Through five weeks of ball, the Dallas Cowboys have every reason to maintain the high expectations that followed them all summer long.
Dak Prescott is playing explosive yet efficient football, the backfield has made plays when needed, all behind an offense that’s balanced, creative, and increasingly unpredictable.
But what’s truly fueling Dallas’ early-season surge isn’t a high-priced free agent or a star addition -- it’s the unheralded work of offensive line coach Conor Riley, who has turned one of football’s most injury-riddled position groups into one of its most productive.
Cowboys' hire of Conor Riley looks like an absolute home run
Through five weeks, the Cowboys are averaging over 30 points a ballgame, fourth-best in football.
And as good as that production has been, it hasn't come without it's fair share of adversity with a revolving door up front. Just take a peek back to last week, where Dallas entered MetLife Stadium against the Jets with backups at left tackle, left guard, center, and right guard. Three undrafted free agents, a sixth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick made up the starting five.
And yet, the Cowboys’ line didn’t just survive — it dominated.
This is not the same Dallas line of old, a group where All-Pros and household names were in abundance. It’s a group of grinders who are well-coached, disciplined, and fully bought into the system. And that system is very much the brainchild of Riley and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, the two hires Brian Schottenheimer pushed for this offseason to reshape the trenches.
Adams, brought in specifically for his ability to design and scheme the run game, wanted an offensive line coach who could teach physicality and cohesion regardless of who was on the field. Riley, fresh off his success developing linemen at Kansas State, fit that mold seamlessly.
Together, they’ve created a front that doesn’t just rely on talent -- it relies on technique and execution.
The results speak for themselves.
Against a Jets front featuring Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, and one of the league’s deepest defensive line rotations, Dallas’ patchwork unit held firm. Prescott stayed clean, the run game found rhythm, and the Cowboys controlled the tempo from the first series onward.
That kind of output with so many new faces in new places doesn’t happen without the right teaching principles.
Riley’s influence has been evident in the way his players communicate and recover. The unit plays with sharp eyes and disciplined hands, picking up stunts and blitzes like a veteran group. There’s a smoothness to how they operate -- the spacing, the timing, the angles -- it reflects an elite attention to detail that can often go overlooked.
It’s not flashy, but it’s the type of development that sustains success. Offensive line play across the NFL has been down in recent years -- a reflection of limited practice time, complex schemes, and a talent pipeline that often struggles to keep up with modern defensive athleticism.
Yet, in Dallas, Riley and Adams have built a front that’s not only functional, but thriving, even when the personnel should suggest otherwise.
Riley’s teaching background shows through in every rep. His linemen play with confidence as they understand the why behind every concept. Whether it’s executing a reach block in wide zone, climbing to the second level on duo, or identifying protection calls in empty sets, the Cowboys’ backups have looked ready for the moment. That’s coaching, not coincidence.
There’s also a cultural element to it. Schottenheimer didn’t hire Adams and Riley out of comfort or past relationships -- he hired them because they fit the vision. Adams brings the structure; Riley brings the detail. Together, they’ve made Dallas’ offensive line a highly impactful unit early on.
The Cowboys’ offensive identity has always started in the trenches, but this version of it feels a bit different. It’s not just power -- it’s precision. It’s not just five individual blockers winning in isolation -- it’s a unit that plays as one. And even as injuries have mounted, that chemistry has held, driving Dallas to a top-five scoring offense despite constant change.
In a league where offensive line depth is often the biggest weakness, Riley has turned chaos into cohesion. His fingerprints are all over Dallas’ early success, and if the Cowboys continue to roll through the season’s middle stretch, it’ll be because the big boys up front-- no matter who’s playing.