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(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

Do you think the defensive starters should have played in the preseason for at least听one听quarter or even half a quarter to work on gelling as a unit, especially since game听one听was against a division opponent? Or听are听the听Cowboys听willing to let games听one through听four听act as听the defense's听preseason?听鈥�听Joey Arnel Sayson*/Santa Monica, CA*

Kurt:听The Cowboys clearly feel comfortable using the first few games of the regular season to get their starters up to speed, but I must admit that I just don't get it.听

Obviously, they are held out of preseason games to avoid injuries, but your starting left guard is now out at least four weeks after being injured in practice, your backup running back is gone for the season after suffering an injury in practice and you just lost two defensive starters to injury in the very first game. The point is, injuries happen.

So with a new defensive coordinator, new defensive assistants, new players and a new scheme, wouldn't it have made more sense to get them a little experience, injuries be damned? Should we have been all that surprised that the unit struggled the very first time they saw live action together, not in a controlled scrimmage but during a real game? Heck, even offensively, should we be shocked at the overall disappointing performance?

And this is not to say that the starters should play a ton of snaps in the preseason, but even a series or two would at least help get these guys used to the intensity of the game and build chemistry. Instead, it feels like in an effort to duck the injury bug, the team also ducked a chance to get better.

Just look at the Giants. Jaxson Dart played in the preseason. All their running backs saw time, including Cam Skattebo. Guys on defense like Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux appeared in exhibition contests. In fact, first-round draft pick Arvell Reese, taken six picks ahead of Caleb Downs, played 22 preseason snaps over two games. Downs played six, not even completing one series.

So who looked like the more prepared team? Which then begs the question: Why put yourself at a disadvantage right out of the gate in games that actually count, and especially against a division rival?

The situation is frustrating for fans, and you do have to question the methodology after seeing such a discouraging result on opening night, but the Cowboys seemingly have no problem using the first few games of the regular-season schedule as the starters' preseason. It is what it is. Just know, they'll undoubtedly get better.

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Nick: I think the Cowboys would probably play better in Week 1 of the season if the starters got more playing time in the preseason. Yes, I believe that.

However, I also believe you'll have some injuries occur in the preseason, some perhaps the worst kind that would be season-ending injuries before the season even started. And with that hanging over their head, it's the reason I probably wouldn't change the process in how the Cowboys are operating.

In fact, owner/GM Jerry Jones reiterated that same stance on 105.3 "The Fan" on Tuesday when he was asked if the starters should play more in the preseason. Jones said the risk of injury at that point in the season is the reason it's not done and didn't sound as if there would be any changes to that way of thinking.

I still believe the injury to Tony Romo back in 2016 is the biggest reason the Cowboys choose to go this path now. I know Dak Prescott played a little in the preseason in the games after that, but not since 2019 as he actually played a single preseason snap. Since then, the Cowboys are 3-5 in Week 1 games. But if you look at the first three games of the season, the Cowboys are 12-9 in the first three games, showing that they typically bounce back. I would imagine that's the hope again this year.