Can the New Blood in Dallas Carry them to a Super Bowl?

The 2018-19 season for the Dallas Cowboys has been a roller coaster of a ride. From a 3-5 start to a 10-6 finish and an NFC East Crown, Dallas finished strong. The offense has been a week to week judgement, while the defense, on the other hand, has been consistent and has become one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL. As a team, they have only given up more than 30 points once, and that was in a meaningless Week 17 game versus division rival New York Giants. They are 6th in defensive scoring and 5th in rushing yards allowed in a defense led by All-Pro defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. Here are in my opinion the top 3 players on this stout Cowboy defense:

Demarcus Lawrence, DE

Also known as “Tank”, Demarcus Lawrence is in his 5th season, but really came onto the scene last year as he led the team with 14.5 sacks, a career high. The Boise State product continued to dominate offensive lines this year as he had 10.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Lawrence has become the quiet leader of this young defense and is looking to do the tall task of containing Russell Wilson this Saturday in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

Byron Jones, CB

The Cowboys secondary is young and up and coming. They fly around the field using their fresh legs to play blanket coverage on opposing receivers. The leader of this secondary is cornerback Byron Jones. The 26-year-old UConn product is in his 4th season and earned his first pro bowl appearance in 2018. While he had no interceptions, it shouldn’t take away from his dominance as he had 14 passes defensed. The game that stood out to me the most was Week 13 on Thursday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints, when he held star wide receiver Michael Thomas to 5 catches for 40 yards. Jones will look to take over the game on Saturday and take advantage of the sub par Seattle receiving core.

Jaylon Smith, LB

The heart and soul of the Cowboys defense comes from the linebacking core. With names like Lee and Vander Esch, it is easy to forget about Jaylon Smith. In his 2nd season, the Notre Dame product looks to finally be at full strength from the gruesome knee injury he suffered in college, and his ability to play is special. With a perfect combination of power and speed, Smith has 82 tackles this season, which is 2nd behind fellow linebacker Leighton Vander Esch for the team lead (102). Jaylon Smith showed his athletic ability on a 69- yard scoop and score against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The athletic freak of Smith can make a statement by stopping the dominant Seattle running game this Saturday.

In my opinion, the defense must win the Cowboys the Super Bowl. If the offense plays good enough to keep them in the game, watch out for this young, fast, and powerful defense in Dallas to make a serious run at the Super Bowl.

By Richard Dordas

(All photos were provided by Getty Images)