RAINER SABIN Follow @RainerSabinDMN
Staff Writer
rsabin@dallasnews.com
Published: 19 September 2014 09:14 PM
IRVING — The player who has taken the NFL career path that most resembles the one Tyron Smith has traveled down will stand opposite the Cowboys’ left tackle Sunday in St. Louis.
His name is Robert Quinn, and he is the Rams’ most feared pass rusher. Like Smith, Quinn is a 2011 first-round round draft pick who has met great expectations, made his Pro Bowl debut last season and is the recent recipient of a contract extension.
“He’s really talented,” Smith said. “Just seeing the film from last year and what he’s doing this year, he’s really improving. I got to be on top of my game when I go out there.”
Smith knows. He faced Quinn last season, when the Cowboys trounced St. Louis 31-7. Quinn flashed his explosiveness throughout the afternoon. But against the Rams’ 6-4, 264-pound defensive end, Smith held his own while protecting quarterback Tony Romo’s blind side.
“He’s definitely an athletic tackle,” Quinn said.
Quinn realized that after he was held in check last September, making only four tackles. He did force a fumble when he swept around Smith and busted up a draw play, resulting in a 4-yard loss for running back DeMarco Murray. But Murray recovered the ball, and Quinn’s small victory was soon forgotten on a day when the Cowboys splintered the Rams’ defense.
It was one of the few times last season Quinn didn’t dominate the man assigned to block him. In 2013, the pass rusher extraordinaire produced 19 sacks, second most in the league. Almost half that total came in three games against Arizona, Seattle and Tampa Bay, when Quinn showed how formidable he can be.
“As we’ve played many games with Rob, you get the sense that people are not going to hold the football; the seven-step drops don’t take place,” St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher. “It’s a quick game.”
A defender who has that kind of effect is one worth keeping, and the Rams came to that conclusion earlier this month when they gave Quinn a six-year, $66.575 million contract. The guaranteed portion of the agreement — $41.2 million — was similar to the one tied to Smith’s 10-year, $109 million deal he finalized in July.
Just as the Rams couldn’t envision a future without Quinn, the Cowboys believed they had to retain a cornerstone player like Smith with a record of dependability and the potential for growth.
“I have never been around a player that practices at such a high level of intensity day in and day out,” offensive line coach Bill Callahan said of Smith. “That’s to his credit. I think he’d be the first one to tell you he hasn’t arrived … He’s maniacal about every little thing on the practice field. I love the way he approaches the game. He’s so focused and so hard working and he wants to do it better, and better than anybody I have ever been around.”
But what is Smith’s ceiling?
In 2013, he was practically indomitable. The 6-5, 320-pound tackle conceded only 11/2 sacks. This season, he has already allowed two. But the sample size is so small that it hasn’t pushed Romo to worry about the protection the 23-year-old provides.
“I’m lucky to have Tyron as my left tackle,” the quarterback said. “He’s continuing to get better and better each year. It’s been great to see his development. He’s doing a great job this year.”
The Rams appear just as satisfied with Quinn’s performance, even though he has yet to record a sack. They know it’s only a matter of time before he victimizes a left tackle and topples a quarterback in the backfield.
“He comes every snap,” Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. “He challenges you both as a pass rush guy and a run defender. Tyron and everyone else is going to be responsible for blocking him. They understand how good a player he is and have a healthy respect for him.”
The Rams feel the same way about Smith, a player who has mirrored Robert Quinn not only on the field but also along their paths to NFL stardom.
Staff Writer
rsabin@dallasnews.com
Published: 19 September 2014 09:14 PM
IRVING — The player who has taken the NFL career path that most resembles the one Tyron Smith has traveled down will stand opposite the Cowboys’ left tackle Sunday in St. Louis.
His name is Robert Quinn, and he is the Rams’ most feared pass rusher. Like Smith, Quinn is a 2011 first-round round draft pick who has met great expectations, made his Pro Bowl debut last season and is the recent recipient of a contract extension.
“He’s really talented,” Smith said. “Just seeing the film from last year and what he’s doing this year, he’s really improving. I got to be on top of my game when I go out there.”
Smith knows. He faced Quinn last season, when the Cowboys trounced St. Louis 31-7. Quinn flashed his explosiveness throughout the afternoon. But against the Rams’ 6-4, 264-pound defensive end, Smith held his own while protecting quarterback Tony Romo’s blind side.
“He’s definitely an athletic tackle,” Quinn said.
Quinn realized that after he was held in check last September, making only four tackles. He did force a fumble when he swept around Smith and busted up a draw play, resulting in a 4-yard loss for running back DeMarco Murray. But Murray recovered the ball, and Quinn’s small victory was soon forgotten on a day when the Cowboys splintered the Rams’ defense.
It was one of the few times last season Quinn didn’t dominate the man assigned to block him. In 2013, the pass rusher extraordinaire produced 19 sacks, second most in the league. Almost half that total came in three games against Arizona, Seattle and Tampa Bay, when Quinn showed how formidable he can be.
“As we’ve played many games with Rob, you get the sense that people are not going to hold the football; the seven-step drops don’t take place,” St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher. “It’s a quick game.”
A defender who has that kind of effect is one worth keeping, and the Rams came to that conclusion earlier this month when they gave Quinn a six-year, $66.575 million contract. The guaranteed portion of the agreement — $41.2 million — was similar to the one tied to Smith’s 10-year, $109 million deal he finalized in July.
Just as the Rams couldn’t envision a future without Quinn, the Cowboys believed they had to retain a cornerstone player like Smith with a record of dependability and the potential for growth.
“I have never been around a player that practices at such a high level of intensity day in and day out,” offensive line coach Bill Callahan said of Smith. “That’s to his credit. I think he’d be the first one to tell you he hasn’t arrived … He’s maniacal about every little thing on the practice field. I love the way he approaches the game. He’s so focused and so hard working and he wants to do it better, and better than anybody I have ever been around.”
But what is Smith’s ceiling?
In 2013, he was practically indomitable. The 6-5, 320-pound tackle conceded only 11/2 sacks. This season, he has already allowed two. But the sample size is so small that it hasn’t pushed Romo to worry about the protection the 23-year-old provides.
“I’m lucky to have Tyron as my left tackle,” the quarterback said. “He’s continuing to get better and better each year. It’s been great to see his development. He’s doing a great job this year.”
The Rams appear just as satisfied with Quinn’s performance, even though he has yet to record a sack. They know it’s only a matter of time before he victimizes a left tackle and topples a quarterback in the backfield.
“He comes every snap,” Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. “He challenges you both as a pass rush guy and a run defender. Tyron and everyone else is going to be responsible for blocking him. They understand how good a player he is and have a healthy respect for him.”
The Rams feel the same way about Smith, a player who has mirrored Robert Quinn not only on the field but also along their paths to NFL stardom.
