Dak Prescott will have his long-time protector Tyron Smith back on his offensive line as the Dallas Cowboys travel to face their NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, on Sunday. Smith has been dealing with a neck injury, which kept him out of last week's dominant win over the Los Angeles Rams. He wasn't able to practice earlier this week, but he did return on Friday in preparation for this critical matchup.

Smith is approaching his 33rd birthday next month, so, by NFL offensive lineman standards, he's ancient. Injuries have become very commonplace for the veteran tackle and the eight-time Pro Bowler. Smith is on track for the NFL Hall of Fame, but the Cowboys also need him to play his best football in order to make a run with this current roster.

Smith's return to the lineup is also very timely, against this highly-talented Eagles defensive front. In recent years, the Eagles have basically taken the approach of just drafting every defensive player that comes out of the Georgia football program. That's not a bad strategy, considering the Bulldogs have won back-to-back national championships and essentially field an NFL-caliber roster every year.

This past draft, the Eagles selected DT Jalen Carter, perhaps the best prospect in the entire draft, and Nolan Smith, an extremely undervalued linebacker, in the first round. The defending NFC champions only got a whole lot better on the defensive front.

While the Eagles are somewhat vulnerable in the secondary, it's crucial for the Cowboys to stave off this pass rush and be able to at least compete at the line of scrimmage. Also, establishing the run game early can make things much easier for Dak Prescott in what is perhaps the most important game of the whole regular season so far. Tyron Smith is a big part of making those things happen.