In many ways, the Dallas Cowboys turned things around in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders. They moved the ball at will, showed resilience in the face of injury, scored a ton of points and, most importantly, secured a win to move to 1-1 on the season.
The Cowboys also struggled mightily. They allowed their opponent to move the ball at will, they showed little defensive discipline and if it wasn’t for a handful of unforced errors by Washington, the Commanders would have scored a ton of points on Dallas as well. For the Cowboys to be contenders in 2026 they have to fix their defense. And if there's any shortcut to getting things fixed, it's the very issue Dallas has been struggling at the most.
The Cowboys' pass rush hasn't just been a problem
this season, but it's been perhaps the biggest problem. The one facet of the game that can single-handedly coverup the inadequacies of all others, is completely absent and that simply cannot continue.
The Cowboys’ toothless pass rush
The Cowboys came into the 2026 season knowing they had to improve their pass rush. In 2025 they posted just 35 total sacks, tying them for seventh worst in the NFL. Their inability to get to the quarterback placed undue pressure on a secondary which was already struggling. If it wasn’t for a terrible run defense, things probably would have looked much worse against the pass but alas, they were historically poor across the board.
The saving grace and reason for optimism was they still found a way to get pressures. The Cowboys ranked No. 1 in the NFL in pressure rate last year, posting a sensational 31.2 pressure rate. Since pressure rate is regarded as a sticky stat, there was a good chance they’d take that number and repeat it in 2026. Maybe this time they’d add a more fitting sack rate to the situation as well.
Sadly, those ambitions have not come to be and, two weeks into the season, Dallas is neither sacking nor pressuring opponents as they once hoped they would in 2026. Their two sacks this season rank them tied for third worst in the NFL. And their once league-leading pressure rate now sits at 18.7 percent, seventh lowest in the league.
Internal solutions exist
The good news is internal solutions exist for the Cowboys. Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence represent the present and the future for Dallas. Both are high draft picks with loads of talent that could one day manifest into double-digit sack seasons. They remain works in progress, but they are getting valuable experience in real time.
Lawrence is already the top-graded pass rusher in his draft class and Ezeiruaku is fast becoming one of the best all-around edge players on the roster. It might be irresponsible to bank on either of these players becoming top tier pass rushers in 2026, but both can certainly take steps to that end over the course of the season.
Cowboys OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku led the team in pressures on Sunday with five, and he leads Dallas' defense with nine through two games.
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) September 21, 2026
Ezeiruaku's pass rush chart via @NextGenStats: pic.twitter.com/LaYsO3FfkY
More good news
It’s only two weeks in and pressures have been known to be stable so there’s a good chance this has all been a fluke and Dallas’ numbers will improve as the season goes on. It’s worth pointing the LA Rams and their All-Star defense is dead last in pressure rate this season and tied with the Cowboys for third fewest sacks in 2026. No one expects them to stay in the cellar, so there’s reason to believe Dallas will claw themselves out too.
Notable trade options exist as well, none more exciting than the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby. Crosby already has 10 pressures and 1.5 sacks himself, leading the Raiders defense to the top ranking in pressure rate this season (45.6%). But Las Vegas is 2-0 at the moment and far from thinking “sell-off” anytime soon. Quick external solutions don’t look like they’re available right now.
Malachi Lawrence (pre-MNF) currently holds the highest pass-rush grade (73.0) among all rookie EDGEs, per PFF.
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 21, 2026
In fact, his 26.9% pass-rush win rate ranks 5th among ALL edge defenders thus far. #Cowboys https://t.co/KMWUtrd4Zp
Must be fixed
Whether it’s by organic improvement, scheme or good old-fashioned blitzing, the Cowboys have to do something to correct their pass rush issue. Their secondary isn’t good enough to survive without it and their run defense isn’t stout or disciplined enough to make opponents one-dimensional. It's an issue that must be solved.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: From bad to worse: Cowboys' pass rush remains a problem in 2026
