DALLAS — It’s easy to overreact to the first look at the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, but the team didn’t make a good first impression during a 17-7 loss to the Denver Broncos that kicked off the preseason slate.
As the first exhibition game of the year, the Cowboys played without many of their top stars on both sides of the ball, so it’s understandable that the play didn't seem up to snuff. And yet, the Broncos were also playing their reserves and the AFC West squad looked much more competent than the Cowboys on both sides of the ball.
Dallas appeared to pick right up where they left off at the end of last season, struggling on offense and committing too many penalties. All of the issues that appeared to be a concern for the Cowboys heading into training camp reared their ugly head in their first taste of action.
The offensive line wasn’t sharp, and that included first-round pick Tyler Smith. The rookie was lining up at a new position for his professional debut and he was called for two holding penalties.
The Cowboys can’t be surprised by this development as Smith led the NCAA in infractions last season, but the hope was that moving inside to guard would help negate those calls. That wasn’t the case in this one, and the penalties will sour what was an otherwise encouraging outing for Smith, who showed some power in the game.
Second year man Josh Ball was another offensive lineman who struggled. After injuries and tepid interest in bringing in a veteran, the team is counting on Ball to man the critical backup tackle role.
After uninspiring reviews during practice so far this summer, and a dud in the first exhibition, Ball doesn’t look anywhere ready to be the answer, and the team is hopefully considering other options at this point.
Overall the offense managed to put up just seven points, and those came in the fourth quarter when backup quarterback Ben DiNucci found WR Simi Fehoko in the end zone for a 12-yard score.
Starting QB Cooper Rush led an uninspiring effort for two plus quarters. Rush was thought to have a firm hold on the backup quarterback job heading into camp, but his performance left much to be desired as he was unable to put any points on the board.
Defensively the Cowboys had a decent night, especially in the trenches. Dallas gave up just 39 yards rushing on 1.8 yards per carry in the game. For a unit that struggled mightily to stop the run at the end of last year, it was a positive start to the new season.
However, second-year cornerbacks Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright had rough games. Both corners gave up touchdown receptions on back-to-back possessions, and Wright also gave up a big pass play to set up a score. The Cowboys were hoping to see the sophomore CBs step up and play well against some of the backup receivers against the Broncos, but neither got the job done.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the loss was the penalties. After last season where the Cowboys led the league in penalties, and with the self inflicted miscues playing such a big role in the team’s playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, you would think that the team would’ve learned their lesson. That wasn’t the case against the Broncos.
Mike McCarthy has spoken about one of the focuses of the team in the offseason was to improve discipline. While that might be true, it was not on display in their first exhibition game. There were two roughing the passer penalties, including one on rookie defensive end Sam Williams, and an unnecessary roughness call on veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler that showed a lack of judgment.
The costliest penalty, however, was from Joseph, who was offside on a long field goal attempt. The CB mistimed the snap and cost the Cowboys three points after Broncos kicker Brandon McManus made his second attempt from five yards shorter thanks to Joseph’s mistake.
It’s important to remember that this was just a preseason game, and the first one at that. The Cowboys played without many of their top players and without much concern for the result on the scoreboard. This game won’t mean much when the regular season comes along, but the lackluster loss did put many of Dallas’ warts on display.
Do you think the Cowboys need to reexamine their roster after the first preseason game? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
