Cowboys @ Chargers Preseason Game Day Thread (PS #2)

[Fouts2herbert]

I thought Sarell did pretty well...Bailey is a cut for sure...

Would’ve loved to have seen sarrell at RT where he played at stanford and with the ravens…I think he’s a better RT prospect than LT…

[Formula 21]

Sarrell may be trying out for the swing tackle spot. Since there is no backup RT spot on a team, it’s possible Pips or Norton may be let go if Sarrell is a decent LT/swing tackle backup. To my knowledge, neither Pips nor Norton has taken any snaps at LT this summer.

Sarrell had 1 pressure on 38 snaps last night. Not bad for a backup LT.

[Xenos]

[Xenos]

Tyler was rightfully hard on the OL after the first scrimmage. So it’s good that some positive came out after last night.

[dmac_bolt]

They probably should make a decision about now as to who will start: stick them together in preseason game and practices.

Maybe they already have!:hello:

They already stick their planned starters together in practices. I doubt we will see any difference in NO than we have seen in PS Game 1 and 2, except 5 of the scrubs flailing about the field last night won’t be here next Saturday. The big cut from 80 to 53 is the following Tuesday.

Who knows - maybe TT and BS decide to poach someone that other teams try to hide on their PS based on what they learned about their bottom-roster talent. Brandon’s Season Prep model is:

1. Don’t get any important players hurt in meaningless PS games just for a few reps. (There is a chance, and the more reps the more chance)
- I understand the disagreement both here and other NFL teams on this approach.
2. Evaluate as many backups in as many varying stress situations to decide how to form the bottom of roster and PS

he’s not going to let irrelevant factors such as fan angst about PS Game scores interfere with that plan. We don’t know for sure how prepared starters are, but I wouldn’t worry too much about how unprepared scrubs are to play in the NFL. You won’t see more than one or two on the field at a time if ever, its quite different putting in one or two backups in with starters vs playing 11 scrubs at once.

[Formula 21]

NFL Preseason Week 2 Game Recap: Dallas Cowboys 32, Los Angeles Chargers 18




Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (2) scores a touchdown on a 98-yard kickoff return against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

By Doug Kyed
Aug 21, 2022
Los Angeles Chargers • Dallas CowboysLos Angeles Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer and Dallas Cowboys wideout KaVontae Turpintook different paths to the NFL, but the two players were the biggest playmakers in Saturday night’s 32-10 Cowboys preseason victory.

Editor’s note: All grades in this article are subject to review. All PFF player grades will be finalized by 12 pm ET tomorrow.
DALLAS COWBOYS

QUARTERBACK


• Cooper Rush finished 3-of-6 for 32 yards. His average depth of target was just 7.4 yards.

• Will Grier went 6-of-10 for 98 yards as he competes for the backup job with Rush. He made one big-time throw and didn’t have a turnover-worthy play.
RUNNING BACK


• Rico Dowdle is competing with Malik Davis for third running back duties behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Both Dowdle and Davis had touchdown carries.

• Dowdle, who spent last season on injured reserve, forced two missed tackles on 13 carries for 44 yards, 47 of which came after contact.

• Davis, an undrafted rookie out of Florida, picked up 37 yards (31 after contact) on eight carries and forced one missed tackle. He’s impressed this summer and is pushing for a roster spot.
RECEIVERS


• WR Jalen Tolbert could earn a starting job by default with James Washington injured and Michael Gallup still on PUP. He showed a lack of body control by stepping out of the end zone on what should have been a touchdown reception from Rush.

• TE Jake Ferguson, a rookie fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin, caught two of two targets for 29 yards. He forced three missed tackles on the night.

• WR KaVontae Turpin deserves a special teams note here. The 2022 USFL MVP returned a kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown and followed that up with an 86-yard punt return for another score.
OFFENSIVE LINE


• Rookie Tyler Smith, playing left guard, didn’t let up a pressure on 12 pass-blocking snaps.

• Connor McGovern, who’s competing with Smith for the starting left guard role, also didn’t allow a pressure on 12 pass-protection snaps.

• On first review, Smith graded better than McGovern as a run-blocker.
DEFENSIVE LINE


• Edge defender Tarell Basham registered two QB hits on eight pass-rush snaps.

• Defensive tackle Trysten Hill, a 2019 second-round pick out of UCF, showed up with a sack and two stops in run defense.

• Edge defenders Big Kat Bryant (sack, QB hit) and Mike Tafua (sack, hurry) also brought pressure.
LINEBACKER


• Devin Harper, a rookie sixth-round pick, earned an 80.2 run-defense grade on first review.

• Luke Gifford wasn’t targeted in coverage and made one run stop.
SECONDARY


• Safety ****** Mukuamu was all over the field with a run stop and interception on 50 total snaps. He let up one catch, an 18-yard touchdown on a screen pass, on three targets.

• Undrafted rookie cornerback Quandre Mosely didn’t allow a catch on one target and 17 coverage snaps. He forced an incompletion on his only target.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

QUARTERBACK


• Easton Stick finished 11-of-20 for 134 yards with a touchdown pass and interception as he competes for the backup QB spot behind Justin Herbert. He didn’t have a big-time throw, and his interception was his only turnover-worthy play. His average depth of targets was 10.1 yards.

• Chase Daniel went 13-of-21 for 111 yards with a touchdown. He didn’t make any big-time throws or turnover-worthy plays, and his average depth of target was just 6.3 yards.
RUNNING BACK


• Joshua Kelley is battling it out with Larry Rountree and rookie Isaiah Spiller for the backup job behind Austin Ekeler

• Kelley forced four missed tackles on eight carries for 18 yards. He picked up 20 rushing yards after contact.

• Rountree carried the ball four times for 11 yards. He forced one missed tackle and 7 of his 11 yards came after contact.

• Spiller limped off the field early in the third quarter with an ankle injury. He carried the ball three times for just 3 yards.
RECEIVERS


• WR Joshua Palmer, a 2021 third-round pick, looked like a star in the making, hauling in a 41-yard contested catch and scampering through the Cowboys defense for an 18-yard touchdown off of a screen pass. He finished with three catches on four targets for 75 yards.

• Slot receiver Micahel Bandy continued to show he deserves a spot on an NFL roster with eight catches on nine targets for 69 yards with a touchdown and one forced missed tackle.
OFFENSIVE LINE


• Rookie right guard Zion Johnson let up just one hurry on 13 pass-block snaps.

• Storm Norton is battling with Trey Pipkins to start at right tackle. Norton got the first crack and allowed a QB hit on six pass-blocking snaps.

• Pipkins let up on hurry on 12 pass-blocking snaps.

• Rookie sixth-round pick Jamaree Salyer is a player to watch based on his preseason play. He earned a 74.5 grade in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams and asserted himself well again Friday night, not allowing a single pressure on 16 pass-blocking snaps at left guard.
DEFENSIVE LINE


• Edge defender Chris Rumph didn’t generate any pressure but did make a tackle for loss in the run game.

• Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery missed two tackles and made one defensive stop as he continues to play in the preseason while established starters sit. He registered one hurry.
LINEBACKER


• Cole Christensen earned an 85.4 coverage grade on first review. He let up a 6-yard catch on two targets with a forced incompletion.

• Amen Ogbongbemiga wasn’t targeted in coverage. He made two stop in run defense.
SECONDARY


• Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis appear to be competing for one starting cornerback job.

• Samuel was not targeted on three coverage snaps.

• Davis was targeted once but forced an incompletion with a pass breakup.

[Formula 21]

• Kelley forced four missed tackles on eight carries for 18 yards. He picked up 20 rushing yards after contact.

Kelley did his job, the OL didn’t.

[dmac_bolt]

It’s PFF so take with grain of salt:

Johnson-Pipkins: say hello to your starting right side. They looked effective, cohesive, together. it was the left side breaking down while they were playing (Salyer/Sarell). And the occasional Center-toss into the backfield lol.

I feel better about Pipkin after last night. He’ll be passable, with physique to get better as season goes on. I hope Coaches don’t hold onto Norton first mindset

[Formula 21]

Cole Christensen earned an 85.4 coverage grade on first review. He let up a 6-yard catch on two targets with a forced incompletion.

2 coverage snaps, one completion, great grade. Makes no sense. There has to be a snaps played competent in there somehow.

[Fleet 1]

When Keenans time is up i hope he transitions into a WR coach. He just makes that WR room so much better. I really think he has a huge impact on guys like Palmer and Bandy. You see him working with them all the time. So worth the what he makes.

I absolutely love Bandy. Reminds me of Eddie Royal a little bit. Or Hunter Renfroe. You have to keep him.

I got the worst sleep ever last night. lol I went to bed so frustrated. Bolts and Padres have been producing this elevated heart rate for years now. lol

[dmac_bolt]

I didn't watch either of the pre-season games, but based on some of the comments here, it sounds like we have been unimpressive so far.

To that I ask: Is is fair to evaluate the team based on the personnel we've had on the field? I mean, has Herbert even played a down? Has the 1st team been on the field, together, for one snap? What *seems* to be happening is that we're playing, mostly, our 2nd- and 3rd-string guys (as well as guys who are going to be cut), to get a feel for who is going to fill out the roster. Sure, there is the RT competition; and the 2nd RB competition. But, other than that (and depth/ST positions), what else needs to be decided?

Most/all of us can, with some certainty, probably name 18-19 of the starting positions already (if not more). As well as some of the 'package' players that are going to see some significant playing time. It seems to me that there's some sense of trepidation going around here, based on 2 PS games, and I wonder if that's reasonable when it comes to evaluating the team going into the season.

Now, having said that, I don't think there are more the 2-3 "easy" games on the schedule next year. And even those games (see: Houston, 2021) can't be taken lightly. In other words, it's not going to be an easy road to the playoffs, but I don't think that 2 PS games are the best way to predict how the team is going to perform in 2022.

None of the starters have been playing at all. No it’s not fair. Folks here are trying to judge our team “depth” when even that is not a fair picture as Staley has multiple sure-cuts mixed in with depth players so the actual depth players are put at a disadvantage vs what they would be expected to do when mixed in with a group of almost all starters. The only DB worth shit playing was Vato and he played well. The DBs flailing all over the field won’t ever take a live snap in the season.

trying to evaluate the RB2 situation is an example. The left side of the line was shit the entire game and got worse as they subbed in deeper roster scrubs. Right side was good for the first half then degraded as more scrubs replaced Zion and Pip/Nort.

The one concern I think is 100% fair is how crappy guys covered those two TD kick returns. Thats horrible team discipline, guys not staying in their lanes and covering their assignment. But half of those guys are cuts, it could be the cuts that broke down worst and the real ST groups are not nearly so bad. Idunno - coaches will figure it out from the tape. The rest doesn’t bother me.

ok, one other: we don’t have a lot of depth behind IDL starters. More depth for rotation there would be nice. We can manage it unless there’s alot of injury.

[dmac_bolt]

I think opening day starting line up is slater-fieler-linsey-johnson-pipkins

I’m not sure about the reserves tho, do you think maybe they keep 9? IDK, norton, jaimes, salyer, clapp? I’d hate to see sarrell get poached in final cuts but would they keep ten linemen?

I’m not as enthusiastic about jaimes anymore…not 100% but he appears to have reached his ceiling already…

Me neither. He played poorly against backups and future cowboy roster cuts. Not a lot of progress in a year there