Cowboys vs. Chargers: Previewing Dallas' Preseason Week 1 Matchup
The final score of an NFL preseason game is largely inconsequential. The wins and losses don't count toward that season's Super Bowl chase, but anyone in an NFL organization will tell you, each of these preseason contests presents a great opportunity to improve the team. It also serves as an important step in the process of putting the team together in preparation for the regular season. The Dallas Cowboys will step onto the field in San Diego on Thursday night with several objectives in mind.
Evaluating young talent, testing the bottom-of-the-roster players in game situations, rehearsing the mechanics of game day and, most importantly, avoiding injuries will be paramount for head coach Jason Garrett's troops in the contest.
The players will be happy to have a chance to compete against someone in a different uniform, and they will hope to do well in their first opportunity to impress coaches and scouts in the first game action of the 2015 season.
If they're looking in the right places, there is plenty that fans can glean from the first preseason game. Here's what to watch for.
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Time: 10:05 pm ET
TV: NFL Network (National) Channel 8 KFMD (Local)
News and Notes
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Where in the world is Byron Jones?
When the Cowboys selected Byron Jones with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, they immediately pointed to the fact that he had played both corner and safety in college. That flexibility, and Jones' athleticism, would give the Cowboys options as to how to use him as part of the defense. As ESPN's Todd Archer notes, in the early weeks of training camp, Jones has lined up at both left and right corners, as well as the nickel corner, free safety and dime back positions.
In a chat for the Dallas Morning News, Bob Sturm talked briefly in response to a reader question Tuesday afternoon, regarding what he sees in the near future for the young Mr. Jones:
"I don't see a ton of (free safety) just yet, but the availability of Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick so far may have forced him into more CB and slot stuff. I think they can use Jones in a number of ways and are itching to expand his reach. You can bet he will be on the field, we are just figuring out in what capacity. But, they are elated with the initial impressions with Jones as a professional. He has some really elite skills.
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With the current injury situation at corner, it is likely that Jones' first game action in the NFL will fall mostly, if not exclusively, at cornerback. But how his role evolves from now until the start of the regular season is without a doubt something to keep an eye on.
Can Greg Hardy knock some of the rust off?
After missing 15 games in 2014, and set to miss four more due to a suspension from the NFL, every game-speed snap holds a great deal of value for the man known as "The Kraken." The one-on-one matchups between Hardy and offensive tackle Tyron Smith have fallen mostly in Smith's favor thus far, but as Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com reports, Hardy has come alive in recent days.
"In my own haste, I might not have given Hardy enough time to regain those pass rush moves from the time that he was off last season. He was able to put more pressure on Smith technique-wise, and the results were improved."
Last year, when Orlando Scandrick faced a four-game suspension to open the regular season, the Cowboys made sure to get him plenty of work in preseason games to make sure he had the tune-up he needed. I'd expect to see a similar approach with Hardy this year, especially considering the missed time in 2014. He is sure to welcome the opportunity to rush against some lesser offensive linemen, with the chance to actually hit the guy with the ball.
Who will carry the ball?
With an epidemic of injuries to running backs spreading throughout Cowboys' training camp in Oxnard, California, many questions have risen in regard to whether the team should target a free-agent running back to fill in the void. However, according to Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan (KRLD) in Dallas and CowboysHQ.com, the Cowboys top three backs, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Darren McFadden, could all return to the practice field by Saturday, after Randle was able to return Tuesday afternoon.
In the meantime, however, small-school undrafted free agent Gus Johnson, along with another recent acquisition, second-year runner Lache Seastrunk from Baylor, and even fullback Tyler Clutts, could all get carries against San Diego. This will create opportunities for Johnson and Seastrunk to prove they belong in the discussion to make the final roster and contribute in the regular season.
Latest Injury News
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Because it is the preseason, and teams are not required to produce official injury reports, it can be difficult to maintain complete records of all the players who will be unavailable for each preseason game. As an alternative, here is a list of players who have suffered injuries and could be unavailable for Thursday night's contest in San Diego.
| Player | Position | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Carr | CB | Hand |
| Chris Whaley | DT | Achilles |
| Darren McFadden | RB | Hamstring |
| DeMarcus Lawrence | DE | Knee |
| Dez Bryant | WR | Hamstring |
| Joseph Randle | RB | Oblique/Back |
| Kenneth Boatright | DE | Neck |
| Lance Dunbar | RB | Ankle |
| Mark Nzeocha | LB | Knee |
| Nick Hayden | DT | Ribs |
| Orlando Scandrick | CB | Knee |
| Rolando McClain | LB | Knee |
| Ron Leary | OG | Back |
| Terrell McClain | DT | Bone Bruise/Hamstring |
| Tyler Patmon | CB | Hip |
(All injury information courtesy of DallasCowboys.com)
As has been the case in the past few years, these injuries seem to have clustered at certain positions. With three running backs, three cornerbacks and five defensive linemen, 11 of the 15 injuries fall in three positions.
With Carr, Scandrick and Patmon all possibly out for the first preseason game, guys like Byron Jones, Corey White, Joel Ross and Robert Steeples will likely see a lot of work at corner.
Fortunately for the Cowboys, in spite of the relatively large number of players who appear on this list, only Chris Whaley's torn Achilles and Kenneth Boatright's neck injury seem to be long term.
Key Matchups
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Cowboys defensive front seven vs. San Diego's running game
The Cowboys made significant investments in improving their pass rush for the 2015 season after feeling as though that unit cost them a chance at a Super Bowl in 2014. However, for those investments to have a chance to pay dividends, they must be able to stop the run on first and second downs.
With the possibility that Nick Hayden sits outs the game, guys like Davon Coleman and Ken Bishop will have the chance to step up and play with the first team at the 1-technique defensive tackle. The absence of Rolando McClain, due to his knee injury, opens up chances for Anthony Hitchens and Jasper Brinkley at the "Mike" linebacker.
The group that lines up as the first team in the front seven for the Cowboys will have the chance to face off against over 1,600 pounds of San Diego's offensive line beef and a top-15 overall pick at running back in Melvin Gordon. This will be a very good early test for how well the players are mastering their fits against the run.
Cowboys cornerbacks vs. San Diego's wide receivers
The Cowboys are struggling with a lack of depth at cornerback largely due to injury, so the guys who are going to get additional work are all guys whom fans and analysts should be seeking to see more of at this point in training camp. Byron Jones, Corey White and Morris Claiborne will likely be the first three corners on the field on Thursday night.
Getting their young corners work against receivers like Keenan Allen, Stevie Johnson and Malcom Floyd will be a great challenge. However, Jones and White are new to the team, and Claiborne has yet to play in a preseason game in his Cowboys career. Despite this, they could be likely to see more snaps than a typical first group would see in the first preseason game.
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Cowboys' X-Factor
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Cowboys' X-Factor of the week: Lucky Whitehead
The first time most Cowboys fans heard the name Lucky Whitehead was in the period following the 2015 draft, when he signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent from Florida Atlantic. The 5'9", 163-pound wide receiver has impressed the organization from the very start, even leading to Jerry Jones himself to pick up the phone to help get him to Dallas, according to Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com. With his history as a quality returner, combined with the fact that Dwayne Harris vacated all of the Cowboys' return duties and the fifth wide receiver spot, he was almost immediately pegged by fans and as a candidate to fill those roles.
The combination of the nickname "Lucky," the jersey number 13 and his long, red dreadlocks will make him memorable. But his play at training camp thus far is what has drawn praise from those who have observed practices, including the highest possible member of the Cowboys organization, owner Jerry Jones himself. In spite of his diminutive stature, he has seen reps not only as a slot receiver and return man, but as an outside "Z" receiver as well, and he has performed well in those opportunities.
Against San Diego, Whitehead will likely be in position to have his hands on the ball plenty, both in the return game and on offense. If he does what he has done every step along the way, he'll likely be the most talked about Cowboys player coming out of preseason Week 1.
The impression around training camp in Oxnard is that, as the Dallas Morning News reports, Whitehead has become a front-runner for the available fifth receiver roster spot. A quality performance Thursday night could bring him one step closer to accomplishing this goal.
Prediction: Cowboys 26, Chargers 13
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The first preseason game can be as unpredictable as they come. Starters will play little, if at all, and teams will be very cautious with just about any injury in an effort to prevent anything that could impact the regular season.
The Cowboys feel like they have depth up and down their roster that they haven't had for many years, and games like this are the opportunity to prove that. Guys like Dustin Vaughan, Jameill Showers, Whitehead, Ryan Russell, Robert Steeples, Gus Johnson and others will have the chance to make big plays, which could be the difference between winning and losing this game.
The goal of the Cowboys offseason was to become a more balanced team, one that could win in different ways. If the Cowboys' first group on defense can contain whatever version of the first-team offense that San Diego puts on the field early in the game, it will go a long way toward setting that tone for the 2015 team.
Prediction
Cowboys 26, Chargers 13
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