CFZ Offensive Line Deep Dive: PS Game 1

[McMicah]

Some of you may be interested in this since OL is a hot topic. Dallascowboys app has the whole commercial free game, and I encourage you to do your own research. Some of my conclusions may surprise you.

I went back and watched every snap about 10-12 times, looking at each offensive lineman at least twice.

1st half OL was:
- Asim Richards at LT
- Farniok at LG
- Hoffman at C
- Ball at RG
- Waletzgo at RT

2nd half OL was:
- Bostick Jr at LT
- Farniok/Richards at LG
- Hoffman/Lindstrom at C
- T.J. Bass at RG
- Taylor (long last name) at RT

I’m listing these guys in order of how well I think they played…buckle up. I’ll list all the 2nd team guys first cause it’s unfair to compare the 3rd stringers

Asim Richards - Best OL of the game. Played really well at LT against the Jags starting defense, including their #1 overall pick Walker. Looked very comfortable in pass pro, and moved guys in the run game. He needs to get stronger but his technique was really good. He struggled more against the 3rd string as a LG than he did against starters as a LT, and I think that was largely some comms issues with Bostick Jr and his lack of strength showing. Cowboys got a steal here. Get excited about this guy.

Josh Ball - No….I’m not kidding. His first series was awful, but he played really solid after that. If you don’t believe me, go watch the game. On every running play, he got the most push and kept his feet. On pass downs, he got pushed back the least of the interior guys. He looked very much in control of his body at all times. I don’t know what to tell you but he was my 2nd best lineman. I even prematurely called him out in a post last night…whoops

Matt Farniok - There’s not a big drop off between Ball and Farniok. He played pretty well, and I thought Farniok and Richards were the best duo on the line. They handled stunts really well together. Matt gets the job done, but he looks a little chaotic, and just straight up whiffed on some run and pass blocks. Needs to keep his feet better and not get caught reaching

Hoffman - Hoffman was a bit of a yikes for me. First of all, you don’t see him block much because on most passing downs he’s just standing there like he’s just happy to be a part of something. I get he’s holding the spy LB at bay but for crying out loud help your guards with a shove, man. When he did go 1 on 1 with a DT, he either got stonewalled on run plays, or pushed backwards like he was on a treadmill on pass plays. Even late in the game against 3rd stringers he was getting whooped, and sometimes he whiffed hard

Matt Waletzgo - I HATE that I’m writing this man’s name as the worst 2nd team lineman. He did not play well. Honestly, he’s the reason most of you think Ball sucked. He could not process a single stunt to save his life. He hugged guys multiple times, lost his feet constantly, looked clumsy like a baby giraffe most of the game, and just had zero power. I honestly would had guessed he’d be the TOP performer before the game, but alas, he just doesn’t look in control at all. Maybe it’s the move to RT? I don’t know but it was ROUGH for Matt.

3rd stringers

Earl Bostick Jr - The LTs just showed out today. Honestly, I’d rank Bostick above Hoffman and Waletzgo if I wasn’t separating 3rd stringers. He was solid. Not a ton of power, but held his own and got push in the run game. He probably benefited by having Farniok and then Richards next to him. The one play where Deuce got killed was a comms issue between him and Richards, but outside of that he was solid (for 3rd stringers)

T.J. Bass - Played ok. Whiffed a few times, fell down a few times, but worthy of practice squad IMO

Taylor (long last name) - meh. Bostick was much better. He was constantly out of position and reaching. Probably an easy cut

Lindstrom - Barely played in the 4th qtr. Don’t know why they kept Hoffman in so long. Played ok

2 Bonus Notes!!!!
1. I LOVE this offensive design. There were a lot of screens that never happened because of quick read passes. So cool to see designed screen plays with hot route options getting used. I think this offense will be fun if Dak can process things quickly.

2. OK….Deuce is really good. Go back and watch his TD run. It’s an inside zone run, and there was a weak hole for him to use but instead his instincts put him right past a completely free defender before the guy even knew what happened. He did alot of improvised runs when the hole didn’t materialize. I’m excited to see more.

 

[CCBoy]

Some of you may be interested in this since OL is a hot topic. Dallascowboys app has the whole commercial free game, and I encourage you to do your own research. Some of my conclusions may surprise you.

I went back and watched every snap about 10-12 times, looking at each offensive lineman at least twice.

1st half OL was:
- Asim Richards at LT
- Farniok at LG
- Hoffman at C
- Ball at RG
- Waletzgo at RT

2nd half OL was:
- Bostick Jr at LT
- Farniok/Richards at LG
- Hoffman/Lindstrom at C
- T.J. Bass at RG
- Taylor (long last name) at RT

I’m listing these guys in order of how well I think they played…buckle up. I’ll list all the 2nd team guys first cause it’s unfair to compare the 3rd stringers

Asim Richards - Best OL of the game. Played really well at LT against the Jags starting defense, including their #1 overall pick Walker. Looked very comfortable in pass pro, and moved guys in the run game. He needs to get stronger but his technique was really good. He struggled more against the 3rd string as a LG than he did against starters as a LT, and I think that was largely some comms issues with Bostick Jr and his lack of strength showing. Cowboys got a steal here. Get excited about this guy.

Josh Ball - No….I’m not kidding. His first series was awful, but he played really solid after that. If you don’t believe me, go watch the game. On every running play, he got the most push and kept his feet. On pass downs, he got pushed back the least of the interior guys. He looked very much in control of his body at all times. I don’t know what to tell you but he was my 2nd best lineman. I even prematurely called him out in a post last night…whoops

Matt Farniok - There’s not a big drop off between Ball and Farniok. He played pretty well, and I thought Farniok and Richards were the best duo on the line. They handled stunts really well together. Matt gets the job done, but he looks a little chaotic, and just straight up whiffed on some run and pass blocks. Needs to keep his feet better and not get caught reaching

Hoffman - Hoffman was a bit of a yikes for me. First of all, you don’t see him block much because on most passing downs he’s just standing there like he’s just happy to be a part of something. I get he’s holding the spy LB at bay but for crying out loud help your guards with a shove, man. When he did go 1 on 1 with a DT, he either got stonewalled on run plays, or pushed backwards like he was on a treadmill on pass plays. Even late in the game against 3rd stringers he was getting whooped, and sometimes he whiffed hard

Matt Waletzgo - I HATE that I’m writing this man’s name as the worst 2nd team lineman. He did not play well. Honestly, he’s the reason most of you think Ball sucked. He could not process a single stunt to save his life. He hugged guys multiple times, lost his feet constantly, looked clumsy like a baby giraffe most of the game, and just had zero power. I honestly would had guessed he’d be the TOP performer before the game, but alas, he just doesn’t look in control at all. Maybe it’s the move to RT? I don’t know but it was ROUGH for Matt.

3rd stringers

Earl Bostick Jr - The LTs just showed out today. Honestly, I’d rank Bostick above Hoffman and Waletzgo if I wasn’t separating 3rd stringers. He was solid. Not a ton of power, but held his own and got push in the run game. He probably benefited by having Farniok and then Richards next to him. The one play where Deuce got killed was a comms issue between him and Richards, but outside of that he was solid (for 3rd stringers)

T.J. Bass - Played ok. Whiffed a few times, fell down a few times, but worthy of practice squad IMO

Taylor (long last name) - meh. Bostick was much better. He was constantly out of position and reaching. Probably an easy cut

Lindstrom - Barely played in the 4th qtr. Don’t know why they kept Hoffman in so long. Played ok

2 Bonus Notes!!!!
1. I LOVE this offensive design. There were a lot of screens that never happened because of quick read passes. So cool to see designed screen plays with hot route options getting used. I think this offense will be fun if Dak can process things quickly.

2. OK….Deuce is really good. Go back and watch his TD run. It’s an inside zone run, and there was a weak hole for him to use but instead his instincts put him right past a completely free defender before the guy even knew what happened. He did alot of improvised runs when the hole didn’t materialize. I’m excited to see more.

 

[john van brocklin]

Some of you may be interested in this since OL is a hot topic. Dallascowboys app has the whole commercial free game, and I encourage you to do your own research. Some of my conclusions may surprise you.

I went back and watched every snap about 10-12 times, looking at each offensive lineman at least twice.

1st half OL was:
- Asim Richards at LT
- Farniok at LG
- Hoffman at C
- Ball at RG
- Waletzgo at RT

2nd half OL was:
- Bostick Jr at LT
- Farniok/Richards at LG
- Hoffman/Lindstrom at C
- T.J. Bass at RG
- Taylor (long last name) at RT

I’m listing these guys in order of how well I think they played…buckle up. I’ll list all the 2nd team guys first cause it’s unfair to compare the 3rd stringers

Asim Richards - Best OL of the game. Played really well at LT against the Jags starting defense, including their #1 overall pick Walker. Looked very comfortable in pass pro, and moved guys in the run game. He needs to get stronger but his technique was really good. He struggled more against the 3rd string as a LG than he did against starters as a LT, and I think that was largely some comms issues with Bostick Jr and his lack of strength showing. Cowboys got a steal here. Get excited about this guy.

Josh Ball - No….I’m not kidding. His first series was awful, but he played really solid after that. If you don’t believe me, go watch the game. On every running play, he got the most push and kept his feet. On pass downs, he got pushed back the least of the interior guys. He looked very much in control of his body at all times. I don’t know what to tell you but he was my 2nd best lineman. I even prematurely called him out in a post last night…whoops

Matt Farniok - There’s not a big drop off between Ball and Farniok. He played pretty well, and I thought Farniok and Richards were the best duo on the line. They handled stunts really well together. Matt gets the job done, but he looks a little chaotic, and just straight up whiffed on some run and pass blocks. Needs to keep his feet better and not get caught reaching

Hoffman - Hoffman was a bit of a yikes for me. First of all, you don’t see him block much because on most passing downs he’s just standing there like he’s just happy to be a part of something. I get he’s holding the spy LB at bay but for crying out loud help your guards with a shove, man. When he did go 1 on 1 with a DT, he either got stonewalled on run plays, or pushed backwards like he was on a treadmill on pass plays. Even late in the game against 3rd stringers he was getting whooped, and sometimes he whiffed hard

Matt Waletzgo - I HATE that I’m writing this man’s name as the worst 2nd team lineman. He did not play well. Honestly, he’s the reason most of you think Ball sucked. He could not process a single stunt to save his life. He hugged guys multiple times, lost his feet constantly, looked clumsy like a baby giraffe most of the game, and just had zero power. I honestly would had guessed he’d be the TOP performer before the game, but alas, he just doesn’t look in control at all. Maybe it’s the move to RT? I don’t know but it was ROUGH for Matt.

3rd stringers

Earl Bostick Jr - The LTs just showed out today. Honestly, I’d rank Bostick above Hoffman and Waletzgo if I wasn’t separating 3rd stringers. He was solid. Not a ton of power, but held his own and got push in the run game. He probably benefited by having Farniok and then Richards next to him. The one play where Deuce got killed was a comms issue between him and Richards, but outside of that he was solid (for 3rd stringers)

T.J. Bass - Played ok. Whiffed a few times, fell down a few times, but worthy of practice squad IMO

Taylor (long last name) - meh. Bostick was much better. He was constantly out of position and reaching. Probably an easy cut

Lindstrom - Barely played in the 4th qtr. Don’t know why they kept Hoffman in so long. Played ok

2 Bonus Notes!!!!
1. I LOVE this offensive design. There were a lot of screens that never happened because of quick read passes. So cool to see designed screen plays with hot route options getting used. I think this offense will be fun if Dak can process things quickly.

2. OK….Deuce is really good. Go back and watch his TD run. It’s an inside zone run, and there was a weak hole for him to use but instead his instincts put him right past a completely free defender before the guy even knew what happened. He did alot of improvised runs when the hole didn’t materialize. I’m excited to see more.

Appreciate the input.
That was a lot of work!

 

[big dog cowboy]

Fantastic review!!!! Appreciate the effort. Very enlightening!

2. OK….Deuce is really good. Go back and watch his TD run. It’s an inside zone run, and there was a weak hole for him to use but instead his instincts put him right past a completely free defender before the guy even knew what happened.

But I was told he was too small and couldn't run between the tackles.

 

[CCBoy]

Expectations are still Martin and the Cowboys will settle their differences and he’ll be back by Week 1, but that’s not as automatic as it once seemed.

Regardless of Martin, the Cowboys need at least three viable options down the ranks and the progression of Waletzko and Ball is probably their best chance at achieving that.

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/20...aletzko-to-step-up-on-cowboys-offensive-line/

 

[gimmesix]

Rewatching the game now, focusing at the moment on Waletzko.

First drive wasn't too bad. On one play, he didn't get much push on the run and then got tossed off balance by the defender, but that was his only bad play. They tried a stretch run that he was out in front of and he got to the defender, but didn't get much push, but it didn't matter much because Jacksonville had the play contained. He did hook a pass rusher around the neck, but it was the same technique we saw often used against Parsons that was not called a hold. (His defender did end up in on the sack, but just to finish it off after Rush was hit by a free defender.)

 

[McMicah]

Expectations are still Martin and the Cowboys will settle their differences and he’ll be back by Week 1, but that’s not as automatic as it once seemed.

Regardless of Martin, the Cowboys need at least three viable options down the ranks and the progression of Waletzko and Ball is probably their best chance at achieving that.

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/20...aletzko-to-step-up-on-cowboys-offensive-line/

I’m going to probably do this for every PS game because I want to see if they bring Waletzko back to the left side, or to see if some of these guys really put it together. Sometimes it’s also about opposing matchups, so I can’t make summary judgments about cuts off of one game for sure.

 

[McMicah]

Rewatching the game now, focusing at the moment on Waletzko.

First drive wasn't too bad. On one play, he didn't get much push on the run and then got tossed off balance by the defender, but that was his only bad play. They tried a stretch run that he was out in front of and he got to the defender, but didn't get much push, but it didn't matter much because Jacksonville had the play contained. He did hook a pass rusher around the neck, but it was the same technique we saw often used against Parsons that was not called a hold. (His defender did end up in on the sack, but just to finish it off after Rush was hit by a free defender.)

He wasn’t a complete embarrassment or anything. But it’s worth watching him and Asim on every play and comparing them. He just looks so off balance the whole game compared to Richards and the stunts…woof.

I really do wonder if he would look completely different in the left side and maybe Richards would look bad on the right side. He certainly didn’t look the same as a guard

 

[McMicah]

Fantastic review!!!! Appreciate the effort. Very enlightening!


But I was told he was too small and couldn't run between the tackles.

The guy is inventive. He probably rarely used the actual prescribed hole all game. Compare him to Davis who kinda just bashed into where the hole was supposed to be…it’s just night and day.

Bad RBs can’t get away with improvising…this guy not only gets away with it but makes it looked designed

 

[gimmesix]

Second offensive possession for Waletzko. Quick throws on first and second down, so he didn't have to block long and did his job. Gave up some ground on an outside rush on third down, but had his man blocked. Quick pressure up the middle (didn't see who it was against), but it also was another quick throw and the receiver and quarterback were not on the same page. (Jalen Brooks seemed to be heading deep and Rush threw to a quick out.)

 

[gimmesix]

He wasn’t a complete embarrassment or anything. But it’s worth watching him and Asim on every play and comparing them. He just looks so off balance the whole game compared to Richards and the stunts…woof.

I really do wonder if he would look completely different in the left side and maybe Richards would look bad on the right side. He certainly didn’t look the same as a guard

Mind you, I've only watched him the first two offensive possessions and he did his job in pass protection. Needed to show more power in the running game, though.

 

[Bizwah]

Some of you may be interested in this since OL is a hot topic. Dallascowboys app has the whole commercial free game, and I encourage you to do your own research. Some of my conclusions may surprise you.

I went back and watched every snap about 10-12 times, looking at each offensive lineman at least twice.

1st half OL was:
- Asim Richards at LT
- Farniok at LG
- Hoffman at C
- Ball at RG
- Waletzgo at RT

2nd half OL was:
- Bostick Jr at LT
- Farniok/Richards at LG
- Hoffman/Lindstrom at C
- T.J. Bass at RG
- Taylor (long last name) at RT

I’m listing these guys in order of how well I think they played…buckle up. I’ll list all the 2nd team guys first cause it’s unfair to compare the 3rd stringers

Asim Richards - Best OL of the game. Played really well at LT against the Jags starting defense, including their #1 overall pick Walker. Looked very comfortable in pass pro, and moved guys in the run game. He needs to get stronger but his technique was really good. He struggled more against the 3rd string as a LG than he did against starters as a LT, and I think that was largely some comms issues with Bostick Jr and his lack of strength showing. Cowboys got a steal here. Get excited about this guy.

Josh Ball - No….I’m not kidding. His first series was awful, but he played really solid after that. If you don’t believe me, go watch the game. On every running play, he got the most push and kept his feet. On pass downs, he got pushed back the least of the interior guys. He looked very much in control of his body at all times. I don’t know what to tell you but he was my 2nd best lineman. I even prematurely called him out in a post last night…whoops

Matt Farniok - There’s not a big drop off between Ball and Farniok. He played pretty well, and I thought Farniok and Richards were the best duo on the line. They handled stunts really well together. Matt gets the job done, but he looks a little chaotic, and just straight up whiffed on some run and pass blocks. Needs to keep his feet better and not get caught reaching

Hoffman - Hoffman was a bit of a yikes for me. First of all, you don’t see him block much because on most passing downs he’s just standing there like he’s just happy to be a part of something. I get he’s holding the spy LB at bay but for crying out loud help your guards with a shove, man. When he did go 1 on 1 with a DT, he either got stonewalled on run plays, or pushed backwards like he was on a treadmill on pass plays. Even late in the game against 3rd stringers he was getting whooped, and sometimes he whiffed hard

Matt Waletzgo - I HATE that I’m writing this man’s name as the worst 2nd team lineman. He did not play well. Honestly, he’s the reason most of you think Ball sucked. He could not process a single stunt to save his life. He hugged guys multiple times, lost his feet constantly, looked clumsy like a baby giraffe most of the game, and just had zero power. I honestly would had guessed he’d be the TOP performer before the game, but alas, he just doesn’t look in control at all. Maybe it’s the move to RT? I don’t know but it was ROUGH for Matt.

3rd stringers

Earl Bostick Jr - The LTs just showed out today. Honestly, I’d rank Bostick above Hoffman and Waletzgo if I wasn’t separating 3rd stringers. He was solid. Not a ton of power, but held his own and got push in the run game. He probably benefited by having Farniok and then Richards next to him. The one play where Deuce got killed was a comms issue between him and Richards, but outside of that he was solid (for 3rd stringers)

T.J. Bass - Played ok. Whiffed a few times, fell down a few times, but worthy of practice squad IMO

Taylor (long last name) - meh. Bostick was much better. He was constantly out of position and reaching. Probably an easy cut

Lindstrom - Barely played in the 4th qtr. Don’t know why they kept Hoffman in so long. Played ok

2 Bonus Notes!!!!
1. I LOVE this offensive design. There were a lot of screens that never happened because of quick read passes. So cool to see designed screen plays with hot route options getting used. I think this offense will be fun if Dak can process things quickly.

2. OK….Deuce is really good. Go back and watch his TD run. It’s an inside zone run, and there was a weak hole for him to use but instead his instincts put him right past a completely free defender before the guy even knew what happened. He did alot of improvised runs when the hole didn’t materialize. I’m excited to see more.

Nice job.

I watched the game again, and thought Richards was ok. I agree he has a future. I can also see why they like Bostick. He's an interesting developmental guy. These guys all need to take notes watching Steele. He was really not all that great in PS games either his rookie year. He really worked his tail off and got stronger.

 

[plasticman]

I appreciate your work on this.

Sometimes I wonder how many teams in the NFL lost one or more starting O-linemen for a significant time during a regular season and still made it to a conference championship.

Last season the 49ers starting five missed a combined 5 games. The Chief's starting O-line missed 5. The Eagles 3.

The Bengals had to cancel one game. Otherwise, the Bengal starting offensive line missed a combined total of 1 game. La' el Collins sat out the last regular season game.

The Cincinatti Bengals utilized a backup offensive lineman for one game.

I think most team have,at most, six O-linemen on a team capable of starting and playing at a high level. After that, the decline is significant. I think teams average somewhere between three or four.

Last season the Cowboys had six, this season they have five. They cannot sustain a long term injury to any of their starters.

This could change quickly...in terms of years. One of these guys could really develop, but not soon enough for 2023.

I think the key to a successful offensive line has less to do with the quality of backups and more with the health of their starters. That is more than a little uncomfortable for a Cowboys fan to consider.

How good was Terrence Steele the first year he began to start? I recall some thought Brandon Knight was better.

 

[BlindFaith]

Some of you may be interested in this since OL is a hot topic. Dallascowboys app has the whole commercial free game, and I encourage you to do your own research. Some of my conclusions may surprise you.

I went back and watched every snap about 10-12 times, looking at each offensive lineman at least twice.

1st half OL was:
- Asim Richards at LT
- Farniok at LG
- Hoffman at C
- Ball at RG
- Waletzgo at RT

2nd half OL was:
- Bostick Jr at LT
- Farniok/Richards at LG
- Hoffman/Lindstrom at C
- T.J. Bass at RG
- Taylor (long last name) at RT

I’m listing these guys in order of how well I think they played…buckle up. I’ll list all the 2nd team guys first cause it’s unfair to compare the 3rd stringers

Asim Richards - Best OL of the game. Played really well at LT against the Jags starting defense, including their #1 overall pick Walker. Looked very comfortable in pass pro, and moved guys in the run game. He needs to get stronger but his technique was really good. He struggled more against the 3rd string as a LG than he did against starters as a LT, and I think that was largely some comms issues with Bostick Jr and his lack of strength showing. Cowboys got a steal here. Get excited about this guy.

Josh Ball - No….I’m not kidding. His first series was awful, but he played really solid after that. If you don’t believe me, go watch the game. On every running play, he got the most push and kept his feet. On pass downs, he got pushed back the least of the interior guys. He looked very much in control of his body at all times. I don’t know what to tell you but he was my 2nd best lineman. I even prematurely called him out in a post last night…whoops

Matt Farniok - There’s not a big drop off between Ball and Farniok. He played pretty well, and I thought Farniok and Richards were the best duo on the line. They handled stunts really well together. Matt gets the job done, but he looks a little chaotic, and just straight up whiffed on some run and pass blocks. Needs to keep his feet better and not get caught reaching

Hoffman - Hoffman was a bit of a yikes for me. First of all, you don’t see him block much because on most passing downs he’s just standing there like he’s just happy to be a part of something. I get he’s holding the spy LB at bay but for crying out loud help your guards with a shove, man. When he did go 1 on 1 with a DT, he either got stonewalled on run plays, or pushed backwards like he was on a treadmill on pass plays. Even late in the game against 3rd stringers he was getting whooped, and sometimes he whiffed hard

Matt Waletzgo - I HATE that I’m writing this man’s name as the worst 2nd team lineman. He did not play well. Honestly, he’s the reason most of you think Ball sucked. He could not process a single stunt to save his life. He hugged guys multiple times, lost his feet constantly, looked clumsy like a baby giraffe most of the game, and just had zero power. I honestly would had guessed he’d be the TOP performer before the game, but alas, he just doesn’t look in control at all. Maybe it’s the move to RT? I don’t know but it was ROUGH for Matt.

3rd stringers

Earl Bostick Jr - The LTs just showed out today. Honestly, I’d rank Bostick above Hoffman and Waletzgo if I wasn’t separating 3rd stringers. He was solid. Not a ton of power, but held his own and got push in the run game. He probably benefited by having Farniok and then Richards next to him. The one play where Deuce got killed was a comms issue between him and Richards, but outside of that he was solid (for 3rd stringers)

T.J. Bass - Played ok. Whiffed a few times, fell down a few times, but worthy of practice squad IMO

Taylor (long last name) - meh. Bostick was much better. He was constantly out of position and reaching. Probably an easy cut

Lindstrom - Barely played in the 4th qtr. Don’t know why they kept Hoffman in so long. Played ok

2 Bonus Notes!!!!
1. I LOVE this offensive design. There were a lot of screens that never happened because of quick read passes. So cool to see designed screen plays with hot route options getting used. I think this offense will be fun if Dak can process things quickly.

2. OK….Deuce is really good. Go back and watch his TD run. It’s an inside zone run, and there was a weak hole for him to use but instead his instincts put him right past a completely free defender before the guy even knew what happened. He did alot of improvised runs when the hole didn’t materialize. I’m excited to see more.

Very well done. And I completely agree with your OL assessment. You'll hear from the Ball haters, but hes looked solid. I had him making the team before camp even started. But he's definitely solidified a spot.
Richardson looked real good at T.

 

[Chrissyboy]

Love the assessment. I watched it live and your analysis seems to reflect my impressions.

OL is probably my favourite element of football. I love reading about our progress.

I get that OL play improves at a slow rate during TC (and preseason) as it depends on developing understanding and partnerships but indivodual strengths are still prevalent and can be observed.

Thank you, again, McM.

 

[CCBoy]

I’m going to probably do this for every PS game because I want to see if they bring Waletzko back to the left side, or to see if some of these guys really put it together. Sometimes it’s also about opposing matchups, so I can’t make summary judgments about cuts off of one game for sure.

Keep us all good fans...and knowledgeable of our team. Failures are not an insult in life...staying there is!

Good work and it is appreciated...it improves all of us as fans.

 

[CCBoy]

I appreciate your work on this.

Sometimes I wonder how many teams in the NFL lost one or more starting O-linemen for a significant time during a regular season and still made it to a conference championship.

Last season the 49ers starting five missed a combined 5 games. The Chief's starting O-line missed 5. The Eagles 3.

The Bengals had to cancel one game. Otherwise, the Bengal starting offensive line missed a combined total of 1 game. La' el Collins sat out the last regular season game.

The Cincinatti Bengals utilized a backup offensive lineman for one game.

I think most team have,at most, six O-linemen on a team capable of starting and playing at a high level. After that, the decline is significant. I think teams average somewhere between three or four.

Last season the Cowboys had six, this season they have five. They cannot sustain a long term injury to any of their starters.

This could change quickly...in terms of years. One of these guys could really develop, but not soon enough for 2023.

I think the key to a successful offensive line has less to do with the quality of backups and more with the health of their starters. That is more than a little uncomfortable for a Cowboys fan to consider.

How good was Terrence Steele the first year he began to start? I recall some thought Brandon Knight was better.

Steele pretty quickly assumed the yoke and functioned at a physical and strength level pretty quickly.

When a large man has to regain strength and brute dominance again, developing technique, it take longer. We still have some 3 year windows working in the linemen groups. One will probaby survive and one won't for now. It still is a sport of dominance or purely carrying the load. No time on the clock, they won't hang around for a 4th.

 

[Eanwen]

Asim Richards - Best OL of the game. Played really well at LT against the Jags starting defense, including their #1 overall pick Walker. Looked very comfortable in pass pro, and moved guys in the run game. He needs to get stronger but his technique was really good. He struggled more against the 3rd string as a LG than he did against starters as a LT, and I think that was largely some comms issues with Bostick Jr and his lack of strength showing. Cowboys got a steal here. Get excited about this guy.

I'm glad you said this, because I felt this way while watching the game live but I've seen several people downplay his performance. Had me doubting my eyes. I hope he's good enough to be LT2 (not that I think he's better than Tyler, I just think it would be best to just replace Tyron with Asim without moving anyone around for continuity's sake).

 

[CCBoy]

I'm glad you said this, because I felt this way while watching the game live but I've seen several people downplay his performance. Had me doubting my eyes. I hope he's good enough to be LT2 (not that I think he's better than Tyler, I just think it would be best to just replace Tyron with Asim without moving anyone around for continuity's sake).

A player starts when he has paid enough to merit the start...not before just because he's a new face.

 

[McMicah]

I'm glad you said this, because I felt this way while watching the game live but I've seen several people downplay his performance. Had me doubting my eyes. I hope he's good enough to be LT2 (not that I think he's better than Tyler, I just think it would be best to just replace Tyron with Asim without moving anyone around for continuity's sake).

Yeah I’m very interested to see how this goes with Asim. A lot of people projected him at G when he got drafted, but he looked just fine at LT. I think at worst we definitely have a solid depth guy for our team, and that feels really good to say