Every week, we’re digging into the trenches, offense and defense, because that’s where the real action happens. In this installment, we’re shining a spotlight on the offensive line, who’s holding it down,
who’s opening holes for the running backs, and who’s keeping Dak Prescott clean. Let’s get to it.
Left Tackle
Tyler Guyton
(2025 Stats: 607 Total Snaps, 391 Pass Blocks, 29 Pressures, 6 QB Hits, 2 Sacks, 5 Penalties)
Guyton gets a full trench test against the Philly’s defensive front this week, and the numbers paint an interesting picture. Individually, Guyton’s been sturdier than the label suggests and tracking has him at a 93% pass block win rate, that’s 18th among all NFL tackles, while Dallas as a unit sits 10th in team Pass Block Win Rate at 66%, and 13th in team Run Block Win Rate at 72%. That’s the steady platform you want before you invite chaos to the party.
Across the line of scrimmage, the Eagles are oddly middle of the pack by win-rate math. They’re 19th in pass rush win rate at 36% and 24th in run stop win rate at 29%. But the personnel they have playing are far from middle of the pack. The team added Jaelan Phillips before the deadline trade adding more firepower to the defensive line and ranks eighth in run stop win rate among edge defenders. Jordan Davis is tenth among defensive tackles in run-stop win rate (40%), and Jalen Carter ranks 18th among defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate.
Zoom out to the matchups Guyton will actually see. New Eagle Jaelan Phillips is flashing exactly what he flashed in Miami while Vic Fangio has been mixing him into stunts and overloads since the deal went through. Inside, Jordan Davis is a space-eater who converts knock-back into run disruption, and Carter remains their most dangerous interior pass rusher, ranking third on the team in total pressures, right behind a lesser talked player in Moro Ojomo, who also needs attention heading into this game.
PFF sees an interesting split for Guyton. His pass-block grade of 51.5, run-block grade at 62.1 suggests he still has work to do as neither of these grades rank in the top-40 among offensive tackles. That tracks with the season log of five flags so far (three false starts, one hold, one ineligible man downfield), and that’s the sort of drive-killers that make good blocks vanish from memory and give Cowboys fans reason to complain.
The good news for Guyton is he had a great game last week against a decent Las Vegas defensive line. The trend hopefully continues as we head into the back half of the season, but the schedule from here on out gets tough, so Guyton needs to be on form certainly for the next four weeks as Dallas heads into the dog-days here. This is the first big test for him, so pay close attention to his performance this week.
Left Guard
Tyler Smith
(2025 Stats: 614 Total snaps, 397 Pass Blocks, 14 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 2 Sacks, 9 Penalties)
Smith gets a heavyweight interior fight against the Eagles, and the numbers say it’ll be more about persistence than one unblockable play. The of rotation of Moro Ojomo as an interior rusher puts extra stress on Smith as Ojomo leads all defensive tackles in total pressures and has four sacks on the season, most for the Eagles.
Smith’s season-long profiles like a classic people-mover. At guard, his 74.1 run-block grade ranks 11th, and a still catching-up 57.6 in pass pro grade which is outside the top-50. That matches what the Cowboys have leaned on lately on inside zone plays, with play-action and rhythm throws to blunt the twist games.
At left guard, Smith will see Carter’s quick-swim on passing downs and Davis’ knock-back on early downs. Carter’s sack count isn’t gaudy this year, but his ability to win in less than three seconds creates pressure. The Cowboys’ team win-rates suggest they can keep the call sheet balanced even when fronts move, but there’s a lot on Smith’s plate this week and is a massive key to the offense.
Center
Cooper Beebe
(2025 Stats: 268 Total Snaps, 178 Pass Blocks, 6 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 0 Sacks, 0 Penalties)
Cooper Beebe is absolutely pivotal against the Eagles to keeps Dallas on schedule. Dallas has been holding blocks long enough for 2.7 seconds in terms of time-to-throw for Dak, and they’re creating just enough displacement to keep the offense balanced, while the Eagles win more with depth and persistence than instant destruction, so this plays in Beebe’s favor.
Where Beebe earns his keep shows on PFF where he grades like a classic center. His run blocking grade of 69.8 ranks 11th among starting centers, and his 52.8 in pass pro ranks 30th. That tracks with the tape where he’s better when he can deliver the first jolt and climb, but still smoothing the hand timing and re-fits when interior rushers counter late. After a September ankle detour, he returned and immediately helped calm the middle. In the last two games he’s logged clean games with zero pressures and no sacks charged, along zero penalties on the season.
Dallas has gotten its best version of Beebe when the plan leans into quick rhythm throws and inside-zone with fewer must-win passing downs, where there’s more chances for him to deliver a jolt. The splits says his run displacement is elite, and that’s noticeable on tape, while the pass-pro polish is getting better with each game, meaning those win-rate numbers for the unit in general is slowly climbing.
Right Guard
Tyler Booker
(2025 Stats: 499 Total snaps, 323 Pass Blocks, 14 Pressures, 5 QB Hits, 1 Sacks, 4 Penalties)
For the in-depth analysis on Booker, go to BTB’s Rookie Battleground article.
Right Tackle
Terence Steele
(2025 Stats: 660 Total snaps, 414 Pass Blocks, 29 Pressures, 4 QB Hits, 4 Sacks, 4 Penalties)
Steele draws a classic win it twice assignment against Philadelphia. Steele is at a 92% in pass block win rate among tackles this year, that’s 19th, but he does lead the team in sacks allowed at four. Jaelan Phillips will look to try exploit Steele at every opportunity, so covering Dak’s open side will come with extra help in the form of tight end chips.
PFF has Steele’s season at 660 offensive snaps so far which is the most among all the Cowboys offensive line, which counts towards his team-leading sack numbers, but on tape you find a blocker that’s generally sustaining blocks long enough for the ball to be out on time. Penalty-tracking shows the flags have clustered as holds rather than pre-snap freebies, which is at least fixable.
Steele could be a game changer in the passing game by allowing Jake Ferguson to feature more in the passing game if he can win the one-on-ones. In the run game, if Steele’s down-blocks and combos stay square with low pads, Javonte Williams can have another big game.
Injury update
No injury status for the starting line this week.
