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Cowboys Snapcounts vs Steelers: The Rise Of The Backups

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En route to their 5-1 record over the last six games, the Cowboys have had to increasingly rely on backups and free agents brought in off the street - especially on defense. A look at the individual snapcounts shows just how much the Cowboys have had to lean on these players on Sunday.

By One.Cool.Customer
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Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys defense yesterday played with only five of its opening-day starters. Seven players who took snaps on the Cowboys defense yesterday were not part of the 53-man roster at the start of the season.

344 of the 660 total defensive snaps went to players who started the season as backups or not on the Cowboys' roster. But that patchwork defense still held the Steelers to 24 points and delivered game-changing plays when they were most needed.

Here's an overview of who took snaps yesterday on defense. You may want to print out a copy of the latest team roster to make sure the names aren't simply made up, but are those of actual Dallas Cowboys players.

Cowboys' Defensive Snapcounts vs Steelers
Defensive Tackles Defensive Ends Outside Linebackers Inside Linebackers Cornerbacks Safeties
Player Snaps Player Snaps Player Snaps Player Snaps Player Snaps Player Snaps
Lissemore 29 Hatcher 50 Ware 52 Albright 49 Jenkins 60 Sensabaugh 60
Callaway 6 Spears 27 Spencer 58 Connor 38 Carr 59 McCray 41


Crawford 22 Butler 13 Poppinga 5 Moore 37 Frampton 29


Schaefering 10

Sims 5 Coe 10

As you review all the different names in the table above, keep this in mind: a lot of the current backups are getting extended and meaningful NFL snaps right now, that they may not have gotten otherwiese. This should bode well for next season, on both defense and offense.

The situation on offense looks a lot better. In fact, outside of center Phil Costa, this is the line-up that the Cowboys wanted to start the season with:

Cowboys' Offensive Snapcounts vs Steelers
QB O-Line RB/FB TE WR
Player Snaps Player Snaps Player Snaps Player Snaps Player Snaps
Romo 67
 Smith 67
 Murray 54 Witten 66
 Austin 57


Livings 67 Vickers 16 Phillips 24
 Bryant 49


Cook 67 Jones 6 Hanna 17 Ogletree 23


Bernadeau 67 Dunbar
 1

Harris 16


Free 47



Beasley 5


Parnell 23



And the benefit of of having most of the offensive personnel on the field and (relatively) healthy is palpable: over the last six games, in which the Cowboys have put together a 5-1 record, they have scored 177 points, third most in the league behind the Patriots (244) and Seahawks (210).

Stuff like that gets you a winning December record for the first time in a long while, and stuff like that keeps your playoff hopes alive.

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