While wins and losses don’t matter in the preseason, the Dallas Cowboys‘ 13-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams was disheartening, to say the least. Even though the final score doesn’t matter much, there were still many things to take away from Dallas’ first preseason game of the NFL season.
5 Cowboys’ Observations Following Preseason Loss
The Cowboys were on a fact-finding mission Sunday afternoon. With former first-round picks getting their big opportunity and current rookies taking the field for the first time, there was much to take away from Sunday’s action.
We dive into our five biggest observations from the game.
DeMarvion Overshown Picked Up Where He Left Off
A year ago, if you had asked those around the Cowboys who they thought looked to be the most exciting player in training camp, many might’ve told you DeMarvion Overshown.
The former Texas Longhorn was flying all over the field last year, making plays sideline to sideline before ultimately tearing his ACL in a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fast-forward to the present day and Overshown is back in action, fully healed, and seems to be picking up where he left off.
DeMarvion Overshown on his first tackle:
“[That’s] the whole past year coming out. I’ve been thinking about what my celebration would be after my first tackle. But as you can see, it all came to me just like that. Emotions. The feeling of being back.”pic.twitter.com/TQxOQOomD9
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) August 12, 2024
Overshown built a quick reputation for being a player who hits the line of scrimmage fearlessly. His ability to play with confidence and decisiveness is what got everybody so excited last season, and he looks to be right back to it here in 2024.
He saw limited action on Sunday as Dallas smartly worked him back from the injury. But Overshown finished the brief afternoon with three tackles and made his presence felt from the get-go.
He’s part of a bigger-picture linebacker group filled with youth and talent, and with Overshown seemingly healed and ready to go, expectations may continue to rise for the group.
Rico Dowdle Could Be Cowboys’ Best Running Back
While Ezekiel Elliott was on the sideline with the other starters, Rico Dowdle started the game and had many wondering when he would get similar treatment. We may not know for sure, but the feeling around the team is that it may come sooner rather than later.
Dowdle was RB2 behind Tony Pollard last year, and without a true No. 1 on the roster this season, he may have a chance to stake claim to the spot by the time Week 1 rolls around. On Sunday, he finished with three carries and 17 yards, good for 4.7 yards a carry.
The numbers may not pop out on first review. However, when you see the burst and confidence Dowdle displayed, it makes more sense why people are high on him following the brief performance. He flashed similarly in pass protection and may have proved that he could be the best three-down back Dallas has right now.
Trey Lance Is Still a Massive Question Mark
Sunday was an important day for Trey Lance, who was expected to showcase the upside that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and a worthy QB2 behind Dak Prescott. His performance, however, provided far more questions than answers.
Lance struggled with layering the football, was unable to hit his receivers in stride or with touch, and overall did not show off his arm talent all too well. His decision-making was poor at times as well. While that is expected due to the gap in playing time he’s had, Lance certainly didn’t make the most of the evening like he and others had hoped he would.
He finished the evening going 25 of 41 with 188 passing yards and no touchdowns. A positive is that Lance didn’t turn the ball over, but at the same time, he was unable to make plays consistent enough as the Cowboys went without a touchdown.
Lance will have two more chances to prove that this was an anomaly. But for now, after one game, the Lance experience is one that is filled with unknowns for the Cowboys.
Mike Zimmer’s Defense Looks Promising
The differences between Mike Zimmer and Dan Quinn have been well-documented this offseason. With Zimmer running the show, change was coming, and so far, through one preseason game, the return looks promising.
Zimmer is more demanding on a play-to-play basis than Quinn was, and there is more disguising from pre- to post-snap. When done right, this creates some excellent opportunities.
Dallas’ defense had four interceptions on Sunday and made reads tough for Stetson Bennett all afternoon. From mugging the A-gap with linebackers to rolling coverages at the snap, this new version of the Cowboys’ defense under Zimmer has a chance to bring a uniqueness that they didn’t get to tap into under Quinn — and it looks to be exciting.
Offensive Line Starting To Take Shape
Without the benefit of All-22 or watching tape with coaches, it may sometimes be hard to analyze offensive line play effectively. Yet, what you can do is read through the tea leaves to find out what the coaches may be thinking when it comes to the roster battles.
Through three weeks of camp and now one preseason game, context clues have led us to believe that Dallas’ offensive line is beginning to take shape.
Tyler Guyton looked good in his limited opportunities, and without dealing with a virus that held him out for much of last week, that workload could have been more extensive. Brock Hoffman started the game at center,= but made an early exit after some quality work on the interior.
Both set the table for each to possibly be the Week 1 starter at their respective positions.
Guyton’s biggest competition, Chuma Edoga, left the game in a walking boot, setting the stage for him to possibly miss time. Hoffman’s competition is rookie Cooper Beebe, who has struggled occasionally to get snaps correct and has looked more comfortable at guard.
There is still plenty of time to figure things out, especially with two more preseason games. Nevertheless, considering the way the Cowboys handled playing time and how these players performed, things may be rounding into shape before our eyes.