What We Saw: Preseason Week 1

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Cowboys @ Cardinals

Final Score: Cardinals 16, Saints 13

Writer: Corey Saucier (@Deputy_Commish on Twitter)

This one was close the entire way, and it had some surprisingly good QB play from the Cardinals’ backups. Dallas’ backup RBs shined the most, but the most impressive player in my eyes was Rondale Moore for Arizona. The Cardinals clearly had a plan to get the ball in his hands early and often, and he delivered. Check out the rest of what we saw below.

Dallas Cowboys

Quarterback

Cooper Rush: 7/13, 89 yards | 3 carries, 9 yards

Garrett Gilbert: 7/16, 80 yards

Ben DiNucci: 6/14, 46 yards, TD | 1 carry, 10 yards

Garrett Gilbert opened this game and got off to a shaky start despite a nice play-action rollout on the Cowboys’ first play from scrimmage. He was responsible for a tough delay of game penalty on third down which led to an incompletion on a pass that he forced into quadruple coverage. He was lucky it wasn’t intercepted. Gilbert failed to convert a 4th and 3 deep in Cardinals territory after picking up a bad snap and firing it to Michael Gallup. Gallup was draped by a corner who almost picked the ball off. It wasn’t all bad though, as he made a beautiful pass in the 2nd quarter to Cedric Wilson down the sideline. Gilbert put it between two defenders right where only Wilson could get it. He also showed good feed and decision-making for the most part, but accuracy is an issue which is why he’s fighting for the backup QB job.

WOW, @cedwilson95 👀

📺: #DALvsAZ on @NFLNetwork (or check local listings) pic.twitter.com/kc13jd1PLx

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 14, 2021

Cooper Rush came in and didn’t light the world on fire. He did convert a third and one with his legs on a broken play, however, which was impressive. He’s got a good arm but accuracy and decision-making were an issue at times.

Ben DiNucci is simply not that good. Accuracy was an issue. He overthrew an open receiver down the sideline who had their man beat and it would have been a long gain, potentially a touchdown. When he scrambles he’s not great at throwing on the run. He is good in the pocket, however, and his pocket awareness seems to be good. Getting out of trouble is still an issue though, and he creates more trouble than he avoids. On his lone touchdown pass, he did well to holdd onto the ball long enough to find an open receiver in the back of the end zone.

At least he has the name DiNucci going for him.

What is this man talking about pic.twitter.com/X6LrVybE0Q

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) August 14, 2021

Running Backs

JaQuan Hardy: 8 carries, 32 yards

Rico Dowdle: 8 carries, 25 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 10 yards, Fumble (Lost)

Brenden Knox: 5 carries, 19 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 17 yards

Tony Pollard: 4 carries, 13 yards

Tony Pollard started at RB. He had a great run on their second drive where he put on the brakes, made a defender miss, then cut inside for a nine-yard gain. He’s the primary backup on this team for a reason and there is talk that he may split more carries with starter Ezekiel Elliot this season. If you roster Zeke, you should be rostering Pollard just in case.

Rico Dowdle had an impressive catch on a screen where he made a little stutter move that sent the defender to his feet and was able to get around him for a few extra yards. Unfortunately, he fumbled on a screen midway through the second when he tried to make a move to get some extra yards but didn’t hold onto the ball well enough. He was actually really impressive otherwise, he just needs to hang onto the football. I was more impressed by him than I was of Pollard in this one. I hope he makes the team.

I liked what I saw out of JaQuan Hardy and Brenden Knox as well. Hardy came in and hit a wall on a third-down play, bounced off a group of players, kept his feet moving, and spun around to gain some extra yards and convert the first down. He showed good effort and didn’t give up on the play. Knox made some nice moves on his one catch (screen) and a couple of runs. He showed good feet and the ability to miss tackles in the 4th quarter. These two are probably battling for a spot on the roster and at this point, I’m not sure who’s in the lead, but for fantasy purposes, they’re nothing but dart throws in very deep leagues.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Cedric Wilson: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 40 yards

Reggie Davis: 3 targets, 1 reception, 32 yards

Malik Turner: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards

Simi Feheko: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 28 yards

Michael Gallup: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 23 yards

Brandon Smith: 1 target, 1 reception, 1 yard, TD

Michael Gallup had a nice catch on their opening drive but dropped a perfect pass on their second drive. It was third and long and he was wide open with plenty of room to run, and almost enough room to score. It would have been close. Tough drop. Gilbert immediately went back to him on the next play and Gallup was able to convert the first down. He did not reappear in the game after that drive. He’s the #3 option in this offense until further notice, but drops have always been an issue for him.

Malik Turner had some good feet along the sidelines to stay inbounds and gain some extra yards on one play late in the third. Cedric Wilson appeared to grab his ankle after a diving attempt at a catch in the end zone, and it looked like the defender may have rolled up on it. I did not see the aftermath. Most of these guys are fighting for depth positions and will not be fantasy-relevant.

🔟 ➡️ 8️⃣1️⃣ #EarnTheStar #DALvsAZ | 🎥 Watch now on @NFLNetwork (or check your local listings) pic.twitter.com/j4vE3YoplB

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 14, 2021

Arizona Cardinals

Quarterbacks

Colt McCoy: 6/7, 69 yards

Chris Streveler: 12/24, 107 yards | 10 carries, 55 yards

Colt McCoy looked good in this one. He had some nice throws and commanded the offense well. Late in the first quarter, he drove the Cardinals down the field deep into Cowboys territory and faced third and seven, only to get sacked. The sack wasn’t his fault though, as he had bad protection in front of him and there was nobody open to throw to. It was actually a smart play to take the sack and give the kicker a chance to go out and put three points on the board (he did). He had good accuracy and made some good throws. His feet are not quick enough to evade pressure if he tries, however, as we found out later in the game when he tried to bail out of the pocket but got chased down rather quickly. He’s an acceptable backup for this offense.

Chris Streveler, who I think should be nicknamed The Leveler because he’s not afraid to initiate contact and run over people, was impressive. He had a nice long run that set up an Eno Benjamin touchdown on the next play and he showed a lot of toughness. There’s not a lot of zip on the ball when he throws and he often threw off his back foot. He showed good pocket awareness, good feet, and the ability to evade the pocket and scramble when necessary. He’s definitely a run-first, pass-second type of quarterback. A good complement to McCoy. His abilities have a limit, however, as he lost some yards on a designed run play late in the game where couldn’t get around the edge. He’s quick, not fast, but tough. Against starters he would likely struggle to find as much space as he did in this one. He did lead the Cardinals down the field for a game-winning field goal and made a couple key throws on the drive. If you could combine him and McCoy into one player you would probably have a guy who could start in the league.

Running Backs

Eno Benjamin: 5 carries, 50 yards, TD

Jonathan Ward: 6 carries, 21 yards | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 13 yards

Chase Edmonds: 3 carries, 10 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 10 yards

Chase Edmonds changed his number to #2 and it just looks weird. It will take a while to get used to. He does look a little faster though, and I’m not sure if it’s the number on his jersey or that he’s unlocked some additional quickness. He converted a third and one on a short screen that he caught while wide open and ran for almost ten yards. Since we didn’t see James Conner in this one, Edmonds may be the number two guy in this backfield, which is a bad sign for those taking him at his current ADP.

Jonathan Ward came on in the 2nd quarter. His longest run came on third and forever when the defense was playing prevent. It was notable that we saw him before we saw Eno Benjamin, and also that he saw four targets.

Benjamin’s TD was thanks to a great cut outside once he realized the hole had collapsed on him. He also had a 38-yard scamper where he cut through some defenders to find open space. He runs hard, but I honestly don’t see what all the fuss is about with him.

Eno Benjamin gettin' LOOSE 🏃‍♂️💨

📺: #DALvsAZ on NFL Network (or check your local listings) pic.twitter.com/mfSIauHSjU

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 14, 2021

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Christian Kirk: 1 target, 1 reception, 34 yards

Greg Dortch: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 27 yards

Rondale Moore: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 23 yards | 2 carries, 16 yards

KeeSean Johnson: 3 targets, 1 reception, 15 yards

Andre Baccellia: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards

Maxx Williams: 1 target, 1 reception 4 yards, fumble (Lost)

Rondale Moore was involved from the get-go in this game. He was targeted on screens a handful of times and one of his carries was on a designed trick play. Arizona was clearly looking to get the ball in his hands often and he delivered. McCoy targeted him once downfield when he was under pressure and needed to get bailed out. He also caught a ball from Streveler and slipped as he made a cut, missing out on a large chunk of yards he probably could have gotten. He was visibly upset after. I was really impressed by what I saw out of Moore and I wouldn’t be surprised if his ADP starts going up.

Cardinals immediately open with a screen to Rondale Moore.

7 yards for Thicc Tavon. pic.twitter.com/ra7jAwCVcZ

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 14, 2021

Maxx Williams had a ball punched out that was recovered by Dallas on their first drive. It was the only time his name was mentioned, and it wasn’t a good look for the young tight end.

Christian Kirk‘s lone reception came after he beat his defender and McCoy dropped a perfect pass right into the breadbasket. It will be interesting to see how many of his targets get taken away by Moore.