Turkey, dressing, and the Dallas Cowboys are a trio fit for a king. Fortunately, on this upcoming Thursday, kings, queens, jesters, and/or fans will have the opportunity to partake in watching the festivities.
Dallas possesses a 7-3 record, anxiously waiting to get to number 8 in their race to keep up with the NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles.
Standing in their way is the Washington Commanders led by 2nd-year Quarterback Sam Howell.
Fans should be weary of categorizing this as a trap game and a lot of that has to do with Washington’s defensive front.
While they have been giving away players (Chase Young and Montez Sweat) like it’s an estate sale, they still have some guys.
Let’s take a moment to take a deeper dive of matchups to watch in the trenches.
Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne’s play across the defensive front could cause problems
Dallas’ cause for concern should, at a minimum, start with number 93 Jonathan Allen. Despite admitting that his team needs to learn how to win, he is still causing havoc.
The fact that he can play in multiple gaps across the defensive line is huge. Not many players in the NFL can do that effectively.
Riverboat Ron, as he is affectionately known, will use Jonathan in multiple ways. Additionally, he’s entering Thursday’s matchup with a respectable 6 sacks and 36 overall pressures.
He’ll sometimes line up over the guard, tackles, and even the center.
The center position worries me to a certain extent.
While I’m highlighting Allen, his partner in crime (Daron Payne) may also line up in the A-Gap. His numbers (3 sacks and 22 pressures admittedly aren’t as impressive as Allen.
Nevertheless, we know stats are only a part of the equation.
This season, Tyler has given up 3 sacks and 17 total pressures, but power continues to be his weakness.
In most cases, you can accept those numbers. It’s not terribly shabby. However, Allen and Payne’s power-to-speed conversation would be too much for Tyler to handle for most of the game.
Moreover, Dallas runs a lot of combo blocks.
That should help offset what Washington wants to do, but if the plan is to allow Biadasz to take on either of those guys one-on-one, we will have a problem.
Dallas’ guards have been huge game changer for this offensive line
Luckily for the Dallas Cowboys, Tyler Biadasz is not on an island by himself. He has his interior bookends that will be there for moral support.
Zack Martin and Tyler Smith has been, in my opinion, the best interior guards in the NFL and they’ll add more evidence to support their claim on Thursday.
According to Pro Football Focus, they rank as the number eleventh and fifth players at their respective positions. They’ve given up 4 sacks between the two of them.
That has to make Dak happy to keep his lap clean.
I’ve read where people mention Martin’s overall play has declined somewhat.
The movement skills and athleticism of these two guys are second to none. They can get on top of linebackers to create space for Pollard and the running game.
We’ve consistently heard that Washington invested first-round picks into their defensive line.
Dallas can now say the same thing about their top offensive line talent.
Having the guards as the group’s strength will be pivotal and will make a difference in the ball game.
