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
Nathan Thomas
(2025 Stats: 281 Total Snaps, 189 Pass Blocks, 13 Pressures, 4 QB Hits, 2 Sacks, 3 Penalties)
Thomas had a long, tough night in Detroit that really frustrated fans. Dallas chased the game while Thomas was
the most targeted mismatch on the offensive line. He logged 82 snaps and was charged with a team-high eight pressures, including a sack and two hits, plus a penalty as Aidan Hutchinson and the stunt game kept coming.
There were still a few wins for Thomas, but they were few. When Dallas stayed on schedule, Thomas’ angles on down blocks and right-side combos helped create functional rushing lanes, helping the Cowboys finish with 30 points and 376 passing yards despite the self-inflicted wounds. But the negatives outweighed the positives in protection for Thomas. PFF captured the struggle with 29.7 offensive grade and an even worse pass-block grade of just 16.3.
The issue here is Thomas has been a next-man-up starter with uneven results, but the broader Dallas trench metrics remain solid enough to support a bounce-back. The Cowboys are at 65% Pass Block Win Rate (12th) and 71% Run Block Win Rate (17th), so a top-third protection group when the ball is on time. Thomas’s personal PFF page, though, shows the learning curve in bright lights with a 36.2 overall grade, 29.1 pass-block grade, and 49.2 run-block grade, all an alarming score.
Left Guard
Tyler Smith
(2025 Stats: 842 Total snaps, 550 Pass Blocks, 18 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 2 Sacks, 9 Penalties)
Smith’s night in Detroit read like a guard trying to keep the boat steady while the tide turned. Dallas threw it 47 times, gave up five sacks, and ran it 24 times for 91 yards, with game flow that forced Smith to live on long-developing protections against a front that heated up late. On the plus side, Smith’s anchor showed up good on inside loops that the Lions love.
The Vikings’ defense looks like a wave machine, so Smith and his veteran presence is going to be needed to help the unit as a whole, and more importantly, Nate Thomas. The Vikings defense boasts a 44% Pass Rush Win Rate (2nd) and 31% Run Stop Win Rate (12th) as a team, with 47 team sacks already on record (eighth-most), and multiple games where Brian Flores’ pressure plan became an avalanche. Next Gen charting even had them at 47.6% pressure in Week 9, and they just shutout Washington 31–0 to break a four-game skid. Individually, the threats show up all across the defense. Dallas Turner and Eric Wilson lead the team with 5.5 sacks each, Jalen Redmond sits on five sacks, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jason Hargrave combine for seven sacks, with Jonathan Allen and Jonathan Greenard combining for four sacks.
Center
Cooper Beebe
(2025 Stats: 496 Total Snaps, 351 Pass Blocks, 10 Pressures, 2 QB Hits, 0 Sacks, 0 Penalties)
Beebe’s trip to Detroit was one of those hold the fort type nights while things around him went crazy. Dallas threw it a ton, lived in long counts, and Beebe handled the administrative stuff the way coaches want. He made clean identifications on the line and enough pop on play-side doubles to let both guards climb when Dallas asked him to. Beebe’s stats this season have been extremely encouraging. He’s on zero sacks allowed, 10 total pressures, two quarterback hits and zero penalties, that’s an impressive line for a second-year center.
Beebe’s job against Minnesota is be the sledgehammer. Flores will pressure the A-gaps with different looks to confuse the issue. Beebe will have to be aware and get the line into the correct blocking assignments.
Right Guard
Tyler Booker
(2025 Stats: 727 Total snaps, 476 Pass Blocks, 18 Pressures, 5 QB Hits, 1 Sacks, 6 Penalties)
For the in-depth analysis on Booker, go to BTB’s Rookie Battleground article.
Right Tackle
Terence Steele
(2025 Stats: 888 Total snaps, 567 Pass Blocks, 41 Pressures, 8 QB Hits, 5 Sacks, 6 Penalties)
Steele’s season has been a seesaw, with the underlying win-rate math saying it’s solid, but the tape says up-and-down, and the penalties keep nudging drives off script. Steele sits at 93% Pass Block Win Rate, that’s 17th among tackles which will surprise most. So what does PFF grading have to say? It paints the same split you all see on Sundays. His run-block grade sits at 77.6, that’s 13th among tackles. But his pass-block grade sits at 55.4 putting him in the bottom third. In short, he’s still a people-mover in the run game, but his pass sets have oscillated with clean stretches followed by a bunch of high-leverage losses that kill drives.
Steele’s job against Minnesota starts before the ball is snapped, getting a plan in place and getting the read right, and to be in lockstep with Tyler Booker. What Steele needs to do is make the Vikings pressure plan expensive. If he can get rid of the freebies that have stung drives this season, there’s a good chance that Dak stays clean and can deliver. If he keeps up the same issues in pass protection, Dak will scramble, have to reset his launch point, and that’s when we see the miscues or deep field sacks.
Injury update
Tyler Guyton has been working the past week to return, but has yet to practice, so the hope for his return is fading.
