Dallas Cowboys' 'biggest problem' heading into Week 3 might not have answer

Through two games, it's safe to say the Dallas Cowboys defense has been a disappointment.

In Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles moved the ball up and down the field at will, until a lightning delay sent both teams to the locker room for more than an hour. After that, neither offense could get moving.

Still, slowing down the Eagles led to hope in Week 2 against the New York Giants, but that outing was even worse. The Cowboys pulled off the win, 40-37 in overtime, but their defense failed to get any real pressure on Russell Wilson.

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That's why Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon looked at the defense when identifying the Cowboys' "biggest problem" entering Week 3. More specifically, he says the void left by the departure of Micah Parsons has been too much for them to overcome.

"This also could have simply been AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys nearly lost for the eighth time in their last 10 home games Sunday against the Giants, but they did get the win so let's again take aim at a defense that has surrendered 61 points while registering one total takeaway in two weeks," Gagnon wrote.

"Only two defenses have given up more yards per play (6.4), and none have been worse on third down (51.9 percent) through two outings."

The Cowboys hope the addition of Jadeveon Clowney improves the defensive line, which it will. Clowney is a seasoned veteran who has been impactful at every stop. That said, he won't give them Micah Parsons-level play.

The good news for Dallas is that their offense can win shootouts, so the defense only has to be average to give them a shot. Still, there's doubt they can do that after their Week 2 showing.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley carries the ball against Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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