Week 9 mismatches: Jurrell Casey set to dominate Cowboys' O-line

Here's a breakdown of four significant mismatches in Week 9:

Titans DL Jurrell Casey vs Cowboys LG Connor Williams

Because he plays in a small market, Jurrell Casey doesn’t get the respect he deserves. But he's certainly an elite defensive lineman in the NFL, and he’s the biggest reason the Titans have allowed the third-fewest points per game. Casey has 33 tackles and 3.5 sacks so far this season while making life difficult for opposing offensive lines.

At 6-foot-1, 305 pounds with powerful hands and a strong lower body, Casey's solid at the point of attack. It’s a lot easier for him to displace offensive linemen than vice versa. He's also surprisingly quick and agile for a man his size, giving him the ability to blow by blockers who are sitting on his power.

The Titans love to move Casey around the formation in search of mismatches, but don’t be surprised if he's given a more consistent home against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 - specifically against rookie left guard Connor Williams, who's gone through ups and downs this season.

Those downs have largely come against powerful defensive tackles, as Williams lacks the play strength to anchor or displace in one-on-one situations. Here’s an example:

Here, Williams is matched up with Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed in pass protection. Reed doesn’t do anything special. He simply walks Williams into Dak Prescott's face with a bull rush before easily creating separation, disengaging from the block, and making the tackle.

Notice how Williams' elbows are flared, which inhibits his ability to create the necessary torque to anchor against Reed's bull rush. This, combined with Williams' wide hand placement, would be a recipe for disaster against a defender as strong and nuanced as Casey.

This mismatch will extend to the running game, too, as Casey could be nearly unblockable when matched up with Williams.

Against powerful defensive tackles, Williams has a tendency to lunge to mitigate the difference in play strength. This would be a huge mistake against Casey, as he's fantastic at taking advantage of lunging offensive linemen. Here’s an example:

On this play, Casey's aligned over the left guard. Once the ball is snapped, the guard aggressively lunges to initiate contact, but it doesn't work, as Casey effortlessly crosses his matchup's face before executing a well-timed and well-placed arm-over move to get into the backfield for the stop.

The Titans would be wise to match up Casey on Williams as much as possible Monday night, as he has the ability to consistently disrupt the Cowboys' offense. Don’t be surprised if Casey puts together one of his best performances of the season.

Chiefs LB Dee Ford vs. Browns LT Desmond Harrison

After dominating the Broncos' offensive tackles on his way to three sacks last week, Dee Ford’s reward is facing rookie left tackle Desmond Harrison, who's been struggling to replace future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas in Cleveland.

Ford isn’t the most well-rounded edge defender, but he has one of the best trump cards in the NFL - his speed rush. Ford, who ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2014, is able to blow by offensive tackles with regularity. He utilizes his explosiveness to stress their set, improved hand technique to clear contact, and a surprisingly nimble lower body to make tight turns around the edge.

Here’s a great example:

Here, Ford's in a wide-9 technique opposite All-Pro offensive tackle Joe Staley. Watch how Staley’s pass set is immediately stressed by Ford’s burst off the line, forcing him to turn and attempt to push the rusher past the quarterback’s drop.

Unfortunately for Staley, it doesn’t work, as Ford uses a well-executed cross-chop with his inside hand to knock down the desperate attempt to latch on. With Staley’s strike defeated, Ford’s footwork and lower-body pliability take over as he wraps around the edge and flattens to the quarterback for the sack.

Expect this to happen against Harrison, who struggles to handle speedier rushers off the edge. Three sacks will be tough to top, but don’t be surprised if Ford reaches double digits for the season with a couple of them on Sunday.

Lions' interior DL vs. Vikings' interior OL

Despite trading Golden Tate, the Detroit Lions are still in the thick of the NFC playoff race, just one game out of first place in the NFC North.

This weekend, the Lions have a crucial matchup against the division rival Minnesota Vikings, and they'll need to take advantage of their mismatches - the biggest of which should come in the trenches.

With the addition of Damon "Snacks" Harrison, the Lions now possess one of the NFL's best interior defensive line combinations. Harrison is the best run-stopping defensive tackle in football (with some pass-rushing ability, too) while A'Shawn Robinson has also dominated against the run in his third pro season. Here, you see both of them doing their thing:

Additionally, Da'Shawn Hand has been one of the best rookies in football through the first half of the season, giving Detroit much-needed pass-rushing ability from the interior.

The Lions' dominant trio will be pitted against one of the worst interior offensive lines in football, which has been a sore spot for an otherwise productive Vikings offense. Second-year center Pat Elflein hasn't taken the next step after his rookie year while guards Mike Remmers and Tom Compton have struggled mightily throughout 2018.

Harrison and Robinson should have their way against the ground game, meaning the Vikings will have a tough time running inside the box.

In the passing game, Hand should make his presence felt, as his active hands and raw power will be too much for Remmers and Compton to handle.

Ultimately, if the Lions want to win this game, all three players will have to dominate.

Texans LB Jadeveon Clowney vs. Broncos LT Garett Bolles

Garett Bolles has struggled mightily in his second NFL season, giving up too much pressure in pass protection while getting beat too much in the running game. There have even been suggestions he could be benched in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately for Bolles, it doesn’t get any easier this week, as he'll likely be pitted against Jadeveon Clowney for most of Sunday's game.

At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Clowney's one of the biggest size-speed freaks in the NFL. He has an electric get-off, powerful hands, and deliberate footwork that he combines to batter and bludgeon opposing offensive linemen.

Earlier in his career, Clowney wasn't the most skilled pass-rusher, instead relying on his freakish athletic traits to be productive. Now, he's significantly improved his hand techniques, which deepens his pass-rush repertoire. He's an aggressive rusher who employs a variety of swats, forklifts, and clubs to trim a tight arc to the quarterback.

Here’s an example of Clowney’s improved hand use:

On this play, Clowney's lined up in a four-point stance with a wide alignment over the left tackle. After the ball is snapped, he explodes upfield and looks to use a powerful cross chop to defeat the tackle’s hands.

However, Clowney misses with his initial cross chop. In the past, this would have essentially ended his rush, but instead, Clowney sequences the missed cross chop with a sneaky forklift move, as he places his outside hand on the tackle's outside wrist and pushes it toward the ground, effectively breaking the tackle's grip and giving Clowney the ability to beat the block around the edge.

Don’t be surprised if Clowney comes home with a couple of sacks and a handful of stops Sunday as the Texans go into the tough Denver environment and get a victory.

John Owning is a football writer at theScore. He has written for Bleacher Report and Football Insiders. He was also the lead NFL content editor at FanRag Sports. John provides analysis on the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News and edits for The Quant Edge. Find him on Twitter @JohnOwning.