Studs and Duds: Cowboys backups inconsistent, but promising

Game one of the 2022 preseason is now in the books and the Dallas Cowboys gave a mixed performance bag in Mile High against the Denver Broncos. With players vying for roster spots, there was a lot to like from the Boys Saturday night, but also some cause for concern.

Luckily for Dallas there are two more exhibition games before the race to become back-to-back NFC East champions begins. As this action gets underway, let’s take a look at some studs and duds from the game.

Stud: Run Defense

From the starters to the last guy on the bench, Dallas won the defensive trench battle the entire night. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s unit gave up just 1.8 yards per carry with just one rush for over five yards. This elite performance was spearheaded by the likes of DTs Neville Gallimore, Quinton Bohanna and Trysten Hill, among others.

Although Dallas had some starters against the Broncos backup OL unit, the pure dominance on display all night is a great sign of what these guys are capable of.

Duds: Team Discipline

Penalties killed Dallas all of last year and head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear he wanted to focus on discipline all around. However in this contest Dallas had as many penalties as Denver had points…and they lost by 10. Ending the game just one shy of the preseason record, it’s clear there is a bigger issue in Dallas than inexperience or poor refereeing. The development of discipline on both sides of the ball will be crucial going forward in order to get that edge on competition.

Studs: Running Game

Although the team struggled offensively as a whole, the running backs shined. The trio of Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis and Aaron Shampklin were the anchor for the Dallas offense in this game. Combining for 119 yards on 24 carries, which is just under five yards a touch, they performed extremely well against a tough Denver defense. All three showed very nice patience, burst and elusiveness to boot. This three-headed unit were definitely helped by the OL with rookie LG Tyler Smith showing the power he was drafted for.

Dud: QB Cooper Rush

Rush is now two years into his second stint with Dallas and was projected as the backup to QB Dak Prescott. But he did himself no favors on Saturday. Looking uncomfortable and off balance all night, Rush struggled with progressions and errant throws constantly, with his only highlight being a beautiful touch pass in the second quarter to TE Peyton Hendershot, which ultimately got called back for a penalty.

With balls getting batted down at the line, no scheming to take advantage of what he does well and leaky protection, Rush did not have much assistance. He will need a strong remainder of the preseason to keep his spot.

Stud: QB Ben DiNucci

Speaking of that backup QB spot, DiNucci certainly did his best to try and claim it. DiNucci saw most of the second half action and while he wasn’t great he brought some much needed improvisation to the offense. Bringing his array of awkward-looking side arm throws and Houdini sack escapes he gave the offense a spark which ultimately led them to their only score of the game.

Will Grier is likely Rush’s threat to the backup role, and he’s out with a groin injury, but it was good to see DiNucci look relatively competent.

Duds: Pass Protection

The pass protection was horrific for Dallas, specifically off the edge. Backup and projected swing tackle Josh Ball got worked consistently tonight and although backup OTs Isaac Alarcon and Aviante Collins sturdied the ship a bit, the whole line was still clearly outmatched by the Broncos pass rush. Given this unit’s performance tonight, a veteran presence might be on order in the near future as some consistency is needed.

Studs: Young Defenders

The interior defensive line was the biggest highlight of the day for Dallas defensively but there were a handful of young defenders that showed promise. Year 2 CB’s Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright struggled when targeted deep but looked fantastic in run defense. As for other defensive backs, CBs Quandre Mosley, Kyron Brown, DaRon Bland an S Markquese Bell all made plays throughout the game that propelled this defense to an otherwise good performance outside a few amazing pitch and catches from the Broncos’ offense.

Elsewhere, second-round DE Sam Williams made nice debut as did fellow edge Mika Tafua towards the end of the game. LBs Malik Jefferson and Devin Harper made plays consistently at the second level, acting as clean up in the run game and the short passing game. Although inexperienced, the youthfulness on this roster showed the ability to make an impact at the next level.

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire