his Tank (pun intended). Amid the Seahawks' 2-0 start, he's got four pressures and two quarterback hits while being a rock against the run.
In Week 1, Lawrence was in the middle of the play that clinched Seattle's win over the Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch. He hurdled a chop block by Morgan Moses and forced Drake May to make an off-balance throw that got picked in the end zone.
It was an inexcusable throw from Maye. The Patriots were inside the red zone and only needed a field goal to tie the game on 3rd-and-5 with 26 seconds left. If not for Lawrence, though, there's a good chance the game would have gone to overtime.
Tony Pollard, RB - Titans
It's easy to look at Pollard's numbers and be underwhelmed, as he's yet to break 100 yards rushing. However, he's averaged 4.7 yards per carry, which would be his best mark since 2022. And he was excellent in the Titans' near-upset against the Eagles in Week 2.
The 29-year-old forced five (!) missed tackles against Philly, and 48 of his 64 yards came after contact. He averaged 3.43 yards after contact per carry and ripped two runs of 10 or more yards, giving him three for the season.
Tennessee might be 0-2, but TP has had a bright start to the year.
Osa Odighizuwa, DT - 49ers
Odighizuwa is doing in San Francisco exactly what he did in Dallas for five years: Collapsing the pocket at an efficient clip despite consistent double teams.
According to PFF, Odighizuwa's eight pressures are tied for third among all interior defenders, and his 15.8 pass-rush win rate is seventh among IDLs who've played at least 30 snaps. It creates quite a juxtaposition with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, who've disappointed through two games.
Fortunately, the third-round pick acquired for Odighizuwa was used on Jaishaw Barham, who's arguably been the Cowboys' best defender.
Cooper Rush, QB - Falcons
Most of you are probably old enough to remember folks arguing that Cooper Rush was a better quarterback than Dak Prescott. Good times. (They weren't good times).
With Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa injured, Rush started the Falcons' first two games. He's now public enemy No. 1 in Atlanta after leading the offense to a total of 16 points.
EPA per play. Passing yards. EPA per pass. Average depth of target. Interception rate. The Falcons are 32nd (dead last) in every category. Bijan Robinson is the only reason Atlanta is 23rd in offensive success rate.
Much to the delight of the entire state of Georgia, Penix has been cleared to play on Sunday. Rush has all but made his last start as an NFL player. He's a practice squad player at this stage of his career.
Rico Dowdle, RB - Steelers
The Steelers' offense hasn't been much better than the Falcons'. Aaron Rodgers looks done, and it has torpedoed the entire offense, including the running game. They've managed 23 points in two games.
Having said that, Dowdle has not covered himself in glory. He's averaging 2.7 yards per carry (15 attempts for 37 yards) while forcing just one missed tackle. His 46.5 rushing grade is 47th out of 47th running backs, per Pro Football Focus, and he's been unplayable in pass protection.
Reuniting with Mike McCarthy has not gone according to plan for Dowdle, who now has a toe injury to navigate as he tries to get his season back on track.
Jadeveon Clowney, DE - Texans
Clowney missed Week 2 with a knee injury, and he still hasn't returned to practice. He played 20 snaps in Week 1, though, as the clear third option behind stars Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, logging two pressures, one quarterback hit, and one defensive stop.
A pretty solid debut for the 33-year-old, all things considered. The Texans don't need Clowney to be an elite defense, but Cowboys fans learned last season that he can still be a very good two-way player.
Thankfully, his knee injury doesn't appear to be serious, leaving the door open for him to return against Dallas in Week 4 if he can't go this Sunday.
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