Cowboys Turning Heads With Praise for Unknown Lineman
The Dallas Cowboys' 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles didn't have too many positive things to come out of it.
One was the run game with Rico Dowdle, and the other might have escaped the attention altogether, but it was the performance of Asim Richards at left tackle.
Stepping in for the injured Tyler Guyton, Richards' name was barely heard on the telecast, and for a lineman, that's exactly what you want. There were no penalties that put the offense behind the sticks, and in pass protection, per PFF, Richards posted the second-highest grade behind Tyler Smith (73.1).
And his efforts against the Eagles didn't go unnoticed.
“I thought he did a really good job,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “Anytime you have a young player especially at left tackle, against a good pass rush team, and when you're looking at the still photos and the surfaces [tablets] you're not feeling issues and problems it's really a good thing. Talented young player, great versatility, uses his length, and I thought he did a nice job.”
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So Schottenheimer was left pleased with Richards' work with the second-year tackle making his first-ever NFL start.
But Schotty wasn't the only one left impressed with Asim's work against Philadelphia.
“I was impressed with it, I thought he did a good job,” head coach Mike McCarthy said. “He didn't affect the way the game was called, I think that's important anytime a young player goes in there especially at left tackle, so I was pleased with his performance.”
With Richards performing well, it does pose the question of what the Cowboys do going forward at left tackle, and yes, it is only one game, but Asim showed some promising signs.
Due to Guyton struggling at left tackle, there is a world where he could shift over to right tackle, and Richards assume his spot on the left. Of course, Terence Steele has also struggled at right tackle this season, and there are some who would like to see him moved on at the end of the year.
In a game with few positives, Richards's play, while only a sample size, might give the coaching staff something to think about down the line.
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