It finally felt like a regular NFL football Sunday yesterday. Waking up in the morning knowing there would be Dallas Cowboys football on television later in the afternoon was like waking up to Christmas in August.
The Dallas Cowboys visited SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Rams in preseason action. As expected, several of the projected regular season starters suited up for warm-ups, but changed into street clothes by the time kickoff rolled around.
DC Mike Zimmer’s defense was the first unit to take the field, and even though the game ended with them giving up the game-winning score, the unit impressed as a whole.
All in all, the Cowboys answered some questions on Sunday afternoon, but there are many more that need answers moving forward.
This morning, I will be pointing out some of my observations from the 13-12 loss, both good and bad.
Trey Lance Has Some Wheels
Scouts and coaches have been raving about QB Trey Lance’s athleticism since before he was drafted, and we haven’t seen it on display since he was starting regular season games for the San Francisco 49ers.
Lance, under pressure most of the evening (some of that is his fault, and we will discuss that shortly), looked to use his legs to get away from trouble. He ended up leading the team in rushing in the process with 44 yards on six carries.
I’ll let my colleague at Inside The Star, Shane Taylor, tell you a bit more about how the rest of the rushing attack was quite atrocious.
That success was a stark contrast to his unsuccessful attempt to look like a serviceable starting quarterback for this team should Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush not be available in the regular season.
I understand Lance was playing with “weapons” who might not ever see the field outside of preseason and the practice squad, but he too often looked indecisive in the pocket. When he did pull the trigger, several of his passes were inaccurate.
He finished the game completing less than 61% of his passes with a measly 4.6 yards per attempt, and took three sacks. Most importantly, he could not lead the offense to a single touchdown drive in over three quarters of play.
The Defense Eats Turnovers For Dinner
One of the concerns that many in Cowboys Nation had after the departure of former DC Dan Quinn was whether the defense would still create turnovers.
New DC Mike Zimmer even alluded to the fact that his defense is not necessarily predicated on turnovers, and that fans should expect to see fewer turnovers, but more discipline to limit big plays.
I will admit, Quinn’s defense felt like it was boom or bust during games on a weekly basis, but it worked for three years.
It appears Zimmer may have underestimated the impact of his scheme. The Cowboys defense intercepted Rams QB Stetson Bennett four times on Sunday afternoon. A fifth was wiped out by penalty.
Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Passing Game Coordinator Al Harris was ecstatic on the sideline watching his unit snatch passes out of the air. Safeties Markquese Bell and Julius Wood, CB Eric Scott Jr., and LB Brock Mogensen all joined the interception party.
It Comes Natural For Markquese Bell
Speaking of the defense, let’s all take a second to recognize Markquese Bell. He is back to his natural position at safety after spending most of the 2023 season as a linebacker.
His ability to impact the running game is obvious. He led the team in tackles with nine total, but was a heat-seeking missile most of the game in both rush defense and the passing game.
Bell finished the game with one pass defensed and the interception mentioned above. He nearly had another interception of Bennett in the endzone that could have ended the Rams’ first scoring drive.
Zimmer will be forced to find meaningful snaps in the regular season for Bell if he continues this level of play.
Brandon Is Still Aubrey-matic
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a kicker. As if Brandon Aubrey didn’t do enough last season to show he is the kicker of the present and future, he showed us once again on Sunday afternoon.
Aubrey finished the game 4/5 on his field goal attempts, but the lone miss was a 65-yard prayer for ST Coach Jim Fassell to test his range. Countless times, we have seen kickers have stellar seasons, only to fall off a cliff the following year.
It doesn’t appear Aubrey will do anything close to that this season, and could be in line for another All-Pro selection.
Jalen Brooks Keeps His Streak Alive
WR Jalen Brooks is on a unique streak that no one is talking about. He had two catches on two targets for 49 yards on Sunday. That included a 43 yard bomb from the arm of QB Cooper Rush.
In limited snaps last season, Brooks was able to haul in all six of his targets, meaning he has caught eight straight targets during games. It’s possible I just jinxed him bringing it up, but I will monitor this streak moving forward.