Cowboys' difficult Tyler Smith decision to be made on Saturday

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy talked to reporters on Friday and revealed the team still hasn't determined the status of left guard Tyler Smith for Week 18 vs. the Washington Commanders.

The Cowboys will wait until Saturday to make a final determination, while Friday's injury report is likely to have him as questionable once it comes out.

“I would never count him out,” McCarthy said of Smith via ESPN's Todd Archer, who's shown his toughness this year fighting through injury.

Under McCarthy's regime in Dallas, Friday's practice is more of a walkthrough while the "real" final practice takes place on Saturday, even when the team goes on tour. 

After that Saturday practice is when the Cowboys hold a personnel meeting in which they decide who's playing and who's not, something that been detailed by the coaching staff more than once.

That means Cowboys fans won't know if Tyler Smith is expected to play until the day before gameday.

It's a tough decision that the Cowboys are facing one week after Smith's full tear of his plantar fascia versus the Lions: On the one hand, putting Smith in bubble wrap could be the smartest bet to ensure he's at his best in the playoffs and avoid the risk of re-injury.

McCarthy's words from early in the week show the other side of the dilemma though and they highlight how much of a complicated decision it is: "Let's be honest, the playoffs have already started."

Jerry Jones reinforced such a sentiment on his Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan when he said “This is a playoff game we’re playing Sunday, we have to win this game.”

If that's indeed the mentality Dallas is taking to Washington, playing Smith makes all the sense in the world. If there's one potential mismatch when the Cowboys' offense has the ball, is a hypothetical matchup between Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen against UDFA rookie T.J. Bass.

That's not a knock on Bass, who's actually done a great job when he's name has been called to play guard on both sides of the line. But it's a testament to Payne and Allen, who remain one of the most talented defensive tackle duos in the NFL.

On Saturday, we'll get a final answer on Smith's availability.