EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Dallas Cowboys are expected to be without four starting offensive linemen against the New York Jets.
The Cowboys didn’t make All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith inactive, but he’s expected to be used in an emergency basis. He was listed as questionable after not practicing this week with a knee injury. That means the starting left guard will be Hakeem Adeniji. He has 15 career starts, including nine at right guard, and has played in 45 career games overall.
“Great flexibility,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said about Adeniji, a Garland High School alum. ”That’s what I love about him. He’s a guy that the moment, if he’s out there, won’t be too big for him. He’s played a lot of football.”
The Cowboys also will be without left tackle Tyler Guyton, who was ruled out earlier after he suffered a concussion in the tie against the Green Bay Packers. Nate Thomas, a 2024 seventh-round pick, will make his first career start at left tackle. Thomas played left tackle a lot during training camp while Guyton dealt with a knee injury.
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Center Brock Hoffman and right guard T.J. Bass will make their second consecutive start together. The two replace center Cooper Beebe and rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker. Beebe is on injured reserve, while Booker is dealing with an ankle sprain.
Schottenheimer said earlier this week that he didn’t think the offensive line absences would be an issue. He pointed to the depth the team has behind their starters.
“As long as we’re communicating — which is a strength of [center] Brock Hoffman’s — that gets everybody on the same page,” Schottenheimer said on Friday. “Where offensive lines have breakdowns, obviously, is when one guy thinks this is the call, or one guy thinks it’s that call. Brock does a great job, and again, these guys have all worked together at different points, whether it was scout team, training camp, working with the 1s, 2s, whatever, they’ve all worked together.
“But the thing that we’ll be looking for, no matter who’s out there, is: Are we communicating? Because if you’re communicating, you have a chance. And then how are we playing from a physical standpoint? Because the playstyle doesn’t change. We want to be physical, we want to run the football, want to dominate the line of scrimmage.”
We’ll see if they can do that — and protect quarterback Dak Prescott — against a tough Jets defensive line, led by Quinnen Williams, a three-time Pro Bowler.
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