Report: Cowboys to play Terence Steele at LT in Tyron Smith’s absence

Things are much different than expected, but will Cowboys be able to avoid the fate that awaited them last time Tyron Smith was out?

The Dallas Cowboys’ tackle position has been attacked relentlessly by the injury bug in 2020. It once again reaps it’s head and this time fans have to hope things don’t turn catastrophic against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. Dallas will start two very untested bookends on Sunday, as both starters are out.

In their places, UDFA rookie Terence Steele will play left tackle and 2019 UDFA Brandon Knight will start on the right side.

Steele started last week at right tackle, and the former Texas Tech starter did relatively well. Knight was a reserve but didn’t enter the game. Now, he’ll start on the right side and Steele will slide over to the left. One would have to think guards Connor Williams and Zack Martin are on alert to possibly shift outside should either falter. Dallas has much better depth (Connor McGovern, Tyler Biadasz) on the interior. Tackle Eric Smith, formerly of the Giants, was elevated from the practice squad this week as well.

The issues started in training camp, when depth players Wyatt Miller and Mitch Hyatt were lost for the year. Starting RT La’el Collins reported to camp out of shape and took a few weeks before he joined the club in team activities, and that lasted only for a week. Reserve Brandon Knight – who actually started the Week 6 contest against the Jets in 2019 – also missed time, too, as did free agent signing Cam Erving.

Erving was expected to be the primary backup, but was beaten out by Steele when La’el Collins was placed on injured reserve to start the season. Then Erving was lost for up to a month when he sprained his MCL in the season opener. Later in the week, Smith’s neck injury occured, knocking him out of this game.

Its a whole bunch of bad for Dallas, a team that struggled the last time Smith was out when playing the Atlanta Falcons. Prescott was pressured relentlessly and sacked six times in the defeat. It sent him on a downward spiral into the worst stretch of his career where he was seeing pass-rush ghosts for several games.

The Cowboys hope for much better results this time around.

Week 2 Staff Picks: Can Cowboys avoid overhead attack from Falcons? :: Cowboys Wire

The Cowboys Wire staff givers their predictions for the Cowboys Week 2 home opener against the Falcons.

[vertical-gallery id=654472][vertical-gallery id=654295]

[lawrence-newsletter]