With final roster cuts getting a little closer, the Dallas Cowboys are heading into their second preseason game with a lot to keep our interest. The score won’t matter, but player assessments are in full swing, and there are several bubble players scratching for their professional livelihood.
With Oxnard now in the rearview mirror, the team slides a little more east to Arizona to play the Cardinals in preseason game number two. Here are five things to watch closely when these teams square off Saturday
night.
1. Who’s slinging it in the desert?
The Cowboys’ backup quarterback job is still up for grabs, with both Sam Howell and Joe Milton III making a solid case for themselves last week. Howell started the game and looked comfortable in the pocket, making good decisions with the football. Milton responded with a good performance of his own in the second half, showing much improved accuracy than we have seen in previous exhibition performances.
It hasn’t been announced who’s playing when for this week’s game, but how these two perform over the next two contests could decide how the team’s backup QB room looks in September.
2. Chasing Malik
Just when people are ready to push Malik Davis off the roster, the resilient running back reminds them why he belongs. After a strong game last week, the veteran has set the bar, running with decisive vision and good bursts, maximizing yards out of every hole.
Now, it’s up to the second-year backs, Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah to show the coaching staff that they too can provide an effective ground attack. Potential and camp praise are nice things, but eventually those things need to start showing up in live action games, so the time is now for these two young runners to prove they are worthy of keeping around.
3. Mingo or Brown, who’s sticking around?
Everyone loves Camden Brown, and why wouldn’t they? After cutting a bunch of hype checks in camp and then cashing them last week in the preseason game, the rookie undrafted free agent is all the craze. He was responsible for all the Cowboys’ touchdowns with two amazing catches. His performance would make the team’s final wide receiving roster spot feel like an easy decision if it wasn’t for the fact that Jonathan Mingo is not going down quietly.
After disappointing at every opportunity following the questionable trade to acquire him, the veteran is finally turning heads. His effectiveness as a blocker, improved route-running, and added contributions on special teams are making it hard to leave him off of any roster projections. How these two play will provide more data for the team to decide which one, or if both, are worth keeping around.
4. Barham debut
Last week, we saw the debuts of first-round draft pick rookies Caleb Downs (albeit very short) and Malachi Lawrence. This week, the team’s third-round investment, Jaishawn Barham, will join the party after sitting out last week with a groin injury.
The rookie linebacker has been flashing in camp, showing off some nice athleticism, so it will be exciting to turn him loose in a live-action game. Making plays in drills and practices is nice, but seeing how well he can diagnose plays and react will better gauge where he is in his development and provide a sense of what type of role we might see him when the season starts.
5. Less chaos, more discipline
While there were plenty of things to be excited about last week, special teams play wasn’t one of them. Bad angles, terrible decisions, and slippery fingers made for an unpleasant showing from this group, so hopefully, this phase of the game shows a drastic improvement.
The team is also coming off a scrimmage where tempers were flaring, so keeping their emotions controlled and using that energy in a positive way would be a step in the right direction. The preseason is for sloppy play and penalties, but it’s good to see less of that as the weeks go on.
