In 2014, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line was the best story in football. Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick cleared the way for DeMarco Murray to lead the NFL in rushing, and Dallas rode that wall to a division title. Fast forward to Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, and the wall had cracks. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer saw it and shared his honest opinion about the offensive line’s performance.

“[The offensive line] wasn’t good enough against Arizona. I think I’ve given Arizona plenty of credit, but we’re better than that. We know that. What I do know, guys, with that group of men, there’s a lot of pride in that room. I think we saw that on Monday night against Philadelphia,” Schottenheimer said on 105.3 The FAN.

“But, again, starting with Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, those three inside guys, we expect them to be dominant each and every week. And we weren’t up to the standard against Arizona. And then, I’ve talked a lot about Tyler Guyton, how good he’s played all year long. But overall, we weren’t good enough, and that starts with us coaches.”

The assessment was more of a comparative study where Brian Schottenheimer addressed two stark performances from the offensive line. Dallas faced the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, where they racked up 416 total yards with the run game being the defining factor, racking up 204 yards behind a standout performance from Javonte Williams (25 carries, 155 yards, 1 TD).

LG Tyler Smith, center Cooper Beebe, and RG Tyler Booker played a crucial role as the offensive line, making those runs possible. However, the same unit seemingly faltered against the Arizona Cardinals. The rushing attack stalled entirely, managing just 93 yards (2.4 yards per rush), resulting in a 33-30 OT loss.

Brian Schottenheimer called out this stark contrast in the output of the offensive line in his recent interview. Because the Cowboys offense remains the strong aspect of the team.

In the 2025 season, led by QB Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys offense finished 2nd in total offense, averaging 391.9 yards per game. The unit remained the same for the 2026 season, and that consistency was seemingly found from the opening game.

After eight games of the 2026 season, Schottenheimer’s team averages 342 yards per game. Compared to last season, the Cowboys still have room for improvement in the offensive unit, especially around the young core of Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and LT Tyler Guyton in the line.

That said, while they stand at a 3-5 record, it will be interesting to see if Schottenheimer & Co. can elevate the team’s performance. Next up, the Cowboys face the Indianapolis Colts in a Week 9 matchup on November 8, where the eyes will be again on their offensive line.