(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. After being in the Top 10 for all but two weeks of the season, the final ranking for the Cowboys is 13th.)

The final protection index score was not pretty for the Cowboys, who saw the Giants' heavy pass rush give them fits all night in the all-important season finale.

A big reason for the Giants' 31-14 win over Dallas was the season-high six sacks the Cowboys allowed to a menacing New York defense led by Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and former Cowboys end Chris Canty.

The Cowboys had their share of problems on the line from left to right. They already had an injury at guard with Montrae Holland (biceps) out and veteran Derrick Dockery taking over. But then Kyle Kosier went down with a torn MCL injury that put rookie Kevin Kowalski in the lineup.

Tony Romo was running for his life all night, getting sacked six times, knocked down eight more times and hit seven times. Overall, the Cowboys had a steady score in the Top 10 of the New York Life Protection Index but the final month of the season dipped their rating to 66.1 and 13th-place finish.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time all season, moving down to 11th.)

For the first offensive drive of the game, the mindset was one way. Once Tony Romo's right hand banged off a helmet of Eagles defender Jason Babin, coupled with the final score of the Giants' win over the Jets, everything changed.

With that, Romo's day was over and Stephen McGee entered the contest. And as we've seen over the years with Romo not being in the lineup, things look different for the offensive line as well.

Facing the Eagles' starting defense, McGee scrambled often and the offense struggled for most of the day. As a result, it was the Cowboys' lowest single-game rating on the New York Life Protection Index. The Cowboys ranked 29th in the league with a 34.3 rating, due in large part to 11 quarterback knockdowns, easily the most in the NFL this past week. McGee was also sacked three times and hurried four more times.

That score dropped the Cowboys to 11th in the yearly rankings, their lowest ranking of the season.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys stood pat at the ninth position.)

The Cowboys put away the Buccaneers early last Saturday night and did it primarily through the pass. Tony Romo was on point against Tampa, and he plenty of time. The Cowboys' pass protection was solid, allowing Romo the time to pass for 249 yards and three first-half touchdowns.

The line did have a few problems in the second, which ultimately affected their New York Protection Index score. The Cowboys allowed two sacks, four quarterback hits on Romo and a holding penalty and false start penalty each.

Individually, it was a strong game for center Phil Costa, who was a game-time decision because of a concussion the week before. Costa played well up front, as did guards Kyle Kosier and Montrae Holland. Both tackles - Doug Free and Tyron Smith allowed a sack, one of which led to a fumble and touchdown return.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys moved up a spot to ninth.)

It wasn't always pretty, but the offensive line held up rather nicely against the Giants, both in the running and passing game. Despite losing RB DeMarco Murray for the season with a fractured ankle early in the game, Felix Jones filled in with his third career 100-yard performance.

The passing game was pretty sharp as well. Tony Romo passed for 323 yards and four touchdowns, and with that, the team's New York Life Protection Index improved this week. The Cowboys jumped to ninth because of a weekly score of 70.5 (eighth-highest around the league.) Romo was sacked three times and knocked down four times and the line had two false start penalties. But there were no holding penalties, which certainly improved the score, along with the four touchdowns.

Individually, the Cowboys lost center Phil Costa to a concussion early in the first half and backup Kevin Kowalski filled in for the rest of the game. Left tackle Doug Free had his hands full with Jason Pierre-Paul, who had two sacks – one for a safety, but right tackle Tyron Smith held his own against Pro Bowler Justin Tuck.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys dropped down to 10th in the NFL rankings.)

For the second straight week, the offensive line struggled for most of the game, and as a result, the New York Life Protection Index has dipped to its lowest ranking of the year. The Cowboys fell to 10th after a score of 58.1 against the Cardinals.

Most of the issues from that game occurred from the intense pressure sent by the aggressive Cardinals defense that sacked Tony Romo a season-high five times. More than that, Romo was hurried five times, knocked down seven times and the offensive line had three false start penalties.

Across the board, it was a tough day for the line, which also failed to open up consistent running lanes. The Cowboys rushed for just 75 yards, their lowest single-game output since Week Two of the season when they had only 45 vs. San Francisco.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys dropped down to seventh in the NFL rankings.)

When it mattered the most last Thursday, the Cowboys did the necessary things to pull out a hard-fought 20-19 victory over Miami on Thanksgiving for a fourth straight win. And it was an offensive drive by Tony Romo that led to the game-winning field goal.

Before that, it wasn't the best of days for the offensive line, particularly in the pass protection. And that's why the Cowboys finished the week ranked 20th in the NYL Protection Index with a weekly score of 58.2. That dropped them from fifth to seventh in the season standings to a 72.3 rating.

The low score against Miami was a result of four false start penalties, which tied for the most by any team this week. The Cowboys also got Tony Romo knocked down seven times, despite just one sack. Overall, the line played well in spurts, especially in that fourth-quarter drive when they needed to get into field goal range.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboy dropped a spot down to sixth with a 73.6 overall rating.)

The Cowboys will take any win at this point in the season, especially a road victory against a longtime division rival such as the Redskins.

But it was anything but pretty for the offensive line, which had trouble opening holes in the running game, rushing for just 89 yards, the Cowboys' lowest output since mid-October against New England. And in the passing game, Tony Romo did have three touchdown passes and no interceptions, but was often running for his life. Romo was sacked a season-tying high four times against the Redskins and knocked down six more times.

The offensive line had three false start penalties, but no holding calls. Overall, the offensive line got a 58.0 rating for this week's New York Life Protection Index score, good for 19th out of the 28 teams that played.

But it wasn't all bad for the pass protection. Left tackle Doug Free, who has been criticized for inconsistent play this year, might have turned in his best performance of the year, facing Redskins' outside linebacker Brian Orakpo. Free held his own against one of the NFL's top pass-rushers and the line actually gave Romo time to scramble out and find open receivers on some of the biggest plays of the game.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboy again moved up to fifth in the NFL rankings.)

Not much went wrong for the Cowboys last Sunday against Buffalo and the pass protection was no exception. In fact, the argument could be made it was the best overall performance by the offensive line all season long.

The Cowboys jumped out to a 21-0 lead and actually recorded a franchise-first by scoring touchdowns on their first four offensive possessions, a feat that hasn't been done in the 52-year history of the club. Credit the offensive line for providing a healthy pocket for Tony Romo, who completed his first 13 passes and finished with three touchdowns and his highest QB rating of the season, and second-highest of his career (148.4).

As for the pass protection, the Cowboys had the second-highest rating on this week's New York Life Protection Index at 109.7. There were no sacks allowed, no knockdowns and no penalties on the offensive line at all.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys moved up to seventh in the NFL rankings.)

After a tough loss in Philly, an even tougher outing for the offensive line, both phases returned to form last week against the Seahawks, which was evident by this week's New York Life Protection Report.

The Cowboys' line helped Tony Romo pass for 279 yards without giving up a sack. Romo was knocked down just once and the line had just one holding penalty. With the a balanced attack on the ground game - DeMarco Murray rushing for 139 yards - the offensive line is starting to show some life here in the last few weeks.

One thing that has helped an improved pass protection is the balance from the running game. In fact, Murray's 466 rushing yards the last weeks is the highest three-game total by any Cowboys' back in franchise history.

The addition of Montrae Holland at left guard has given the team some veteran leadership, but also some needed size in the middle.

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, after a struggling performance to the Eagles, the Cowboys fell three spots to ninth. )

There weren't many things that went right from the Cowboys' 34-7 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. The pass protection was certainly not an exception.

The Cowboys' dropped three spots in this week's overall NYL Protection Report rankings after the offensive line allowed four sacks, four quarterback knock-downs and two more hurries, along with a holding penalty. The Cowboys only passed for 203 yards, and 70 came from one bomb from Tony Romo to Laurent Robinson, to provide the Cowboys' lone touchdown.

• Week 7 Review

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. Despite, the win over the Rams, the Cowboys fell one spot to sixth place. )

Obviously it was a big week for the offensive line, which paved the way for 294 rushing yards, the fourth-most in franchise history, including a record 253 yards by rookie DeMarco Murray.

The passing game took a backseat against the Rams, and therefore the line didn't have its best game in terms of pass protection, allowing two sacks on Tony Romo.

Doug Free yielded yet another sack at left tackle and it's safe to say he hasn't had the best start of the season from the left tackle position. He did get some veteran help at left guard last week with the re-signing of Montrae Holland, who played well in his first start this year.

• Week 6 Review

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. Despite, the loss to New England, the line moved up a spot to fifth place in the NFL, despite a rating that fell two points to 74.8)

The offensive line lost another starter in Sunday's loss to the Patriots, when rookie guard Bill Nagy was lost for the year with a fractured right ankle. Nagy was actually replacing veteran Derrick Dockery, who has missed three straight games with a broken tibia/sprained MCL in his right knee. Dockery said he's getting close to returning, but the Cowboys still felt the need to re-sign veteran Montrae Holland, who was one of three guards to audition for a roster spot on Tuesday.

The Cowboys struggled again to run the ball, but they've continued to pass well. The passing game has flourished behind this line and quarterback Tony Romo, who had yet another 300-yard passing game, his fourth of the year.

There have been some problem areas of late, including left tackle Doug Free, who committed two more penalties. Free leads the team in both penalties assessed (five) and penalty yardage (45), while rookie Tyron Smith is second with four penalties for 25 yards.

• Week 5 Review

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys jumped up a spot to sixth place in the NFL with a 78.6 rating.)

While the offensive line has struggled to find consistency this year running the ball, it has been a different story with the pass. That's why the Cowboys continue to have high grades in the New York Life Protection report, ranking sixth in the NFL this week.

Although the Cowboys have played four games and most of the league has already played five, they've only allowed seven sacks this year, which ties them with two other teams for fourth-fewest in the league. Part of that is the quickness this line has with some undersized, yet more athletic linemen. However, it has affected the team's ability to run the ball consistently.

This week, the Cowboys face a Patriots team that also scores well in the Protection Report. New England ranks fifth in the league with an 80.8 rating. Tom Brady has been sacked just eight times in five games.

• Week 4 Review

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys moved up to seventh from 13th in the NFL with a 78.6 rating.)

While the only thing memorable from Sunday's game against the Lions was the second-half collapse, the grades for the offensive line were actually very high. The Cowboys had a protection rating of 109.6, which tied with Oakland for the highest around the league in Week 4.

The Cowboys only allowed one sack, although it occurred on the final drive to thwart any kind of comeback. Tony Romo stayed upright for the most part, meaning the Cowboys did a solid job against Detroit's Ndamukong Suh and the offense piled up more than 400 yards.

Individually, Tyron Smith was having another nice game at right tackle until he gave up his first career sack when he was bull-rushed back into the quarterback.

The end result wasn't pretty, but the offensive line scored a big week in the protection report.

• Week 3 Review

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats, from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys dropped down from fourth to 13th in the NFL with a 67.2 rating.)

Aside from getting the win, a major goal for Monday night's game with the Redskins was to keep quarterback Tony Romo upright and limiting the amount of big hits he absorbed on the day.

For the most part, the Cowboys were able to accomplish those two goals. A banged-up Romo led the Cowboys to a win and he wasn't battered and bruised much more than he was entering the game. Against the Redskins, Romo was sacked once, knocked down four times and hurried three times. The offensive line also had three holding penalties, which tied for the most in the NFL this week.

Left guard Bill Nagy got the start again, replacing injured veteran Derrick Dockery. Nagy had some problems holding his own at times, and the same could be said for left tackle Doug Free, who was beaten on the edge a couple of times. The center position had some problems too with Phil Costa sending back a few premature shotgun snaps to Tony Romo. Obviously, the timing was off in that center-quarterback exchange.

It doesn't get much easier this week against a 3-0 Lions team that features defensive tackle Ndamkong Suh.

• Week 2 Review

(The New York Life Protection index is a rating for offensive lines, particularly on pass protection, that factors in a variety of stats from the number of passing attempts, to yards and touchdowns, mixing in plays such as sacks, hurries, knockdowns and penalties to produce a scientific figure, similar to that of quarterback rating. This week, the Cowboys moved from 14th down to fourth in the NFL with an 86.2 rating.)

Like most positions in the NFL, this week's offensive line play had some good and bad. Obviously, when the quarterback suffers a serious rib/lung injury the way Tony Romo did early in the game, it can't be a complete success. However, the offensive line held up for the most part, considering new left guard starter Derrick Dockery and then rookie Kevin Kowalski replaced Phil Costa (knee) in the second half and didn't miss a beat.

While Romo was hit plenty of times last week, the quarterback were only sacked once for a five-yard loss. And the combination of Romo and Kitna did pass for 432 yards against the aggressive 49ers defense.

This week, Costa's status will be questionable considering he re-injured his PCL strain on his right knee. It's likely that Dockery will continue to start, even if rookie Bill Nagy returns from a neck injury that limited his practice participation last week.

• Week 1 Review

While the offensive line usually gets overlooked more than other positions, that's not the case these days in Dallas, especially in Sunday's season-opener with the Jets.

It's a new-look line, that actually made history this week. The Cowboys had never started two rookies on the line for a season opener and only five rookies overall in the 52-year history of the club.

Rookies Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy both made their NFL debuts at right tackle and left guard, respectively, but it was also the first career start at second-year center for Phil Costa, who replaced five-time Pro Bowler Andre Gurode.

Throw in the fact that Kyle Kosier made his first start at right guard since 2006 and Doug Free is only in his second season at left tackle, and you wouldn't exactly call this an established line.

And facing the Jets in Week One was a formidable task, but for the most part, the line held up well. The offense produced 390 total yards, although most of it was through the air. The running game wasn't a huge factor with just 64 yards on 26 carries and Tony Romo was sacked four times.

Overall, considering the opponent, the circumstances of the game and the inexperience of the line, it was definitely a passing grade for the Cowboys' offensive line in Week One.

- Nick Eatman

• What is the New York Life Protection Index?

The New York Life Protection Index is the authoritative measure of a team's aptitude in pass protection.

In today's football, the 'golden age' of passing, a pro football team's ability to protect the quarterback is a key attribute to winning games. The New York Life Protection Index was created by sports information leader STATS to provide a composite gauge for this undervalued component of the game.

While the New York Life Protection Index is calculated using a proprietary formula, the fundamentals are comprised of the length of a team's pass attempts combined with penalties by offensive linemen, sacks allowed and quarterback hurries and knockdowns. The New York Life Protection Index is updated weekly throughout the regular season.

The New York Life Protection Index is the first team ranking index to incorporate STATS' proprietary x-Info data including quarterback knockdown, hurries, passing attempts and yards, as well as holding and false start penalties. The NYLPI focuses solely on each team's offensive line. New York Life is the perfect choice to sponsor the Protection Index, as the company has been in the protection business for over 165 years.

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