ARLINGTON – When it comes to the preseason finale, fans tend to roll their eyes and tune out.
Players fighting for the last spots on the roster don’t have that luxury. This game can determine whether a veteran continues his career or a new player starts a new one.
To say that someone earned a spot on the roster based on their performance in the Cowboys’ 26-19 loss to the LA Chargers on Saturday afternoon at AT&T Stadium is a bit of an exaggeration. Head coach Mike McCarthy was confident there were more than 53 players who could make the final roster.
It’s fair to say that a player already in the running for one of those spots could bolster his argument. That’s what happened in the last preseason finale with Hunter Luepke, who ran for 58 yards and caught five passes for another 60 yards and a touchdown.
Has anyone done this in this game? Let’s take a look:
Deuce Vaughn gets the chance to impress
The Cowboys will take a running back-by-committee approach, with Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Luepke safe in a group that likely won’t grow beyond four players.
This means that Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman and Malik Davis are fighting for a spot. Who would the Cowboys have hoped to win?
You can tell by the number of first touches.
Vaughn carried the ball nine times for 53 yards in the first half, making him the Cowboys’ leading runner. That included a strong 18-yard run that put the Cowboys in position for their only touchdown of the first half. Vaughn also had space in the flat for what would have been a first down – he got extra work as a receiver in the offseason – but the ball was thrown too far.
Freeman, one of the club’s few experienced free agent signings, had his moments, the best of which came when he ran 15 yards for first on third-and-long. He finished the game with eight carries for 35 yards and got more work in the second half.
Davis? He was struggling. His failure to catch the blitz led to a sack in the first half. He was flagged for holding in the third quarter, which nullified a long run by QB Trey Lance.
He finished the game with five carries for 28 yards.
More mixed results for Trey Lance
The Trey Lance experience is set for 2024. The results were mixed.
The coaching staff had no illusions that Lance would play at a level that would threaten Cooper Rush’s position as backup quarterback, and this preseason was all about getting him as many plays as possible.
Lance started all but three possessions of the first two games at quarterback. Against the Chargers, he was the man from start to finish.
The young quarterback threw five interceptions, one in the end zone in the third quarter, a pick-six in the fourth and another in the end zone to end the game. On a third-and-goal from the 9-yard line in the first half, he threw the ball short over the middle, giving the Cowboys no chance to score the touchdown. On a third-and-15 later in the half, he threw another short pass over the middle, again with no chance to catch the first.
But Lance also showed flashes of promise, as he did in his team’s preseason game against Las Vegas last week. He threw a nice touchdown pass to freshman Ryan Flournoy and showed how dangerous he is with his feet by scoring a 46-yard touchdown run in the third inning.
Lance’s final tally: He completed 33 of 49 passes for 323 yards with two touchdowns (one pass, one run) and five interceptions. In the preseason, he completed 73 of 113 passes for 662 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.
Later squad boost for rookie receiver
Flournoy, who was injured early in training camp, has made a big effort over the past two weeks to get under the 53.
The team’s sixth-round pick had three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown. He also scored against the Raiders and is a very good blocker.
The question: Did Flournoy do enough to convince coaches to keep six wide receivers on the final roster? If so, that spot will likely come from the tight ends room, bringing their number down to three.
John Stephens Jr. led the tight end position tonight with three catches for 40 yards, but his longest catch of 24 yards ended in a fumble.
Catch David Moore every Monday through Friday at 9:35 a.m. with The Musers during training camp and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4:35 p.m. on the Hardline on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM).
Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN
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