The results don't matter until September, but watching the Dallas Cowboys win a football game is never not satisfying.
No preseason game is perfect (understatement of the year), but there were plenty of positives to glean, like the defense pitching a shutout after allowing a touchdown on the Seahawks' opening drive Camden Brown morphing into prime Dez Bryant, and both backup quarterbacks turning in strong outings.
As far as negatives go, there were plenty. Thirteen penalties are inexcusable regardless of who was on the field, and mental errors were a recurring theme. Unfortunately, a few players embodied those mistakes more than others and may have played themselves right off the roster.
4 Dallas Cowboys in danger of missing the 53-man roster after Week 1 of preseason
4. DJ Rogers - TE
On a night when fellow undrafted tight end Michael Trigg didn't put a foot wrong, Rogers struggled to leave a mark.
Rogers snagged his only pass of the night and turned upfield for extra yardage, but the ball was knocked out of his hands rather easily. While it fortunately bounced out of bounds, any nearby Seahawks defender would have taken it to the house.
Lucky or not, that just can't happen for a UDFA hoping to crack an NFL roster. Already behind Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann Ford, who got the night off, and former second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker, Rogers squandered an opportunity to climb the depth chart.
Consider Rogers firmly behind Trigg in the race for TE4. Heck, if Trigg keeps balling, it's not unrealistic to think he could take Schoonmaker's job as the third tight end.
3. Langston Patterson - LB
With Jaishawn Barham sidelined by his groin injury and DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters rested as projected starters, Cowboys fans saw plenty of Shemar James, Curtis Robinson, and Langston Patterson.
Patterson had a really rough go of it. According to PFF, he played just 15 of 56 defensive snaps, which says it all about his standing in the linebacker room. That was all the playing time needed to realize he doesn't belong on the 53-man roster.
A UDFA out of Vanderbilt, Patterson struggled to fill the right gaps, and his block-shedding wasn't much better. His 47.8 run-defense grade ranked 21st out of 28 players who saw the field on Saturday.
2. Traeshon Holden - WR
You couldn't help but feel terrible for Holden after his muffed punt. The broadcast panned to him with a towel over his head on the bench as he processed the magnitude of his mistake.
Recognizing he needed to make a play amid Camden Brown's breakout, Holden attempted to pick up a bouncing punt with Seahawks gunners closing in. When that works, it looks genius. When it doesn't, it's one of the most boneheaded mistakes you can make in football.
The Cowboys were able to make a stand, forcing a turnover on downs. But that is an unforgivable mistake for a player on the roster bubble. Even if Holden held on, he wouldn't have had much room to work with. It was a poor decision through and through.
Dallas was leading 17-7 at the time, and Holden gave Seattle the ultimate short field to make it a one-score game. Christian Parker's defense bailed him out with a stand, but Holden nearly allowed the Seahawks right back in the game.
1. Caelen Carson - CB
With DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant rested and Caleb Downs playing just seven snaps before hitting the showers, Carson started and got plenty of playing time. He was arguably the worst player on the field for both teams, committing not one, not two, but three penalties in the first half.
In fairness, Carson's defensive pass interference was a bad call. However, he was flagged for a facemask just a few plays later that extended the Seahawks' drive; one they ultimately finished with a touchdown. And in the second quarter, the refs got Carson for defensive holding.
Carson made some impressive open-field tackles and had a nice pass breakup in coverage, but that should be the expectation for a third-year player going up against second- and third-stringers.
The Cowboys aren't dripping in cornerback depth, but nobody hurt their chances of making the 53-man roster more than the former fifth-round pick.
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