The Cowboys left a very poor note against the Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. With a result of 17 to 7, the biggest wake-up call has to do with penalties. Where the lone star team had a total of 17 of them for 129 yards in penalties. Clearly, this does not leave a good impression of the team, especially due to the lack of discipline of the relays, since the starting team did not come out. Therefore, all the responsibility lies with the rookies and the supporting elements of the organization.
However, not everything is bad news, since there are good notes regarding some elements that, despite the negative result, stood out. In any case, it must be taken into account that by Tuesday, August 16, the roster will be reduced to 85 members. Therefore, some players will be left out, largely after the good participation of other players for whom perhaps not much was expected.
One thing that’s absolutely clear at tight end is that Jake Ferguson will be a great backup to Dalton Schultz this season. His three receptions for 29 yards speak highly of him, plus he had a very good showing as a blocker. However, the production of him may have shown Jeremy Sprinkle the way out. Especially since even though Sprinkle had a couple of catches for 16 yards, he had a heavy holding penalty that dropped them 10 yards in the first quarter.
One item that stood out at the position quietly and accurately was undrafted agent Peyton Hendershot, with two receptions and 13 yards. Likewise, his production could have been much higher but the penalties didn’t help. If the organization decides to go with four players at tight end, perhaps the player who ends up being left out is Jeremy.
Peyton Hendershot with a huge gain but it was called back because of a penalty. pic.twitter.com/nY8epBxDdN
— NFL Draft Diamonds (@DraftDiamonds) August 14, 2022
The offensive line also left a lot to be desired in the game against Denver. It was already known in advance that Tyler Smith was coming with some penalty history in Tulsa, so it is something that the rookie needs to improve, considering that he was penalized a couple of times. However, lineman Josh Ball looked very poor in the third quarter with third-quarter holding penalties. Doing a deeper analysis, we’re talking about rival elements that may not get to play in the regular season, so it’s concerning.
At right tackle, Aviante Collins looked much worse than Ball. He even got a holding penalty in the third quarter after Cooper Rush threw a big 25-yard pass to tight end Peyton Hendershot. This may have doomed the offensive tackle heading into Tuesday. But he may also be given a new opportunity against the Chargers as a swing tackle and fight for the position alongside Mexican Isaac Alarcón.
In the receiving section, Simi Fehoko clearly got the high note with her 12-yard touchdown thanks to Quarterback Ben DiNucci. This presentation could place him as the franchise’s third receiver while Michael Gallup returns from his injury. Now, they may just be playing low on the list, like Dontario Drummond and Ty Fryfogle. And expect players like Dennis Houston and veteran Noah Brown to look for better numbers against the Chargers this Saturday night.
.@B_DiNucci6 ➡️ @Simi_Fehoko ????
????: #DALvsDEN on CBS11/NFL+ pic.twitter.com/rdOZtVIOMd
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 14, 2022
The backup quarterback matchup was seen as very inconclusive thanks to the absence of Will Grier against the Broncos. Cooper Rush didn’t look particularly good, and Ben DiNucci nonetheless managed at least the Fehoko touchdown already mentioned. They’re unlikely to keep all four quarterbacks, so the exit option clearly could be DiNucci. However, they may not touch the position until they can test Grier in the preseason. It is not yet known if he will be able to play this weekend thanks to his groin problem.
On the other side of the game, backing up the defensive end position is also a bit of a concern thanks to the introduction of Dante Fowler and Tarell Basham. Both of them really weren’t very decisive in the tackling aspect and left a very bad impression with their penalties. In Fowler’s case one of them had to do with unnecessary roughness, while in Basham’s part it was illegal contact with opposing quarterback Josh Johnson. It wouldn’t be a surprise if any of them end up in Tuesday’s cuts. After all, this is about the level of presentation and both elements failed when it came to discipline.
Speaking about the cornerbacks as such, who looked very bad against Denver was Nahshon Wright. He failing widely in coverage and without any speed against rival receivers. Even allowing a 40-yard pass deep to the left that fell into the hands of Brandon Johnson. On the other hand, rookie DaRon Bland looked much better in his coverage. Even though he didn’t get as many opportunities to get involved as Wright, he did his job very well in what little he was able to participate.
Not the best moment for number 25.
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/7XM7SmsRkl
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) August 14, 2022
Another position that will be evaluated will be that of kicker. Although they didn’t get many chances to show off their skills, Lirim Hajrullahu missed a 56-yard field goal attempt. While Brett Maher did score the extra point after Fehoko’s score. Both elements still have a lot to prove and it is expected that against the Chargers and Seahawks they can have many more opportunities.
Lirim Hajrullahu missed the Cowboys’ only field-goal attempt Saturday wide right from 56 yards. Not a clean operation on try. A closer look. pic.twitter.com/4bhnYloxqK
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 14, 2022
Other de rigueur positions have players under the microscope in a good way. In the rushing game, Malik Davis had 51 rushing yards on eight carries. His sheer determination against Denver can get him into the conversation and keep him on the roster. In his specific case, everything will depend on the coaching staff if they decide to keep the agent not selected from the Draft.
Without a doubt, the organization will cut five names on Tuesday and some of them are in a compromising position after their presentation on Saturday night. However, some may manage to get a second chance against the Chargers and in themselves they will have to impress in the joint practices that they will do before the official game. Since on the 23rd of this month another cut will be made to bring the roster to 80. And then the final cut where we will have the list of 53 for August 30. So there is still a lot of work to be done for the Lone Star team staff.
