ARLINGTON, Texas -- Three-time Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith is back with the Dallas Cowboys, just in time for "Thursday Night Football" against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Smith practiced as a limited participant in Monday's walkthrough and in Tuesday's practice before being a full participant in Wednesday's walkthrough. He is active tonight against Tampa.
"You just get a guy like that back, an enforcer, one of the best guards, if not the best guard in the league. It definitely helps," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said after practice on Tuesday.
Smith had yet to suit up this season after undergoing thumb surgery days before their season opener and some time on injured reserve.
"It was extremely difficult," Smith said after practice on Monday. "It was one of the hardest things I've gone through. ... "I couldn't grab, I couldn't punch. … I just couldn't do my job as an o-lineman. We hand fight. We see somebody every play. It's not like I'm in space or I'm dropping back or I'm tackling somebody. I have to block, and I have to manhandle somebody every play. So that was my biggest issue. If I could do all those things with no issues, then we don't have a problem."
The Cowboys gave Smith the ultimate decision on whether he wanted to wait another week after his practice window opened, but he gave the team the green light to line him up on Thursday night.
"If Tyler feels good that he can go play, then I have no problem," coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "I've seen him, like I said, play football at a very high level. It's more of a comfort level for him than me. All Tyler's got to do is say, 'Hey Schotty, I feel good' and he'll be out there.'"
Smith's impact
So what will materially change for a Cowboys offense that is already averaging the most points per drive (3.39) in the NFL, a figure that actually ranks as the fourth-most by any team through their first four games of a season in the 21st century, per CBS Sports Research?
The versatility in Dallas' run game, which ranks as the eighth-worst in the league, with an average of 89.5 rushing yards per game. Teams that face the Cowboys know they don't feel incredibly confident running the football to the left with undrafted veteran T.J. Bass at left guard. The Cowboys have run to the right side of the line at the ninth-highest rate in the NFL this season (35.9%) and to the left side of the line at the fourth-lowest rate (26.9%) without Smith this season. They're around league average in run-up-the-middle rate, at 20th (44.7%). Now that Smith is back, his return unlocks the ability to run the football to any and all locations along the line of scrimmage.
