A lot went wrong in the Dallas Cowboys‘ 28-20 loss to the New York Giants, but some players were disappearing acts.
Many offensive and defensive players can be blamed for struggling in the game. Offensively, the Cowboys didn’t even reach 300 yards, and the defense let the Giants hold onto the football for over 36 minutes.
While players will always have bad games, one player got some criticism. It was a bad first impression for a rookie, but his coach is giving him some sound advice.
Dallas Cowboys Coach’s Message to Rookie After Giants Loss
Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker spoke with the media about rookie first-round pick Malachi Lawrence’s rough debut. Parker shared what he said to the rookie during their conversation on Wednesday.
“We had this conversation yesterday. Man, just go. Young players have success when they just go. Make your mistakes on the run. His mistakes were on me. They belong to me. We want him to just go and play fast. When he does that and he has a clear mind, he’s just going and punching the clock, it looks really good. When he’s thinking too much and you can tell by his feet being hesitant, that’s when you have issues. I think for him and any young player, it’s just playing fast and going, being unapologetic about your play style, and let me make the mistakes.”
“We had this conversation yesterday. Man, just go. Young players have success when they just go. Make your mistakes on the run. His mistakes were on me. They belong to me. We want him to just go and play fast. When he does
Lawrence was making tackles in the Giants game, racking up five. He ended up with only one pressure in the contest, though, which isn’t a great stat for an edge rusher.
Pro Football Focus gave Lawrence an overall grade of 34.8, ranking 104th out of 105 eligible edge rushers. He had a pass-rush grade of 64.5, ranking 42nd out of 105 rushers, and a run-defense grade of 37.2, ranking 102nd at the position.
Malachi Lawrence Is Hoping For Bounce-Back Game With Cowboys
Lawrence is not the only player the Cowboys need to step up. Plenty of blame could be spread around the team, and the overall message this week was to look in the mirror and be accountable.
Dallas will need Lawrence to refocus and prepare for a big game against the Washington Commanders. This is the perfect opportunity for the rookie to rebound and get back into his groove.
In college at UCF, Cowboys fans saw the speed and athleticism that Lawrence brings to the edge rusher position. He has all the capabilities to get off the line quickly and sack the quarterback.
It’ll take time for him to adjust to the NFL, but he has a strong chance of succeeding in the league. A big game against the Commanders could help him regain his confidence.
Cowboys Coach Gave Blunt Advice to Slow-Starting Rookie Before Commanders Game