With preseason game one just days away, it is finally time for Dallas Cowboys football. On Saturday Dallas takes on the Denver Broncos with many questions that need to be answered.
We already know that Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and several other starters will not be playing in the first game, and there are questions as to how much everyone else will play in the preseason early on.
Still, for the first game, the big stars will take the sidelines. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t players and things to look for. This is a game to see rookies play against different players, glimpses into depth, and sometimes a flash or two of some scheme.
While we probably won’t see a ton of the playbook, we will see some tendencies and focus on specific positions and players. With a slew of rookies and first-time starters across the team, along with players we hadn’t seen due to injury, the depth is a massive part of the preseason, specifically game one. Let’s look at each side of the ball and what to look for.
With preseason game one this week, the Dallas Cowboys will have plenty to watch.
On offense, one of the biggest things people will be watching for is wide receiver. With CeeDee Lamb likely not playing, there have been some questions about the overall depth at the position. Jalen Tolbert, the rookie, should see ample playing time along with T.J. Vasher, KaVontae Turpin, Dennis Houston, and Brandon Smith.
Noah Brown is the only other wide receiver with an NFL reception, should also see some playing time, but may not be in for very long. With Dak not playing, that leaves Cooper Rush and Will Grier to play a little more and start settling on who the backup QB will be. If we are lucky we won’t have to see much of Ben DiNucci, sorry DiNucci fans, I just don’t think he has much hope in being the backup.
However, eyes really should be on the offensive line through the entire preseason. With some concerning reports coming out of training camp about the consistency of the line, there are a ton of questions about what they will look like and whether they will be able to hold up.
Outside of Zack Martin, questions abound about Tyron Smith‘s injury history, Tyler Biadasz‘s inability to adjust blocking schemes and overall inconsistency, concerning reports on Terence Steele‘s consistency during camp and a rookie at left guard, are all things that could derail the season early if the unit doesn’t come together.
On defense, there seems to be more confidence in the unit as a whole. While linebacker depth was a question this off-season, looking at the cornerback position from CB3 to the backend is all up in the air. With Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown all but solidifying the top two positions, the rest have been a mix of concern and questions. The same can be said for the depth behind the starters at safety. But it does seem like most of the starters at all three position groups are fairly well answered.
Eyes should be on the defensive line throughout the preseason. With DeMarcus Lawrence as the most consistent and talented edge, how the pass rush on the outside is a bit of a mystery as the Dallas Cowboys look to throw a gaggle of players like Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, and Chauncey Golston and see what they have.
While it seems the Cowboys are okay with this group, they have also said that they plan to use Micah Parsons at the edge and as a pass rusher perhaps more than last year.
Defensive tackle is the other big thing to watch for in the preseason as the loss of Brent Urban left a huge question mark at the 1-tech defensive tackle position. That means rookie John Ridgeway, Quinton Bohanna, and some of the guys like Trysten Hill, Carlos Watkins, and Osa Odighizuwa that are 3-tech tackles also playing along different spots on the line should get ample playing time to see what the Cowboys have. An inability to stop the run hurt the Cowboys last season, so all eyes will be on whether they have fixed that this offseason.
Probably one of the most watched positions for the entire preseason will be kicker. Watching the reports and videos from training camp, neither Johnathan Garibay nor Lirim Hajrullahu has been overly impressive. Right now Lirim has seemed to be the better of the two kickers, but that isn’t saying a lot. Preseason game one could force the hand of the front office in getting a veteran kicker sooner than later.
There will be plenty to watch for in game one of the preseason. We may not see Dak throwing to Lamb, or Parsons and Lawrence meeting at the quarterback, but we will see Cowboys football. Some questions will start to be answered, but with more games to come it is hard to think any will have their final solutions. But it is football and we welcome it, starters or not.