Dallas Cowboys first preseason contest: 5 talking points
By Tyrone Starr
A rare sighting
Even though the defensive backs could have played much better, there was a highly encouraging sign from the defense on Thursday. The Dallas D created three turnovers. With the offense never turning the ball over, Dallas won the turnover battle with a +3.
Last year, teams that won the turnover battle won 78% of their games. Dallas was 18thoverall in turnover differential. The top five teams in this statistic were a combined 51-29. All five finished no worse than 9-7. One team played in the AFC Championship Game, another won the Super Bowl.
Turnovers matter. They never seem to be something that Dallas has been particularly good at creating however. If Thursday was any indication, being on the positive side of this ledger more often than not will lend itself to proving this defense could be special.
The numbers game
The main reason why preseason games are even necessary is to determine a team’s final 53-man roster. For the Dallas Cowboys, defensive line and wide receiver are going to be impossible to call.
Someone from each group is going to get cut and make another team’s roster immediately.
Can the Cowboys honestly consider seven receivers? Gallup and Lance Lenoir both had good games last night. Allen Hurns and Cole Beasley are locks, along with Gallup. Terrance Williams might as well be due to his contract. Tavon Austin is pretty much one, too. Deonte Thompson and Noah Brown are in the mix even though they did not play.
Cutting one of these guys will be challenging.
On the defensive line, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Taco Charlton, Randy Gregory and Dorance Armstrong are your locks at end. Maliek Collins is a lock in the interior. David Irving won’t count for four games but he’ll be a lock come October 1st.
Next. Ranking every top-10 pick in Dallas Cowboys’ history. dark
That means Jihad Ward, Antwaun Woods, Brian Price, Kony Ealy, Charles Tapper and Datone Jones are all fighting for what could be just one or two spots.
No one listed above played themselves out of contention Thursday night. It’s truly going to be survival of the fittest over the next month.