Giants Set to Face a Banged-up Cowboys Offensive Line
Cowboys All-Pro veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith has officially been shut down for the rest of the 2020 season due to a neck issue.
Smith had to come out of Dallas' last game against the Browns and has been a non-participant in practice this week.
Smith's absence will be a lofty detriment to the Cowboys offensive line, as backup offensive tackle Brandon Knight will fill in at left tackle.
Knight started for Dallas in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Falcons and Seahawks respectively and came in to replace Smith last week against the Cleveland Browns.
He only allowed three pressures across his first two starts but allowed one sack in 115 pass-block snaps according to Pro Football Focus.
Last week against the Browns, Knight struggled in relief of Smith, allowing four pressures to edge rushers Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon.
Against the Giants, Knight could spend much of the game lined up against Giants edge rushers Lorenzo Carter and Kyler Fackrell.
Carter and Fackrell have been the Giants' two best pass rushers so far in 2020, combining for three sacks, 29 tackles, seven for loss, five quarterback hits, and 10 total pressures per PFF.
Knight has proven to be no pushover in his first few appearances, as he's held down a key position for the league's best offense. Still, for Carter and Fackrell, it certainly won't be the matchup they'd be getting with Smith.
Smith, a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro at left tackle, is a franchise cornerstone for Dallas and gives their offense a unique dimension of security and power at the blindside.
In 17 career starts against the Giants, Smith has limited Giants' edge rushers to just 31 total pressures and two sacks according to PFF, but he has gotten better with age, having allowed just six pressures and no sacks in his last five starts against the Giants.
Against the highest-scoring offense in the NFL led by quarterback Dak Prescott, the Giants defense will need to exploit every advantage it can.
Not having to face Smith should be a point of emphasis for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who admitted to having consulted offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and offensive line coach Marc Colombo, both of whom were with the Cowboys last year, for information on the Cowboys' offensive players.
"It's a people game," Graham said. What affects this offensive lineman? What are his weaknesses? Mentally, what's his makeup?
"Those are the questions I want to get answers to. They have the insight, it's a people game. They know the people intimately, so we're able to get some information right there. The film is the film, you go off the film. Those are some of the things I'm interested in."
Colombo worked closely with Knight during his rookie season in 2019, overseeing his development and working to help him overcome his struggles.
Knight is coming off his shakiest outing thus far giving up four pressures against the Browns, and Colombo's work with Knight as a rookie could help the Giants get the inside edge on how to compound Knight's struggles this week.
Not surprisingly, the Cowboys might be considering moving Zach Martin out to tackle given Knight's struggles. Regardless, the Giants are catching a break as both Cowboys tackles and their center will not be in this week's game.
Now all the Giants have to do is capitalize.
