Cowboys: Deuce Vaughn could catch much-needed break in Week 10

The Dallas Cowboys have announced Tyron Smith carries no game designation for Sunday's game against the New York Giants, a meaningful development for more than one reason. 

First and foremost, it means Smith will play yet again. The future Hall of Famer is fresh off of his best performance in a long time, allowing no pressures in 57 pass-blocking snaps against the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend.

It also means that Cowboys fans should get ready for Smith missing practice the rest of the season. Head coach Mike McCarthy suggested that could be the case for the veteran earlier this week. This news goes a long way in confirming it. 

After all, Smith looks in tune with (left guard) Tyler Smith and is his dominant self. Does he need to practice this deep into his career? Past performance would suggest no, he doesn't. I bet Smith will be fine if this remains the course of action for the Cowboys and it should only help him take care of his health. 

Big chance ahead for Deuce Vaughn in Week 10? 

Vaughn has been a healthy scratch for the Cowboys since Week 5 when the team fell to the 49ers in San Francisco. The reason for this boils down to two reasons: A lack of a special teams role and Vaughn's poor pass protection earlier in the year.

Entering this weekend, KaVontae Turpin is the only questionable player for the Cowboys. It remains unclear whether or not he plays, but Turpin clearly took a huge hit in Philly and missed the entire week of practice with a shoulder injury. He could use some rest, especially if the coaching staff believes they can win this one without him (they should, as Dallas is a 17-point favorite, the largest spread of the 2023 NFL season).

That opens the door for Vaughn, who is the team's backup kick/punt returner. Even if Turpin suits up, one has to wonder if the Cowboys would still have their sixth-round rookie on the active roster while thinking about potentially pulling Turpin if the game gets out of hand early. 

Getting some looks on Sunday will undoubtedly be Vaughn's biggest break in a while if it does materialize. Will see if he seizes the opportunity and manages to push for more playing time. 

Final Week 10 injury report for Cowboys

Osa Odighizwua, Tyler Biadasz, Jayron Kearse, and Markquese Bell were all listed with no game designations.