Dallas Cowboys to face best D-lines in the NFL this season
By Reid Hanson
The NFC East has two of the NFL’s top-3 D-lines facing off against the Dallas Cowboys in ’20
We all know the Dallas Cowboys defensive line is good. Led by Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, and La’el Collins, Dallas boasts three of the NFL’s best offensive linemen. Together they anchor the backbone of the Cowboys’ offense.
The question is, “are they good enough?”
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the NFL’s top defensive lines, and wouldn’t you know it, two of the three other teams in the NFC East ranked in the top-3 in DL talent. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins rated No. 2 and No. 3 in the NFL, respectively.
Given the level of competition, the backbone of the 2020 Dallas Cowboys could prove to be their Achilles heel if things don’t turn out.
To make matter worse, Dallas also plays the top team in PFF’s rankings. You know, the team that wasn’t too dumb to draft T.J. Watt when given the opportunity. I’m referring to the Pittsburgh Steelers, or course.
And to hammer the point home just a little further, the No. 4 team on PFF’s ratings is the San Francisco 49ers. The Dallas Cowboys also face them this season, meaning Dallas plays a top-4 defensive line six times this season! And we’re not even including Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams.
It won’t matter how good Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys offensive assault is, if the Dallas Cowboys hope to make any noise this season, they’re going to need to handle these top-4 defensive lines.
Luckily for them they have a fighting chance. Pro Football Focus rated the Dallas O-line No. 3 in the NFL in 2020. But that’s largely based on three players and the optimistic forecasts of the remaining two.
Even though the Cowboys invested a top-50 pick in LG Connor Williams two seasons ago, he’s done nothing but produce average results. And even though they added a worthy challenger in Connor McGregor with a top-100 pick last season, there’s no telling if he can adequately challenge anyone for a starting spot.
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Speaking of starting spots, for the first time in roughly seven years, the Dallas Cowboys are going into camp with a question mark at the center position. Travis Frederick retired unexpectedly, leaving the experienced, yet subpar, Joe Looney to compete with fourth round rookie Tyler Biadasz for starting center.
Both of these positions could turn out aces given the options available to the team. But both also have the potential to blow up in Mike McCarthy’s face. Given the level of competition, the backbone of the 2020 Dallas Cowboys could prove to be their Achilles heel if things don’t turn out.
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Flying under the radar this season is the enormous challenges the Dallas Cowboys O-line is scheduled to face. If their elite unit can be better than the opposition’s, then they have a great chance. If not…
- Published on 07/22/2020 at 11:01 AM
- Last updated at 07/22/2020 at 07:31 AM