Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland sacks Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Cowboys’ pass rush dominated in Week 1, even if the sack total didn’t show it

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 11:11 AM ET

Thursday night was the first game the Dallas Cowboys played since trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Naturally, that meant there would be a lot of eyes on their defensive line as they tried to replace his production.

Looking at the stat sheet alone, it would appear they were unsuccessful. Dallas recorded just one sack on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, which was courtesy of second-year defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.

Looking beyond this, however, it’s clear that Dallas was able to get after the passer, and they did so better than every team other than the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.

Per @The33rdTeamFB ⬇️

Defenses that generated pressure on 40%+ of their opponent's dropbacks in Week 1 (excluding SNF/MNF):

Steelers - 44%
Cowboys - 42.4%
Commanders - 42.2%
Falcons - 40.5%
Broncos - 40%pic.twitter.com/LfLSEmIzjM
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) September 8, 2025

Oftentimes, we get too tied up in sacks as the determining factor, but the truth is that Kneeland, Dante Fowler, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Osa Odighizuwa, and Solomon Thomas all harassed Hurts throughout the night. That’s not only a testament to the individual players, but to defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as well, who put his defense in a position to succeed.

Against most quarterbacks, their high pressure rate would have led to multiple sacks. That wasn’t the case with Hurts, who found a way to escape the rush and pick up yards on the ground. That proved to be the difference in this one, but don’t be shocked if this defense has far more success against a less mobile quarterback in Week 2 against the New York Giants.