Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence leads the league in sacks, with 7.5. Which means he’ll also be leading the league in attention from offensive coordinators aimed at neutralizing him.
Which means that Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has his work cut out for him in order to keep Lawrence getting to quarterbacks.
As explained by Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, Marinelli doesn’t plan to start moving Lawrence away from his preferred spot of left defensive end.
“He’s really comfortable on that side right now and he is taking advantage of those singles,” Marinelli said, via George. “We just have to get everybody, when a guy like that starts to get doubled and chipped, somebody else has got to step up.”
Back from suspension, David Irvin could be one of those who will step up, as soon as Sunday. Still, Marinelli wants Lawrence to be able to continue what he started this year.
“I got to find a way to get him in position where I can get him some singles too and there are ways to do that,” Marinelli said. “And it’s awesome. He’s just a warrior. I don’t know if you see him sprint to the ball, but that’s the part to me, that is what separates a number of guys to a real All-Pro type of player. That is the difference to me. That’s what helps your team win.”
The Cowboys have won only two of four games despite Lawrence’s production. They may have at least one more loss without it; their victory over the Cardinals included a whopping three sacks from Lawrence.