3 things Cowboys must work on vs. Jaguars to get right for Eagles
By Randy Gurzi
2. Figure Out the Offensive Line
The Cowboys suffered a huge loss in Week 14 when Terence Steele went down with a knee injury. The initial fear was a torn ACL, and sadly, that proved to be what happened to the third-year player.
And, to make it worse, he has a torn MCL as well.
Terence Steele is out for the season with a torn ACL, per source.
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) December 12, 2022
Steele has been an ascending star for the Cowboys this season, and one of the stabilizing factors on an OL that experienced injuries early.
A huge blow to the Cowboys. @1053thefan
It’s never good to see any player injured, but it’s really a gut punch to watch Steele go down. A former undrafted free agent in 2020, Steele developed his game to the point the front office was willing to move on from La’el Collins.
Dallas took heat for this decision, but eventually, we all saw why the choice was made. Steele has been a top-20 offensive tackle in the NFL this season, according to PFF, and has arguably been the best lineman this season for the Cowboys.
As upsetting as it is for the rising star, the coaching staff has to move forward and decide what to do at right tackle. They originally went with Josh Ball against Houston, but then put Jason Peters in for the final drive. Peters clearly looked more comfortable than Ball, and might be the one to play in place of Steele going forward.
Another option could be to try Tyler Smith at right tackle and let either Peters or Connor McGovern play left guard — which is where Smith is expected to go, since Tyron Smith should be back at left tackle.
The bad news is, no one will be as solid as Steele has been. The good news is, there are options. And they have this upcoming game to figure it all out before the most important game of the regular season.