Cowboys' Tyler Smith Ready to 'Pound' & 'Break' Packers for Coach Mike McCarthy
Dallas Cowboys rookie left tackle Tyler Smith knows what's at stake Sunday when the team travels to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers (3-6).
A win for the Cowboys would put their record at 7-2, making it a near certainty that the team will secure a playoff spot barring a colossal collapse. But the history and emotion behind Dallas coach Mike McCarthy's return to Green Bay is drawing major headlines, something Smith recognizes as well.
When asked about what a win would mean by doing it for McCarthy, who served as Green Bay's head coach for 13 years before being fired midway through the 2018 season, the rookie Smith was fired up.
“I always wanna win, period," Smith said. " ... I know this win would mean a lot for him. Definitely the whole team, the whole vibe here, this is gonna be one that we’re gonna have to pound hard (and) break them down to get the dub.”
The Cowboys have a chance to kick one of their old rivals while they're down. The Packers stumble into Sunday on a five-game losing streak, as a loss would put them in danger of missing the postseason just a year after being the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
McCarthy's former team is seemingly collapsing while he and the Cowboys are clearly trending upward. But ahead of his return back to Lambeau, Smith admitted that his head coach made sure to instill an important, yet simple life lesson into the locker room.
“He spoke on it a little bit in meetings," Smith said. "Sometimes you gotta look back at where you came from to see how far you’ve come … it’s definitely a lot of emotions tied up in it for him. But it’s a big game for us as an organization.”
Smith will be tasked with protecting the blindside of quarterback Dak Prescott and opening holes for Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott against a Green Bay defense that is allowing the sixth-fewest yards per game this season (309.1).
But in what should be an emotional game for both sides, Smith hardly has a rookie mindset.
Dallas and Green Bay kickoff at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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