DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys returned to action for the first time since January, a sign that the 2024 season is upon us.
Although the Cowboys fell 13-12 on a late touchdown to the Los Angeles Rams, it’s important to remember that preseason wins and losses aren’t as important as the progress that’s made as the team prepares for the regular season.
In defeat, there was much to learn about the Cowboys and where they stood after their first preseason game. It wasn’t pretty, but these games aren’t designed to be a beauty contest. There were some positives to take from the loss, and some things that the team must work on going forward.
Here are five observations for the Cowboys in their Week 1 preseason loss:
Lance isn’t ready for primetime…
The Cowboys have been touting the former top pick quarterback’s progress this offseason and Mike McCarthy advised that Trey Lance would get a healthy amount of snaps this preseason. In his first opportunity in almost two years, Lance showed off the athletic traits that made him a top pick, including a 19-yard scramble to keep a drive alive.
However, Lance struggled in the passing game, missing on a throw that should’ve been an easy touchdown. The 2021 No. 3 overall pick was inaccurate on many of his passes – even the completed ones – and held onto the ball too long on some occasions. This was par for the course for a QB who hasn’t had much NFL experience, despite being in the league entering his fourth year.
Those are symptoms of a QB still trying to get comfortable. Lance had some good moments, but he’s certainly not ready to play in the regular if called upon, and he hasn’t surpassed Cooper Rush on the depth chart. The young QB is still a work in progress.
…but the defense is
Despite giving up a touchdown on the final drive, Dallas’ defense picked up where they left off under former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Mike Zimmer’s version of the defense created four turnovers, all of which were interceptions, and also had two sacks.
The unit showed different looks and confused inexperienced Rams QB Stetson Bennett into bad throws, even without playing some of his best defensive players. Getting four takeaways and allowing just 13 points is a great start for a defense that had a coaching change in the offseason.
Smith shows his potential
One of the few Cowboys defensive starters to play was second-year defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Smith flashed his potential in his few snaps of the preseason opener. The DT was stout at the point of attack in the running game, was able to recognize a screenplay, and was athletic enough to help make a tackle for a loss.
Those are the types of plays that made Smith a first-round draft pick for Dallas last year and he played like a top pick during his limited playing time against the Rams.
Injury opens door for first-rounder
Offensive tackle Tyler Guyton wasn’t expected to get much run with the first-team group in this game, but a foot injury to starting left tackle Chuma Edoga allowed Guyton to get playing time with the top unit. Guyton was thrown into the fire despite having an illness that kept him out of practice last week and had a solid showing.
The rookie was able to get movement in the running game and did well keeping Lance upright in pass protection.
The team appeared worried about Edoga’s injury, which hurts in the short term, but it could allow Guyton’s timeline to be ramped up significantly. Guyton’s performance against the Rams was positive and he could be in a position to be the starting LT sooner rather than later.
Wide receivers step up
All offseason the Cowboys have been hoping that a few of their young WRs would step up and a couple of options didn’t disappoint in their first preseason appearance. Second-year receivers Jalen Brooks and Jalen Moreno-Cropper led the way in the passing game, backing up their strong starts from training camp.
Brooks got things off to a good start when he beat his defender off the line and caught a 43-yard pass from QB Cooper Rush on the first offensive possession.
A better throw likely would’ve meant a long score for Brooks, but he showed the ability to get open and make a play.
Moreno-Cropper didn’t take too long to follow up by making a few plays of his own with Lance under center. The undrafted free agent had a team-high four catches for 26 yards, and like Brooks, his day should have included a touchdown. On a fourth-and-1 at the Rams three-yard line, Moreno-Cropper quickly beat the CB and was open in the end zone, but Lance’s throw was off the mark and out of the receiver’s reach for a turnover on downs. Moreno-Cropper was open, the connection was just off, something that won’t happen with another quarterback throwing that pass.
Both Jalens had good games in their quest to show that they can be a bigger part of the offense.
Which Cowboys performance caught your eye from the first preseason game? Share your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.
