Dallas Cowboys: 5 Standouts vs. Redskins in Week 2
5. Jaylon Smith
Similar to Byron Jones, Jaylon Smith was not perfect for the Dallas Cowboys in the victory on Sunday. The now handsomely paid linebacker wasn’t always great in coverage against the Redskins and took a bad angle or two throughout the day. On the whole, though, you could make the argument that he was the most impactful player on Rod Marinelli’s defense against Washington.
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Smith finished the day with 11 total tackles (eight of them solo efforts) and was a constant menace in the middle of the field. Aside from the Redskins completing passes down the field, they weren’t able to break anything loose when they looked to the shorter areas of the field in large part due to Smith.
When he was coming out of Notre Dame prior to his horrific knee injury, Smith’s athleticism was simply outstanding and the type of thing that could be a game-changer for defenses. Until last year, the Cowboys were hoping that it would return and it finally did in 2018. And this game was a sign that it’s not going anywhere.
Time and again, Smith has showcased his tremendous nose for the football and the speed to make plays on opposing ball-carriers to ultimately either limit big plays or stop anything positive from happening altogether. He’s a tremendous presence and the Cowboys were wise to lock him up to a long-term deal.