After a summer spent in Oxnard, the Dallas Cowboys opened their preseason to less-than-stellar results, dropping the first two games to the Los Angeles Rams and the Baltimore Ravens. The offense has not lived up to expectations, and the rollercoaster ride has had more valleys than peaks. One factor has been the running game, which outside a late flurry of yardage from Malik Davis against the Rams and a little Phil Mafah work, has been nonexistent. Conversely, the rushing defense has not been much better, and the Cowboys have yielded 164.5 rushing yards over the first two games of the preseason. In the finale, it will be interesting to see how the play-calling of head coach Brian Schottenheimer influences the staff’s ability to evaluate the bottom of the roster. With that said, here are storylines to pay attention to in tonight’s final tune-up against the Atlanta Falcons.
QB Snaps
Although Joe Milton has made great strides at training camp, it has not translated to the games during the preseason, causing some concern about Milton’s viability as the primary backup for Dak Prescott.
One critique against Milton is that he simply throws the ball too hard, to which Milton responded.
Whether this is true or not, Milton is missing his receivers when they are open, and the timing between him and his receivers is off. Milton can make some signature throws that others can’t, and his 49-yard connection with Jonathan Mingo was a thing of beauty. Milton is expected to play tonight, but what if Milton has fewer snaps than Will Grier? Furthermore, what happens if Grier has a terrific game?
Almost two years to the day, Grier was informed by the team that he would be released to make room for Trey Lance on the roster, and Grier delivered with 305 passing yards and four total touchdowns. One has to wonder if Grier goes nuclear once again, could it sway the coach’s impression of him to elevate him to QB2 over Milton? Let’s be clear, Milton’s place on the roster is assured. He’s not going anywhere, but Grier may give the coaches confidence to start in place of Prescott for a game or two if Prescott gets injured. On the other hand, a very poor game from both quarterbacks opens Pandora’s box, and the Cowboys are prompted to search elsewhere for a backup quarterback.
Who steals the show?
After an awkward landing last week, Jonathan Mingo sustained a knee injury that will keep him on the sidelines for some time. That leaves the door open for other skill position players to get significant playing time tonight. Ryan Flournoy, who made the team last year, has potential, but Traeshon Holden has been breathing down his neck in pursuit of a spot on the team. Jalen Cropper and Josh Kelly have both been in the mix as kick returners, with Kelly averaging over 20 yards per return in both preseason games thus far. However, neither has made a highlight play to turn heads in the games yet. The same goes for the tight ends. Rivaldo Fairweather had a touchdown reception versus the Rams, but since then has been fairly quiet. Whereas John Stephens, who was a standout at camp two years ago before a knee injury, has not been much of a factor himself. It’s all out there for the taking, but somebody has to step up big in tonight’s finale.
Who is already safe?
Equally as important as how many snaps certain players get tonight is who is limited or does not play at all. Two players who have had strong camps and parlayed them into good tape on the field are James Houston and Zion Childress. Houston has been a menace coming off the edge and has great hand placement to keep offensive linemen’s hands off him. He also has the power to convert speed to power to bull rush a lineman. He forced two incompletions against the Ravens that jumped off the screen on film.
Zion Childress has also had a great camp, and he’s contributed in so many spots on defense. He can play slot or at safety and can come down in the box to support the run. He has a great nose for football and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Should Childress not be in the starting lineup tonight, that should be an indication of his status on the team. That is due to his own merits, but the Cowboys do have several injuries at cornerback; therefore, Childress’s making the team is part of his hard work, and Dallas is in survival mode until their secondary is healthy.
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