Usually, offensive lines are seen and not heard, but usual is not the way it works with the Cowboys. They have assembled the best five-man unit in the NFL, a state of reality the Giants know all about and have been reminded of, repeatedly, leading up to their season opener Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
So much so, they could be sick of hearing about the mighty Dallas O-line.
“Nah, you just really got to respect it,’’ defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins said Wednesday after practice. “They are one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, you got to give ‘em the credit.’’
Credit, sure, but …
“You got to step up to the plate and let them know who’s really the big guys, who’s really gonna dominate the NFC,’’ Hankins said.
The Giants have not dominated the NFC, or the NFC East, for that matter, for several years. If they are going to find a way to finally win a season opener, they must come out ahead in what figures to be the marquee matchup of this game: their rebuilt defensive line vs. the Dallas front wall.
There really is no disputing the supremacy of the Dallas offensive line, the result of a well-executed plan. The Cowboys took offensive linemen in the first round three times in the draft in a four-year span (2011-14) and every pick has paid off. Center Travis Frederick, left tackle Tyron Smith and right guard Zach Martin made the Pro Bowl last season, and together, those three have a combined seven Pro Bowl appearances. All three are 25 years old.
“We made a concerted effort when I became the head coach to rebuild the offensive line in the process of rebuilding our team. We placed a premium on that,’’ Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “We put a lot of resources into that group, and those guys are in many ways the leaders of our team.’’
This is a powerful, versatile group that plays with confidence and swagger, equally adept at pass protection and run-blocking, with a special emphasis on clearing the way on the ground. No wonder it did not take long for rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott to take a look around and declare “I probably have one of the easiest jobs in America. I get to run behind the best O-line in America, run through those huge holes.’’
This time around, it might be a fair fight, as the Giants have refortified their defensive line — opening the coffers for Olivier Vernon ($85 million), Damon “Snacks’’ Harrison ($46.25 million) and Jason Pierre-Paul (one-year deal for $10 million).
“They really upgraded [in free agency], and it’s going to be a great challenge for us,” Frederick said.
Pierre-Paul gets to go against right tackle Doug Free. Vernon, in his first game for the Giants, gets the tough assignment of knocking heads with the massive, athletic Smith. Harrison, in the middle of the line, gets Martin, and Hankins gets La’el Collins, last year’s sleeper pick by the Cowboys. All the interior defenders must deal with Frederick.
“We feel that we’ve added some nice pieces to the mix for us,’’ Giants coach Ben McAdoo said. “We have good scheme, good coaches and good players. I’m looking forward to Sunday.’’
With rookie Dak Prescott making his NFL debut, subbing at quarterback for injured Tony Romo, the run-oriented Cowboys figure to try to pound it out on the ground even more than usual. Sure, they have Dez Bryant, always a long-distance threat, but the best way to protect Prescott is to set up the pass with the run. And run is what the Cowboys do best.
“It doesn’t matter to me who’s playing for them at the skill positions,’’ McAdoo said. “They’re always going to lean on that offensive line. It’s one of the best in the league, if not the best. They’ll take their shots down the field, but they’re going to lean on that line.’’
The Giants will try to lean back with a defensive line that should be more capable of putting up a fight.
“I feel like we have the guys who can do that,’’ Hankins said. “Not saying we didn’t have the guys who could do that last year, but we got a lot more new guys that can do that.’’