Dallas Cowboys: Defensive line must step up vs. Jaguars

The Dallas Cowboys aim to get back to .500 against the Jaguars in Week 6, and their defensive line will be critical in making that happen.

In recent years, the safe bet would’ve been to say that the Dallas Cowboys taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars would be a battle of the former’s powerful offense against the latter’s elite defense. Instead, as these teams will face off in Dallas in Week 6, it could well be the defenses of each team that decide the outcome of this matchup.

The issues with the Cowboys offense at this point have been widely noted. From a lack of playmakers outside of Ezekiel Elliott, to the offensive line playing at a subpar level, to poor play-calling,the issues are prevalent. Amidst all of those problems, however, the Dallas defense has kept them competitive, even with linebacker Sean Lee currently dealing with an injury.

As for the Jaguars, it’s been their defense that has kept them in game this season. Blake Bortles remains as inconsistent as ever and injuries have crippled them further on that side of the ball. Those very injuries are where Dallas must attack in Week 6 if they want to be successful.

Though the injury to Leonard Fournette gets the majority of the headlines, the biggest issue for the Jaguars offense is up front. Their offensive line has been decimated this season, particularly at left tackle. After losing Cam Robinson for the season with a torn ACL, they then placed second-stringer Josh Wells on IR this week. That puts little-used (and likely ill-prepared) Josh Walker starting at left tackle against the Cowboys.

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What’s more, perhaps the Jaguars’ best lineman, 2018 free-agent signing Andrew Norwell, has been dealing with a foot issue in recent weeks, including being in a walking boot earlier in the week. He’s expected to be good to go, but it’s clear he’s at less than 100 percent.

With all of these injuries for Jacksonville, the onus is on the Dallas defensive line to step up. Demarcus Lawrence has continued to be a force on the left side of the Cowboys front, but it’s the opposite side comprised of Taco Charlton and Randy Gregory that has been highly ineffective and inconsistent.

The talent for both Charlton and Gregory is there, but they’ve yet to put it together in 2018. This is a matchup where that can’t be the case. They are up against a mediocre-at-best line that has been made even worse, specifically in their matchup on the right side, by injuries. It’s a matchup that simply can’t be left un-exploited.

How the Cowboys defensive line plays on Sunday could ultimately determine their success against the Jags. Charlton and Gregory have to join the likes of Lawerence and Tyrone Crawford in stepping up. Though the Dallas offense remains a question mark, they can control the game against Jacksonville if they’re able to win in a favorable matchup.