Dallas Cowboys: 6 matchups to look forward to in 2020

Cowboys DT’s vs Saquon Barkley – Week 5

Last season, the pass defense was good, but it looked as if the run defense was not playing as good. While stats-wise, both the run and pass defense ranked around 10th in the league, it was the run defense that looked like it needed help.

Owner Jerry Jones addressed it by signing interior linemen Gerald McCoy, and Dontari Poe, while also drafting Neville Gallimore and re-signing Antwaun Woods. Put this new Cowboys defensive line is up against New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, and you have something great to see.

The 2018 second overall pick has been nothing short of exceptional since entering the league. He has been playing so well that some have him in the debate as the best running back in the NFL.

In his rookie season, the young back ran for 1,307 yards despite being behind a poor offensive line. Heading into the 2020 season, he will be running behind the best offensive line he had yet.

In 2019 against Dallas, Barkley played perfectly in one game but disappeared in the other. Week 1 saw him average 10.91 yards per rushing attempt while Week 9 saw him average only 2.0 yards per rushing attempt.

McCoy and Poe both played for the Carolina Panthers last season. In 27 games combined, they had 59 tackles with 14 being for a loss of yards. The stable play will help Dallas a lot rather than rotating between four linemen that had 20-28 tackles last season.

When you add in the athletic freak in Gallimore, you see the interior line should play much better this season compared to last season. Woods gives the team solid depth. This game against the Giants in Week 5 is going to test just how good the interior line is.

The Cowboys defensive interior must play better than the group from last season. If they live up to their expectations, it will ensure Dallas gets their ticket into the playoffs.