Cowboys Preseason schedule features 3 Bay Area teams - Mario Herrera Jr., Inside the Star
During this preseason, the Cowboys are going back to Cali.
When the team travels to Oxnard for training camp, it’s already been reported that they will return to joint practices with other NFL teams for the first time since former LG Connor Williams and Rams’ DT Aaron Donald were trying to rip their heads off.
Interestingly enough, the joint practices scheduled are with those same Los Angeles Rams. Aaron Donald is no longer there, but the Rams are still a formidable squad under HC Sean McVay. Let’s take a look at the three games the Cowboys will play this preseason, examine the opponents, make predictions, and just overall try to gauge what Dallas can learn from those teams to prepare for the regular season.
Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams
When: Sunday 8/11/24, 3:25pm CST
Where: SoFi Stadium
The Cowboys and Rams will square off after a week of joint practices. Being the first preseason game, we likely won’t see any projected starters at all unless they are rookies or unproven young veterans. Players in that category that might start would be LT Tyler Guyton, C Cooper Beebe, WR Jalen Tolbert, LB Marist Liufau, CB Caelen Carson, and DeMarvion Overshown, amongst others.
The Rams will likely start Stetson Bennett at quarterback with a mish-mash of wide receivers that won’t feature Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua. Matthew Stafford will be in street clothes and a sideline ball cap until the regular season, but the Cowboys will face a good test defensively during the joint practices. The Cowboys will start Trey Lance and quarterback to get him as many reps as possible. They need to figure out what role he will have on the team and the preseason will determine that.
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When: Saturday 8/17/24, 9pm CST
Where: Allegiant Stadium
The Cowboys stay in the Bay Area for one more preseason game before heading back to Dallas to prepare for the start of the regular season. This time it’s the Las Vegas Raiders taking the field with them. The Raiders are in somewhat of a state of rebuild after making interim HC Antonio Pierce the coach full-time. Pierce brings an element of toughness back to the Raiders that has been lacking for years.
He is a former linebacker in the NFL responsible for the defensive calls. He has Super Bowl pedigree and that attitude will bleed into the team. Vegas will likely give 2nd-year QB Aidan O’Connell plenty of snaps in preparation for the regular season but he will be throwing the ball to backups. Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers playing wouldn’t benefit the team in the preseason. Risking injury to your top two receivers won’t be an option.
New Year, Different Dak? The One Strike Against Paying Dallas Cowboys QB Prescott - Adam Schultz, Athlon Sports
Dak Prescott’s contract is going to be a constant topic until it is not.
The Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season will be one that could be one of the best or one of the worst, and unfortunately, it’s too early right now to tell which one. With most of the coaching staff and some of Dallas’ key players entering a lame-duck year, the pressure is on to make the 2024 season one where the franchise finally breaks through.
But with Dak Prescott not yet signed to a new contract (we aren’t sure if he will be), the onus is on No. 4 to show the front office that he’s deserving of a new deal. And to do that, a deep playoff run is needed. Really, that’s it, right? If Dak’s Cowboys had playoff wins on their resume, wouldn’t these contract negotiations be moving along more smoothly?
NFL.com’s Adam Rank still firmly believes Dak is the right guy to lead this franchise, but when all the chips are in the middle of the table, he simply has to get it done. “I still believe Dak Prescott can be the man to lead Dallas to the promised land,” Rank writes. “But he’s going to need to prove it in the final season of the four-year, $160 million extension he signed in March of 2021. Prescott has enjoyed outstanding success in the regular season, posting a record of 73-41 in his career, including a 13-2 mark against NFC East teams since 2021. That said, playoff losses could end up defining his Cowboys legacy. In seven postseason appearances, Prescott has lost five times, with both wins coming in the Wild-Card Round. As much as I love Dak, he must come through when it counts this season.”
In his first year with coach Mike McCarthy calling the plays, Dak had perhaps his best season as a pro, leading the league in touchdowns (36), had a career-high completion percentage (69.5), threw for the second most yards of his career (4,515) and of course limited his interceptions. Now, with the Cowboys having finished up OTAs, during which Dak says everything is a little faster and that the offense is ahead of where it was this time last year, perhaps another spike in performance and production is on the way. In truth, it likely needs to be, as the buck starts and stops with Dak.
Is Dak ready to attack 2024 season? News and notes from Cowboys minicamp - Ben Grimaldi, WFAA.com
Following minicamp, here are few thoughts on where the Cowboys stand.
Young WRs stepping up
Top target Lamb isn’t practicing, which is giving the young receivers an opportunity for some needed experience. The three who have the most to gain are WRs Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, and Ryan Flournoy, and all three were making plays this week. Tolbert is entering his third season and could finally be making the jump to become a quality receiver, while Brooks is showing improvement in his second year as well.
Minicamp observers also recognized Flournoy making a highlight-worthy touchdown catch. The rookie flashed his elite athletic traits during minicamp and took advantage of his extra reps. The Cowboys have Brandin Cooks entering his second season with Dallas after developing into one of Prescott’s trusted redzone options last year, which should help, but with Lamb awaiting payday and Michael Gallup now with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cowboys have the need for a third WR to step up, and they got some encouraging play from their young receivers.
Parsons explains his offseason preparation
With Parsons finally around, he explained some of his rationale for not attending the other team workouts. Parsons cited former Defensive Player of the Year winner Aaron Donald following the same offseason plan, while also mentioning how, as a smaller defensive end, he gets banged around and needs the time to heal and prepare for another season.
The All-Pro edge rusher said that he would rather be fresh for the end of the season, that the chemistry with new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and the other defensive players will come in training camp. Parsons mentioned that he hasn’t spoken much with Zimmer since the DC got hired and hopes there’s a “compromising relationship” between the two since the pass rusher likes things his way.
That’s a tough stance to take when trying to learn a new scheme from one of the more accomplished defensive coordinators in the league from the last 25 years. Parsons continues to do things his way this offseason, if it works no one will argue about how he went about his business. If things go south, however, he can expect some criticism to come his way.
Jourdan Lewis could have a career year in 2024-Jess Haynie, Blogging the Boys
Veteran cornerback Jourdan Lewis is primed for a big year with the Cowboys.
Jourdan Lewis is back for an eighth season in Dallas, re-signing with the Cowboys last March. The cornerback is currently slated to play the slot, and circ*mstances could lead to a career year for Lewis given his history as a playmaker.
With Trevon Diggs returning from injury and DaRon Bland coming off his record-breaking, All-Pro breakout in 2023, the outside CB spots are covered as well as an NFL team could hope for. Dallas was content to not re-sign Stephon Gilmore this offseason, instead hanging onto Lewis at a little under $3 million for a one-year deal. While Gilmore remains available in free agency, the Cowboys have given no indication that they intend to extend that relationship.
While there are still some younger prospects like Israel Mukuamu, Eric Scott, and Nahshon Wright in the mix, plus now fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson, Lewis is the heavy favorite to join Diggs and Bland in the top three. He is especially viable as the slot corner given his fearlessness as a tackler and proven ability to stay with shifter receivers. And in 2024, given the two All-Pros he’ll be playing with, Lewis could see a spike in his big plays.
Lewis has had at least one interception every year but 2020; the Cowboys’ single-season disaster under Mike Nolan. He had a career-high three picks the following season plus 11 pass deflections, arguably his best year to date. He missed 11 games in 2022 due to a foot fracture but returned strong last year, with three forced fumbles highlighting the season. He’s also been able to do damage blitzing from the slot, registering 8.5 sacks since 2019.
Turning 29 in August, Lewis is no spring chicken, especially at cornerback. But his game has always been more about technique and toughness than athleticism, which have a longer shelf life closer to the line of scrimmage. He will certainly get tested if Diggs and Bland are their usual selves on the outsides, no doubt driving more targets toward Lewis’ man. The opportunities could go either way, but the positive view is even more chances for Lewis to create turnovers.
