Cowboys fear major loss but shouldn't overthink solution
The Dallas Cowboys fear right tackle Terence Steele suffered a major injury on his left knee on Sunday's win over the Houston Texans. According to Michael Gehlken from Dallas Morning News, Steele is scheduled for an MRI on Monday as is often the case for NFL players that suffer an injury over the weekend. The extent of […]
The Dallas Cowboys fear right tackle Terence Steele suffered a major injury on his left knee on Sunday's win over the Houston Texans.
According to Michael Gehlken from Dallas Morning News, Steele is scheduled for an MRI on Monday as is often the case for NFL players that suffer an injury over the weekend. The extent of the injury will be determined then.
Right now, the Cowboys' brass doesn't appear confident as Stephen Jones confessed to being "concerned" about Steele's status after the game.
Steele has been very effective for the Cowboys this season, especially in the running game. If there's one thing that's been noticeable upfront for the offensive line, it's been continuity. A healthy bunch of players has allowed Dallas to look better and better in the trenches 14 weeks into the season.
That means replacing Steele will be no easy task. Jerry Jones suggested after the game the job would ultimately fall to Jason Peters or Josh Ball, both of whom played on Sunday at the position.
Credit to Jerry for avoiding tipping his hand before necessary but let's be honest here. This is a non-debate.
The Cowboys shouldn't bat an eye and insert Jason Peters as the right tackle into the starting lineup. Josh Ball has consistently shown the team he isn't cut out for the job. Even in preseason and training camp, he's struggled.
When put into the game (right after Steele's injury), Ball gave up back-to-back pressures. One of which resulted in Dak's arm being hit which in turn led to an interception that gave the Texans a game-winning opportunity at the four-yard line. The game would've been over against a better offense.
But once the Texans failed to score and gave the Cowboys the ball back, Peters took over at right tackle. Unsurprisingly, you could feel the difference right away. Peters looked like a legit
Dak Prescott sat in a comfortable pocket and completed passes to Dalton Schultz, Ezekiel Elliott, CeeDee Lamb, and Noah Brown in a clutch game-winning drive. That wouldn't have been possible with Ball at right tackle.
This is why the Cowboys brought in Jason Peters. If Steele misses time, he has to be the next man up. Paired with Tyron Smith's imminent return at left tackle, the Cowboys might benefit from playing two future Hall of Famers at tackle.
Featured image via Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
