FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys altogether needed a shift in momentum on Thursday night. Despite a late comeback attempt against the Baltimore Ravens, everything else had gone wrong for this group the past two weeks.
They turned in a performance that soothed a few of those ills, but one player in particular took a massive step forward. Mazi Smith, perhaps the most unlikely hero for the Dallas defense, turned in a career outing that proved vital in the Cowboys' 20-15 win over the New York Giants.
Smith ended the game as Dallas' highest graded defender, according to PFF metrics. Overall, he tallied a grade of 88.5 with an 86.9 run defense grade.
Thursday was a massive leap forward for the second-year defensive tackle and his emotions after the game reflected a burden lifted off his shoulders.
"I can go into the weekend stress-free," Smith said with a laugh. "And then come back and reset, get ready to work and all that. Just try and carry it over into the next week."
Smith has had to work a great deal to take this spot at the center of the Cowboys' defensive line. Defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina has added a fierce yet determined force behind him, pushing him to realize the potential he showcased against the Giants.
Finally, it seems to be paying off. Dallas' run defense put forth a substantially better effort than they had in recent appearances. The Giants only accumulated 26 rushing yards the entire game.
Smith's push up front played a significant role in that improvement and individually deterred some of New York's action out of the backfield. But now, the task for the young guy becomes to stack those performances together. Frankly, the Cowboys are counting on him to.
Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are expected to miss the coming weeks with injury and the status of some secondary players remains uncertain.
As they look to address those holes and find production elsewhere, Smith must finally begin to morph into the first-round talent this team projected him as a year ago.
