If we’re going to be technical about it, the rebuilding of the Cowboys defense on the fly this season began not at the trade deadline with the addition of defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson, but back in late September, when the Cowboys finally got around to replacing Micah Parsons in the pass-rushing unit with the addition of veteran Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney.
On the season, Clowney has been more of a part-time player than he has at any other time in his career, playing in just under 40% of the Cowboys’ snaps, but he remains effective at getting after the quarterback. He has 4.0 sacks on the season, and racked up two of those against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Thanksgiving.
Clowney, though, suffered a hamstring injury and was limited in practice on Monday. There is concern he won’t be ready to go against Detroit on Thursday night, though there is some reason for optimism, according to team owner Jerry Jones.
Jadeveon Clowney Injury a Gametime Decision
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones said he is expecting that Clowney will be suited up for the Cowboys in Week 14.
As he said on Tuesday: “I look to him to be available this short week, really not a short week for us. But we don’t have many days left for him to be out there,” Jones said. “Planning on him playing, but that’s not a given. You have to, this truly is warm him up out there before the game on Thursday, and if they can play, then you’ll make them active.
“He had two sacks in the ballgame the other day. Clowney came in as the No. 1 pick in the draft, as you all know. And Clowney has maintained a level of playing in all the years that he has been here. He has had two games back-to-back that really are very noteworthy.”
Cowboys Got a Boost From Jadeveon Clowney Addition
Clowney has, indeed, been just what the Cowboys needed on the outside, as they’ve replaced Parsons not with star power but, rather, with depth and versatility. At Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys’ defensive pass rush has been steadily on the rise. Clowney rates No. 35 out of 114 on PFF’s pass rusher grades, while rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku has made his presence increasingly felt, too.
Ezeiruaku ranks No. 18 on PFF’s list of pass-rushers this year, and the Cowboys–who were near the bottom of the NFL in pressuring the quarterback in the early going of the season, now rank as the No. 11 overall pass rush.
Cowboys Beefed Up Front Line
Jones said that getting bigger up front, on both the offense and the defense, was part of the Cowboys’ long-term plan. That included the unpopular decision to trade Parsons.
“We really have strengthened our front over the last couple of years. We really look different on the front,” Jones said.
“We’re bigger on the front on offense. We’re bigger on the front on defense. That was very deliberate. One of the things that we saw, I saw, when we get in these playoffs, they run over us. We need to get bigger up front. Start with that right there. That’s where we started with that trade with Micah to start the year.”
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