Chargers game proved Cowboys hybrid linebacker is ready to soar

Markquese Bell showed the world why Dan Quinn has so much faith in him

The Dallas Cowboys have tried different approaches in their linebacker ranks.

Since Dan Quinn has taken over the defense, Dallas has drafted players like Jabril Cox to play the coverage linebacker role, but it didn't work out.

In this past draft, DeMarvion Overshown was supposed to be that guy. But to no fault of his own, injuries cut his season short.

Dallas didn't go shopping when that happened. They stood pat with the guys they had.

It left fans and everyone writing about them scratching their heads a bit. Well, that was until this past Monday night.

Markquese Bell lined up 33 times in the box area. That was by design. The Chargers rely on Austin Ekeler's dual-threat ability, as he can run between the tackles and take a short pass a very long way.

He had none of that none of that on Monday night, as Bell ended the game with seven total tackles; some were pure impact stops.

The goal-line stop on Ekeler was partially because of a late throw by Justin Herbert. But on the other hand, we've seen him break those tackles to score.

Credit goes to Bell for that stop.

One has to wonder why Bell played so many fewer total snaps against the 49ers. In that game, he only had 23.

It may not have changed that outcome, or it was matchup-specific.

Even though the Chargers put two tight ends in the formations, they don't have road-grading players who enjoy blocking as much as pass-catching.

That played into what Bell does best  use his athleticism to chase down players.

He is a willing tackler and good coverage skills for a safety. With an 86.6 coverage grade as a linebacker, he begins to creep into the excellent category.

What does this mean for Dallas going forward?

There are a few different running back challenges that the Dallas Cowboys will face, and having an encore performance from Bell would be awesome.

The Seattle Seahawks have Kenneth Walker III.

He's not having the same type of season as his rookie year, but he is still averaging 4.2 yards a clip.

What about those Philadelphia Eagles? The pairing of D'Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell has rushed for 595 yards in six games this season.

In weeks 15-17, the rushing attacks of Buffalo, Miami, and Detroit pose a variation of matchup nightmares and problems.

I'm not implying that it all falls on Bell's shoulders.

I am hoping for more performances like the one we just witnessed.

Having to overcome the loss of Leighton Vander Esch is huge, and that's after missing Overshown for the season.

Not to mention, Devin Harper got snatched up on waivers.

It hasn't been perfect from a personnel standpoint for the linebacking crew, but Markquese took it up a notch for his group and represented in Los Angeles.

We'll need more of that.