Rank'Em
Rank’Em: Top 10 Standouts Filled With Defenders
The Cowboys didn't have a ton of playmakers on the field Sunday, which is why the lost the game with only 10 points. This week's Top 10 standouts is filled with the defensive side of the ball.
10. DeMarcus Lawrence – While there were some questions at the end of the game why he wasn't on the field as much, Lawrence still had a productive game, recording a sack and a tackle for loss. Plus, the attention he continues to get with double-teams has to be helping Robert Quinn's emergence the last two weeks.
9. Anthony Brown – He might not have the biggest role on the defense, but Brown is out there enough to make a difference, especially in the sub-packages. He did a nice job Sunday with the underneath routes and made a good tackle on the outside to prevent a first down.
8. Blake Jarwin – The only skill player on offense to be on this list. Jarwin caught Dak's best throw of the night down the seam for a crucial 35-yard gain that set up the Cowboys' only touchdown.
7. Kerry Hyder – The stat sheet doesn't show his production but the veteran rusher filled in for D-Law at times and the Cowboys still made plays. He didn't get the sack at the end but it was his pressure that led to Jaylon Smith dropping Bridgewater for a big loss at the end of the game.
6. La'el Collins – The offensive line didn't always win but Collins held his own nicely, especially on the edge against Cameron Jordan. Collins is quietly having a really good season through four games. They're going to need him even more now that Tyron Smith is likely out a few games with an ankle injury.
5. Jaylon Smith – Like D-Law, Smith had a series where the Cowboys took him out as the Saints drove down for a field goal. Other than that, he was around the ball, making tackles and got the big sack late in the game that gave the offense a shot to win.
4. Byron Jones – The Saints had some success passing the ball, but mostly on the other side of Jones. The cornerback missed most of the offseason with a hip injury but you couldn't really tell, especially Sunday night as he locked down his side of the field.
3. Maliek Collins – The Saints didn't have much success running the ball up the middle. Collins is a big reason for that, plus he gave the Cowboys a lift in the pass-rush, recording a sack in the second half of the game that helped the defense get off the field.
2. Leighton Vander Esch – It felt like last year's game against the Saints was one of his best performances. You can say the same this year as LVE was all over the field, racking up 11 total tackles, with 10 solos. He had a big third-down stop on Alvin Kamara in the third quarter.
1. Robert Quinn – This guy was everywhere Sunday night, mostly in the Saints' backfield. He got two more sacks, becoming the first Cowboys player since 1987 to record a sack in each of his first two games with the team. He's got three now in two games and had another sack taken off the board because of a face mask penalty away from the play. Quinn also hit the quarterback two more times and swatted down a pass early in the game. To think he's missed the first two games and still leads the team in sacks is quite remarkable.
