3 things to watch in Dallas Cowboys’ preseason finale against Atlanta Falcons
At last, the end of the preseason is in sight.
Mostly ugly football and unfulfilled expectations have consumed the first two exhibition matchups, but the final matchup Friday night for the Dallas Cowboys offers some appetizing storylines with roster cutdown day lurking.
Here are three things to watch in the Cowboys’ matchup with the Atlanta Falcons at 7 p.m. at AT&T Stadium:
Who wins key Cowboys position battles?
On Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys will have to cut their roster down from 91 players to 53, and key position battles remain up in the air going into the final preseason matchup.
Arguably no battle has seen as much parity as the running back position, as a handful of players are competing for two remaining spots. Javonte Williams has all but been penciled in as the starter, but the valuable No. 2 role remains a battle between veteran Miles Sanders and rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis also factor into the decision-making, but their roster odds are slim.
At cornerback, head coach Brian Schottenheimer chuckled Wednesday when asked how many different starting cornerback combinations he has in mind for Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He seemed optimistic that he will get Trevon Diggs back from injury early in the season, but the Cowboys will more than likely need a starter to fill in at the slot position in the meantime.
The battle seems to be shaping up as a head-to-head faceoff between veteran Kemon Hall and undrafted rookie Zion Childress. Israel Mukuamu also factors into the mix, but he saw a large handful of snaps at safety in the second preseason game.
Other battles exist for the final spot at tight end, the final spot at defensive end and pretty much the entire defensive tackle room behind Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas.
With just one game left before cutdown day, performances against the Falcons could weigh heavy when crucial decisions are made.
Can Joe Milton offer any optimism?
It hasn’t been a pretty preseason for backup quarterback Joe Milton, as he has failed to build on a decent training camp in two exhibitions. Despite garnering most of the playing time in each contest, Milton has thrown for just one touchdown while going 26-of-47 for 265 yards with two interceptions.
His two performances have quickly dwindled the confidence in the state of the quarterback room behind Dak Prescott. And while Schottenheimer has emphasized that he hasn’t officially named a backup quarterback between Milton and Will Grier, the playing time discrepancies have largely favored Milton in the preseason.
“It’s another opportunity to go out there with the guys,” Milton said. “I feel like I show the team what I’m capable of every day...Going into this game, nothing will change about my mindset. Everything will be the same.”
Milton will face a Falcons defense that has allowed just 176.5 passing yards per game in its two preseason games. To offer any optimism about the talent behind Prescott going into the season, Milton will need to hit that over by a lot through a more consistent game from start to finish.
Another backup QB returns to AT&T Stadium
Last week, it was former Cowboys backup Cooper Rush making his first appearance back at AT&T Stadium for the Baltimore Ravens. This week, it will be another former Cowboys backup making his way back to Jerry’s World as Ben DiNucci will take the field just a few days after being signed by the Falcons.
DiNucci, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Cowboys in 2020, played in three games in his rookie season in Dallas after the team lost Prescott for the season and backup Andy Dalton for a few games due to injuries. DiNucci’s only career start came in a Cowboys uniform on Nov. 1, 2020.
While Easton Stick will draw the start for Atlanta, DiNucci is expected to get some work almost five years since he last played in AT&T Stadium. Since his departure from the team in 2022, DiNucci has bounced around NFL practice squads and was a standout in the 2023 XFL season for the Seattle Sea Dragons.
