Dallas Cowboys vs. Bengals: 3 lingering preseason questions

The Dallas Cowboys are going into Week Two of the preseason and will face the Cincinnati Bengals. What are the most important questions still to be answered?

As the Dallas Cowboys get ready to play the Cincinnati Bengals in Arlington on Saturday night, there are a few things I hope will carry over from last week’s opener, a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. As well as things I hope the Cowboys improve.

Here are three key things I am looking for when the Cowboys kick off their second preseason game of 2018 on Saturday against the Bengals.

Will the passing game continue to be efficient?

Last week we saw quarterback Dak Prescott go three for three for 39 yards and a touchdown to post a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. While he wasn’t asked to do too much, his performance was a microcosm of how he’ll be asked to manage the offense in 2018. In week two, I am looking for Prescott to continue improving his biggest flaw from 2017, his consistency.

Too often we saw brilliant throws followed by head-scratching misses. Dak has expressed how hard he’s worked on his footwork as well as a slight tweak on his mechanics to shorten his motion.

We’ve seen signs of his improvement in training camp the last few days and are hopeful he can continue to be the gamer he’s shown to be. If Prescott and his receiving threats can build upon last week, the 2018 hype train will start picking up speed.

How will the offensive line depth play?

Free agent guard Marcus Martin seems to be sidelined for a while and was not playing like a Cowboys offensive lineman in his time healthy anyway. The Cowboy’s biggest disappointment in 2017 was the week ten loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

That game was a perfect example of all the issues the team had on display. The loss of running back Ezekiel Elliott, left tackle Tyron Smith, and linebacker Sean Lee showed us how ugly it could get without proper depth and playmaking.

This game fueled the drafting of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, lineman Connor Williams, and wide receiver Michael Gallup. Along with the signing of former New England Patriot Cameron Fleming, the team seems to have done enough to address their depth along the offensive line.

And while the first team line looked great last week, the reserves were bullied. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush had a hard time finding his footing behind the leaky second and third units. Let’s hope this improves this week against the Bengals.

Is the front seven for real?

The first and second team linebackers and defensive lineman arguably had the best performances for position units last week in Santa Clara. With defensive end Randy Gregory expected to get some action, this front seven has the potential to put on a show against one of the weaker offensive line units in the NFL. Can they keep producing?

Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has a ridiculous stable of pass rushing talent and it’s exciting to see how many combinations he can unleash. Even without starters like David Irving and Maliek Collins, Marinelli and the front office have compiled a young athletic group of lineman and linebackers.

With the depth the team has now, it’s hard not to watch deep into the second half and see guys like Vander Esch of Dorance Armstrong making their presence felt. Anything we get from Gregory this week is a bonus as well.

This weeks preseason game has fans excited to see more of the new look Dallas Cowboys. If the three things I am watching for prove satisfied after tomorrow’s contest, it will set the table for an extremely interesting dress rehearsal next week against the Arizona Cardinals.