Cowboys news: Parsons and Lawrence on the shelf, Lamb gets surprise from league office, playmaker on the horizon

Just when it felt like the Cowboys might be back on track, injuries, fines and uncertainty strikes, coming out of Week 4 the Cowboys are dealing with mixed emotions after a much-needed victory over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football.

The team’s two biggest defensive stars and leaders could miss games with lower leg injuries at a time when Dallas cannot afford to have anyone sidelined. CeeDee Lamb received an unwanted surprise from the NFL that no player ever wants to receive. That and talk about a player the Cowboys should pursue floating around among other news and notes.

Cowboys news: Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence to miss time

Bad news out of Dallas following the Week 4 primetime win on Thursday night over the Giants. Both Cowboys’ Pro Bowl edge rushers, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence will miss time after suffering injuries against New York.

Parsons suffered a high-ankle sprain in the fourth quarter and will most likely miss Dallas’ next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. Ankle sprains can be tricky so it isn’t clear just how much time Parsons will miss for sure.

"I'm just thankful because it could have been worse," Parsons said. "People thought it was worse and I'm just happy it is what it is. It's a sprain, nothing too serious, and I'll be back playing."

For Lawrence, it’s a little trickier as he’s dealing with a Liz Frank (foot) injury and could be placed on injured reserve. Should the Cowboys go this route, Lawrence would miss at least the next four games while recovering. Parsons' injury will be a week-to-week deal, so we’ll see how that affects the upcoming Steelers matchup.

Dallas’ defense has already struggled through four games with these guys on the field. Everyone will need to step up in their absence to fill that void. If Parsons misses time the Cowboys are hoping it doesn’t extend past their Week 7 bye. That would be just two games with a showdown in the Bay Area with the San Francisco 49ers following the week off. Their next three games are against the Steelers, Lions and Niners, so 2-5 is a very realistic coming out of that stretch.

CeeDee Lamb fined by league for helmet hit in Ravens game

Here’s one you don’t see all the time. A wide receiver gets fined for laying a hat on a defender. That’s what happened to CeeDee Lamb stemming from a play where the league says he lowered his head and led with his helmet in meeting a Ravens defender head-on.

According to the NFL rulebook: “It is a foul if a player: lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent; or uses any part of his helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact to an opponent’s head or neck.”

Since there was no penalty thrown on the play, no one thought anything of it. Other than the fact that wideouts don’t usually try to truck and run over defenders like running backs, there wasn’t anything alarming about this play initially. Pretty bizarre but Lamb will be out over $22k regardless.

Talk of DeAndre Hopkins and Cowboys heating up

This one might be more in the realm of fantatsy football buffs but talk of DeAndre Hopkins and the Cowboys is out there. Whether or not it’ll actually happen is anybody’s guess but Dallas sure could use the 32-year-old, three-time All-Pro. Aside from Lamb, Dallas’ receivers have been inconsistent through the first four games.

Even if Jerry Jones cannot make this deal happen, he should at least make an attempt before the season slips away. With Parsons and Lawrence potentially missing multiple gamers on defense, the Cowboys can use playmakers wherever they can find them. Hopkins is wasting away in Tennessee while the Titans look like they’re headed for a four- or five-win campaign.

Offensively, Brandin Cooks doesn’t seem to have that same spark he once had and Jalen Tolbert is still finding his way in year three. Since Dallas insists on placing the load on Dak Prescott’s back, they should at least give him the best chance to be successful. As this offense currently stands, the Cowboys will be lucky to win nine games this season.