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Once Dallas Cowboys’ strength, this position group has been hit hard – NFL Nation


FRISCO, Texas — They would stroll aspect by aspect collectively from the makeshift locker room and murmurs would run by means of the group of Dallas Cowboys followers. This doesn’t normally occur when offensive linemen make their means out to most different NFL coaching camp practices.

But most offensive strains are usually not comprised of three first-spherical picks who’re among the many highest paid at their positions and a fourth who went undrafted however ought to have been drafted if not for being linked to an investigation into the murder of his pregnant former girlfriend previous to the 2015 NFL draft.

Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick and La’el Collins had been the last word safety blanket and an enormous purpose why quarterback Dak Prescott, working again Ezekiel Elliott and broad receiver Amari Cooper had success prior to now.

Now, in 2020 as we enter Week 9? Only Martin stays lively.

The remainder of the Cowboys’ present offensive line might stroll nearly unrecognized in the event that they had been allowed to exit in public as a group.

In the search of issues which have gone improper for the Cowboys, begin with Prescott’s harm after which combine in all the defensive woes from a scheme change. But do not wait too lengthy to get into the offensive line.

The O-line woes started when Frederick retired in March, and it continued when Collins was unable to practice after which he had a hip harm that required surgical procedure and ended his season earlier than it started.

In the second week of standard-season follow, Smith suffered a stinger in follow. He missed two video games, returned for one after which had season-ending neck surgery.

Martin, among the finest guard’s within the NFL and a group chief, successfully missed two video games due to a concussion suffered seven snaps into the Oct. 19 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

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Field Yates and Matthew Berry contend whether or not it’s value retaining any Cowboys broad receiver on fantasy rosters primarily based on how the group’s offense has regarded lately.

The Cowboys have employed 9 totally different offensive line groupings in eight video games, together with 5 totally different beginning configurations. They haven’t had the identical 5 gamers begin greater than two straight video games. In last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Martin returned to proper guard with Cameron Fleming and Terence Steele lining up at sort out with Connor Williams at left guard and rookie Tyler Biadasz at middle.

This week, the Cowboys face the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers (7-0) at AT&T Stadium (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). Pittsburgh has the No. 5 ranked protection by way of yards per recreation and ranks No. 6 in factors per recreation. The Steelers additionally lead the league in sacks. T.J. Watt (6.5), Stephon Tuitt (6) and Bud Dupree (6) have mixed for 18.5 sacks; the Cowboys have 17 as a group.

“I’ve always felt the biggest challenge of an offensive line was consecutive starts,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy mentioned. “When you have five offensive lineman that play together week in and week out, that doesn’t always equate to a very efficient offensive line, but if you look at the statistics of consecutive starts by an offensive line group, the winning percentage is extremely high. The stabilization of your offensive and defensive line is a key component to being successful in this league.”

When McCarthy received the Super Bowl in 2010 with the Green Bay Packers, left sort out Chad Clifton, left guard Daryn Colledge, middle Scott Wells and proper guard Josh Sitton began each recreation. Right sort out Bryan Bulaga began 12 video games.

In 2017, his final full season in Green Bay, the Packers used 11 totally different offensive line combos.

In 2019, the Cowboys had 5 totally different beginning offensive strains. From 2016 to 2018, that they had 4. In 2014 and 2015, that they had three.

Two weeks in the past, Williams was the Cowboys’ most skilled starter on the road. The 2018 second-spherical decide had 28 profession begins. Erving was making his first begin with the Cowboys. Biadasz was on his third. Connor McGovern, a 3rd-spherical decide in 2019, was making his first. Steele, who was undrafted in 2020, was making his seventh.

“Overnight you can’t teach experience and you can’t teach reps, but you can teach hard work and effort, and I think that’s what we’re instilling,” Williams mentioned. “At the end of the day, that’s what we’re going to hold our hat on and that’s what’s going to win.”

Imagine being Joe Philbin. When McCarthy employed him because the Cowboys’ offensive line coach, he thought he was inheriting among the finest items in soccer. By the time he bought to his first recreation, he was with out two-fifths of the expertise that he was projected to have in January.

McCarthy, who labored with Philbin in Green Bay, referred to as him “an outstanding teacher.”

“Joe’s teaching skills, his consistency of his demands of the players, he has a great dry sense of humor, his motivation is constant,” McCarthy mentioned. “So that’s a good group. Frankly, we need to continue to grow. We have some young tackles that have been added to our O-line group and young centers who are getting better. It’s a group that has a lot of growth potential in front of it, and Joe is the perfect man for the job.”

Growth is troublesome when there’s a new mixture of line mates almost each week.

“Obviously we talk all the time, offensive line, getting that continuity down,” Martin mentioned. “Unfortunately we haven’t had that at times this season. Again, there’s no secret to this thing. It’s about going back out to work, getting the reps with the guys that are going to be in there and trying to build that on the go.”



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