Blogging The Boys
In this episode of Between the Lines we flip the attention to the defensive line, where chaos meets strategy. This is where the Cowboys’ games are won and lost so let’s dive in.
(2025 Stats: 255 Total snaps, 18 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 19 Pressures, 1 Sack)
Grade: 63.5
(2025 Stats: 184 Total snaps, 16 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 7 Pressures, 0 Sacks)
Grade: 61.5
(2025 Stats: 272 Total snaps, 15 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 18 Pressures, 2 Sacks)
Grade: 56.5
(2025 Stats: 51 Total snaps, 1 Total Tackles, 0 TFL, 2 Pressures, 0 Sack)
Grade: 51.5
(2025 Stats: 56 Total snaps, 2 Total Tackle, 0 TFL, 0 Pressures, 0 Sack)
Grade: 28.6
Let’s start with the bruises from last week. The Carolina game saw Dallas’ interior got leaned on for four quarters, and the Panthers kept pressing the same button. They churned out 216 rushing yards, with Rico Dowdle running for 183 yards himself, then closed the game with a 15-play, 71-yard joyride that ate the clock and the Cowboys’ patience. The core issues were clear on film, double-teams opening the front, backside lanes staying available, and players arriving way late.
The talent to answer the call is on the roster. Kenny Clark delivers brute force in the A-gaps, while Osa Odighizuwa wins with an elite first step and burst. ESPN’s tracking has Dallas eighth in its run-stopping metric and 20th in team pass-rush performance. Individually, Odighizuwa sits among the top 20 defensive tackles in pass-rush wins. That means the ingredients are there. The fix from last weeks issues is all about rhythm on first down and turning 2nd-and-4s into 2nd-and-8s.
Up front, the Commanders aren’t a soft target. Their protection has given up the tenth fewest pressures this year, but the eight-most sacks. That tells us the line are able to hold up for most part but lose contain when Jayden Daniels gets on the move. As for run blocking, they rank sixth-worst by PFF standards with a 53.8 run blocking grade. We see another ex-Cowboy again this week in Tyler Biadasz, who has settled at center nicely in Washington, and he’s directing traffic and keeping the A-gaps orderly. If Sam Cosmi is activated, his power at guard can dent the B-gap on downhill concepts. And rookie Josh Conerly Jr. at right tackle gives them athletic range on the edge.
Jayden Daniels has opened this year with 875 passing yards, seven touchdowns, one interception and he’ll punish sloppy lanes with designed keepers or sudden scrambles. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been the pace car for Washington and has racked up 344 rushing yards at an amazing 5.7 yards per carry, scoring four touchdowns. He’s powering a ground attack that’s flirting with top-ten potential thanks to his efficiency.
So what’s the mission for the Cowboys interior this week given all the facts? Well on paper the plan is simple, but the execution...
