A surprise scratch ahead of Sunday night’s Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers game has Matt Eberflus’s defense turning to a couple of young players to step up in primetime.
Linebacker Damone Clark popped up on the inactives list ahead of the matchup, leaving Dallas to slot in second-year linebacker Marist limel.
The team is also activating rookie linebacker Shemar James for the first time this season. Clark’s absence, which is a healthy scratchopens up playing time for Liufau and perhaps James as well.
MORE: Cowboys All-Pro CB benched amid secondary shuffle to spark defense
Though he’s played in limited fashion so far this year, recording just three tackles, all in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, Liufau was a major contributor as a rookie.
The Cowboys leaned on him when injuries took their toll, and he ended 2024 with nine starts.
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Overall, Liufau finished his rookie season with 50 combined tackles (30 solo). That put him in the top seven for tackles and he tied for the fifth-most tackles for loss with four. He also had 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
The Cowboys’ third-rounder out of Notre Dame is replacing Clark who has 12 tackles through the first three games this season.
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