Getty DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys entered the NFL playoffs as the NFC East champions and were viewed by many as a legitimate Super Bowl threat, but instead exited with a 48-32 blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round.
Turns out, according to defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, the push to simply qualify for the postseason as the No. 2 seed took too much out of the Cowboys.
“We was just burned out, man,” Lawrence said, during a recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take. “Long season, team dominantly healthy through the season. The legs get tired.”
Lawrence’s admission is a bit of an indictment on how the Cowboys prepare throughout the season. Dallas won seven of its final nine games of the regular season, but dropped consecutive road contests against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills that put the No. 1 seed and first-round bye out of reach.
This past season, though, Lawrence only played 601 defensive snaps but generated 48 total pressures along with his 4.0 sacks.
The Cowboys’ early exit, and Lawrence’s comments, could serve as an impetus for head coach Mike McCarthy to adjust how his team approaches the second half of a season.
DeMarcus Lawrence Credits Packers
The Cowboys didn’t just lose to the Packers, extending the franchise’s NFC Championship Game drought to 29 seasons, Dallas was outclassed in every facet.
Green Bay departed AT&T Stadium with a 48-32 victory, that only wound up being that close on the scoreboard after the Packers removed some of their starters for a stretch in the second half.
“You have to give hats off to Green Bay,” Lawrence said on First Take. “They had a great game plan. Rolling out towards Micah [Parsons], and running away from me, I felt like that’s what they needed to get that game started. They jumped on us fast at that’s what happens.’
By game’s end, the Cowboys had out-gained the Packers 510 yards to 415, but Lawrence admits that even Dallas’ halftime adjustments weren’t quite enough to stem the tide.
“I feel like we went in the locker room,” Lawrence said. “And we came out with our adjustments but still didn’t go the way we wanted it to go.”
Cowboys Legend Michael Irvin Pumped Up About Mike Zimmer Hire
The Cowboys’ defense is going to have a new look in 2024, with the arrival of new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
News of Zimmer’s hire has Cowboys legend Michael Irvin fired up.
“Mike Zimmer will bring a more calm approach,” Irvin told TMZ Sports “and he’ll make every team walk the ball down the field.”
Irvin forged a Hall of Fame career as a big-play threat at wide receiver but believes that this era of Cowboys teams could not play complementary football. And, that Zimmer’s hire is about to change that.
“If you’ve got an explosive offense,” Irvin said, “and the other team has to walk the ball down the field, it gives you a better chance at winning.”
The Cowboys defense finished 2023 ranked fifth in the NFL in both average points allowed (18.5) and average total yards allowed (299.7).