The performance by Mazi Smith on Thursday night is something the Cowboys sought the moment he arrived here as a first-round pick in 2023.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Smith’s efforts against the Giants was his best as a pro.
The box score says Smith had three tackles and a tackle for loss while playing 26 snaps.
Pro Football Focus, an independent website that grades players, gave Smith an 88.4 rating for his overall defense and an 86.6 for his run defense in the victory over the Giants.
NextGen Stats credited Smith with three stuffs, meaning he stopped three running plays for no yards.
Those watching the game saw Smith split double-teams, a requirement for his position, push back Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. on several plays and hold up blockers as linebackers filled the running lanes to make plays.
Smith’s play was the starting point in the Cowboys’ run defense holding the Giants to a season-low 26 yards and rushing for a 1.1 average.
“Mazi was dominant, bro,” uber pass rusher Micah Parsons said. “I told you guys Mazi keeps getting better and better. I always tell him it always starts and ends with him.”
Last season raised questions about Smith’s selection as a first-round pick. The season was filled with losing weight, working in a scheme that didn’t fit his skill set and a nagging shoulder injury that eventually required offseason surgery.
In the offseason, Smith picked up nearly 20 pounds, found his place in a scheme that’s designed for him to succeed and just play with confidence. Smith said he didn’t use last season’s scheme, where he was asked to get off the snap fast and rush up field, as an excuse for his disappointing season.
Smith said he’s a football player and you have to perform.
“Just got to keep going,” he said. “I do feel it, but got to keep going that’s the goal each week, don’t take a step back.”
Smith is now being asked to do something he did at Michigan: Clog the middle of the line of scrimmage so linebackers can fill running lanes and defeat blockers in the run game.
Each week during training camp practices, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer would see improvement in Smith’s play. He would praise Smith, unprompted by questions from reporters, because he felt it was important to point out what the second-year player was capable of.
Once the season started, the run defense, and Smith in particular, struggled badly. The Cowboys allowed 190 rushing yards in a loss to the Saints in Week 2. The next week, the Cowboys gave up 274 yards in another loss, this time to Ravens.
In the buildup of the Giants game, several defensive players made note of working on the small details of the game. For a defensive tackle that was getting a solid base in their stances so they can get a good push at the line of scrimmage.
That occurred Thursday night.
“It’s a pretty big deal,” Smith said of the run defense improvements. “But it don’t matter if you do it for one game like we did (in season opener) for the Browns. Then you saw what happened. Now we just got to keep it flowing, going in the right direction. You don’t want to go back.”
In the last few years, the Cowboys searched for a defensive tackle to stabilize the position. Before drafting Smith in 2023, the Cowboys drafted seven defensive tackles, none generating a second contract. Osa Odighizuwa, a 2021 third-round pick, enters a contract year and it’s uncertain if he’ll get a new deal. Odighizuwa starts alongside Smith and in the first three weeks of the regular season, the run defense has taken heavy criticism.
At least until the Giants game.
The Cowboys run defense ranked last (185.7 yards per game) in the NFL. As Smith said, improving on what transpired in Week 4 is vital.
“I was happy for him and I thought Mike gave him a few opportunities with some line movement opportunities,” McCarthy said. “And he cashed in on it. Yeah, I really liked the way Mazi played.”
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