The exhibition season is over for the Dallas Cowboys. Following 31 days in Oxnard, CA, the club returned to the friendly confines of Texas this weekend with their first official piece of business the preseason finale. Hosting the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas got their third strong look at young QB Trey Lance to gauge the progress he has made since his acquisition this week last year.
Lance had several strong moments as he started to again test his downfield accuracy, but he also had several throws that showed his on-field immaturity. Near the end of the fourth quarter, down one point on a drive that started on their own eight-yard line, Lance threw a bad interception where Tre’Mon Morris tipped it to himself and raced 25-yards for the score.
It was the third and final big play in a game where other than that Dallas dominated, leaving them some positive points but in 26-19 defeat.
Dallas ends their preseason 1-2 and now turns their attention to their Week 1 date, September 8, against the Cleveland Browns.
Lance was trying to make a great final impression and finished the game throwing for 323 yards but five interceptions, including a final throw into the end zone after getting Dallas down to the Chargers’ 20-yard line with seven seconds left.
There were several plays where his ceiling is evident and a handful of others where his floor was saddening. He had two final drives, somehow, after the Pick-6 to still shoot for a tie or a win, but both ended in interceptions, although No. 4 was WR Cam Johnson getting bullied out of a catch by the defender.
Lance had some top moments though, most notably finding rookie sixth rounder Ryan Flournoy on a beautiful drop-in pass for a score, and then also a 46-yard run around the left side for his own score.
That was one of several rushing plays where the Cowboys showed their dominance, gaining 246 yards on the ground as Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Snoop Connor all averaged 5.5 yards per carry or more. Royce Freeman and Nathaniel Peat were both over 4.4 yards a carry themselves as the down-roster decision the coaching staff must make on RB4 got more data points to consider.
On defense, several players made stabs at landing on the end of the roster or the practice squad, including DEs Tyrus Wheat and Al-Quadin Muhammad recording sacks and LB Darius Harris making numerous impact plays.
UDFA rookie safety got his second interception of the preseason and also forced a fumble as the Chargers’ offense was severely limited outside of two big-play touchdowns.
Former Cowboys WR Simi Fehoko burned hopeful CB Andrew Booth for a 78-yard reception and WR Derius Davis took a jet sweep 70 yards when DE Viliami Fehoko bit inside and left the edge unsecured.
Now the coaches will huddle and make decisions to trim the roster down from 90 to 53 over the next four days before resuming practice and readying for the regular season.