In this episode of Between the Lines we flip the attention to the defensive line, where chaos meets strategy. This is where the Cowboys’ games are won and lost so let’s dive in.
Interior Defensive Line
Osa Odighizuwa
(2025 Stats: 532 Total snaps, 35 Total Tackles, 6 TFL, 43 Pressures, 3 Sack)
Grade: 66.6
Solomon Thomas
(2025 Stats: 335 Total snaps, 23 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 11 Pressures, 0 Sacks, 1 PD)
Grade: 59.9
Kenny Clark
(2025 Stats: 572 Total snaps, 27 Total Tackles, 5 TFL, 37 Pressures, 3 Sacks)
Grade: 65.2
Jay Toia
(2025 Stats: 89 Total snaps, 3 Total Tackle, 0 TFL, 1 Pressure,
0 Sacks)
Grade: 29.9
Quinnen Williams
(2025 Stats [including Jets]: 534 Total snaps, 45 Total Tackles, 9 TFL, 45 Pressures, 2.5 Sacks, 3 FF)
Grade: 85.1
Minnesota sits first in run block win rate at 75%, but a middling 23rd in pass block win rate at 59%. That split tells you exactly where the fight needs to happen for Dallas’ tackles. It’s a game of winning on early down runs. If the Cowboys interior loses the battle it will be a tough night. The tackles are as good as advertised with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, who both grade as top-10 run-block winner among tackles, and the interior has settled with Ryan Kelly at center, rookie Donovan Jackson at left guard, and Will Fries at right guard. It’s a big, coordinated wall that wants to roll downhill.
The good news is Dallas’ interior has the tools to jam the gears. The Cowboys are fifth in run-stop win rate (32%) and 12th in pass-rush win rate (39%). Individually, Osa Odighizuwa shows up on ESPN’s defensive tackle leaderboards with a top-five run-stop win rate (41%), and Quinnen Williams sits first at 46%. The assignment is simple but not easy this week, shut down the run and force J.J. McCarthy from the pocket to cause simple mistakes.
Minnesota’s run game plan under Kevin O’Connell is the usual McVay-tree game plan. Dallas’ interior will see a heavy outside zone plan, with enough inside zone to keep the Cowboys linebackers guessing. If Dallas steals first down, Minnesota’s 23rd-ranked pass-block unit has to hold up longer than it wants, so stop the run first and the rest should fall into place.
McCarthy’s rookie line has been bumpy with 3.6 sacks taken per game, a 31.8% third-down conversion rate for the offense, and bottom-tier passing efficiency. So if Dallas makes them play behind the sticks, the ball stops coming out on quick rhythm throws. On the ground, Jordan Mason has been their steadiest hammer with 630 rush yards and six scores, with Aaron Jones sprinkled in when healthy. That’s a run game that can set the tone. But the good news is this is not a Lamar-style quarterback run threat, so Dallas doesn’t have to spy the QB on every snap, meaning more concentrated effort from the linebackers to help stop the run.
The injury sheet is the wild card. Darrisaw’s knee and Donovan Jackson’s ankle could alter how Minnesota plays. For Dallas, the interior line hasn’t shown up this week on the injury report, which means the rotation can be a huge benefit and test the depth pieces on the Vikings line if they are forced to play.
Defensive End
Sam Williams
(2025 Stats: 383 Total snaps, 25 Total Tackles, 4 TFL, 20 Pressures, 1 Sack, 1 FR, 1 PD)
Grade: 54.2
Dante Fowler Jr.
(2025 Stats: 297 Total snaps, 13 Total Tackles, 4 TFL, 29 Pressures, 3 Sacks, 3 PD)
Grade: 78.7
Donovan Ezeiruaku
(2025 Stats: 476 Total snaps, 34 Total tackle, 9 TFL, 29 Pressures, 2 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 Sfty)
Grade: 78.7
James Houston
(2025 Stats: 234 Total snaps, 26 Total tackles, 6 TFL, 19 Pressures, 5.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR)
Grade: 65.5
Jadeveon Clowney
(2025 Stats: 243 Total snaps, 27 Total tackles, 5 TFL, 26 Pressures, 4 Sacks, 1 FR, 3 PD)
Grade: 71.8
Dallas brings a deep, shape-shifting edge rotation to Minneapolis, and the metrics say it’s not all bad. Dante Fowler Jr. has upper-tier PFF rating at 78.7 overall, and 73.7 pass-rush grade, with steady pressure even when the sack column is quiet. Jadeveon Clowney plays the governor on the perimeter with a 71.8 overall grade and 77.5 pass-rush grade, while James Houston has become the closer. Rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku has been the biggest standout and has graded well week-to-week and gives the group a high-motor changeup when the cadence slows, he now leads the edge group in total pressures and leads the team in overall defensive grade on PFF. Add it up and you get waves that can rotate effectively.
J.J. McCarthy is coming off his best outing last week, but on the season he’s at 1,092 yards, nine touchdowns, ten interceptions, and a passer rating of just 64.2. The numbers say he can be hurried into mistakes if the pocket shrinks on him. All this puts the onus on Dallas’ edges to win early and keep any bootlegs bottled up. If they can get Minnesota behind the sticks, the sack-rate and third-down data put the field in the Cowboys favor.
Minnesota’s tackles can play, but the team protection rate and third-down stats are living in the danger zone. If Dallas’ edges set hard edges against the run, the sack-rate trend (30th) becomes the story again, making for a good day for the Cowboys edge group.
Injury Update
Clowney has been limited so far this week and is officially listed as questionable, but the rumor is he should be playing this week.
