Dallas Cowboys: The 5 most damaging injuries of 2020
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys Injury No. 4
Gerald McCoy, DT
Games Missed: 16
Gerald McCoy is the forgotten man when assessing the injuries of 2020, but he really shouldn’t be. The Dallas Cowboys signed the veteran DT in the offseason to stabilize the interior line. That never happened because McCoy fell to injury in his very first practice in a Cowboys uniform.
The weakest position on the entire Dallas Cowboys roster was/is unequivocally defensive tackle. To say the well-rounded McCoy was missed this season is a massive understatement. Dallas’ DTs were bullied and pushed around all season long. They couldn’t maintain gaps and they couldn’t keep offensive linemen from reaching the second level. They were the primary reason Dallas was so bad against the run and they offered nothing in the way of interior pressure either.
Trysten Hill eventually fell to injury himself, only exaggerating the effects of McCoy’s absence. And it certainly didn’t help Dontari Poe was a total bust at the 1-tech. But it’s hard to imagine McCoy, even in his advanced age, wouldn’t have helped the Dallas Cowboys situation inside last season. He’s a capable pass rusher and a reliable run-stopper.
No one expected Gerald McCoy to be a Pro Bowler in Dallas but he certainly would have been a reliable force and the best of Dallas’ bunch.