The first preseason game of the year was disappointing for the Dallas Cowboys, to say the least. The offense totaled one yard in the first quarter, while the Rams marched the ball up and down the field with very little resistance. It was a rough outing for Brian Schottenheimer and his team, but the hope is that they can perform better in Week 2 now that they will be back in Texas.
There are a handful of players who need to step up against the Ravens to either maintain their respective roles or to make the 53-man roster. But here are three players who have to have bounce back performances in the second preseason contest.
3 Cowboys who desperately need to bounce back vs. the Ravens
QB Joe Milton III
There was a lot of excitement going into Week 1 of the preseason for the Cowboys, and a big reason why was the debut of Joe Milton. The viral sensation had made several big throws during camp, but that didn’t translate to the preseason. His accuracy was all over the place, and the offense failed to sustain drives, especially in the first half.
You can bet that Milton will play a bunch of snaps in Week 2 as the Cowboys try to figure out if he’s ready to be Dak Prescott’s backup. He can’t afford to have another subpar performance, or else the Cowboys could consider giving the job to Will Grier or another outside option.
Milton did settle in during the second half against the Rams, and the hope is that he feels more comfortable in Week 2. It’s a big-time stage for Milton to prove that he’s worthy of being the backup, and Dallas desperately needs him to bounce back this week.
DT Jay Toia
It was a rough debut for the former UCLA defensive tackle, who struggled to hold up against double teams. While Toia did get a lot of attention against the Rams, he was too easily moved out of gaps, and they had plenty of success running downhill in the second half.
Conditioning remains a big concern for Toia, who clearly wore down as the game went on. He didn't provide any pass rush, but that wasn't expected from a 330-pound defensive tackle. He was drafted to stop the run, but he did not help in that phase at all last week. But he’ll have a chance to bounce back in Week 2 against another opponent that loves to run downhill.
Dallas doesn’t need Toia to be an every-down player, but they need someone who can be a space-eater and effectively occupy double-teams. That didn’t happen in Week 1 and if he doesn’t show more in Week 2, Toia’s spot on the active roster could be in jeopardy.
DT Mazi Smith
While Smith didn’t play a ton of snaps against the Rams, he was very critical of his play and admitted that he needed to do more. We saw a more urgent player during this week’s practices, and you can bet that Smith will want to show more against the Ravens this week.
Smith is the team’s starting 1-technique on the depth chart, and while there isn’t anyone actively pushing him for that spot, the Cowboys need more from their former first-round pick. If Smith were to struggle again this week, expect talks about a free agent addition or trade to ramp up regarding a defensive tackle for the Cowboys.
At this point, no one is expecting Smith to ever live up to his first-round draft status, but the hope is that he can be a functional player on the defensive line. If not, the Cowboys could be in big trouble on defense this season.