In this episode of Between the Lines we flip the attention to the defensive line, where chaos meets strategy. This is where the Cowboys\u2019 games are won and lost, so let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n
Osa Obdighizuwa <\/strong> Solomon Thomas <\/strong> Kenny Clark <\/strong> Mazi Smith<\/strong> Jay Toia<\/strong> On early downs, Chicago\u2019s interior blocks better in terms of sack and pressure totals. The numbers back the narrative as the Bears interior offensive line rank sixth in Pass Block Win Rate (73%) and first in Run Block Win Rate (78%) through two weeks, a sneaky-elite split that doesn\u2019t exactly scream 0\u20132. Yet the Bears have still given up six sacks, that ranks the sixth-most so far this season. Those figures hint the dents are arriving late from the edges, coverage, or the quarterback lingering, rather than from instant A-gap cave-ins. In other words the plumbing\u2019s solid, but the leaks are coming from the roof.<\/p>\n Where do the Cowboys tilt the field on the interior? Let\u2019s start in the mud on run defense. Dallas ranks fourth in Run Stop Win Rate (36%), and the Clark\/Odighizuwa duo works like a hydraulic press, squeezing double-teams and smudging run landmarks. Clark is playing solidly and turns A-gaps into no-fly zones and lets the linebackers fly free. The Bears lead the league in yards before contact (1.9 yards per rush), yet their ground game grades out poorly in success rate. So the holes are open, but the gains fizzle once pads meet. Odighizuwa\u2019s quick sheds on inside zone can play that perfectly as he can let Chicago enjoy the pre-contact sugar high, then slam the door shut.<\/p>\n What the Cowboys defensive tackles must be aware of is to keep Caleb Williams in the pocket and let the edges clean up here. They play contain, let Williams churn out his own mistakes and suddenly this interior can turn 2nd-and-5 into 2nd-and-8 and Ben Johnson\u2019s play-action shine gets dull fast.<\/p>\n Marshawn Kneeland<\/strong> Sam Williams<\/strong> Dante Fowler Jr.<\/strong> Donovan Ezeiruaku <\/strong> James Houston<\/strong> Adding to the list this week on the edge rotation is the newly signed veteran, Jadeveon Clowney. He comes to Dallas in his eleventh season with 58 career sacks and 108 tackles for loss. We will see once he starts playing where he slots into the rotation.<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s tackles are a tale of opposites. Darnell Wright posted a Week 1 clean sheet with zero pressures and sacks, while Braxton Jones looked turnstile-friendly in Week 2 with seven pressures and two sacks surrendered, part of a league-high 13 pressures allowed through two games this year. Translation, on long downs tilt the blitz toward Jones. Against Wright, Dallas will need layered rush plans to set him up and win.<\/p>\n Expect Kneeland to play the doorman and the bouncer looking to set a hard edge on early downs and squeeze the C-gap so the ball spills where the help lives. James Houston has been a positive spark off the bench with his wide-9 speed and a nasty chop that turns third-and-long into a track meet.<\/p>\n The swing variable for the Cowboys defensive ends is Caleb Williams\u2019 internal clock. He\u2019ll linger to hunt for explosive plays, which is how you get sacks even when the protection looks average. The antidote isn\u2019t chaos, it\u2019s playing smart for the Cowboys edge group. Hold the edge and shrink the pocket without breaking the lanes. Play with patience on the edge, keep square, then apply a late squeeze. Do that, and those backyard extensions turn from scramble drills into drive-killers.<\/p>\n The optics may look fine for Chicago\u2019s offensive line, but the film keeps blinking a \u201cpressure-release\u201d light on the edges, most of all at left tackle. Keep Fowler and Williams coloring inside the rush-lane lines,, and pair it with Dallas\u2019s first-down pressures to create positive wins on Sunday. Do that, and the Bears\u2019 quiet win-rate split turns into a marching band of stops.<\/p>\n Nothing new to report so far this week. The defensive line players have not appeared on this week\u2019s practice report<\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 81 Total snaps, 6 Total Tackles, 0 TFL, 5 Pressures, 0 Sacks)
Grade: 76.6<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 53 Total snaps, 12 Total Tackles, 1 TFL, 3 Pressures, 0 Sacks)
Grade: 66.2<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 86 Total snaps, 9 Total Tackles, 1 TFL, 6 Pressure, 1 Sack)
Grade: 72.5<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: N\/A)
Grade: N\/A<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 39 Total snaps, 1 Total Tackle, 0 TFL, 0 Pressures, 0 Sack)
Grade: 29.3<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 56 Total snaps, 4 Total Tackles, 1 TFL, 2 Pressures, 1 Sack)
Grade: 57.3<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 80 Total snaps, 6 Total Tackles, 1 TFL, 5 Pressure, 0 Sacks)
Grade: 53.4<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 55 Total snaps, 2 Total Tackles, 0 TFL, 4 Pressures, 0 Sacks)
Grade: 65.6<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 48 Total snaps, 1 Total tackle, 0 TFL, 3 Pressures, 0 sack)
Grade: 72.9<\/strong><\/p>\n
(2025 Stats: 24 Total snaps, 4 Total tackles, 2 TFL, 1 Pressures, 1 Sack)
Grade: 75.2<\/strong><\/p>\n