Bruce Irvin ready for a ‘dog fight’ against Cowboys offensive line

Tony Romo won’t be flinging passes, and Dez Bryant may or may not be lined up on the outside when the Seahawks travel to Dallas on Sunday, but no matter what, Seattle’s defense is expecting an intense battle at the line of scrimmage.

“We just gotta try to punch them in the mouth early and continue it throughout the game, but it won’t be easy,” Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin said on “Bob, Groz and Tom.” “Those guys are battle-tested and got a lot of experience, so we’ve got to really take this week serious and focus and get ready for a dog fight Sunday.”

The Cowboys have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and enter the matchup as the seventh-best rushing team. The line helped the injury-riddled squad generate 233 yards on the ground in last week’s loss to the Giants.

“We feel like we are one of the top front-sevens in the league, and they feel like they got the top O-line in the league, so it’s gonna be a battle,” Irvin said.

With Romo still sidelined with a broken collarbone, Matt Cassel, starting for his fourth different team in 11 seasons, will be leading the Cowboys offense. Irvin called Cassel a “proven leader” in the league and that Seattle’s defensive game plan doesn’t change.

“He can play… and they damn near don’t need to throw the ball with the offensive line they got,” Irvin said.
“We can’t take him lightly, we can’t underestimate Matt Cassel, because he made some pretty big plays last week for them. You gotta prepare as if Romo and Dez Bryant, all those guys, are gonna play.”