Cowboys at Rams
Game Info
Kickoff: Saturday 8/17 at 10:00 pm (ET)
Location: Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii
Betting Odds: LAR -3 via Oddsshark
Network: NFL Network, KTVT (Dallas/Ft. Worth), KCBS (LA)
Dallas Cowboys
Backup QB Picture Clear
On a roster filled with solid talent, every backend roster spot is valuable. For a team like the Cowboys, who hope to make a deep playoff run, the pre-season is about constructing your roster efficiently. After preseason Week 1, it’s looking more like the team will open with just two quarterbacks.
Cooper Rush took over for starter Dak Prescott early in the first and showed up. Rush completed 16 of 26 passes, looking poised and comfortable in the pocket. Rush finished with 142 yards passing and looks to be in the seat for the backup position.
Unfortunately Mike White did not do himself any favors if he hopes to stick around as the third quarterback. Just nine for 20 and 87 yards passing, White looks confused and uncomfortable in the pocket. What’s worse if he held onto the ball, not showing confidence in his reads, and took three sacks in just two quarters of play. Heading into camp we felt White could be one of the players the Cowboys attempted to place on the practice squad, cutting him late and hoping he snuck through waivers. Unless he turns his preseason around, the team won’t need to worry about protecting him on waivers.
Michael Gallup Poised to Breakout
If you are one to believe camp reports, Michael Gallup has wowed at camp, with multiple beat writer gushing about his day-to-day performance at camp. In a short outing, Gallup caught two balls for 19 yards and looked great doing it. Gallup is the unquestioned number two and a boundary receiver for this young team. He logged more snaps than any non-offensive linemen behind Zeke Elliott, taking nearly 70% of the snaps as a rookie. Expect that number to increase, with Gallup hardly leaving the field. Gallup excels on deeper routes; the posts, corner, and out routes that this team desperately needs. He is a fantasy sleeper that owners need to keep an eye on as the draft progresses.
The kicker is Quietly a Major Concern
Maybe Cowboys fans are just spoiled, enjoying years of consistent kicking performance from Dan Bailey. They may be overreacting. But one thing is for sure: no one feels good about Brett Maher. Maher finished three-for-four with makes from 25, 40 and 21 yards out. He also missed a 35-yard gimme, wide right. Maher was not awful last season, hitting 29 of his 36 attempts but his struggles were from the mid-range, that 30 to 50-yard range. Maher finished just 13 for 19 in this range and already continued the trend. Expect the team to sign a vet after this week’s game, as the team returns home to The Star training facility.
Los Angeles Rams
Backup RB Could Have Huge Implications
The battle for the backup running back is on and in full swing. Rookie third-round pick Darrell Henderson had a slow start to his NFL career but expect the team to continue to showcase him in situations as the pre-season continues. Malcolm Brown has the trust of the coaches and the upper hand as the primary backup but the role can quickly change hangs if the rookie can show he can handle all facets of the position. We have seen reports of improved pass blocking and coaches wanting to see more from the rookie. The role can be valuable as the status of Todd Gurley heading into the season is uncertain.
Replacing Suh at Defensive Tackle
Veteran Ndamukong Suh left this off-season to sign in Miami, and that leaves a hole next to All-World tackle Aaron Donald. Suh spent much of the season in hibernation, only coming out in spurts until the playoffs rolled around and he woke up. Suh was a large reason why the Rams made a Super Bowl run, including a dominating performance against these same Cowboys last January. Now Sebastian Joseph-Day and Greg Gaines are the players left battling it out for the nose tackle spot. Here’s the thing: neither player has taken an NFL regular-season snap. If the Rams rush defense struggles early, this is the reason why.
A Revamped LB Core
At middle linebacker, the story is very much the same. Mark Barron left to sign in Pittsburgh, which left a hole at one inside linebacker spot next to Corey Littleton. Enter Micah Kiser, who only took snaps on special teams in his rookie year a season ago. The team has been impressed with Kiser but it’s yet to be seen just how much they will trust the young player. Pay attention to how the team deploys the ILB position in the pre-season and be on the lookout for who lines up next to Littleton. As the season wears on we should see veteran Clay Matthews take high-value snaps at the position. We could also see Travin Howard in the role, a hybrid ILB and the type of player the team loves.
-Marc Salazar (@DingWog)