Earlier this week, I wrote about the risky bet the Dallas Cowboys made back in the offseason that partly cost them the game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 16: Banking on Tyron Smith to be the offense's left tackle.

Now, I'm not saying the gamble was wrong, as the Cowboys have gotten the best of the best and the worst of the worst off of it. 

When Tyron Smith has been on the field, he's been one of the absolute best tackles in the entire NFL. Through 16 weeks, Smith boasts the highest PFF grade among offensive tackles overall and in pass blocking specifically. He's one of two tackles to have allowed zero sacks with a minimum of 556 snaps (out of 60 tackles). Only he and Trent Williams boast such a mark.

However, when he hasn't been on the field, the Cowboys have paid a hefty price for it. Take the Dolphins game, for instance. Backup Chuma Edoga struggled and made mistakes that left EDGE Bradley Chubb unblocked more than once. The mistakes came in costly spots. And it hasn't been just that game, too: In less than half of Tyron Smith's pass blocking snaps, Edoga has allowed one more pressure than the starter (16). 

Smith being out means Edoga could use some help in protection in key instances. That shouldn't be a huge issue but against top edge rusher units, it can have a snowball effect as Terence Steele also needs that kind of help over on the right side. If Smith is out, the Cowboys offense is worrying about both ends of the offensive line.

Conversely, when Tyron is in the lineup, he can live on an island protecting the blindside of Dak Prescott.  

All of this raises a significant question regarding the gamble the Cowboys made and it's this: Should the Cowboys double down on their bet and make sure that they have Tyron for the postseason by making a controversial decision and sitting him for the final two games of the regular season? 

Should Cowboys shut down Tyron Smith for the remainder of the regular season? 

There's no denying Smith is injury prone. The last time he played a fully healthy season was back in 2015 when Dak Prescott wasn't even in the league. In the last four years, he's missed at least four games per season (including 2023). 

Now, he's dealing with a back injury, something that's not new to him having suffered from back and neck injuries earlier in his career. This season, Smith has dealt with back, neck, knee, and ankle issues. 

If the whole idea behind sticking with Smith was all about being fine with losing him for a few weeks just for the sake of the offense being at its very best when it mattered, shouldn't the Cowboys secure him for the playoffs at all costs? 

That alone might be worth it. But it's not that easy. 

It's a tricky situation as the NFC East remains in play and playing without Tyron could be a serious problem against their upcoming rival, the Detroit Lions. Going into that game with Edoga and Steele at tackle could prove to be a game-changing decision as Aidan Hutchinson remains one of the best edge rushers in the NFL right now. 

Instead, if you play Smith, you can help out Steele as much as possible in the seeming mismatch, almost guaranteeing a good day from Prescott against a struggling secondary. 

It's a difficult decision. If I was running the team, I'd play Smith if he was able to go just to do everything for a chance at winning the division. However, I would totally understand the decision to wrap Tyron in bubble wrap and store him away until the playoffs. He's that important to this team's success.

Cowboys: How much money Tyron Smith is losing per game missed

That explains No. 77’s frustration.