Cowboys’ $82 Million Tackle Continues Trend of Worrying Performances

Getty Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy

The Dallas Cowboys are reeling from back-to-back road losses in Weeks 16 and 17 — including a 22-20 Christmas Eve loss to the Miami Dolphins — and part of the reason is poor blocking in the passing game. Dallas has given up 14 sacks in their past four games, and fourth-year tackle Terence Steele’s lackluster performances are partly to blame.

Through 15 games, he has been given a 50.3 grade by Pro Football Focus, ranking him 72nd out of 84 tackles in the league with a minimum snap count. His 7.0 sacks allowed are tied for the eighth-most in the NFL, according to PFF.

Concerns about Steele date back to early November, when FanSided’s The Landry Hat called for his benching, writing “this type of performance cannot be tolerated going forward.”

But the Cowboys were still “firmly in his corner,” crediting Steele with working hard to come back from an ACL and MCL tear in Week 14 of 2022, according to the Dallas Morning News. Steele is second in the league in offensive snaps, according to PFF.

“Anytime a player has a major joint injury, that first year back, it’s a challenge,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said, according to the Morning News’ David Moore in a November 9 story. “There’s no doubt. I don’t want to give you the specifics, but there’s things that he has to continue to work on because of the injury, the surgery and things like that. He’s working through it.”

Still, Steele’s performance has not matched the $82.5 million, five-year contract extension he signed in the offseason.

Fifth-year tackle Chuma Edoga has graded better (61.2) than Steele this season and has allowed just 3 sacks, according to PFF, making him a potentially more stable presence at right tackle than Steele has been. Dallas can’t afford to allow its current sack rate of 102.9, third highest in the league, according to Statmuse. And Steele was one of three Cowboys to grade under 50 points, per PFF.

Other Offensive Issues Plaguing Dallas

Besides poor blocking, the Cowboys also seemed to get away from their best offensive weapon: CeeDee Lamb. Dallas’ No. 1 receiver started hot with a 49-yard touchdown reception, but Dallas QB Dak Prescott did not target him for nearly two quarters.

After the game, Lamb was clearly frustrated about how he was utilized. Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney referred to the situation as “weird.”

“They wasn’t doing anything,” Lamb told reporters on December 24. “I don’t know. I just felt like, if I am going to be involved, just keep me involved. And in the game, do what they gotta do. But yeah, I agree. It was weird, that second and third quarter. Very weird.”

It was still an impressive stat line for Lamb, who totaled 6 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. He’s already amassed stats that would make 2023 his best season ever. But it matters little if the Cowboys aren’t winning important games.

Micah Parsons Takes Aim at Refs After Cowboys’ Loss to Dolphins

The frustration is also evident on the defensive side of the ball. Pass rusher Micah Parsons added another half-sack against the Dolphins, but he was not able to impact the game as he would’ve liked.

According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Parsons vented about the contest and the officiating.

“It’s mind-blowing, the things that are getting called, and the positions that we get put in,” said Parsons said. “We just have to learn how to fight the adversity. I know a lot of it is BS, but it’s the world we live in. We’ve got the star on our helmet. … It’s just hard to play defense.”

Dallas held a dynamic Dolphins offense to just 1 touchdown. But Miami moved the ball enough to kick 5 field goals, including the game-winner from Jason Sanders.