Cowboys studs and duds: Secondary shines in preseason Week 3 win

Preseason Week 3 is in the books for the Dallas Cowboys who closed out their exhibition games with a narrow win over the Seattle Seahawks at home. They spent much of the game playing from behind but a late-game drive allowed them to sneak out a win.

Of course, that’s not what’s important in the preseason. What matters is who can prove they belong on the team, which is what this finale was all about. Here, we look back at the game and highlight who stood out as studs and duds for the Cowboys.

Cowboys studs and duds preseason Week 3 against the Seahawks

Stud: Peyton Hendershot, Tight End

Needing a big game while battling for the No. 3 tight end spot, Peyton Hendershot didn’t disappoint. Undrafted out of Indiana this season, Hendershot had his best game of the preseason. The ball came his way seven times and while he caught just three of them, that wasn’t his fault.

There was a play early in the game where he had a touchdown, but Will Grier hesitated in throwing him the ball. He made up for it later, catching a 14-yard touchdown from Ben DiNucci to put Dallas up 27-26 with just over four minutes left to play.

That proved to be the game-winner for Hendershot, who might have locked up the final spot at a suddenly talented position.

Stud: Israel Mukuamu, S

Israel Mukuamu is entering his second season in the NFL and the converted safety looks ready to make a huge leap. The South Carolina product picked off his second pass of the preseason, setting up the Cowboys for their first points of the day.

Right now, he feels like a lock to be the No. 4 guy in the safety corps and should see many more snaps than he had as a rookie.