Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
In four tries the Dallas Cowboys have not yet defeated the New York Giants inside AT&T Stadium. If the Cowboys hope to buck that trend then they will have to bear down on the defensive line. Dallas has a ton of question marks on that side of the ball, but the biggest mystery has to be what exactly the Cowboys’ inexperienced defensive tackles are going to do.
The injury bug has ravaged this new-look group as Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff both haven’t even sniffed the field since July. Unfortunately, the loss of these two star defensive linemen has been noticed by the NFL and the Giants will do themselves a big favor by committing to the running game early and often. David Wilson may have been spotty at best in his rookie campaign, but he’s been given a golden starting gig and must be ready to attack the Cowboys’ depleted line.
When Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Marinelli tries out his 4-3 Tampa 2 defense, he will be doing so with a defensive tackle in Nick Hayden, who is a former sixth-round pick and has been cut by two teams in just four years. Needless to say, Giants quarterback Eli Manning would be smart to hand the ball off early and often on Sunday, as the Cowboys have a glaring weakness on the defensive line.
With that being said, Marinellli always has a way of getting his players to make plays when it matters most, so don’t be surprised if Cowboys’ fans see veteran down linemen DeMarcus Ware and Joe Hatcher bottling up Wilson from the get-go.
Devin O’Barr is the Content Commentator for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DevinOBarrRS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
