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Cowboys at Rams: 3 matchups to watch in Week 1

By Tyrone Starr

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams greets Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys after the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Rams defeated the Cowboys 30-22. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams greets Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys after the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Rams defeated the Cowboys 30-22. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Dallas Cowboys
Zack Martin #70, Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Connor Williams, Joe Looney, and Zack Martin vs. Aaron Donald

Last year, the Dallas Cowboys dominated the interior of the Rams defensive line. Both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard eclipsed 100+ yards rushing. In the second quarter alone, the ran 11 times for 65 yards and two touchdowns combined. In short, Donald was a non-factor.

That is a huge victory in its own right as Donald is widely considered the best defensive lineman in all of football. Compare that showing to the previous matchup, a 2018 Divisional round loss, where Elliott ran for just 47 yards on 20 carries.

In that 2018 loss, Connor Williams, Joe Looney, and Zack Martin were the starting guard/center combination. For the 2019 win, only Martin appeared as Williams missed the game due to injury and Looney was on the bench behind Travis Frederick.

Frederick is now retired and Williams is back and healthy. Can Joe Looney be better than that January night in Los Angeles that ended the Dallas Cowboys season? Can Williams equal the performance Xavier Su’a-Filo provided last season?

The Dallas Cowboys will likely need to once again eclipse 100+ yards rushing in order to win this game. How these three men in the middle fare will go a long way in determining the success or failure of that production.

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