DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys got their first win of the preseason by beating the Los Angeles Chargers 32-18 on Saturday night. By winning in Los Angeles, the Cowboys finally ended a ridiculous 10-year road exhibition game drought.
After a lackluster loss in the preseason opener, the Cowboys responded with a better effort in a victory highlighted by a special performance from KaVontae Turpin. The rookie returner wasn’t the only bright spot for Dallas, but he led the way by scoring on two returns in the first half.
Here are some observations from the Cowboys’ win over the Chargers in the second of three preseason contests for Dallas:
Cowboys have found their return man
The Cowboys came into training camp with the need to find a returner for both kickoff and punt returns. Turpin was the USFL’s MVP and was signed shortly after camp opened to help the return units.
Last year, the primary kick returner was running back Tony Pollard, and the best punt returner was wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Both of those players are going to be counted on heavily in the offense and the team needed to find someone else to pitch in.
Turpin scored on a 98-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and an 86-yard punt return in the second quarter to help give the Cowboys a lead that they would never relinquish. The touchdowns solidified Turpin’s place on the 53-man roster. Furthermore, it would appear that the team would be wise to try to find creative ways to get the swift receiver more looks on offense.
Ground game looks strong
Mike McCarthy has said that he wants to be a physical team that is capable of running the ball to control the line of scrimmage. Against the Chargers, the Cowboys’ offense bullied their way to 115 yards on the ground, but most of that damage was done in the first half.
Dallas showed that they might have the deepest group of running backs in the league as both Rico Dowdle and rookie Malik Davis ran well and found the end zone. The duo combined for 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns behind a young offensive line that paved the way.
The RBs found successful running lanes behind rookie left guard Tyler Smith and backup center Matt Farniok in an overall stellar night for the linemen. It was a positive step in the right direction for Smith, who did have a false start penalty, but routinely pushed around defenders in the run game.
Passing game needs work
As strong as the running game was, the passing game still feels like it is lagging behind. The Cowboys were only able to throw for 127 yards and no one stepped up in the battle for the backup quarterback position.
Cooper Rush saw some success and did look like he had thrown for a touchdown, but rookie wide receiver Jalen Tolbert couldn’t get both feet down on a play in the end zone. That miss is on the rookie WR, but it wasn’t a sharp game for any of the QBs.
The Cowboys will need to continue to evaluate what they have behind starting quarterback Dak Prescott and have just one more preseason game to figure it out.
Trouble at CB?
Jourdan Lewis’ hamstring injury has put the Cowboys in a position of need for a third cornerback and there hasn’t been an answer yet from second-year corners Kelvin Joseph or Nahshon Wright.
Saturday’s contest was another rough game for Wright, who was beaten for a 41-yard gain and had an ill-advised pass interference penalty. Joseph also was beat for a would-be long gain if it weren’t for a drop by the Los Angeles receiver.
Neither CB has asserted themselves into the conversation for taking over as one of the top corners on the roster, which is a concern. If Lewis isn’t ready for Week 1 of the regular season, the Cowboys can’t feel comfortable with any of their options. Joseph and Wright are continuing to struggle, while rookie CB DaRon Bland still appears to be a work in progress.
A mystery remains at WR
One of the biggest question marks for the Cowboys continues to be at wide receiver. After Lamb, there doesn’t appear to be a WR capable of beating a defense consistently. Veteran WR Noah Brown didn’t play, and while second year wideout Simi Fehoko did have a nice third down catch, the receivers combined for just five catches on the night.
The most egregious mistake of the game came from the rookie WR Tolbert, who should have scored, but got lazy with his footwork in the end zone.
If Tolbert is going to be counted on to be an integral part of the offense early in the season, he needs to be better. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore schemed for the rookie to get targets, but Tolbert came down with just two of his four passes.
It would help if the receivers were catching passes from Prescott in the preseason, but the Cowboys aren’t likely to give Prescott any snaps in the exhibition finale either.
What impressed you the most from the Cowboys’ preseason victory? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
