It doesn’t matter whether it’s preseason or not; it feels good to see the Dallas Cowboys win. After their terrific performance at practice against the Los Angeles Rams, the Cowboys carried that momentum into their preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
Things got off to an ominous start. Seattle marched down the field to capture an early 7-0 lead as they were aided by costly Dallas penalties. The team buckled down and pitched a shutout from then on, stopping Seattle on numerous fourth-down
attempts. Overall, it was a very impressive showing from the team.
Out of all the positives during the game, some were especially outstanding if not downright surprising. Count the solid play of the backup QBs among those surprises.
The poise of Sam Howell and Joe Milton
First off, it was surprising to see Sam Howell get the start over Joe Milton. Howell has been penciled in as third quarterback behind Milton according to the team’s depth chart. Entering the game, both quarterbacks were locked into a battle for the backup quarterback job.
Milton held the role last season, but you see that despite his premier arm strength, he needed to grow more in terms of his touch and accuracy. Meanwhile, Sam Howell has starting experience but has since receded to being a journeyman backup in subsequent years.
During the game, both quarterbacks had excellent composure in the pocket and made decisive reads. At times, their offensive linemen didn’t do them any favors with costly penalties to set the offense back, yet both passers persevered and did very well.
By the numbers
Howell was particularly good on third downs. He contributed to three conversions for a total of 30 yards, including a 10-yard scramble as the pocket broke down and Dallas was facing a third-and-7. That play extended the drive, which led to this terrific throw for a big touchdown.
What stands out most about this throw, aside from where it was thrown away from the safety also in coverage, was the decision. Howell made the read, acted on it, and put it right on the money. Many of his throws were quick decisions. He got to the top of his drop, and the ball was gone before the defense could even think to lay a hand on him. Whether it was short on-target throws to Jonathan Mingo for third-down pickups or putting it on Michael Trigg outside the numbers, Howell kept his cool in a heated race.
Milton was pretty good on third down himself. He was 6 for 6 on third downs facing an average of six yards to gain per conversion attempt, throwing for 54 yards in the process. He made some excellent throws, like a laser he threw to rookie Anthony Smith for a 23-yard pickup on third down. This throw was special in its own right.
With respect to Camden Brown, who had a great game, let’s give some love to this throw by Milton. There was no way the defender had any shot at making a play on this ball. This is the touch and ball placement that Milton needs to demonstrate more consistently. The team should be very pleased with the strides he made in the game.
Both quarterbacks had above average games, posting quarterback ratings of 118.6 (Milton) and 118.1 (Howell), with each throwing a touchdown pass. Neither was sacked thanks to their mobility and quick decision-making.
The duo combined for 20 completions on 27 pass attempts, for 201 yards and, most importantly, no interceptions. It was a back-and-forth game within the game for Milton and Howell, and neither blinked once.
Their games bring intrigue into the next week of practice, leading to their game against the Arizona Cardinals. In the aftermath of last night, the two seem deadlocked.
Who do you have leading the QB2 race?
