Cowboys vs Lions Week 7: history, key players, projection
By Riley Donald
Cowboys vs Lions: “Under the Radar” Players
Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Smith, LT
Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, DE
Rather than talking about each player separately, this is more about the matchup we will have here. Two rookie first-round draft picks going up against each other as one looks to protect his franchise quarterback in his first game back from injury and the homegrown talent looks to continue his solid rookie year so far.
Tyler Smith has been outstanding for the ‘Boys this season. His pass protection has been solid and he has held up against some of the best of them. His run blocking and aggressiveness to open up holes have been key contributions to the run game. His task to hold up against Hutchinson and protect Prescott’s blindside is of high importance.
Fantastic combo/double teams from Zack Martin/Terence Steele and Tyler Biadasz/Connor McGovern, but watch Tyler Smith reach and cut off the 3T to create a giant alley to the 2nd level of PHI's defense for Tony Pollard #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/pavD3wOLfp
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) October 18, 2022
Hutchinson went to Michigan, was taken by the Lions early, and does all the little things right. He is a cornerstone piece for this defense as they rebuild. He has notched three sacks on the season to this point and will try to get home on Sunday.