Dallas Cowboys: How will the offensive line perform in the season opener?

Left Guard

Connor Williams has been the Cowboys’ starting left guard for two years, but I’m bringing up his position for two reasons. One: His 2019 season ended with an ACL injury in the Thanksgiving game loss to the Buffalo Bills. This is also not the first time he’s been kept out of games due to injury. He also missed several games his rookie season.

Two: Even when he’s been on the field, he’s never been a dominating player. In his first season, he was pushed around a little, so over the 2019 offseason, Williams bulked up in the weight room. Though he was better in his second campaign, like I said, he still wasn’t exactly a dominating presence.

Between these two factors, many observers expected more of a battle for the starting left guard position with second-year guard Connor McGovern. But then, Coronavirus hit, and training camp was shortened. McGovern got a few snaps with the first team at the start of training camp, but that was before Williams was cleared to play.

Since then, it’s been all Williams. And according to all accounts (including head coach Mike McCarthy), he’s acquitted himself nicely. But it will still be interesting to see how Williams plays on Sunday. Will he look fully healed? Will he play as well as last year? Will he be even better? We’ll see on Sunday.

These three positions are the most major concerns. But starting left tackle, All-Pro Tyron Smith, was the other starter largely held out of practices over the last month. Smith has had injury problems in the past. He’s missed three games with injury each of the last four seasons. It’s almost like clockwork. You can bank on Smith having issues of one kind or another somewhere along the line.

The other perennial Pro Bowler on the line, Zack Martin, wasn’t healthy for the whole season last year either. He was out injured for one game, and hobbled for at least several others.

As you can see, “The Great Wall of Dallas” isn’t quite what it used to be. And that’s why I’m going to be watching Dallas’s offensive line very carefully this Sunday night. How they perform on their first game could be a harbinger of things to come this season.