Going into Week 5 against the New York Jets, the Dallas Cowboys had one big concern: Fixing a defense that had just given up 30-plus points in three straight games. Sure, the Jets were coming after dropping their first four, but for Dallas, the assignment was clear: Keep Justin Fields in check. And for once, they actually did. As a result, Jerry Jones is extremely proud of his team, especially the person who replaced Micah Parsons in style!

The Cowboys racked up five sacks in Sunday’s 37-22 win over the Jets, and at the heart of that pass-rush was James Houston, who led the team in sacks, something that the Cowboys were lacking after Micah Parsons‘ trade. And right after that went down, you could bet Jerry Jones had something to say, while subtly addressing his former pass rusher.

“It just shows you that he’s (Houston) got those kinds of skills,” the Cowboys’ owner said. “We know that he needs to work on the run. Guess what? We had a pass rusher around here, the way to box him in was to run at him, but he could really rush the passer. This guy really is rushing the passer beyond my expectations.”

There’s no doubt Parsons can both rush the passer and hold up against the run, just as Jerry pointed out. And with Houston recording 1.5 sacks against the Jets on Sunday, it’s clear why Jerry was praising his pass-rushing ability. But at the same time, the Cowboys’ owner acknowledges that Houston is still developing in run defense.

Houston entered Week 5 with eight tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one QB hit, and one forced fumble. And after the Cowboys won their second game of the season, PFF graded him an overall grade of 75.6, ranking him as one of the best Cowboys’ defenders. The real twist, though?

His run defense still isn’t at the level Micah’s is. Houston’s tackling grade stands at 72.9, placing him 5th among edge defenders. Long story short: While James Houston surely led the Cowboys in sacks against the Jets, the Cowboys’ owner believes that the 26-year-old linebacker needs to work on the run.

The reason behind the Cowboys’ defensive success

The Cowboys’ defensive performance wasn’t elite against the Jets, but it was still the best outing of the season so far from Matt Eberflus‘ squad. The reason? Well, if you ask the Cowboys’ cornerback Trevon Diggs, he’d just say that the team got quarterback pressure in.

“When they pressure like that, we can call whatever,” Diggs told the reporters, per the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys racked up 14 hits on Justin Fields on Sunday, including five QB hits from Dante Fowler Jr., and added five sacks on top of that. Besides, Dallas’ defense got a huge boost from the Jets having to play catch-up after falling behind by 20 at halftime.

That pressure forced Fields to drop back over 50 times, attempting 46 passes by the end of the game, giving Dallas plenty of opportunities to generate sacks, QB hits, and constant pressure. While it’s still too early to say the Cowboys’ defense is fully back on track, sure. But heading into Week 6, Eberflus’ unit has plenty to feel optimistic about.