4 statistical milestones the Cowboys could hit this weekend
By Angel Torres
150 tackles – Jaylon Smith
Linebacker Jaylon Smith has been the focal point of this bad Dallas Cowboys defense. It has improved as of late but the play of Jaylon Smith has still been a subject of criticism for some. People forget to mention that he has continued to surpass his previous high in total tackles every single year he has played.
I am not ready to run Jaylon out of town yet but he does have to be more aware of his mistimed celebrations. A space-eating defensive tackle in front of him could do wonders for this player but then again so would better instincts.
Jaylon is on the verge of surpassing 150 total tackles this season as he currently stands with 144 total stops. His previous high was last year’s 142 tackling performance which is better than his much-hyped 2018 season of 121 total stops.
Jaylon has averaged 9.6 tackles a game this season making him almost a lock to surpass the 150 milestone going up against this ball control offense. Only Zach Cunningham of the Houston Texans has more total tackles in the league with 150 total tackles himself.
Jaylon can also surpass the career-highs of fellow linebacker Leighton Vander Esch who had 152 total tackles during his rookie season back in 2018 or the 153 career-high tackle season Sean Lee had back in 2016. Jaylon sticking to his average would surpass both teammates and I am taking the over on this one also.
Sure I catch Jaylon Smith pile jumping at the end of some plays to pad his stats but I also find some plays where he should get high praise yet none seem to follow. The sense around social media already has made Smith a casualty when he has actually played well for the most part.
Highlighting bad plays seems to be the norm for a player who has only fueled his critics by not providing many splash plays and get zero credit for solid ones. This comes with the territory whenever a player inks a massive deal. Either way, Jaylon can and most likely will surpass the 150 tackle milestone on Sunday.