Dallas Cowboys: 5 X-factor players for Week 2 vs. Falcons

4. Aldon Smith, EDGE

There was no defensive player for the Dallas Cowboys who jumped off the screen more than Aldon Smith did in Week 1. Playing on the edge, he led the team with 11 tackles while also recording the only sack of the game — and it was a huge one as it led to a much-needed defensive stop.

For those who hadn’t been paying attention, this might have been a shock. But for the Cowboys, they knew what they had in Smith as defensive coordinator Mike Nolan spoke on how dominant he can be for them.

"“I would say at times he actually could dominate the point of attack,” Nolan said while assessing Smith’s first game back via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “He’s a big, strong man. I would say that would be it, just his ability to dominate at the point of attack sometimes. That’s rare. That’s not common. Everybody’s a professional athlete in the NFL and everybody’s a good player, but some guys are uniquely strong, and I think he is.”"

Smith has now appeared in 60 career games and has 48.5 sacks to his name. Had he not found himself in trouble off-field, this could have been one of the best edge rushers in the history of the NFL.

While he can’t go back and fix that, he can finish his story on a positive note and Week 1 was a huge step in the right direction for him. In Week 2, the Cowboys will need him to pick up where he left off.

The Falcons offense has the ability to move the ball in a hurry and if Matt Ryan is allowed to get into a rythym, he can pick apart a defense. For that reason, Dallas will need Smith to get into the offensive backfield and make some noise. He’s going to be a big factor once again for them in this contest.