The Dallas Cowboys defense has gotten off to its best start in years, holding opponents to just 10 points through two weeks. The injury to cornerback Trevon Diggs, however, has already thrown an unexpected hurdle into the mix.
Star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence opened up about what Dallas’s defense needs to do to continue its dominance in Week 3 and beyond.
“Be who we are,” Lawrence said, via DallasCowboys.com. “Come back to the lab each and every day and work on our fundamentals. I feel like, times like this, when you’re 2-0 and you’ve got the hype around the team and things can get out of whack. People can let that self-confidence lead them into some things they don’t need to be in.
“We just need to make sure we maintain our focus on the Cardinals this week, and do what we do.”
With Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray still out due to the ACL injury he suffered at the end of the 2022 season. Arizona will start backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs in Murray’s place for the third week in a row. So far, the former Titans quarterback has taken three sacks on the year.
Ahead of the team’s travels to Arizona, Lawrence told reporters his guys would “hunt,” regardless of which QB’s under center. The defense has 10 sacks and seven takeaways through two wins against the Giants and Jets.
“[It doesn’t] matter who’s back there,” Lawrence boasted. “We’re gonna hunt. … I feel like, every week, we’ll be facing a running quarterback. … If you’re not a running quarterback, you’re gonna wanna make sure your legs work that week.”
Lawrence getting better with age
Lawrence, now in his 10th year in the league, is still finding ways to dupe and dodge offensive linemen as well, or better, than he’s ever done it. Coming off of a six-sack season, the former Boise State star already has one sack on the year.
“That’s the standard of my game,” Lawrence said. “I set that standard a long time ago. If I’m on the field, you know D-Law is gonna set the edge against the run and gonna make tackles for a loss. It’s now all about getting that ball.
“… I feel like I’m playing [well]. It really doesn’t even feel like [it’s been] 10 years. I’m blessed and just getting after it. I feel like we have the team to do the necessary things that we want to do, and we’ve got the formula for winning down-pat.”
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