Cowboys OT Tyron Smith Tears Hamstring; Commanders Affected?

Tyron Smith could miss a good chunk of the 2022 season.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 25, 2022

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders' biggest rival has been dealt a crushing blow.

Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a hamstring tear in practice Wednesday, which could keep him out for the entire season. An injury to an important player like Smith is enough to derail an entire team's season. Now, the Cowboys are forced to scramble and find a less than adequate solution.

But how does this affect the Commanders?

The Cowboys won the NFC East last season with a 12-6 record, winning the division by three games over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Commanders are looking to bounce back and win the division like they did in 2020, and this Smith injury helps Washington's chances.

According to FanDuel, the Cowboys' odds of winning the NFC East have shifted since the Smith injury. Before he tore his hamstring, the Cowboys had +135 odds. Now, it's at +145.

The Eagles have been the main beneficiary of the injury as their odds have increased and are now almost even with the Cowboys. The Commanders remain with the third-best odds, but that may not be the case when the season starts.

The Cowboys play three of their first five games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams ... all of whom have been to the Super Bowl within the past two seasons.

There's also a Week 4 meeting between the Commanders and Cowboys, one that Smith will almost certainly miss.

If the Commanders can pull out a win in Dallas and couple it with wins against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears early in the season, Washington will have a big lead that could be very difficult for America's Team to overcome.

Published Aug 25, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.