Cowboys vs. Steelers: All eyes on Marshawn Kneeland

With Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence absent, rookie defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland’s importance has sky-rocketed.

There’s no way around it, Week 5 is going to be a challenge for the Dallas Cowboys. With a laundry list of injuries, and unproven depth all over the roster, Dallas is heading into a prime time matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a lot of unknowns.

A roster that came into the season with question marks already has gotten painfully thinner in a rapid amount of time, and has set the stage for young players needing to step up in a big way. However, none are probably needed more now than rookie second-round pass rusher Marshawn Kneeland.

Already called upon once when Sam Williams got injured in training camp, Kneeland is once again the man Mike Zimmer and Co. are looking towards for answers.

By now you know that Micah Parsons is out for at least this week and DeMarcus Lawrence is out for at least a month. As far as defensive losses go, there may not be any bigger than that for this Dallas unit. While it’s clear that the Cowboys are now at a disadvantage with both of their starting defensive linemen out, the NFL is a league that does not pity injuries, and the Cowboys are going to just have to find a way to persevere without them.

Now, the attention, the opportunity, and perhaps even the hope, rests on Kneeland’s shoulders. The rookie out of Western Michigan was drafted to eventually replace Lawrence down the line, as they have similar body-types, playing-styles, and high motor. But the idea he would need to do so this early in his career is a curveball.

Kneeland is set to become the guy for Week 5, and perhaps longer, and Dallas needs him to rise to the occasion.

Thus far in limited opportunities Kneeland has tallied eight total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit. Numbers that aren’t all that inspiring, but something that is expected to change with an increase in chances.

The young defensive lineman has shown glimpses of productivity, but it’s now time for a crash course, and how he answers the challenge over the next few weeks could tell the story of the 2024 season.

Regardless of the short-term outcome, Kneeland will be better off for the the invaluable experience he is going to gain in the long run, but with only four games in the book for this year, the eye is still on the prize to try and do something productive this season.

Easier said than done, but it is something Kneeland will now have a much larger impact on, than perhaps he or the team had originally forecasted.