It does not matter if it’s only the preseason; winning feels good. After a stumbling 0-2 start in the preseason, the Dallas Cowboys coasted past the Atlanta Falcons to get the win in front of the home fans at AT&T Stadium, the first for Brian Schottenheimer as head coach of the Cowboys. The offense showed a lot more consistency, and the passing and the running game complemented each other very well. The Cowboys had their best game on the ground, going for over 100 yards as a team.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for those who needed it, however. Mazi Smith needed to have a big game, and unfortunately, he did not, and the same concerns lingered. He was driven backwards and did not provide enough as a pass rusher. This leaves his roster status uncertain. As for others, a few players made tremendous strides that did enough to instill confidence from the coaches. Here are three stars who shone bright in the preseason finale and either seemingly secured a spot on the roster or eased concerns from the fans.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Smith & Shemar James
For Mike Smith, it might be too little too late. He had a terrific game and was often in the right place at the right time. He led the team in tackles with eight, four of them of the solo type. Although he won’t get credit for the interception, he smartly read the deep pass by Ben DiNucci to force the ball in the air as it landed in the waiting arms of Robert Rochell.
Also, Shemar James has stood out throughout the preseason despite the Cowboys having problems stopping the run. James is a physical downhill hitter who levels running backs, but his marquee play of the night was an interception of Easton Stick. James did an excellent job reading the eyes of Stick to step in front of the pass and effectively end the Falcons’ chances of making a comeback. James also had five stops and another pass defended.
Joe Milton
Over the first two games of the preseason, Joe Milton had come under a lot of fire for his troubles with his accuracy and making quick decisions with the ball. That wasn’t the case on Friday. Milton got the ball out quickly at the top of his dropback, hit his receivers in the chest, and overall had a much better command of the offense. He also did a much better job understanding when to leave the pocket to run, versus when to hang in the pocket for an extra second to find his receivers downfield.
On the opening drive, Milton identified that the defense was out of position, and he waltzed into the end zone to give Dallas the early 7-0 lead. Outside the pocket, he was terrific and made a really nice play in one instance where he rolled to his right and found Traeshon Holden along the sideline for a nice gain. Milton’s best throw of the night was a beautiful touch pass to the end zone to Jalen Brooks who was able to haul in the pass for a touchdown. Ignore the cumulative stats and his 55% completion percentage; Milton’s performance was a step in the right direction and was something for Milton and the team to feel good about.
Ryan Flournoy
With Traeshon Holden playing as well as he has over the course of the preseason and training camp, you felt that Ryan Flournoy needed to have a strong game to close the preseason to cement his place on the team. He very well may have with his game against the Atlanta Falcons. He and Milton developed a rapport early and became Milton’s most consistent target on Friday. He ran crisp routes out of his breaks and made him a good target for Milton. During the Cowboys’ two-minute drive at the end of the first half, Flournoy’s catch and run helped the Cowboys set up Brandon Aubrey for a 64-yard field goal to close the half. Flournoy also showed up in the running game, making multiple blocks that opened some nice holes for Deuce Vaughn to run through. Flournoy appears to have done enough to make the team, squeezing out the other receivers at the bottom of the roster. A great showing by the second-year receiver.
James Houston
If you keep stacking good days like James Houston, it’s easy to get noticed. The trend continues for Houston as he came out with a couple of flashy plays against the Falcons to put the finishing touches on a great preseason. Early in the contest, Houston forced his way through the offensive line to drop Easton Stick for a big loss on a sack. Then, later in the game, from his stand-up defensive end stance, Houston wisely read the jet sweep coming to his side and laid down the boom for a tackle for loss.
So far, Houston has been a problem for opposing offenses. He’s got great hands to work through the offensive lineman’s initial punch and has a relentless motor to counter the offensive line and string moves together. He’s separated himself from the other rushers in the preseason to where it’s hard to imagine him not making the team. If somehow, he doesn’t, the Cowboys will be sweating to see if he clears waivers to get him back on the practice squad.
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