The Dallas Cowboys took the field for the first time in 2022, falling to the Denver Broncos, 17-7. It was a shutout most of the way and Dallas struggled to find a rhythm on offense, especially with quarterback Cooper Rush, who was presented with a big opportunity to start the preseason opener. Ben DiNucci stepped in and performed well and the QB2 spot for the Cowboys looks to be a battle with Will Grier lurking in the background.
At tight end, Dallas has Dalton Schultz leading the way, but the young pair of Sean McKeon and Jake Ferguson present a lot of opportunities for the unit to succeed. The latter led the Cowboys in catches on the night and flashed the blocking ability he was known for at Wisconsin.
On defense, sophomore cornerbacks Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright were bested by the Denver wide receivers, but rookie DaRon Bland shined during his time in the slot, and is another rookie candidate to leapfrog up the depth chart.
Beyond player performances, Mike McCarthy watched 17 penalties be committed by his team, making one wonder if the flags from 2021 are back for another season. All of this and more in four takeaways from the first look at the 2022 Cowboys.
DaRon Bland is making noise in the cornerback room
Although the spots for cornerbacks Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis are secured, there’s a lot of uncertainty beyond the starting crew. Nahshon Wright and Kelvin Joseph are the sophomores expected to garner playing time in 2022, but the first preseason game said otherwise.
Bland saw 72% of the snaps on Saturday and impressed after Wright and Joseph both gave up touchdowns in the contest, albeit on tough catches by the Broncos receivers. That wasn’t the case for Bland.
Spending his night in the slot, Bland showed a lot more than just his coverage prowess, making five tackles on the night. He flashed the ability to help in run support, which is key when he’s in the slot and his 6-foot-2 frame definitely helps. On multiple quick passes, Bland quickly made the tackle and limited yards after the catch.
Considering the rough weekend for Joseph and Wright, Bland’s stock is rising and he could be penned in at CB4 in Dallas.
Dallas has no worries at tight end for 2022
The uncertainty of tight end Dalton Schultz’ longevity as a Cowboy looms large as he enters this season on the franchise tag. If there’s a silver lining, it’s the tight end room as a whole that Dallas sports for 2022.
Beyond the obvious star in Schultz, there are two young tight ends who have impressed in camp and now the preseason opener. Sean McKeon is entering his third season and has spent time in the offseason working closely with the rest of the offense. He wasn’t the one to make noise in Denver, though.
That was fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson. The Wisconsin product led the Cowboys with three catches for 29 yards. Coming out of college, Ferguson was known for his solid hands but mean streak as a blocker.
There now appears to be a contest between McKeon and Ferguson for TE2 and it’s a pleasant surprise for a group that no longer has Blake Jarwin to step in for Schultz’s snaps. Neither are over 24 years of age, so Dallas has plenty of time to build on their early flashes.
Different year, same penalties for Dallas. Will it change?
In the 2021 season, the Cowboys’ worst enemy was themselves. While more talented than most opponents, arguably including the 49ers to whom they lost in the wild-card round, penalties were a dagger that never stopped striking.
Dallas led the NFL with a whopping 127 penalties for 1,103 yards. The team had 6,919 total yards, so a seventh of that was matched in penalties, including a plethora of drive killers and second chances awarded. It’s a different group on the field for preseason but Mike McCarthy’s team had a ludicrous 17 penalties in their first rodeo of 2022.
McCarthy noted that this team will be more disciplined in 2022 but so far, it hasn’t been any different in what could be a make or break year for the Cowboys head coach.
QB2 may not be Cooper Rush in 2022
With Will Grier out, Rush had a chance to come out and prove he’s the backup quarterback for the Cowboys. Rush struggled, going 12-for-20 passing with an interception and no points to show for it.
In the second half, DiNucci took over and eclipsed Rush’s passing yard total and scored the only touchdown for Dallas in the game. At this point in the preseason, there is little indicator as to who will be the backup come September.
Rush has experience while DiNucci performed well but is a long shot. That leaves Grier, who loomed in the background during the 2021 season and now has a chance to show the skills that earned him a third-round selection. Two more preseason games may decide if he leapfrogs Rush in the depth chart.
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Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire