5 bold predictions for Cowboys against Giants
4. DeMarcus Lawrence will get his first sack of the season
The fact that Micah Parsons is arguably the best defender in the NFL not named Aaron Donald has distracted Cowboys fans from Lawrence’s relatively quiet start to the season. It’s time for the veteran edge rusher to start taking advantage of the one-on-one opportunities afforded to him on obvious passing downs.
The Giants are starting a talented rookie at right tackle in the form of Evan Neal. He should be a good player in time, but he really struggled going up against Brian Burns in his team’s win over the Panthers in Week 2. This is a matchup where Lawrence’s veteran know-how should pay dividends.
Lawrence is going to generate consistent pressure if New York is forced into clear passing situations. The real question is whether or not he’s got the legs to snare Jones in a sack once he gets into the backfield.
The smart bet here is that Lawrence will break his sack drought by getting to Jones at least once in this game. His first sack of the year might be a product of Parsons forcing Jones to run towards him, but Lawrence isn’t going to be choosy when it comes to taking the Giants quarterback to the ground.