Being shorthanded last week against the New York Jets didn’t seem to affect the Dallas Cowboys play much, if any. Although several starters were sidelined with injuries, players stepping in for them rose to the occasion and had been games for themselves. To earn another “W” in the Week 6 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, these players may need to have another repeat performance.
DE James Houston
He is not Micah Parsons, but James Houston has turned himself in to the Cowboys best pass rusher through the first five weeks of the 2025 NFL season. He currently leads the team in QB sacks with 3.5, coming on strong as of the last two weeks with 2.5 sacks. He continuously harassed QB Justin Fields last week, sacking him 1.5 times, and hopefully picks up where he left off against the Panthers this week. Houston has a good chance of picking up a couple more sacks considering QB Bryce Young has been sacked nine times already this year.
LB Shemar James
The Cowboys were trying to ease Shemar James into the NFL by playing it mostly on special teams and in certain packages on defense. That of course all change last week when Jack Sanborn exited the game early in the second quarter against the Jets with a concussion. James was then thrust in the starting lineup and ended up leaving the team in tackles (17). With Sanborn still in concussion protocol, Dallas’ rookie fifth-round pick this year could be in line for his first start against a Panthers. Fingers crossed he picks right back up where he left off.
WR Ryan Flournoy
Without both CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin in the lineup last week due to their injuries, Dallas needed someone to step up and help replace their production and Ryan Flournoy answered the call. The second-year receiver hauled in six passes for 114 yards and adding another 10 yards on the ground on two carries on end-arounds. His unexpected big day caught nearly everybody by surprise, but the Panthers won’t overlook what he accomplished last week. Flournoy’s connection with Dak Prescott could possibly lead to another big day.
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