The "Penei Sewell Bowl" is Brewing in the Jungle on Sunday
Andy Dalton is in a familiar spot late in his NFL career. For the second year in a row, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback is at the helm of a rudderless ship barreling towards a top-five pick in the NFL Draft.
The 3-9 Cowboys battle the 2-9-1 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Dalton's return to the Queen City.
This matchup is being dubbed the "Penei Sewell Bowl" for a reason. Both franchises need answers for the present and future at offensive tackle. The final score at Paul Brown Stadium should play a large part in where the Oregon mauler starts his career.
Everyone in the Bengals' orbit realizes where the franchise stands with their offensive line. The unit's ineptitude ended Joe Burrow's season early and is producing the worst yards-per-carry among running backs (3.54) in the NFL. Should the current draft order hold, Cincinnati would be hard-pressed not to select Sewell with the third-overall pick.
Sewell has been a stellar prospect for the Ducks over his two seasons spent in Eugene. He has only allowed one sack on 1,376 snaps and didn't allow any sacks in 2019. Additionally, Sewell’s run blocking acumen puts him on a different level.
He posted a run-blocking grade of 95.3 last season according to Pro Football Focus. Combine all that with a six foot six inch, 325-pound frame and the computer spits out an elite prospect that's only 20 years old.
The Bengals need a player like Sewell if they're ever going to flip the script and become dominant in the trenches.
The Cowboys offensive line has been decimated by injury this season. Dallas has four starting linemen on injured reserve in addition to rookie center Tyler Biadasz, who has played 404 snaps in seven games.
Guard Zach Martin, along with tackles Tyron Smith, La'el Collins, and Cameron Irving have all missed significant time with injuries this season. Their replacements Terence Steele and Brandon Knight have not lived up to standards, posting the two worst blown block rates on the team according to Sports Info Solutions. Collins just signed a five-year contract with Dallas last year, making it likely he retains his spot at right tackle next season. Left tackle is still a question mark.
Smith has been an immovable force from that position for a decade, but the injuries have piled up the past few seasons. The 29-year old missed just one game in his first five years. He has missed at least three games in each of the past five seasons with knee, back, elbow, and neck injuries. The latest neck issue ended his 2020 season early after he felt postgame soreness after the Dallas' Week 4 loss to Cleveland.
Sewell could take the torch from Smith and become the Cowboys next great left tackle.
While the Bengals can harken back to the third pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. They selected Anthony Muñoz in that draft slot, ushering in the greatest decade of Bengals football. He led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl in 1981. That season was the first of 11 straight Pro Bowl appearances for Muñoz, and the NFL named him to their All-Decade Team for the 1980s.
That is a ton of pressure to put on Sewell, but is a special talent. The Bengals have their quarterback in Burrow. Landing Sewell in the draft could be the foundation they need to be successful for the next decade.
If the Bengals beat the Cowboys on Sunday, then their chances of selecting him drop significantly.
Cincinnati holds a half-game lead on Dallas for the No. 3 pick. They could fall to the sixth pick if they beat Dalton in his return to Cincinnati. They could still be in a position to field trade-up offers from QB-needy teams with that pick, but they won't have a chance at Sewell. Luckily the Cowboys face the second-easiest remaining schedule by Football Outsider's DVOA. There is a chance Dallas gets to four wins, even if Cincinnati pulls off the upset on Sunday.
A win would be great for the locker room morale, but it would be a long term loss for the Bengals organization.
Dalton did his part in the "Bungal for Burrow," now's the time to help the Bengals "Suck for Sewell" on Sunday.
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