FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will have to postpone the anticipated returns of pass rusher Micah Parsons and cornerback DaRon Bland for at least another week.

Parsons has been sidelined for four consecutive games due to a high ankle sprain, while Bland will not make his season debut against Atlanta on Sunday, having undergone surgery for a stress fracture in his foot late in the preseason.

So far this season, the Cowboys (3-4) have struggled to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks in the absence of Parsons and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who is currently on injured reserve with a foot injury. Both players sustained their injuries during a game against the New York Giants on September 26.

Bland, who made history last season as the first player in NFL history to return five interceptions for touchdowns, was activated from injured reserve this week. Consequently, the Cowboys needed to create a roster spot for him. They accomplished this by placing cornerback Amani Oruwariye on injured reserve after he suffered a back injury during the previous week’s 30-24 defeat against San Francisco.

The absence of Parsons marks the first time in his three-plus seasons in the league that he has missed games due to injury. Both Parsons, a two-time All-Pro, and Lawrence are viewed as the most effective pass rushers on the Cowboys roster.

Heading into their matchup against the NFC South-leading Falcons, the Cowboys are experiencing their second two-game losing streak of the season. They had not previously lost consecutive games more than twice across the last three seasons when they reached the playoffs with a record of 12-5 each year.

Rookie cornerback Caelen Carson, who initially took over for Bland, is listed as questionable after being out for the last four games due to a shoulder injury.

Furthermore, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has also been ruled out for the game, despite participating fully in practice throughout the week; he had previously spent time on injured reserve due to a wrist injury.