The Dallas Cowboys completed their second preseason game of the year, hosting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. And it was just about as ugly as the first contest as the offense had negative yards in the first quarter and scored just six total points.
The biggest play of the game was a pick-six by Andrew Booth, which gave the Cowboys a 7-5 lead in the first half. Otherwise, it was a game to forget on both sides of the ball.
So, who stood out against the Ravens? And which players left a lot to be desired? Here are the biggest winners and losers coming out of Week 2 of the preseason for the Dallas Cowboys:
Cowboys' winners and losers from preseason Week 2:
Winner: Tyler Booker
Booker made his NFL debut on Saturday night and he performed about as well as you could expect. He played into the second half as the offense totaled just 18 snaps in the first half for reasons that will be discussed later. He did a good job of picking up stunts and his power was evident, especially in the passing game.
It was far from a perfect outing for Booker, but a solid debut nonetheless for the first-round pick of the Cowboys. Don't expect Booker to be out there next week when Dallas takes on Atlanta, as they will likely keep him out and get him ready for Week 1 against Philadelphia.
Loser: Joe Milton III
Milton had a rough outing against the Rams, and this week might have been worse. On the first third down of the game, Milton took a sack in the end zone, and it resulted in a safety for the Ravens. The offense couldn’t move the ball with Milton under center as his accuracy remains a major issue. He finished the game, completing just 50 percent of his passes and had a 48.8 passer rating against Baltimore’s 2s and 3s.
At this point, Milton has not shown anything that suggests he is ready to be Dak Prescott’s backup and it’s even worth considering if he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster. Milton’s debut with the Cowboys has gone about as poorly as possible and he hasn’t shown anything that would suggest he is ready for regular-season action.
Winner: The Linebackers
If you want to come out of the preseason encouraged about the Cowboys, look no further than the linebackers for the Cowboys. Jack Sanborn, Shemar James, and Damone Clark all had excellent performances and did their best in the run game despite not a lot of help up front.
Matt Eberflus is known for his ability to coach up linebackers, and that was very evident on Saturday. All three players did an excellent job, and it suddenly appears that Dallas has some adequate depth at the position. If Kenneth Murray can play, and with DeMarvion Overshown eyeing a return near Thanksgiving, this could be one of the stronger units on the team going into the season.
Loser: Brian Schottenheimer
The Cowboys looked unprepared in Week 1, and Week 2 wasn’t much better. The offense got off to an even slower start and they managed just 51 rushing yards on 20 carries this week. It’s hard to judge an offense without so many starters, but the fact that the offense only managed to score six points against Baltimore’s backups is a bit concerning.
Dallas has one more preseason game left, but nothing that Schottenheimer has done in preseason should ease concerns if you had them going into the season.