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The identity of the Dallas Cowboys has come under fire lately.
Offensive line problems? What’s that? We root for the Dallas Cowboys.
The big ‘Boys up front have been a staple for the Cowboys for the last three years or so, making them a non-issue when it comes to points of concern over the team. Worrying about the offensive line is what teams with Ereck Flowers have to do.
After a loss to the Los Angeles Rams the heat has risen in Cowboys Nation. That means you have to get out of the kitchen or whatever that saying is, but it really means we have to assess a lot of things and discuss what might not be comfortable.
That being said, is the Dallas Cowboys offensive line the best in the NFL still? Not right now, not at all. Are they still among the game’s elite? Well, that’s still a point that’s up for discussion at least. PFF has some thoughts on where the Cowboys rank through Week 4.
18. DALLAS COWBOYS
PFF Elite pass blocking efficiency: 77.4
What many believe to be the best line in football has had its struggles this season. Even All-Pro’s Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick have started slowly in 2017. As a unit they have surrendered 46 total pressures compared to 130 for the entire 2016 season.
I’m not a math expert or anything but 18th out of 32 isn’t exactly elite according to my calculations. To be fair this is going strictly off of PFF’s grading system, some people aren’t the biggest fans of it, but it’s fair to say we all agree this could be the worst we’ve felt about this particular nucleus.
What the “problems” are on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line vary depending on who you ask. Chaz Green is an easy target for people to critique, La’el Collins hasn’t been dominant at his new position, and recently even Travis Frederick has risen to the top of the complaints list (although PFF themselves notes he had a nice game last week).
Week 4's top center performances pic.twitter.com/bxPIiJc0UQ
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) October 4, 2017
The Cowboys have had the luxury (sarcasm font) of going up against four pretty stout defensive fronts. We know what the Giants and Broncos can do, Arizona kept it interesting, and Wade Phillips made sure to exploit what he could with his Los Angeles Rams.
Of course, morale is low. People are down on the Cowboys. The temperature is kind of like when you were in school, the classroom was rowdy, and the teacher came in asking who was at fault. Everyone is looking to defect responsibility somewhere.
You could argue that a lot of why the offensive line is getting criticism is that they’ve been so fantastic for so long. The expectation is for them to be the best across the NFL, and when they’re not people are upset. Whether you agree with that or not, it does make sense to a degree.
There’s no question that the Dallas Cowboys offensive line isn’t at all playing up to par, as far as par is concerned with who they are. They’re “struggling”, but struggling for them is a great deal for other teams. They’re relied upon to help carry this team, and while history says they likely will, if they don’t things are going to get even more hot in the proverbial kitchen.
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