Some wins come at a higher cost than others.

The Cowboys’ win over the New York Giants falls into that category.

Dallas got the win it desperately needed to get back to .500 and contain the alarms that were going off, many of them in the locker room. But the coming weeks will be even more challenging without two of the team’s best defensive players.

Pass rusher Micah Parsons suffered a high ankle sprain. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is dealing with a midfoot sprain. While both were optimistic in the aftermath of the victory, the MRIs revealed a more sobering reality.

The window for Parsons is two to four weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the injury. Lawrence is looking at several weeks, two people with knowledge of his status said.

Both ask for second opinions. Lawrence will be Dr. Visiting Gene Curry to help determine how long he will miss, a person close to the veteran defense said.

Curry performed the surgery on Dak Prescott’s ankle in 2020.

The bottom line: The prospect is that the Cowboys will be forced without the services of either Parsons or Lawrence before the farewell games against Pittsburgh and Detroit.

Afterwards: to be determined.

“D-Law is worse than Micah,” head coach Mike McCarthy said. “But I don’t have a specific timeline. We will go into this in more detail on Monday.

“They’re worse than we expected.”

McCarthy declined to discuss how the Cowboys will handle the loss of their two best players on the defensive front. That will be discussed over the weekend and a plan will be drawn up when the players return from a long weekend on Monday.

The options are limited. The most likely scenario is that rookie Marshawn Kneeland and veteran Chauncey Golston take their place in the starting lineup. Tyrus Wheat and veteran Carl Lawson, who is currently on the practice squad, should play a bigger role in the rotation behind them.

McCarthy was asked about Kneeland and Golston.

“Well, I think the biggest thing is getting the experience and getting ready to play more,” McCarthy said. “Kneeland not only played defense anymore, but also on special teams. I thought he was having a good day.

“And I thought Chauncey was very consistent and solid in the run game. As a whole, especially with these two injuries, we need to get the coordination and impact of our pass rush going.”

Figuring out this riddle will take the organization a lot of time this weekend. McCarthy will meet with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and others on his staff to determine the best way forward.

McCarthy seemed to be dealing with it as best he could when asked about his concerns about losing two players of the quality of Parsons and Lawrence.

“It’s part of the game,” he said. “(Injuries) will come. It’s just a matter of when.”

Then came a muggy night in the northeast in late September.

“I definitely think they’ll be back,” McCarthy said.

“I just don’t have a timeline.”

Staff writer Calvin Watkins contributed to this report.

Watch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) via the Super Bowl every Wednesday from 7-8 PM.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

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