The Dallas Cowboys’ left tackle job, a major question entering the season, seems to be in good hands for now. Tyler Guyton handled the largest true pass-set workload of his NFL career against the Houston Texans in Week 4, and Locked On Cowboys host Marcus Mosher said Pro Football Focus charged him with no sacks, hits, hurries or pressures in 23 such snaps.
Mosher said the performance mattered because Guyton faced a Houston Texans front featuring edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. The hosts credited the protection plan for helping the tackles, including movement in the pocket and varied cadence usage, but Mosher emphasized that Guyton also held up when the Cowboys left him in one-on-one situations.
Locked On Cowboys co-host Landon McCool called Guyton “dominant” as a run blocker, pointing to his work on duo concepts, pulls to the second level and blocks that created movement on the left side. That development changes the calculation for an offensive line that has relied on guard T.J. Bass during Tyler Smith’s absence.
Smith (thumb) returned to practice Monday after Dallas opened his 21-day return window, and he said a Thursday return against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remained possible. His return would likely send Bass back to a reserve role, but Mosher and McCool viewed Bass’s work over the first four games as proof that the Cowboys have quality depth rather than a stopgap at guard.
Guyton’s emergence offers a more meaningful payoff. If Smith returns at left guard and Guyton continues to hold the edge, Dallas can field the lineup it intended to build around: Guyton and Smith on the left, center Cooper Beebe, guard Tyler Booker and tackle Terence Steele. The Texans game gave the Cowboys evidence that their young left tackle can handle a game plan built around true dropbacks.
Thursday’s game will show whether Guyton’s strong outing was the start of a durable step forward or simply a favorable matchup. Smith’s status will determine whether Bass remains in the starting group, but Guyton has created a far more encouraging decision for the Cowboys than they expected a month ago.
Cowboys News and Notes
– Edge rusher Rashan Gary delivered what Mosher called his best game with Dallas, with the hosts citing improved edge-setting effort and pressure against Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. McCool said Gary’s ability to contain pocket passers could make him a particularly useful matchup piece later on the schedule.
– The secondary remains the bigger defensive concern. McCool said Dallas leaned more heavily on Cover-3 while incorporating cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and other new pieces, while Mosher noted cornerback Caelen Carson was a healthy scratch as cornerbacks Ameer Speed and Shavon Revel Jr. received snaps.
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