Vikings vs. Cowboys: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys took the field at AT&T Stadium for the first time in the 2015 season Saturday night against the Minnesota Vikings in the third of the team's four preseason contests. The third preseason game, commonly known as the “dress rehearsal,” typically features extending playing time for the starters and front-line players and provides fans with a glimpse of what they can expect once the regular season starts.
The Cowboys starters on offense (minus Dez Bryant and Zack Martin), led by quarterback Tony Romo, who played the majority of the first half, struggled to get anything going early, often playing from behind the chains. These struggles were largely attributable to the vaunted offensive line, a group that in addition to committing penalties on each of the first two series failed to open up holes for starting running back Joseph Randle.
Randle had six carries for 15 yards and had his best run, a 10-yarder off the left side, called back due to holding, but he was able to successfully execute a short-yardage run to convert a 2nd-and-2. In addition, he had one catch for eight yards but surrendered a sack in pass protection.
After those early scuffles, the first-team offense struck with the suddenness of a lightning bolt, as Romo connected with wide receiver Terrance Williams on a 60-yard catch-and-run off play action on the first play of the second quarter. After Dallas gave up a 107-yard kickoff return touchdown, Darren McFadden replaced Randle at running back and proceeded to run for 22 yards on his first three carries.
After Cole Beasley returned a Vikings punt 40 yards to set the offense up at the Vikings 23-yard line, the Cowboys offense again struck quickly. McFadden carried the ball on first down for a 15-yard gain, and on the next play, Romo connected with rookie Lucky Whitehead for an eight-yard touchdown, ending Romo’s night on a high note.
As for the defensive first unit, it was stout and swarming. After giving up 84 rushing yards in the first half to San Francisco in Week 2, the run defense stiffened its neck, as the Vikings (without Adrian Peterson) were able to muster only 18 yards on 10 rushes in the first half. Sean Lee saw his first game action since December 2013, and Andrew Gachkar, who was playing the “Mike” linebacker position, stood out, as did Barry Church from his safety position.
The starters on defense gave up only one explosive play, a 39-yard Teddy Bridgewater-to-Mike Wallace completion down the sideline despite nearly perfect coverage from cornerback Brandon Carr, who later hauled in an interception to create the Cowboys' first takeaway of the preseason. After the long completion to Wallace, the Cowboys tightened up in the red zone, as Randy Gregory added a third sack to his preseason ledger, which forced the first of two Vikings field goals in the first half.
By about midway through the second quarter, the majority of the starters for both teams exited the game, and the contest devolved into a typical preseason game, with the quarterback play leaving much to be desired. After Romo’s touchdown pass to Whitehead, the Cowboys had seven possessions not ended by the end of a half; they punted six times and lost a fumbled snap.
While the Vikings won 28-14, both teams were able to accomplish the primary task of any preseason game, which is to avoid major injury.
Position Grades for the Dallas Cowboys
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These grades will focus on the front-line players and key backups who will be the primary contributors once the games actually count starting September 13 against the New York Giants.
Position | Grade |
QB | A- |
RB | C+ |
WR | B |
TE | C |
OL | C+ |
DL | A |
LB | B+ |
DB | B |
Special Teams | C- |
Coaching | B |
Quarterback: Tony Romo was a little shaky early, missing a couple of throws high, but he was able to make the perfect throw to Terrance Williams, and from there he seemed to settle in. He showed some of the “Romo Magic” as he spun around in the pocket before hitting Lucky Whitehead for his second touchdown of the night. He finished 5-of-8 for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Running Back: Joe Randle got the start, as well as the first few carries. The holes didn’t develop for Randle, and a holding call negated his best carry. On the first third down of the game, he was tasked with picking up a blitzing Anthony Barr, and although he diagnosed his assignment properly, he wasn’t able to sustain the block, and the result was a sack and a nine-yard loss.
McFadden benefited from cleaner blocking up front and took advantage of those holes to the tune of 9.3 yards per carry. He looked fast and physical, making his case to receive a larger share of the carries in the regular season.
Wide Receiver: After struggling to get open in Week 2 against San Francisco, Terrance Williams was the star of the game with his 60-yard catch-and-run touchdown, showing impressive burst and speed to outrun the defense to the end zone. Outside of the two touchdown passes, the receivers were relatively quiet.
Tight End: Gavin Escobar was the only tight end who was targeted in the first half, and he caught one of two targets for a total of five yards.
Offensive Line: For the first time in the preseason, the majority of the starting offensive line took the field to start the game. The lone missing piece was right guard Zack Martin, who was replaced by veteran Mackenzy Bernadeau. It took a bit for the linemen to get their sea legs under them, and they took their lumps, including multiple penalties and stuffed runs. They were not without flaws against Minnesota, but they gave Romo time to make the two big throws to Williams and Whitehead and opened a few holes for McFadden as the game wore on.
Defensive Line: Randy Gregory added a third preseason sack, but multiple players in this group showed up in a positive way. DeMarcus Lawrence made waste of Vikings rookie TJ Clemmings multiple times, and Greg Hardy beat anyone he lined up against. Davon Coleman was in the backfield often against the run. Through most of the game, it appeared that some Cowboys defender was beating his man at the line and was bearing down on the quarterback or the ball-carrier in the backfield.
Linebackers: Overall, the group played very well. The combination of Sean Lee, Andrew Gachkar and Kyle Wilber was athletic, physical and powerful. Gachkar really stood out, making a big stop on a 3rd-and-2 to force a punt. Sean Lee looked like himself and made a couple of early tackles before leaving the game a series or two before the rest of the first group.
Defensive Backs: Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne were up to the challenge as starting corners for Saturday’s game, and Tyler Patmon had a nice outing as the third guy. Barry Church played well against the run, and the team didn’t bust any coverages to give up huge plays in the passing game. The rookie Byron Jones played multiple positions and made a couple of tackles despite giving up a catch or two on some difficult-to-handle routes and matchups.
Special Teams: Giving up a 107-yard kick return touchdown is never acceptable, but based on watching the play, it looked like Patmon got caught up inside as he was supposed to exchange lane responsibilities with Damien Wilson or Lance Dunbar as they angled their pursuit inside. This should be a correctable mistake and one that shouldn’t repeat itself. On their own returns, the Cowboys generated positive plays in both punt and kick returns, with the 40-yard punt return from Cole Beasley and the 36-yard kickoff return from Dunbar.
Coaching: It is difficult to judge coaching in a preseason game, as coaches are not faced with the same strategic decisions as they may be in the regular season. However, Dallas managed the clock well at the end of the half to give the offense a chance to get back on the field with a minute left and drive down for the field goal.
Important Note No. 1: The Injuries
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Luckily enough for the Cowboys, they suffered no significant injuries in the game. J.J. Wilcox left the field favoring his shoulder at one point, but nothing is being reported in regard to the seriousness of that injury.
Also, Tyrone Crawford was evaluated for a stinger but that came back OK, according to David Helman of DallasCowboys.com. The availability of both players should be unaffected.
Important Note No. 2: The Pass Rush
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Throughout the preseason, the storyline surrounding the Cowboys defense has been the influx of talent along the defensive line. The Cowboys have been disruptive through the first three games and have collected sacks in each game. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has had to deal with a lot while coaching his favorite position on the defensive line, but this year could be a different story, highlighted by the personnel options he has to fit various situations up front.
"Linemen used on that series: Randy Gregory, Greg Hardy, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jeremy Mincey, Nick Hayden, T. Crawford, J. Crawford, T. McClain
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 29, 2015 "
There have been times in Marinelli’s tenure with Dallas that the team didn’t have four quality NFL-level defensive linemen. On Saturday, the team ran out eight, all in one series, and the biggest source of excitement for Cowboys fans is that the list above doesn’t even contain the entire list of quality players on the defensive line, considering guys like Ryan Russell, Lavar Edwards and Davon Coleman were not named.
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Quote No. 1: Tony Romo on Terrance Williams
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"He’s had a great offseason," Romo said at halftime. "He had a great camp, and he is getting better and better. He is probably one of the best run-after-the-catch guys I have ever seen. Whenever he gets the ball in his hands, he has a chance to score."
At times in 2014, it appeared that Romo didn’t necessarily trust Williams and thus looked elsewhere with the ball. It is nice to see the quarterback express this level of trust and belief in his No. 2 wideout, who is likely to see plenty of favorable coverages with Dez Bryant on the field with him.
Quote No. 2: Tyrone Crawford on the Defense in the Red Zone
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"We are just a bone-on-bone team," Tyrone Crawford said at halftime. "We like one-on-ones. We know what we have to do. We control our gap and get the job done. We have the mindset that we don’t want to let them score, and we have been successful with it the last couple of games."
Crawford’s play last year makes him a breakout candidate along the defensive line for the Cowboys in 2015. He epitomizes the mindset of the defense of winning one-on-ones and doing your job.
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