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Hoffman, Bass anchoring resurgence in Cowboys’ rushing attack

Originally posted on Inside The Star
By Richard Paolinelli | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 9:12 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is resembling something of a MASH unit these days.

Center Cooper Beebe remains on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 2’s win over the Giants.

Rookie guard Tyler Booker is also battling an ankle sprain that was initially expected to cost him six to eight weeks. After missing the Packers’ game, Booker is already out of his walking boot and could be back in time for the Washington game on Oct. 19^th.

At the very least, he’ll avoid a stint on IR and that’s good news for Dallas.

Especially with right guard Tyler Smith showing up with his own ankle issue on this week’s injury report as the Cowboys prepare to play the Jets in New York on Sunday.

Tackle Tyler Guyton is dealing with a concussion issue after Sunday’s tie with the Packers just to make matters worse for Dallas.

Veteran Depth Stepping Up

Fortunately for the Cowboys, Brock Hoffman and T. J. Bass stepped in to fill the void when Beebe and Booker went down.

Normally a guard, Hoffman has taken over as the starting center the last two games while Bass has stepped in at right guard, starting at the position against the Packers.

Dallas had 117 rushing yards in the game while Dak Prescott was sacked only once. That sack game on a scramble and was a loss of barely a foot on the play at that.

In short, the offensive line got their job done last week.

If Guyton and Smith are both able to play in New York, they should be able to do again.

If they can’t, Nathan Thomas put in some solid work in Guyton’s spot on Sunday and probably would start if Guyton can’t go against the Jets.

The problem would be if both Guyton and Smith are out. The Cowboys’ depth will be strained greatly if that is the case.

Getting The Run Going

In Dallas’ lone win and its tie, the key to getting to 40 points on the scoreboard was getting the running game in gear.

Javonte Williams is proving to be a force out of the backfield. In the Green Bay tie, both Bass and Hoffman gave Williams room to run.

The opposing defense having to respect the run is why Prescott is off to such a hot start in 2025.

That extra second is proving to be the difference between Prescott getting hit, or throwing the ball away, and having enough time to find the open receiver and deliver a quality pass. That needs to continue for the rest of the year.

So far, Hoffman and Bass have answered the bell.

If they continue their level of play, when both Beebe and Booker are back and healthy, the Cowboys will have one of the most formidable offensive lines in the NFL.

This article first appeared on Inside The Star and was syndicated with permission.

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