It is good to have football back, even if it’s just preseason. There was still a lot to be optimistic about, as names like Michael Trigg, Malik Davis, and especially Camden Brown, impressed. However, it wasn’t all positive as the backup offensive line failed to provide the running backs with proper holes, special teams looked shaky at best, and penalty issues hampered the Cowboys.
3 Cowboys Standouts from Preseason Week 1 – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star
The standout of the action from Saturday night was obviously Camden Brown, who wasted no time making an impact on the game. However, several other names impressed in the victory, and there are a lot of positives to take away.
You don’t need me to tell you that Camden Brown, an UDFA Wide Receiver trying to make the roster, had a massive game last night.
This kid has been impressing in camp, and he reeled in two fantastic touchdown grabs to really boost his stock against the Seahawks. In total, the Georgia Southern product had three catches for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
Studs and Duds: 2 Cowboys UDFAs lead offense while some vets struggle – Terence Watson, Cowboys Wire
It wasn’t all positive in the preseason opener. On top of the opening series looking shaky for the defense, players like Calen Carson struggled while the second-string o-line failed to provide the QBs and RBs with proper support.
The biggest issue for the Cowboys in this game, outside of the 13 penalties, was the play of the second-string offensive line. Both Sam Howell and Joe Milton rarely looked comfortable in the pocket, as pressure came up the middle at times and off the edge far too often. Fortunately for Dallas, both quarterbacks were athletic enough to escape defenders and make plays on the move.
Things weren’t much better in the running game. Running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah weren’t able to find many running lanes, as defenders were often meeting them near the line of scrimmage.
Cowboys’ glaring preseason issues shouldn’t drag them down for much longer – Levi Dombro, The Landry Hat
While it is fun to have football back, fans have to remember that this is still preseason football. Which means that the highs of players like Brown putting up Herculean performances, and the struggles that Dallas saw, are likely not indicative of the true performance the Cowboys will be putting on in a few weeks.
After giving up a sizeable return on the opening kickoff, the Cowboys cleaned things up with that unit. But Izzy Abanikanda had a bad kick return, Dallas relinquished two long punt returns, and Traeshon Holden muffed a punt on the goal line, which gave the Seahawks the ball in scoring position.
But again, most of the players who were out there won’t be in those roles come Week 1 against the New York Giants, or even on the active roster at all. KaVontae Turpin will be out there returning kicks and punts, not Abanikanda or Holden.
4 Early Cut Candidates For Dallas Cowboys After First Preseason Game – Zach Dimmitt, Sports Illustrated
Cuts are on the horizon. And after Saturday night, we now have a clearer picture of some of the names that could wind up on the chopping block. This is less a result of their performance and more the impact of competing names.
Already viewed as a potential cut candidate headed into training camp, Luke Schoonmaker’s roster chances took a bit of hit before kickoff once it was obvious that Brevyn Spann-Ford wouldn’t be suiting up, signaling he’s likely the TE2 behind Jake Ferguson.
But the bad news didn’t stop there for Schoonmaker. Undrafted rookie tight end Michael Trigg showed off his pass-catching ability and finished with a team-high four catches for 30 yards.
Cowboys’ Caleb Downs Sends Clear Message on Preseason Debut – Dave Holcomb, Yahoo Sports
There weren’t many snaps to evaluate the exciting rookie. However, Downs seems to share the sentiment of most others in that he is excited to see more reps and get in the action.
“Yeah, super excited,” the safety told reporters. “[It was a] really fun experience, and I’m excited to have more opportunities in the future.”
Downs didn’t record a statistic in his first preseason outing. The Cowboys, though, limited him to just a little more than a handful of snaps.
Snap Judgments: Cowboys snap counts vs Seahawks – One Cool Customer, Blogging The Boys
While there isn’t a lot to evaluate in preseason football, one of the most predictive aspects is snap counts. It is likely a decent indication of where each player falls on the depth chart. So here are the snap counts from Saturday.
At first glance, the numbers for the OL appear a bit confusing, but this is driven by two key coaching decisions: the team wanted to give T.J. Bass a few live reps but took him out early and replaced him with Nick Leverett, and they yanked Nate Thomas after just 22 snaps and replaced him for the rest of the game with Marcellus Johnson.
Former Cowboys OG John Niland dies at 82 – Charean Williams, PFT
RIP to a Cowboys great.
Former Cowboys offensive guard John Niland died Saturday morning in McKinney, Texas, his family announced Sunday. Niland was 82.
Niland earned six Pro Bowls and was All-Pro three times. He played in the 1967 Ice Bowl against the Packers and was the starting left guard in Super Bowl VI when the Cowboys won their first championship.
Daily discussion question: Who is the 54th man on the roster right now?