NFL Thanksgiving: Twitter reacts to Alex Smith's win over the Cowboys

When the clock expired, Dallas Cowboys coaches and players jogged over to midfield and slapped the Washington quarterback on his back and shook his hand. Alex Smith stood near the Cowboys star logo with his hands on his hips, talking to a masked Andy Dalton.

It was Smith's first primetime win of the season, his first in two years.

In a matchup between middling 3-7 teams battling for the lead in an abysmal NFC East, Alex Smith was the story. He led Washington to a 41-16 victory over the Cowboys. Smith threw for 149 yards and one touchdown, along with one interception. He completed 19 of 26 pass attempts

"You think about Alex Smith and that journey," FOX announcer Joe Buck said in the final minutes of the broadcast. "He and his wife Elizabeth went from do you think he is going to play again, to please don't amputate his leg, to please save his life. And to work his way all the way back to this, to win back to back starts, on Thanksgiving. Seventeen surgeries later, here he is."

Alex Smith suffered a brutal leg injury in November 2018. What was initial a break that would take months to recover from turned scary for Smith and his family. An infection became septic, entering his blood, and there were fears his leg would be lost, he would never be able to walk again, or, he may not even survive.

"I’m laying there wondering, ‘How does this happen?’" Smith told PEOPLE. “I was just playing in a football game and all of a sudden I might be losing my leg. And I’m thinking, ‘What’s my life going to be like without a leg?’”

Two years later, however, he led an NFL football team to a dominant Thanksgiving win, topping the Dallas Cowboys 41-16.

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Alex Smith and Washington lead the NFC East

Alex Smith has started three games in 2020, including Thursday's win. Coming into the game he had completed 68% of his passes and thrown two touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Washington Football Team jumped to 4-7 on the season, somehow leading, at least for now, the NFC East division. The Eagles play on Sunday, and a win would bring them to 4-6-1, a record that would lead the league's worst division. Washington will match up against the 11-0 Steelers in next week's game.