Why does the offensive line appear to be having trouble when it has two Hall of Fame candidates in Zack Martin and Tyron Smith, two above-average lineman in Tyler Smith and Terence Steele, and a Pro Bowl center in Tyler Biadasz? Is it not enough time spent playing together? Has it become a new offense? Or is age just starting to matter? – Padgett Andrew/Evans, GA
Nick Eatman: At this point, I’m going to say it’s probably more of a continuity thing than anything else. And not only the fact that they haven’t played much together but the reason for that as well – injuries. Sure, some of these players have returned from injury setbacks such as Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith and Zack Martin, but that doesn’t mean they’re all 100 percent.
And Terence Steele is returning from an ACL injury last December and Tyler Biadasz isn’t exactly 100 percent as well. That’s not an excuse, it’s just to say they’re all dinged up and trying to piece this thing back together. But the point is, they need to figure it out because it’s affecting the team and making them one-dimensional at times.
This not the type of offense that can rely solely on the passing game. Let’s see what this bye week does for the team health-wise, especially the offensive line that might need the week off more than any other position on the field.
Patrik: Reps matter. The more the merrier. This OL combination is literally only two games in for the Cowboys, and it makes sense they’re a bit disjointed at the moment. There’s a kind of telepathy that exists for offensive linemen that only comes with more and more reps, an example being the chemistry that’s being worked upon in real time by Tyron Smith and Tyler Smith, and between Tyler Smith and Tyler Biadasz. They’ve also had the unfortunate luck of trying to figure this all out while facing two of the best defensive lines in the entire NFL — first the 49ers and then the Chargers. Maybe they look better if they’re tasked with facing lesser defensive fronts in their first two games, but that’s not how football goes. You play who you play, so get ready to play.
Up next comes the LA Rams, but the Cowboys will have these next two weeks (including the bye) to log more practices with thiscombination and to hopefully use the Rams as a sharpening tool for the dominant Eagles’ defensive line. Also, be mindful that this OL isn’t completely healthy yet, so the bye week will definitely help in that regard as well.
