Cowboys’ storm of misery along offensive line continues with a 100% chance of no Zack Martin vs. Ravens - The Dallas Morning News

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FRISCO — There was no calm for the Cowboys’ offensive line in 2020.

Just the storm.

Erratic protection was a theme in training camp, often disrupting practice flow. Right tackle La’el Collins did not participate in team drills until Aug. 28 and soon was shut down for eventual hip surgery. Left tackle Tyron Smith (neck surgery) missed all but two games. Six of the 10 offensive linemen on Dallas’ initial 53-man roster have spent time on injured reserve.

On Tuesday evening, the storm continues.

The forecast in Baltimore is for clear, cool skies. But there appears a 100% chance of no Zack Martin for the Cowboys. Left guard Connor Williams has been the offensive line’s rock, missing only one snap to date. But Martin is the glue. Dallas has yet to demonstrate it can function at a winning level without him.

Martin’s calf issue, which coach Mike McCarthy has characterized as a multi-week injury, is one part of a turbulent season.

The Cowboys have used 15 unique combinations on their offensive line through 10 games. Four different players have seen action at left tackle between Smith, Brandon Knight, Cam Erving and Terence Steele. Three different players have played right guard and right tackle — Martin counts as one for both — with two different centers and two different left guards.

Martin, a six-time Pro Bowler, hasn’t practiced all week.

Naturally, the absence is felt.

“I mean it is different, obviously,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said Friday. “He’s an All-Pro guy, so you’ve got to fill in a little when he’s not in there. But we’re pro football players. We’ve got to have the next-man-up mentality, and the next guy’s expected to come in there and play at a high level.

“So you can’t really sit there and think about what it would be if LC and Tyron are in there, or what it would be if [quarterback] Dak [Prescott] was there. You’ve just got to go out there and play with the men we have and find a way to win a football game.”

Thus far, the Cowboys have yet to win without him.

In Week 6, Martin suffered a first-quarter concussion. The offense faltered in a 38-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He was inactive the next game at Washington. Quarterback Andy Dalton’s third-quarter concussion did not help matters, but the result already seemed decided in a 25-3 defeat.

On Nov. 26 against Washington, Martin aggravated a calf injury on the final play of the Cowboys’ opening drive. Martin had started at right tackle. Left tackle Cam Erving sprained his right MCL four snaps earlier. Dallas lost 41-16.

Erving also has not practiced since.

So, the Cowboys are expected to face the Baltimore Ravens with Brandon Knight at left tackle, Williams at left guard, Joe Looney at center, Connor McGovern at right guard and Steele at right tackle. Dalton owns the NFL’s fourth-quickest average release time at 2.49 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats. His urgency in the pocket should only continue.

Waiting out this storm is no option.

The Cowboys have to press forward, taking whatever silver lining they can find.

“It’s definitely not the line we had going in,” tight end Dalton Schultz said Friday. “But I think we’ve found out a lot with the guys we’ve had, young guys that have been able to jump in there and really develop over the last few games. I think that’s going to be really good for the team going forward, just having a bunch of guys that have gotten a lot of experience.”

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