Cowboys’ Lawrence proving no fluke

As DeMarcus Lawrence prepares to share the field with J.J. Watt for the first time in the regular season, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli figures it’s time to say his best defensive end shares the elite company of the Houston Texans star.

Lawrence leads the NFL in sacks early in the season for the second straight year, and has 20 sacks over 20 games since the start of last season. It’s not quite the territory of Watt, who had 20½ sacks in a season twice while earning All-Pro honors four straight years starting in 2012.

But it’s at least proving another thing Marinelli believes.

“People ask, ‘Is he a one-year wonder last year?’ ” Marinelli said Thursday. “I said, ‘Two years before that, he had eight sacks and played well.’ He, to me, is on a course, because of his work habits, how much he cares, to be great. I think we see him on the rise.”

Lawrence, 26, tied his career high with three sacks in last Sunday’s 26-24 win over Detroit and leads the NFL with 5½. That’s half a sack better than a three-way tie that includes Watt and Chicago’s Khalil Mack, who was the NFC defensive player of the month in September.

It’s the second straight year that Lawrence has started fast. He had a seven-game sack streak after going without one in the 2017 opener and ended up tied with Jacksonville’s Calais Campbell for second in the NFL with 14½ sacks. This year, Lawrence has at least half a sack in all four games with the Cowboys (2-2) set to visit the Texans (1-3) on Sunday night.

“I look at it like this,” Lawrence, who hasn’t been available to reporters in the locker room this week, said before the season started. “This is my job. I’m passionate about it. I love it.”

Lawrence is playing on a $17.1 million franchise tag after the sides didn’t even get close to a long-term extension during the offseason. He happily signed it and shrugged off repeated questions about it during training camp, usually with something along the lines of, “I ain’t trippin.’ ”

Briefly: The 49ers activated receiver Victor Bolden Jr. from the suspended list, promoted defensive lineman Ryan Delaire from the practice squad, and waived defensive back Tyvis Powell and offensive lineman Najee Toran . ... The Broncos placed former Raiders punter Marquette King on injured reserve with a thigh injury and promoted punter Colby Wadman from the practice squad. King has had a poor first month in Denver after signing a threeyear, $7 million deal following his release from Oakland last spring . ... The Chargers activated defensive tackle Corey Liuget, who was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, and waived defensive tackle T.Y. McGill. Liuget is expected to play Sunday when the Chargers host Oakland . ... Four-time Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick was placed on the non-football illness list by the Cowboys because of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a nerve condition that has kept him from playing this season. Dallas also placed receiver Terrance Williams (foot) on injured reserve and activated defensive tackle David Irving, who returns from a fourgame suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.