Machota: Game-wrecker DeMarcus Lawrence? Cowboys DE is putting it all together, and other coaches are taking notice

Cotton

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Game-wrecker DeMarcus Lawrence? Cowboys DE is putting it all together, and other coaches are taking notice
By Jon Machota , Staff Writer

FRISCO -- There's a popular sentence NFL coaches use when game-planning for standout players: "We can't let him wreck the game."

When facing the Cowboys, that's usually said about their offensive stars. Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo mentioned it while talking about Dez Bryant before last Sunday's game.
But it was a Cowboys defensive end that Broncos head coach Vance Joseph was discussing when he said those seven words Thursday.

As Joseph pointed out to reporters, DeMarcus Lawrence "wrecked the game" for the New York Giants as he recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss in Dallas' 19-3 season-opening win.

"It's not just the numbers," Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. "He put up some good numbers, but it was his effort down the field. He made plays all over the field. It's that inner satisfaction of doing all things correctly. It's just not a numbers game. It's how to win and hustling to the ball.

"He played a full football game, in all areas, run, pass, hustle, everything we asked of him."

Lawrence was rewarded for his efforts by being named player of the game by his peers. His prize: an official green WBC championship belt. It's been sitting at Lawrence's locker all week. He put it around his waist while talking to reporters on Wednesday.

Next week it will be given to the MVP of Sunday's game in Denver.

But as teammate Orlando Scandrick joked Thursday, if Lawrence gets two sacks every week, the belt will belong to him all season.

Lawrence led the Cowboys in sacks two years ago with eight. Consecutive offseason back surgeries and a four-game suspension for a failed drug test to start the 2016 season, however, prevented him from building on that breakout year.

"I'm healthy," Lawrence said. "I feel like I'm myself and I can rush like I'm supposed to and live up to my abilities. Not being healthy the last couple of seasons kind of slowed me down. I feel like I got my speed back."

His back became such an issue last year that doctors suggested he have season-ending surgery. But Lawrence declined, and the suspension was a significant factor.

"I missed those four games and then I felt like I owed my teammates more than what I had," Lawrence said. "There was no time to back out and hide under the covers."

With hopes of finding their next elite pass rusher after future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware signed with Denver, the Cowboys traded up to the 34th overall pick in 2014 and drafted Lawrence.
He hasn't met those lofty expectations yet, but a healthy season could make the difference for a motivated player who is entering a contract year.

"I thought I saw a flash of myself this weekend," Ware said Wednesday while visiting The Star. "He played well. He's coming along and you can see how much he has matured. He's maturing to the point where he's not a DeMarcus Ware lookalike, it's DeMarcus Lawrence. He's becoming his own man."

Jerry Jones agrees.

"There is no question that he is the player that we hoped when we drafted him," the Cowboys owner and general manager said. "We hoped he could get it together and be what he is now.
"He's putting it all together, right at the time going into a [fourth] year of time, that's when you can see a lot of times if you've got a player, and he looks good."

Sacking the quarterback hasn't exactly been a strength for the Cowboys the last three seasons.

They've improved each year, but haven't finished in the top 10 since 2011. An argument can be made that not enough pressure on Aaron Rodgers is the biggest reason Dallas has come up short against Green Bay in the playoffs two of the last three years.

A career-year from Lawrence could be the missing ingredient to a Super Bowl run.

"More [sacks] to come," a confident Lawrence said this week. "Once you get one, they just pile on."
 

Cowboysrock55

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Pretty crazy to think he could only muster 1 sack last year. I'm expecting a year more similar to his 8 sack season this year and maybe with a little luck he will get to double digits.
 

p1_

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He has done jack and shit to this point. Now he has 1 awesome game, and suddenly hes a world beater? Lets see him sustain something for a game or 3. Or better yet, an entire season.
 

Cowboysrock55

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He has done jack and shit to this point. Now he has 1 awesome game, and suddenly hes a world beater? Lets see him sustain something for a game or 3. Or better yet, an entire season.
Well he did have an 8 sack season. Wouldnt say that is jack and shit. I mean going into last year it would have been reasonable to think he could get to 10 sacks.
 

ravidubey

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He has done jack and shit to this point. Now he has 1 awesome game, and suddenly hes a world beater? Lets see him sustain something for a game or 3. Or better yet, an entire season.
I want two seasons.

Evil (and possible) scenario: He has a good start, limps to 9-10 sacks, fades at the end with some kind of toe injury, gets a huge contract extension, and promptly disappears into obscurity.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I want two seasons.

Evil (and possible) scenario: He has a good start, limps to 9-10 sacks, fades at the end with some kind of toe injury, gets a huge contract extension, and promptly disappears into obscurity.
Worst case scenario you can always franchise him. Not ideal but it's just for one season
 

ravidubey

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Worst case scenario you can always franchise him. Not ideal but it's just for one season
True, slightly better (~$14.7 mil) than a long term deal would cost in lost guarantees. Even Nick Perry's deal has a fully guaranteed $20 million signing bonus, and Perry's deal should be the watermark for Lawrence.
 

midswat

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Isn't he in a contract year? So yeah, he'll notch 12-14 sacks this year. Jerry will sign him for 200 billion dollars. Then he'll miss more games to injuries/suspensions than he will notch sacks for the remainder of his contract.
 
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