Hail, hail, the gang’s all here.
Maybe.
For the first time ever, Cowboys offensive linemen Tyron Smith and Tyler Smith could take a game snap alongside each other when Dallas takes the field at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara this Sunday night.
On Thursday, the team’s wish-list O-line got their first work together in a padded regular-season practice. And while there are still a few days to go before Week 5’s key game kicks off, the stars are aligning for the best five linemen to start versus the 49ers.
Tyron Smith was back in action on Thursday as a full participant and could be ready to return to his usual left tackle spot after missing the past two games with a right knee injury. Tyler Smith sat out Weeks 1 and 2 after straining a hamstring just before opening night. Center Tyler Biadasz did not play in Week 3 with a hamstring issue. Right guard Zack Martin also missed the loss in Arizona due to an ankle injury. Only right tackle Terence Steele has occupied his normal position for all four games this season.
That’s the starting lineup that Dallas envisioned when they spent a first-round draft pick on Tyler Smith in April of last year. Seventeen months later, it still hasn’t happened in a real game.
This is big: For first time since 2021, the entire first-team Cowboys O-line is participating in a padded regular-season practice. Tyron Smith (knee) and Zack Martin (thigh) returned today.
LT Tyron Smith, LG Tyler Smith, C Tyler Biadasz, RG Zack Martin, RT Terence Steele pic.twitter.com/gBtSBm3ybt
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 5, 2023
“This group of five has never played a game together,” Martin said, per Patrik Walker of the team website. “Excited to get out there and go to work.”
Tyler Smith, who learned the guard position in camp last summer and then switched to tackle to fill in for Tyron for most of his rookie season, agreed.
“People have been waiting. That’s huge for us,” he said, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “Just having everybody back up front, you just know that well-oiled machine is going to keep going.”
Yes, it is huge and it’s “expected,” but it’s not guaranteed quite yet.
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]
Quarterback Dak Prescott hedged his bets slightly when asked about the prospect of his preferred front five coming together just in time to protect him against Nick Bosa and the fierce San Francisco defense.
“I feel like we talked about this two weeks ago,” Prescott smiled. “Let’s get to the game, and then we can talk about it after.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]
[mm-video type=video id=01hc0ea4cg6k99kye7v8 playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hc0ea4cg6k99kye7v8/01hc0ea4cg6k99kye7v8-beab45fe25996b65910b485c07a85131.jpg]
[lawrence-newsletter]