DALLAS — Week 2 of the preseason is here for the Dallas Cowboys, and this one is considered the dress rehearsal in today’s NFL. With just three exhibition contests, the prep game for the regular season has moved up to this week, so fans might be seeing some starters playing a bit longer than they did the week prior.
It’s doubtful that quarterback Dak Prescott sees any game action, ditto for pass rusher Micah Parsons, right guard Zach Martin or a few other key players will likely be out as well, but there are things to pay attention to in the matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Here are four things to watch for in preseason Week 2 for the Cowboys:
A new offensive line
There was some concern for the Cowboys as they started camp because two of their highest draft picks weren’t looking like starters on the offensive line. First-round pick Tyler Guyton and third-round selection Cooper Beebe were running with the second-team offense.
That felt like a disappointment, even though no real practice or preseason games had been played. All it took was a few weeks of training camp, an injury, and a solid exhibition showing from both rookies to have them inserted into the starting five.
Guyton has been much better than expected and his rapid improvement had him on track to be the starter at LT even if veteran Chuma Edoga hadn’t hurt his toe. The impressive performance in limited snaps against the Los Angeles Rams may have convinced the Cowboys about Guyton’s ability regardless, but now there is no doubt, the top pick of this year’s draft has shown enough to earn a first-team look.
Guyton’s draft mate Beebe has also worked his way into the lineup as a starter; when practice began this week, Beebe was with the first unit at center. Beebe is still working on his snaps, but head coach Mike McCarthy said the rookie had earned the opportunity to work with the starters and should be with the first-team offensive line when they line up against the Raiders.
Beebe and Guyton’s inclusion with the starters could be a glimpse at how the Cowboys look when the regular season begins. Watching the duo is a reason to be excited about the preseason game.
Defensive line gets a new look too
It was quite the week for the Cowboys personnel department, who quickly realized that they needed better options on the defensive line. New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer spoke about finding more talent in the trenches and the team went out to find help.
The first move was to trade for former New York Giants defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. The 10-year DT brings beef to the middle and is a run-stuffing veteran option that the defense was missing. Phillips does bring some ability to push the pocket with 2.5 sacks last year but is primarily someone who clogs up the rushing lanes.
The team also added defensive end Carl Lawson, who has 27 career sacks, to the rotation. When healthy, the 29-year-old is a good edge rusher who can press the passer. Lawson has had at least five sacks in each year where he played at least 10 games. Health is the key, but when he plays, Lawson is a great pass rushing option for a team that was lacking options to fill out the rotation of sack artists.
Phillips is likely to see playing time in this week’s preseason game, but Lawson’s status is unknown since he was added more recently. If both play, they are players to watch on the defensive line, along with Mazi Smith, Viliami Fehoko, Chauncey Golston, Marshawn Kneeland and Al-Quadin Muhammad, among others.
Wide receiver competition continues
The Cowboys got some positive reviews from the young receiver group in the first preseason game, and now they need to continue to ascend. Second-year wideouts Jalen Brooks and Jalen Cropper led the offense in yards and receptions against the Rams, but don’t forget about Jalen Tolbert, who should see playing time in the second preseason game after not suiting up in the opener.
Tolbert has had a strong training camp, which continued this week when he was the highlight of the team’s Mojo Moment.
This should be a game where all three Jalens get some significant run and see where they shake out in the passing game. Other WRs who will get extended looks on offense include rookie Ryan Flournoy and veteran Tyron Billy-Johnson.
The competition for the third WR, as well as the depth for the position, goes on and it’s a battle worth keeping an eye on against the Raiders.
Lance’s improvement
The play of former first-rounder Trey Lance was something to pay attention to last week, but that was the first game action that Lance had seen in almost two years. That’s a lifetime for a young signal caller, and he got the anticipated mixed results. What Lance did wasn’t good enough to be a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL, but McCarthy mentioned that his young QB showed good progress.
In Week 2 of the preseason, however, Lance has a chance to show what he learned from that game and what he can bring to the table after getting back in the saddle. It’s an important development opportunity for Lance and the Cowboys need to see where he fits in their QB hierarchy.
Lance is going to get the bulk of the snaps against the Raiders and should have a better supporting cast early in the game. How Lance fares could go a long way into determining if he can be salvaged, or if the team made a mistake in trading for him.
Lance watch is on again in the preseason’s second week.
Which Cowboys player are you looking to have a standout performance in the second preseason game? Share your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.
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