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Cowboys signee Jadaveon Clowney

The Cowboys will feature a certain returning pass-rusher on their home field on Sunday night when the Packers come to down, less than a month after the team traded star Micah Parsons to Green Bay. Given the current state of the D+allas pass rush, they’ll need some major improvements sooner rather than later.

The Cowboys did not sack Caleb Williams of the Bears at all in Week 3, the only time in his 20-game NFL career he has not been sacked. Williams was brought down via sack an average of 4.0 times per game last year.

Dallas signed former No. 1 overall pick edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney a week ago, and had the opportunity to get him on the field in time for the matchup against the Bears. But the Cowboys held back on playing Clowney in Week 3. Team VP Stephen Jones, though, said that will change when the Packers come to town.

Cowboys ‘Fully Expect’ Jadaveon Clowney in Week 4

Jones had spoken about using Clowney last week, and was equivocal on the subject of playing him a week ago. Clowney himself said he was ready to go, adding to the sense that he might play in Week 3. But that’s behind the Cowboys.

There is no confusion this week. On Monday, speaking on 103.5 The Fan in Dallas, Jones did not hesitate on Clowney’s status.

“Yes. Fully expect him to be ready to come in and help,” he said.

The Cowboys have notched only 1.3 sacks per game this season, which ranks 29th in the NFL.

Edge Rushers a Position of Weakness in Dallas

The Cowboys have used a set of five edge rushers on the year, which is reflective not of the team’s depth at the position, but of its need to make up for a lack of quality with quantity. According to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys’ top-rated rusher is Dante Fowler, who plays around a third of the team’s snaps and rates a grade of 75.0, which is 31st out of 114.

The other rankings are much worse. Marshawn Kneeland ranks 69th in the NFL at the edge rusher position, and Donovan Ezeiruaku  ranks 73rd. Sam Williams has played more edge-rusher snaps than anyone on the Cowboys roster, but he rated a PFF grade of just 47.1, which is 104th of 114.

Schottenheimer ‘Not Gonna Put Too Much On’ Clowney

For new Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, the key on Clowney will be getting him into a comfort zone in which he feels confident without putting too much on his plate.

“You know, I am not gonna put too much on Jadeveon,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s actually a player that I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and I think he’s going to impact people in a lot of different ways. I think the talent is real. His knowledge of the game is what’s grown probably the most in the time we’ve been together. I think he’s going to affect the line of scrimmage, both run and pass.

“But I also think he’s invaluable for some of our young guys, like Donovan Ezeiruaku and Mazi. That’s a man who’s been around. He’s been around a long time and he gets it.”

Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney