Tag: 2023 Preseason Week 3

Look: Hunter Luepke has big night in trying to make Cowboys’ 53-man roster

Luepke makes the cutdown day decision much more difficult after a stellar performance against the Las Vegas Raiders. | From @ArmyChiefW3

After not showing much in his first two opportunities, running back Hunter Luepke made a case for a roster spot Saturday night. The undrafted free agent from North Dakota State had himself a game in the Cowboys’ 31-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He ended his night with 15 carries for 58 yards while also catching 5 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Just before halftime, Luepke used some nifty footwork and picked up 29 yards on a pass from quarterback Will Grier before being tackled at the 15-yard line. He scored on the ensuing play on a 15-yard out route.

Luepke has been sort of a jack-of-all-trades during training camp attempting to show his versatility to the Cowboys coaches and front office. He’s competing for the fourth running back spot behind Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, all of whom had the night off showing their security for final cuts.

Meanwhile Luepke shared carries with Malik Davis, a 2022 UDFA who saw playing time in the regular season last year, but hasn’t secured a role for 2023 yet. Ronald Jones, Jr. also shares a chance, but injuries kept him out of the entire preseason and he’s facing a two-game suspension to start the year.

While it’s anyone’s guess as to what the final roster and practice squad will look like, Luepke should have a shot at being retained on one or the other. Cuts must be completed no later than Tuesday, August 29 at 3:00 pm Central.

Twitter reacts to Will Grier’s breakout game after learning he’s fired

A look at how fans and media responded to Grier stepping up despite the tough news he received. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Have yourself a day, Will Grier. Less than 48 hours after learning he was essentially a dead-man walking, Grier came out and owned the football field. Faced with a pending release following the Cowboys acquiring 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance, Grier took the opportunity to audition for another team very seriously.

Grier had been lackluster in the team’s first two preseason games, playing well for stretches but making unforgivable mistakes down the stretch. Dallas took the opportunity to trade a fourth-round pick for a player they felt could be a top player in the league and that sealed the deal. Grier took that as motivation and came out dealing, leading Dallas to a 31-16 win in the exhibition finale.

Grier finished the night 29 for 35, throwing for 305 yards and two scores, averaging 8.7 yards a completion. He wasn’t down there, running for another 53 yards and two more scores. Dallas finished the game with 457 yards of offense. Of course, Twitter had a field day with Grier’s performance.

Cowboys prove to not be top-heavy, dominate Raiders 31-16 in battle of reserves

Dallas avoided a winless preseason with an impressive performance behind Will Grier’s 300-yard passing game. | From @KDDrummondNFL

One of the biggest question marks about the Cowboys is just how much depth they have. Sure, they have star power entering the 2023 regular season, but rarely is that enough for a team to hoist the Lombardi at the end of the year. A team either has to be extremely lucky when it comes to injuries or they have to sport extensive depth to be able to plug in reserves and not miss a beat.

A preseason performance is hardly a full gauge of depth, but in a battle of all backups, the Cowboys proved theirs were clearly a class above that of the  Raiders. Led by Will Grier who knew he was playing his last game with a star on his helmet, Dallas dominated in the exhibition finale, taking down Las Vegas 31-16.

Grier, who had starting QB Dak Prescott in his ear as playcaller, led the Cowboys’ offense to over 450 total yards on offense as he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another two. Grier was calm, cool and collected in his audition for 31 other teams after Dallas acquired Trey Lance on Friday and told the young veteran he wouldn’t make the final roster.

Dallas gave him all the snaps and he replied with a 300-yard passing performance, looking better than he had in his previous two outings. Dallas converted seven of their first 10 third downs and was able to stymie the previously en fuego rookie QB Aidan O’Connell.

Dallas moved to 1-2 on the exhibition schedule and will transition to trimming the roster before Tuesday’s deadline. The next time they hit the field will be for the regular season opener against the New York Giants.

How to watch, stream, listen to Cowboys-Raiders in preseason matchup

The Cowboys end their preseason slate by facing the AFC West’s Raiders. Here’s how to catch the action where you are. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Preseason games, in general, are disappointing for the casual fan. The ones who don’t pay much attention to the offseason and are just waiting to see their favorite team in action are always disappointed with the exhibition schedule. Mike McCarthy’s approach to not use the games to prepare his top-line players for the real action only infuriates that part of the fan base more.

But for diehards, who care about every spot on the 53-man roster and how the sausage is made, the preseason is still relevant. Even those fans’ interest levels are tested in the preseason finale. The Cowboys will not be playing anyone they can avoid playing, but will give the bottom of the roster the chance to compete for the final few spots on the 53, the practice squad or a place on another team’s ledger.

As Dallas takes on the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, fans will get the opportunity to see the final professional game of some men’s career. And if one is interested in that, there’s plenty to watch, listen to or stream. Here’s how to do it.