While the Detroit Lions defeated the Arizona Cardinals 20-13 on the road on September 22, there is always opportunity for improvement. As the club prepares for a highly anticipated Week 4 “Monday Night Football” game against the Seattle Seahawks, NFL expert and analyst Matt Holder identifies a Dallas Cowboys player who he believes would be a good fit with Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s coaching philosophy.
In a September 23 Bleacher Report piece about identifying each roster’s major flaws heading into Week 4, Holder advises that the Lions sign Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence in 2025 free agency.
“While Lawrence’s sack numbers have gone down in recent years, he’s an edge-setter and plays the physical brand of football that Dan Campbell covets,” the coach said.
DeMarcus Lawrence Could ‘Ensure Aidan Hutchinson Has Some Help’.
Lawrence, 32, received a 92.4 run defence grade from Pro Football Focus last season. In 2023, he accumulated 48 total pressures as a pass rusher.
In the article, Holder claimed that “Marcus Davenport is only on a one-year contract, and it remains to be seen if he should be given a contract extension in the offseason.” Meanwhile, Detroit should do its homework on this year’s defensive end free agents to guarantee Aidan Hutchinson has some support moving forward.”
Not to mention that Davenport suffered a season-ending triceps injury in the Cardinals’ victory, as Campbell acknowledged in his news conference on Monday, September 23. Davenport was also put on injured reserve on Tuesday, September 24.
Holder also mentioned the NFC North’s competitiveness in another section of the piece. During Detroit’s victory over Arizona, the squad ran 43 times for 187 yards, which “helps the Lions keep pace with the Packers in the NFC North, but they still trail the surprisingly undefeated Vikings for the early lead.”
Holder also identified the Lions’ main problems heading into Week 4: cornerback, offensive line depth, wide receiver, linebacker, and defensive tackle.
For immediate assistance, Holder advised that Detroit trade for Buffalo Bills cornerback and former first-round choice Kaiir Elam, who “has plenty of talent to potentially contribute right away and be part of the long-term solution at corner.”
DeMarcus Lawrence Discusses Cowboys Loss
Lawrence is now with the Cowboys. The team is 1-2 entering Week 4, following a loss to the Ravens in Week 3.
“Of course, it’s frustrating,” he admitted following the Ravens’ loss. “If you don’t enjoy the game, it will not be frustrating. I know the males in this room enjoy the game. That’s why you can notice the difference in the second half as we clean up our mistakes from the first.
When asked directly what frustrates him, he answered, “Losing. “Not having our stuff together on defence when we’re playing 11-man football,” Lawrence explained. “It is all frustrating. Having a game plan but not sticking to it. We’ll be fine once we stop playing small league football and resume playing professional football.”
The Detroit Lions will confront Lawrence when they play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, October 13, at AT&T Stadium.
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