One position group for the Dallas Cowboys started the season as the 10th-ranked unit in the league but improved as the season progressed.
Injuries hurt the Cowboys at numerous positions, but this group seemed to bear the weight of the offense as injuries plagued them all season.
As the season moved on and the coaching staff shuffled players to find the best combination, no one thought this group would get together and create a solid product.
However, the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff put in the work and found the right guys to get the job done more than halfway through the season.
Experts Pegged the Offensive Line as Top 10
Before the season began, experts predicted the offensive line would be a top-10 offensive line with Tyler Smith and Zack Martin at the guard positions.
However, the loss of left tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz had a more significant impact than expected.
These two positions were filled with rookies who had growing pains.
At left tackle, Tyler Guyton hit the rookie wall quickly, and penalties and the game’s speed put him in a bad position. Rookie center Cooper Beebe played well, but early on, he seemed to get overpowered by defensive tackles.
As the season progressed, Tyler Guyton seemed to regress as the left tackle position became a revolving door for rushers, either getting to the quarterback or getting pressure.
Guyton was benched several times throughout the season.
The offensive line quickly dropped in the rankings, sitting near the bottom of the league for over half the season.
The Progression is Noticeable
It’s a drastic change from the top 10 to near the bottom, but once injuries started piling up, the game of musical chairs began with offensive linemen.
Overall, there have been 11 different combinations of linemen in Dallas. Only two of the five that started on Sunday were starters in Week 1: Tyler Smith and Cooper Beebe.
The Dallas rushing attack struggled early in the season, ranking 17th in success rate at 39 percent and 25th in expected points added (EPA) per play at -0.136 through Week 11. However, in the following weeks, they rebounded, moving up to 13th in success rate at 42.1% percent and improving to 21st in EPA per play at -0.027.
According to ESPN’s NFL team win rate rankings, the Cowboys have a 73% run block win rate (RBWR), which ranks 5th in the league, and a 58% pass block win rate (PBWR), which ranks 22nd in the league.
This upward trajectory clearly demonstrates their ability to adapt and enhance their performance.
The progression could continue if offensive linemen are put in their best position.
Competition Played a Part in the Offensive Line Progression
Finding the correct combination was not the only factor in the offensive line improvements. The competition level helped out, too.
Until the Cowboys played the Philadelphia Eagles in week 17, their opponents’ defenses were in the mid-to-lower tier in the NFL rankings. They played the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Giants.
However, the Buccaneers were the team who shut down the run game against the Cowboys.
These teams have not fielded great defenses this year, and the Cowboy’s offense took advantage, especially Rico Dowdle, who had a great second half of the season.
However, moving forward into the offseason and next year, the Cowboys offensive line could shift Tyler Guyton to right tackle if a better left tackle option is available, and Brock Hoffman could be the new right guard.
Terrence Steele and Zack Martin could be let go due to their age and contracts. Zack Martin will be a free agent this offseason because next year is a voided year.
This offseason could bring about much more change to the offensive line and the running back room.
Rico Dowdle has benefited from the slight improvement of the offensive line, but a higher-caliber back could have increased the offensive line’s efficiency.
Overall, it was not a great year for the Dallas Cowboys’ once-dominant offensive line. The bright side is that most of the players are young, and this was a growing year.
Next year, the offensive line could return to the top-10 of offensive lines in the NFL. The front office could help out in the draft and free agency, but all fans know not to count on the front office with the latter.