Preseason stats can be tricky to read and dangerous to read too much into. Every team approaches the exhibition contests with their own agenda for evaluating individual players and mixed-and-matched personnel groupings against one another, while also running plays that may or may not bear much resemblance to what they'll draw up for real when the games count.
And while it's difficult to take many true certainties away from the Cowboys' 27-24 loss to New Orleans in the 2026 preseason finale, there are some numbers that bear closer examination. Coaches would no doubt like to see more takeaways, fewer penalties, and stronger situational defense than they got Friday night. It's probably not worth harping on, though, since many of the players responsible
for those teaching points will be gone with roster cuts by end of day Sunday. But should any of those things start to become a trend with the starters over the first couple weeks of the regular season, there will suddenly be serious talk about how to fix issues that have been brewing for a while.
In this week's look inside the numbers, we're calling out not just the stats that helped keep the Cowboys from going undefeated in the preseason slate, we're also stepping back for a big-picture view, as some of the preseason totals could help the Dallas braintrust determine who makes the all-important 53-man roster.
0: Takeaways from defense
Preseason finales can be sloppy, as third- and fourth-string players often try to do too much in an effort to make the team. But that didn't help the Dallas defense in the takeaway department, as they came away with zero turnovers for the second time in three preseason outings (and only one takeaway overall). Coordinator Christian Parker will get some slack as he continues to get his unit up and running, but that kind of stretch once the games count will have alarm bells ringing.
4: Preseason penalties from CB Caelen Carson
"Seatbelt" is his nickname, but maybe it should be "Hazard Lights." Cornerback Caelen Carson has been yellow-flagged four times in the Cowboys' three preseason contests, more than coaches would prefer to see from a third-year man who should be better disciplined by now. Dallas has proven themselves willing to shake things up in the secondary under Brian Schottenheimer, and with Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel, and Devin Moore waiting to step into big roles (not to mention the looming notion of adding outside CB help), Carson may have run out of chances to show he can make it click.
5.3: Average yards allowed per rush
What the DT rotation of Jay Toia/DJ Withers/Tommy Dunn/Adedayo Odeleye revealed more than anything is that it will be a huge relief to get Quinnen Williams/Kenny Clark/Otito Ogbonnia back onto the field. The guys fighting for a depth spot Friday night gave up 169 rushing yards on 32 carries and allowed five different Saints players to log at least one rush of 10 yards or more. At least one name out of that first batch will make the roster. Dallas needs to choose wisely.
Zamir White runs into the endzone with ease 🤝#Saints | 📺: FOX-8 pic.twitter.com/S0X4wHyTEs
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 29, 2026
24: Red-zone points given up by defense
Of the Saints' 27 total points, all but three came from inside the red zone. Parker's unit played mostly vanilla defense as a way to simply evaluate bubble players, but it was just way too easy for New Orleans to penetrate deep and then walk it into the end zone. The Saints came away with points every time they crossed the 20 and went 2-for-2 on goal-to-go situations. Everything should change once it's the starters out there (at least it had better), but after some very stout goal-line work just two weeks ago against Seattle, this was triggering to watch.
69: Total defensive snaps for top 3 draft picks in preseason
Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, and Jaishawn Barham will be leaned on heavily once the regular season begins, counted on to be early contributors to the new-look defense in Dallas. But the team's top three draft picks combined for just 69 defensive snaps across the three preseason contests (7 for Caleb Downs, 22 for Malachi Lawrence, and 40 for Jaishawn Barham, who has already had an injury). There's a fine line between keeping guys fresh and leaving young guys underprepared for the speed and violence of an actual NFL game. Cowboys fans will have to hope the coaching staff has gotten it right with these three in their preseason workloads.
130.6: Passer rating for Sam Howell
Just like Joe Milton did a week earlier, Howell flirted with perfection until late in the game. Going into the Cowboys' final possession with a mathematically-pristine 158.3, Howell had many wondering if maybe he had leapfrogged Milton in the QB2 race in Dallas. He went just 2-for-7 in that last-gasp drive as he tried to engineer a come-from-behind win. Howell fell short of perfection and the victory, but he certainly made the idea of the Cowboys keeping three quarterbacks on the roster seem plausible.
Sam Howell finds Jordan Hudson again!
— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026
This time it's for 6️⃣
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/6K7DVbVrg5
160: Offensive snaps for Drew Shelton in preseason
The rookie out of Penn State has had a target on his back all summer. Whatever happens to him now, it won't be because he didn't give coaches enough to evaluate. Shelton led all Cowboys in preseason snaps, and although he hasn't been good, most observers believe he'll stay on the roster. The 6-foot-5-inch 313-pounder was always seen as a developmental project, and despite the staff's insistence that it's a pure open competition across the board, NFL teams don't make a habit of cutting fourth-round draft picks loose after just a couple months.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: By the Numbers: Cowboys' red-zone defense let Saints go marching in way too much
