The Dallas Cowboys completed their first preseason game of the year, and it was pretty sloppy
altogether. That’ll happen when nearly every starter sat out the game, and even the starters who played (Caleb Downs, etc.) only saw a handful of snaps.
The Cowboys have routinely punted on the preseason in recent years, so it’s hard to have too many overarching takeaways.
Having said that, there were a few players who improved their stocks against the Seahawks. And these were a few others who failed to impress. So, without further ado, here are our first winners and losers from the 2026 Dallas Cowboys:
Winners and losers from Dallas Cowboys' Week 1 preseason win
Winner: Camden Brown - WR
One of the most important things you want to see from the preseason is whether younger players can translate stellar practices to the preseason. There have been a litany of undrafted stars in Dallas who shined in camp but were never able to make a splash in the preseason.
Camden Brown had a strong week of practice leading up to the preseason, and yet, he was somehow better when the lights came on. It started with an unbelievable touchdown reception before halftime, where he boxed out a defender on a bomb from Sam Howell. But his night wasn’t over.
Brown was able to one-up himself in the third quarter, hauling in an incredible touchdown reception thrown by Joe Milton. He beat his defender off the line of scrimmage and hauled in the pass with just one hand. It was a stellar night for Brown, who suddenly seems like a lock to make the 53-man roster for Dallas.
Loser: Offensive Line Depth
None of the starting offensive line for the Dallas Cowboys played on Sunday, and T.J. Bass was quickly pulled after a few drives. But it was a really rough outing for the depth linemen on the roster.
Nate Thomas had a false start. Drew Shelton was called for another. Several of the down-roster offensive linemen had multiple penalties. And they really struggled to open up any running lanes in the first half.
The Cowboys have a clear top six when it comes to the offensive line, but the depth is a huge issue going into the season. The hope is that Drew Shelton and Nate Thomas could fill the back end of the roster, but neither player had a strong performance on Saturday.
Don’t be surprised if Dallas continues to shop for offensive line help over the next three weeks.
Winner: James Houston - EDGE
The starting two defensive ends (Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku) did not play on Saturday, but the rest of the group did. And easily the most impressive was James Houston, who took over
this game.
At the end of the first half, Houston recorded two sacks, one of which was nullified due to a 15-year penalty by the offense. He also recorded another pressure later on that drive, showing off all of the tools in his arsenal.
Houston also made an impressive tackle in space on a screen, bringing the ball-carrier to an instant stop. He was arguably the best defender on the field for Dallas, and his stock certainly rose after this performance. He is still competing with Sam Williams for a spot on the active roster, but the front office will be hard-pressed to move on from him after another big preseason performance.
Loser: Caelen Carson - CB
The Cowboys feel pretty good about their top three cornerbacks going into the 2026 season (Daron Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel), but their lack of depth is apparent. The hope is that Devin Moore could be an eventual answer, but the Caelen Carson experiment is close to being over.
Carson was flagged three times in the first half, albeit with one of the penalties being a softer call. It was not a good outing for Carson as he struggled to stay in phase with the opposing receivers without being too grabby. He’ll get a chance next Saturday to redeem himself, but this was a pretty poor showing for the former Day 3 pick.
Winner: Jonathan Mingo - WR
One receiver who needs to have a strong preseason is Jonathan Mingo, who is in the last year of his contract with the Cowboys. Dallas has a clear-cut top four at receiver, and Mingo is competing with a bunch of players for the final spot, including Brown.
Mingo didn’t have a big “splash” play like Brown, but did make several tough, contested catches over the middle of the field that helped give Sam Howell some confidence.
It’s also worth noting that he made an impressive chase-down tackle on special teams, which is important considering what his role might be if he makes the team. It still might be an uphill climb for Mingo to make this team, but this was a very impressive outing for the former Ole Miss star.
Loser: Curtis Robinson - LB
The Cowboys have been searching for linebacker depth, and the hope is that one of Shemar James or Justin Barron can lock down a spot. But one player who several analysts had on their 53-man roster projections was Curtis Robinson, a veteran linebacker signed over the offseason.
While there were no big mistakes by Robinson, he was slow to react in zone coverage multiple times and was unable to make any plays. He just didn’t show enough in this outing to spark any type of discussion, and at this point, it would be a slight surprise if he made the final roster.
Winner: Joe Milton - QB
Sam Howell got the start for Dallas, and he played the entire first half, but it was Milton who was the better quarterback on Sunday. His accuracy and poise were significantly better than we saw at any point in the preseason last year. And he seemed to have a much better command of the offense.
Overall, Milton completed 12 of 15 passes for 107 yards (7.1 yards per attempt) and one touchdown, equating to a 118.6 passer rating.
It remains to be seen who will be the backup quarterback in Dallas, but both Howell and Milton had reasonably good showings against Seattle. Don’t be surprised if Milton gets to start next week after a good outing against the Seahawks.
Loser: Traeshon Holden - WR
It’s hard not to feel bad for Treshon Holden.
A highly touted undrafted free agent from 2025, Holden has not had the camp that everyone was expecting. He’s been clearly jumped by Camden Brown, and there isn’t a realistic path to him making the 53-man roster.
He got a chance to make some plays on special teams and had a nice return called back due to a
penalty. He got another chance a few plays later and made a back-breaking mistake.
Not only did he field the ball inside the five-yard-line, but he muffed the punt and the Seahawks
recovered the fumble. Holden was trying to make a play, and it’s hard not to blame him considering his standing on the roster. But that’s the type of play you just can’t make if you are trying to make the team.
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