The Dallas Cowboys played their second preseason game on Saturday, hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Similar to last week, they didn’t give fans much to be excited about, as they had issues on both sides of the ball. There were a few good things sprinkled into this underwhelming performance, and here are ten thoughts on the preseason loss to the Ravens.
1. Another rough start
For the second straight week, the Cowboys’ offense went three-and-out on its first two drives, with one of them ending in a safety when quarterback Joe Milton was sacked in the end zone. It never seemed to get better for the offense in the first half as they had five possessions that consisted of 18 total plays for a whopping 31 yards. Yikes. The offense started to do a few things in the second half, but overall, it didn’t get much better. Defensively, there were some stops here and there, but they also had their issues.
2. Milton struggles again
Last week, the Cowboys’ young backup quarterback struggled early on, but picked things up towards the end. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to build off of that and came out misfiring once again. He finished the game 9 for 18 with 122 yards and one interception. His highlight was a 49-yard bomb to Jonathan Mingo, and his lowlight was an intended bomb to Mingo that went right into the arms of Ravens’ defensive back Reuben Lowery. It’s a little concerning that the team’s backup QB has not looked good after two preseason games.
3. Booker’s debut
We didn’t get to see the Cowboys’ first-round pick last week, but Tyler Booker was in action in this one, making this his first-ever NFL game action. The Alabama guard had a solid game, both in pass protection and in the run game. Reports in training camp haven’t been as pleasant as we’d hope for a guy who was taken 12th overall in the draft, so it was nice to see him have a good showing in the game.
4. Backup OL is not too shabby
Not only did Booker have a solid night, but the team’s offensive line as a whole played pretty well in pass protection. Milton had plenty of time in the pocket most of the night. The protection from both backup tackles, Nate Thomas and Hakeem Adeniji, was very clean. The running game was a different story as they weren’t able to get push at the line of scrimmage, including a failed fourth-and-short attempt, but on passing downs, it was a good showing from this group. Things did fade a bit with the third-stringers, but we have to feel pretty good about this team’s depth along the offensive line.
5. Couldn’t stop the Ravens’ offense
There were moments in the game where a defensive player made a big play, and the coaches will have plenty of things to rave about from individual performances. From a team standpoint, the Cowboys’ defense had a tough time getting off the field. The Ravens were 8 for 17 on third-down conversions and converted their only fourth-down attempt. Overall, the Cowboys’ defense surrendered 399 yards. It wasn’t dreadful considering the 79 to 47 play advantage the Ravens had due to the Cowboys’ inept offense, but there were times when they just couldn’t get stops.
6. Booth to the house
There has been a lot of concern about the team’s cornerback depth, especially with so many guys injured right now. Andrew Booth is one guy who the team is hoping can hold things down on the outside if needed; however, he has proven himself to be a liability at times. On Saturday, the former Clemson corner had a great game. Despite being thrown at a lot, he held his ground. He finished the game as the team’s leading tackler and had the play of the game when he intercepted a Cooper Rush pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
7. Zero rushing attack
The Cowboys are hoping to fix their rushing attack this season, but things did not go well for them on Saturday. The team ran the ball 20 times for only 51 yards at a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. Miles Sanders got the bulk of the work, finishing with 15 yards on seven carries (2.1), Deuce Vaughn had 11 yards on five carries (2.2 ypc), and Phil Mafah rushed for seven yards on three carries (2.3). There was not much space to roam in this one, leaving the Cowboys with more questions than answers with their running back room.
8. Edge depth is still a thing
The Cowboys are going to have a tough time trimming down their edge-rushing group, as they have a plethora of great options. Depth guys like Payton Turner, Tyrus Wheat, and James Houston aren’t all going to make the team as the team is forced to fill other positions, but it’s hard to figure out who should be left out. Houston, who was just signed a few weeks ago, continues to play well. He had a nice third-down pressure that forced an incompletion. Later in the game, Wheat came close to knocking the ball out of the hands of third-string quarterback Devin Leary. It’s unclear what the Cowboys are going to do at defensive end, but that’s a good problem to have.
9. Are you serious, Clark?
Damone Clark has had a good training camp as he’s been all over the field making plays, but those same play-making tendencies didn’t show up last week. On Saturday, the former LSU linebacker had a fantastic game, firing through gaps and wrapping up ball carriers left and right. In just one half of football, he finished with seven tackles, including two of them for a loss. The fourth-year linebacker’s roster spot seemed relatively safe as the team’s fifth linebacker, and after tonight’s showing, it’s even more secure.
10. Young defenders flashed
There were several plays where some of the team’s young defenders stepped up. On the series with the Booth pick-six, the defense made three straight nice plays. On first down, rookies Donovan Ezeiruaku and Zion Childress collapsed on a run at the line of scrimmage. On second down, rookies Jay Toia and Shemar James closed down the lane and made another great stop. Then, Booth made the pick and took it to the house.
The younglings showed up. Kemon Hall had an interception. Jack Sanborn made some nice tackles. Perrion Winfrey continues to get push. The team has a lot to work with when it pertains to their young group.