After weeks of struggles, the Cowboys the offensive line finally seems to be putting things together. The battered and bruised, mismatched and mangled unit appears to be playing its best ball of the season and it’s no coincidence that it has resulted in some degree of team success along the way.
In Weeks 1-11, Dallas’ rushing attack ranked 17th.th success rate (39%) and 25th in EPA/play (-0.136). Over the next four weeks, they were fourth in pass rate (46.3 percent) and 13th in EPA/play (-0.069). This marks a significant improvement and explains why the Cowboys went 3-1 behind a quarterback who only ranks 25th.th in EPA/dropback + CPOE composite score (measures impact and precision).
The question that arises is: has the Cowboys offensive line finally fixed the problem with its run blocking or is it simply the result of weaker competition?
Over the last four weeks, the Cowboys have faced the Commanders, Giants, Bengals and Panthers with a combined record of 20-36, likely explaining Dallas’ 3-1 record during that stretch. These teams’ run defense rankings were equally poor, ranking 25th24th30thand 31st respectively in EPA/rush and 21st28th30th and 32sd respectively in rushing success rate vs.
It’s also worth considering how many adjustments the Cowboys have made to their line throughout the season. Tyler Guyton has been in and out of the lineup. Before landing on IR, Asim Richards and Zack Martin were also in and out. Brock Hoffman splits his time between guard and center. TJ Bass bounced around from left guard to right guard and Chuma Edoga made a few spot starts along the way.
In total, there have been 11 different combinations of linemen in Dallas. Of the five who started Sunday, only two were starters in Week 1 and there’s a good chance only one, LG’s Tyler Smith, will be at his same starting position in 2025*. So it’s not like the Cowboys have suddenly found the perfect fit.
*Note: This assumes the possibility that Martin moves on, Terence Steele is cut, Cooper Beebe starts at center, Guyton starts at LT and Hoffman replaces Martin at RG in 2025.
While it’s been fun to watch the Cowboys thrive on ball these past four weeks, it’s no coincidence that they’ve aligned themselves perfectly with the declining quality of the opponents they’ve faced. The Cowboys offensive line and Rico Dowdle still deserve credit, but the credit comes with an asterisk at this point.
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This article was originally published on Cowboys Wire: Has the Cowboys O-line improved or are they just facing poorer defenses?
