After a week of joint practices between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams, the tone was set before the preseason game at SoFi Stadium even kicked off.
In those practices, the Rams seemed to have the upper hand in physicality and execution, and unfortunately for Dallas, that carried over into the matchup.
The Cowboys’ persistent run defense woes, a glaring issue from last season, were on full display once again.
Los Angeles gashed them up the middle with ease, finding open lanes and chewing up yardage in chunks.
It was a sobering reminder that fixing the interior defense remains a work in progress.
Still, preseason isn’t about the scoreboard. It’s about experimentation, evaluation, and discovering which players can step up when the lights are on.
While the 31-21 loss might have exposed certain weaknesses, it also revealed bright spots worth celebrating.
Three players, in particular, gave the Cowboys’ coaching staff and fans reasons to feel optimistic heading deeper into the preseason.
CB Israel Mukuamu
If there was one defensive highlight for the Cowboys, it belonged to CB Israel Mukuamu.
Lining up at cornerback, Mukuamu showcased his ability to lock down receivers with physical, disciplined coverage.
Early in the second quarter, he turned heads with an acrobatic interception, reading the quarterback’s eyes, breaking on the ball, and plucking it out of the air with the kind of timing that makes defensive coaches smile.
It wasn’t just the interception itself, but the fact that Mukuamu consistently stuck to his assignments and disrupted passing lanes all night.
In a secondary dealing with injuries and uncertainty at depth spots, performances like his are invaluable.
RB Malik Davis
For much of the first half, the Cowboys’ offense struggled to establish a rhythm. That changed when Malik Davis entered the game.
Displaying burst, vision, and decisiveness, Davis turned routine carries into chunk plays, finishing the night averaging an eye-popping 9.0 yards per rush.
His ability to make the first defender miss and accelerate into open space brought much-needed juice to a stagnant offense.
Even in a crowded running back room, Davis made a strong case for an increased role, especially if he can continue to provide that kind of spark against opposing defenses.
QB Joe Milton
It wasn’t the start Joe Milton wanted.
The quarterback looked tentative in his early drives, missing on a couple of throws and taking a sack that stalled a promising series, but Milton didn’t let the rough beginning define his night.
As the game wore on, he found his rhythm, leading two promising drives late in the second half.
His improved pocket presence, better decision-making, and willingness to push the ball downfield offered a glimpse of his potential.
Preseason football is all about growth, and Milton’s ability to rebound from a shaky start was exactly the kind of developmental step the Cowboys wanted to see at the most important backup roles on the roster.
While the loss to the Rams underscored familiar concerns, particularly against the run, it also served as a reminder that preseason is as much about the positives as the problems.
Hopefully, the Cowboys can turn these August lessons into September strengths.
