The Cowboys are coming out of their bye week, where they had a chance to lick their wounds after being demolished by Jared Goff and the Ben Johnson offense of the Detroit Lions. The creativity in scheme and concept, along with top-shelf offensive personnel was too much for a depleted defensive roster under the direction of Mike Zimmer.
Now, that same group is traveling to San Francisco in Week 8 to take on QB Brock Purdy and the Kyle Shanahan offense. Will they fare any better? It would certainly help if Micah Parsons were able to return from injury and course-correct his slow start to the season against a team that has defeated Dallas three times in a row, more thoroughly with each victory. But unfortunately, Parsons won’t have the opportunity to impact this week’s game.
Parsons was ruled out for a third consecutive contest as he is still dealing with a high-ankle sprain that knocked him out of the team’s Week 4 win over the New York Giants.
Parsons did not practice all week, and with Dallas entering the meat of their 2024 schedule, it’s a significant blow to their desire to right the ship after starting 3-3. The Cowboys will head to Atlanta next week to square off against Kirk Cousins and company, before returning to AT&T Stadium where they are 0-3 on the season to face division rival Philadelphia.
With DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland both on returnable IR, along with the season-ending preseason loss of Sam Williams, the pass rush is lacking significant punch, made worse by the free agent defections of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler in the offseason.
Dallas needs to generate pressure, somehow, to have a chance.