Dallas Cowboys: Great News! Dallas achieved their top preseason objective

The Dallas Cowboys triumphantly concluded the preseason yesterday with a 14-32 loss to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars. This embarrassing loss brought their final record to 0-4, making them the only four-loss team in the entire 2021 preseason.

And ya know what? This preseason was wild success for the Dallas Cowboys.

I know why you’re thinking: How in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks is an 0-4 preseason a wild success? How does a completely inept showing against the worst team in the NFL achieve the top objective? 

The Dallas Cowboys’ top objective this preseason was getting their starters safely to Week 1 against Tampa

Coming on the heels of a 2020 season in which everyone and their brother got hurt somehow, Cowboys fans should exit this exhibition round feeling pretty darn good. Sure, second round pick Kelvin Joseph went down with a groin injury, but he was never expected to start early this year anyway.

And yes, a handful of expected starters and role players found themselves on the Reserve-COVID list a few days ago. But that appears more precautionary than anything and everyone who matters should be available in Week 1.

Starting right tackle La’el Collins got hurt last week in practice, giving us all an awful fright. But we just heard he’s expected to be back by Week 1, giving Dallas a fully intact offensive line unit for the first time since 2019.

The main goal of every preseason is to survive. That’s right, objective No. 1 is to simply survive. And the Dallas Cowboys accomplished that feat somehow.

Yes, I know Dak Prescott has had a less-than ideal run this summer. He hurt his shoulder early in Oxnard and has been on ice most of this preseason. He never took a real preseason snap this preseason and hasn’t played a game since last October. But he’s entering Tampa week with no throwing restrictions and clean bill of health. I’ll take that.

Indeed it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows this preseason for the Dallas Cowboys. The offensive line looks thin after that first unit. The falloff after Dak on the QB depth chart makes the Grand Canyon look like a sidewalk crack. The defensive tackle situation is questionable and CB situation is concerning, but hey, we knew that going in.

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The only injuries to expected starters are to safety Donovan Wilson and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore. But even that could be worse. Wilson might still be ready for Week 1 and players like Osa Odighizuwa have stepped up in Gallimore’s absence.  Once again, I’ll take that.

This preseason could have gone better. The second and third string players could have risen up and put some preseason points on the board, but at the end of the day, that’s a minor item on the preseason wish list. Getting the top unit to Tampa is what it’s all about.

So here on the morn of Cowboys Nation outrage and peak preseason concern take solace in the fact the Dallas Cowboys played this wisely and achieved their top objective: staying healthy.

Now everyone cross your fingers so the Cowboys survive the next 10 days unscathed.

• Published on 08/30/2021 at 12:05 PM
• Last updated at 08/30/2021 at 12:05 PM