Cowboys' DeMarcus Lawrence likely headed to injured reserve, but there's a catch

The Dallas Cowboys might've beaten the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football but they couldn't catch a break when it came to injuries. Two key defenders in DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons both got hurt. While Parsons is expected to be alright, Lawrence's ailment is more serious.

Lawrence is dealing with a foot injury that is expected to keep him out for 4-8 weeks, which means a stint on the IR will be in the cards. But, he won't require surgery. Via Todd Archer:

"According to multiple sources, DeMarcus Lawrence is dealing with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot but because the bones were not displaced he will not require surgery. He could need 4-8 weeks to recover and is likely heading to injured reserve."

The injury happened in the third quarter of Thursday's victory. While the Cowboys have a bye week during this time period, Lawrence will likely miss 3-7 games. That is far from ideal. Dallas is reportedly exploring the idea of adding another pass rusher as a result. On Friday, Stephen Jones didn't sound too optimistic about Lawrence's injury:

"[DeMarcus Lawrence] is probably a little bit longer, in terms of how long he'll take," Jones explained, via Cowboys.com. "But all of these things will be situations that — as we get our hands around them over the next couple of days — we'll see where they go."

Lawrence was off to a solid start this season, collecting seven solo tackles and 14 total tackles. He also had 3.0 sacks. The Cowboys' defense isn't exactly thriving though, allowing 26 points per game. That ranks 24th in the NFL.

When it comes to Parsons, he's currently week-to-week. With Dallas having an extra couple of days between contests, the All-Pro has a chance at suiting up in Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he rehabs a high ankle sprain.