Dallas Cowboys: 5 X-factor players for Week 1 vs. Rams

Which players will be X-factors as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Rams?

Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season will pit the Los Angeles Rams against the Dallas Cowboys. For the Cowboys, it’s their first game under their new head coach, Mike McCarthy, who replaces Jason Garret following a roller coaster 10-plus-year ride.

McCarthy is a breath of fresh air for a team that had gone stagnant under Garrett. proven by their lackluster 8-8 mark in 2019 — which was the fourth such finish of his career.

Now they look to capitalize on the talent they have on their roster and a Week 1 victory would be great for them. But in order to get that win, they’re going to need a few players to step up.

With that being said, here are five X-factors for the Cowboys as they look to knock off the L.A. Rams during the debut of their brand new SoFi Stadium.

5. Trysten Hill, Defensive Tackle

Dallas made a big splash in free agency when they signed Gerald McCoy but now as they prepare for Week 1, they no longer have McCoy. The big defensive tackle suffered a quad injury and was waived with an injury settlement. With him out, the team is turning to 2019 second-round pick Trysten Hill.

Taken at No. 58 overall, Hill was the Cowboys first pick last year and his rookie season was one to forget. He hardly saw the field and finished with only five tackles. That was why it was a bit of a surprise when he was named the starter at the 3-technique spot.

Hill has apparently performed very well in camp and won over his new defensive coaches. If the Cowboys hope to win, they’re going to need Hill to continue to perform at a high level. The Rams offense has the ability to strike quickly, especially in the passing game, and having an interior pass rusher is one of the best ways to slow that down.

If Hill can find a way to frustrate the Rams guards and get in the face of Jared Goff, it would go a long way toward helping the Cowboys secondary slow this high-powered offense down.