For the second straight week, the Dallas Cowboys will travel to take on their preseason foe after having a joint practice against a different team earlier in the week. Simply put, Brian Schottenheimer's team is getting a lot of great reps in against a variety of styles and personnel. It's hard to complain.
Through these experiences, the Cowboys have learned a lot about the players on the roster, and for some, that is a good thing. For others, they've been exposed a bit in the early going and badly need to get back on track against the Arizona Cardinals in this week's exhibition game.
So, in that vein, here are five Dallas players who are facing the most pressure in Saturday's contest. Some of these men have their backs against the wall and need a strong outing to stick around or keep their role. Others need to prove that they weren't just a one-game wonder or a flash in the pan.
5 Cowboys players under the most pressure in preseason game vs. Cardinals
Caelen Carson - CB
A simple box score would tell you that Carson played well last week, notching four tackles and a pass defended while not giving up a single reception. But in reality, he was penalized three times in the first half, once for an iffy pass interference, another for defensive holding, and a third for a facemask.
That won't get it done in a suddenly crowded Cowboys secondary. Devin Moore returned from injury this week and already took some reps from him, so Carson is in dire need of a strong performance when he takes the field on Saturday. If he struggles again, it could get dicey for him.
Drew Shelton - OT
Shelton really struggled in the opener at right tackle, as he committed a pre-snap penalty and gave up two quarterback hits and another pressure. As a run-blocker, he was merely average, but from an overall standpoint, Shelton didn't impress too many folks, if anyone, in his debut.
It wasn't a coincidence, then, that Schottenheimer moved him back to the left side, where he played his last two years in college, during practice this week. The Cowboys are looking to get anything out of him or Thomas at this juncture as a swing tackle, and they just haven't gotten it yet.
Nate Thomas - OT
Speaking of Thomas, he wasn't overly impressive last game, either. He's fallen quite a bit from battling Tyler Guyton for the starting spot to getting flip-flopped to the right side as a trial run this week after an up-and-down appearance against the Seattle Seahawks in preseason Week 1.
With a strong showing, Thomas could lock down that swing tackle role and be the first to rotate in on the offensive line if Guyton or Terence Steele go down. But if he doesn't, Dallas' anxiety about its offensive tackle depth may skyrocket.
James Houston - OLB
Houston had a nice outing against the Seahawks, as expected from him. And before this week's signing of Von Miller, the veteran edge rusher felt like somewhat of a lock to make the 53-man roster. But now, as we mentioned, Miller is in town, changing both the dynamic and the math.
Making matters worse is that Houston left the practice field with an injury during Thursday's practice, so his snap count could be limited. He may even sit out. So, he's under a microscope as he clings to the fifth spot in the Cowboys' edge rusher room, and he hopes to fend off Sam Williams.
Camden Brown - WR
Brown was the star of the show in Seattle, catching three passes for 62 yards and hauling in two highlight-reel touchdown catches. He climbed the ladder for one and only needed a single hand for the other, putting some immense talent on display for the coaching staff.
But he's now under a bit of pressure because the fans and staff are expecting more out of him now, and he needs to prove that last week's game was the rule, not an exception. If he can do that, he might climb into that WR4 role. If not, he'll lose a lot of credibility fairly soon.
Add us as a preferred source on Google