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.
(2025 Stats: 339 Total Snaps, 219 Pass Blocks, 23 Pressures, 4 QB Hits, 3 Sacks, 4 Penalties)
Nathan Thomas’ Week 15 tape is the kind you file under baptism by Brian Flores. The Vikings beat Dallas in the trenches and did it with a pressure cocktail. Thomas opened at left tackle, then exited with a shoulder issue in the second half (Hakeem Adeniji finished), but his game tape told the story early.
Thomas’ better reps came on rhythm throws and in the run game. He passed off a handful stunts cleanly on the snaps that stayed under 2.5 seconds. Dallas’ offensive line stats have a 65% Pass Block Win Rate (13th) and 72% Run Block Win Rate (12th), so they’re a unit that’s capable of holding serve to stay on schedule but vulnerable when the game drifts off it. PFF has Thomas among the struggling pass protectors before he left, and the in-game switch to Adeniji at left tackle didn’t do much to help. Thomas finished the game allowing four pressures with one sack, having a pass blocking grade of 60.7, while Adeniji ended the game with a very lousy 13.3 pass block grade, scary.
The Chargers are next. As a defensive unit, L.A. is 17th in Pass Rush Win Rate (37%) and 19th in Run Stop Win Rate (30%), so middle-to-meh according to the tracking stats. But here’s the kicker, the Chargers rank fifth in sacks per game, at 2.9 sacks, and have totaled a whopping 40 sacks this season. The way to read all that is they finish even if they don’t always win.
(2025 Stats: 907 Total snaps, 586 Pass Blocks, 21 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 2 Sacks, 9 Penalties)
Smith had a scare in the first half when he suffered an eye poke and missed a short stretch, but he returned and finished the night. Dallas threw 38 times, took two sacks for nine yards, but still piled up 423 total yards while rushing 29 times for 138 and two scores. In other words, the offense moved, but the consistency failed them.
On the good reel, Smith’s anchor and timing against the Vikings’ stunt game showed up early and often. Minnesota lives on simulated and late pressure, so the first win is key. When Dallas leaned into the run game, his combo blocks were sturdy letting Cooper Beebe climb and make second downs more manageable. His run blocking grade of 78.1 is the highest for the Cowboys, and ranks sixth-best among all guards this season.
Minnesota brought waves of pressure, so when the play extended past the first option, the second punch arrived and sent the offensive line into disarray.
(2025 Stats: 566 Total Snaps, 372 Pass Blocks, 11 Pressures, 2 QB Hits, 0 Sacks, 0 Penalties)
Beebe drew the full Flores experience and mostly kept the middle clean. Beebe’s calls got everyone pointed the right way, and his posture held up as a blocker. There were a few problems that showed up late in the down, something that happened across the line.
Beebe’s season stats still hold up and has been one of the more tidiest centers even with missing time. He’s at 11 total pressures allowed, with only two QB hits, zero sacks and zero penalties. And those stats match the tape. Against Minnesota, the good was clean calls versus the mug looks. The bad was a couple of late breaks into the A gap that opened just as Dak Prescott hit his hitch.
L.A. can win with waves and weirdness. So for Beebe, the problem-solving starts with identifying who the problem is on any given down, that all starts in the classroom watching tape. For Beebe, communication and identification are the keys this week.
(2025 Stats: 798 Total snaps, 517 Pass Blocks, 20 Pressures, 5 QB Hits, 1 Sacks, 6 Penalties)
(2025 Stats: 959 Total snaps, 608 Pass Blocks, 43 Pressures, 8 QB Hits, 6 Sacks, 6 Penalties)
Minnesota didn’t win a ton instantly, but their second wave arrived late to Steele’s side, and from there he lost control. The run blocking is good, his size and strength shows up here, and PFF perfectly snap shots the tape. Steele is rocking a 77.6 run blocking grade (21st among all tackles this year), but his pass blocking grade sits at suspect 56.5, and he leads the Cowboys in sacks allowed (6), and leads the league among tackles in pressures allowed (43).
Essentially, Steele a people-mover in the run game who can move fronts, but struggles on longer-developing protections. Penalties haven’t been a meltdown, yet they’ve popped at inconvenient times, another tax on drives.
Los Angeles can and absolutely will bring the noise against Steele, and they have multiple edges who win in different fonts. Two names to watch against Steele are Bud Dupree and Daiyan Henley, who both combine for six sacks. We’ve seen how Steele struggled against the blitz, especially late blitzers, and that’s exactly what both these guys bring.
For Steele to win it he needs to play with control. If Dallas can lean into what Steele does best (moving bodies in the run game), it also helps slow the rush and forces the Chargers to tackle on early downs instead of teeing off on third-and-long.
Tyler Guyton is the name to watch here. So far he is not practicing so it doesn’t look good for this week.