Cowboys at Rams: Preseason G2 standouts and observations

The Dallas Cowboys played their second preseason game of 2017 and provided fans with a few notable performances. Here are the game 2 standouts and observations…

Kellen Moore reminded us all that Dak Prescott, not Ezekiel Elliott, is the most important player on the team. The Cowboys should be able to survive six games without Zeke. The same can’t be said for playing without Dak. Kellen Moore looked incapable of converting a pass beyond the sticks. Flashbacks of 2015 came upon me.

Cooper Rush completed a pass beyond the sticks on his very first attempt. I’m not saying he’s a better option at QB2 than Kellen Moore is, but he’s probably more capable of winning a game should Dak go down. In other words, we’ve seen Moore’s ceiling and it’s not as a starting QB. Cooper Rush may be worth developing as a QB3 because he has better starting potential.

Rico Gathers refuses to be ignored. There’s no question he’s going to make the team the only question is what kind of opportunities he’ll get. As I discussed last week, don’t look at the TE group as a depth chart, but rather as a group of role players. The snaps will be divided more evenly behind Jason Witten and Rico will have a defined role that plays to his strengths.

Lance Lenoir fumbled the first kick return he saw on Saturday night. The play continued his trend of dropping punts throughout Cowboys Camp. I stated then that he isn’t sure-handed enough to be used in preseason games because he would inevitably hand over important offensive possessions. The Cowboys would have been better served having a reliable veteran back there fair-catching balls in order to ensure possession. Or maybe this is just a strategic decision employed by Jason Garrett to maximize defensive snaps by way of turnovers…naw.

Once again, the Cowboys used David Irving in a variety of different ways. He lined up at DT and also at DE. Typically on the left side of the line, David Irving made it a habit of being the playmaker when he was on the field. His loss is going to hurt these first four weeks of the season.

Also worth mentioning was

Damontre Moore

getting snaps as the LDE, many times in a 2-point stance. I like the idea of Moore rushing from the standing position because he’s a much different player when he has room to operate. All too often, if the opposing tackle gets his hands on Moore, he’s neutralized.

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It was good to see Geoff Swaim out there on Saturday. Swaim ran some nice routes spread out away from the line. This TE battle is going to be fun to watch because all contestants are capable. As such the Cowboys may keep four on their final 53.

Chidobe Awuzie showed glimpses of what we can expect this season: Blitzing. Awuzie was a brilliant blitzer in college and will be a fun new toy for Rod Marinelli to use this season. He attacked on Saturday, lining up close to the line showing “press”, then passing off his man and crashing the pocket.

First round pick, Taco Charlton, was impressive. And not just the splash play that nearly resulted in a safety. Charlton showed great explosion off the snap from inside and outside. He also appeared to be working on some actual pass-rushing moves. They didn’t look polished but should pay dividends down the road.

DE Lenny Jones also had a nice game, logging a sack and getting consistent penetration. Jones played a roll-out pass to the flat perfectly and nearly came up with a pick-six. I had Jones making the Cowboys final 53 all the way back in May and that hasn’t changed a bit.

Next: How Ryan Switzer can help replace Zeke and the running game

WR Noah Brown had a big night catching, receiving, blocking, and breaking tackles. He had a sloppy unforced fumble, but all things considered, he looked good. He looks like he’s on the wrong side of the roster bubble but if the Cowboys keep showcasing him like this, he’s going to find a place and force the Cowboys to go deep at WR

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