NFL Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys’ Offensive Line The Real Story On Sunday

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Demarco Murray Dallas Cowboys

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So much attention was given to Tony Romo’s back and whether or not he should be playing this week that everyone was overlooking the story that just as important: the health of the Dallas Cowboys‘ offensive line.

The difference between the mediocre 8-8 Cowboys of the past and this year’s team is the fact that they have a line they can depend on to keep their franchise quarterback upright. They can also rely on the big boys upfront to pave the way for the bruising DeMarco Murray to control the clock and keep their defense off the field.

When the Cowboys were rolling this year, Tyron Smith, Ronald Leary, Travis Frederick, Zach Martin and Doug Free were all healthy and they formed a cohesive unit that always knew where the other would be in the zone blocking scheme. But when Free got hurt towards the end of the Seattle Seahawks game, Jeremy Parnell had to come in and replace him.

He did an okay job, but he was exposed a bit in the game against the Washington Redskins when they blitzed Romo and that line mercilessly, and we all know the result was almost an end to Romo’s career with yet another shot to that back of his.

During that game, Leary hurt his groin and he had to sit out the following week against the Arizona Cardinals. That now took 40 percent of the starters out of the lineup, and they found themselves getting pushed around by the Cardinals’ punishing front seven. Again, they did an okay job, but the holes that Murray was seeing earlier in the year just weren’t there anymore. He still somehow ran for 79 yards, but the Cowboys could no longer control the flow of the game and that threw their entire gameplan off.

All of this contributed to their two-game losing streak, and panic was starting to set in in the Metroplex. This week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, both Free and Leary returned to the lineup, and fans immediately saw a difference. It looked like the same dominant offensive line that had people calling it the NFL’s best earlier in the year. Murray was getting five yards a clip on each carry, and Romo had all day to sit in the pocket and find open receivers.

Now you can say that it was just the Jaguars, but they did enter the game ranked in the top five for sacks in the league and it is the NFL — so everyone can play in this league.

The point is, the Cowboys were able to get back to their winning formula of physically dominating defensive lineman on every play. The key to their playoff run this year will be keeping those five beasts on the line healthy.

Kelly Anderson is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bgipp01 or add him to your network on Google.

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