It's funny how Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence is perceived. For some odd reason, he's an afterthought for many discussing one of the bets defenses in the league in the last three years.
It might be because Micah Parsons steals so much of the spotlight and Trevon Diggs (although injured right now) has also stolen headlines over the last few years. In 2023, DaRon Bland's pick-sixes have even earned him D.P.O.Y. consideration.
Mostly, I bet it's because of the lack of sacks, however. Since he had back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks in 2017 and 2018, the most Lawrence has hit in a single season is 6.5 (2020).
In a league that loves to talk all about sacks, that's led to Lawrence being overlooked year after year. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who lost to Dallas in Week 17, indirectly warned the NFL about Lawrence's play, specifically shouting him out unprompted.
"They've got two of the best ends in the league, one of them is, I think, the best rusher in the league, and that's Parsons," Campbell told reporters on Monday. "And the other, (Lawrence), you know you can't sleep on this guy. And I don't think any of us slept on him, but people forget he's a complete defensive end. He plays the run, he's stout, he's explosive, and he can rush the passer. So, you got those two."
You love to hear a rival coach go into detail on one of the most unheralded players on the Cowboys defense, when usually all they're asked about is Parsons. Specially when he says "people forget" about No. 90.
What makes the 'forgotten' DeMarcus Lawrence so special?
NFL teams would be smart to take note of Campbell's words. What makes D-Law so special was perfectly explained by Dan Quinn on Monday:
"I got to think a good bit of it is his instincts to do that, you know," Quinn said. "Here's a veteran player who's seen a lot of football, and sometimes, like you've seen us talk about a quarterback, he's seen all the pressures, he's seen all the looks. It's hard to fool him; it's hard to change a coverage where he hasn't seen some things."
"On the flip side, for a player that's played as much football as DeMarcus has, it's hard to get him. He has a sense for where it might be going, and in short yardage, there's a term that we use when to go take a shot. That means you have information that you think you can go make a play. It's not just, "Hey, I'm just going to run out of my gap or do something." Taking a shot is when I have all the information, I think this play is about to happen, and then you go make it. He has that in spades."
Lawrence is likely fine with him being overlooked. He just wants to go out there and punch somebody in the mouth. Parsons can get the double-teams. That'll just make his job easier.
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