Pic 6: ATLvsDAL
Blue's anticipated debut
Rookie fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue made his highly anticipated debut on Friday night after missing the first two preseason games with an ankle injury he suffered in Oxnard. On his first drive, Blue scored his first touchdown from a yard out to give the Cowboys a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Blue finished his first game with nine carries for 25 yards and his touchdown after going down with an ankle injury while being pin-balled on a screen pass. Blue spent some time in the blue medical tent before emerging and walking around the sideline without his helmet. After the game, Brian Schottenheimer said that he gathered Blue's injury "wasn't anything crazy."
Milton finds his rhythm
After two preseason starts that he graded as D and D-minus performances, Joe Milton finally seemed to find his rhythm against the Falcons. The second-year quarterback played the entire first half and just under six minutes into the third quarter before being replaced by Will Grier, a sign that the team had seen enough from him to feel confident going forward.
Statistically, Milton finished the day completing 10 of his 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, good for a 97.5 passer rating. He then added four carries for 33 yards and a rushing touchdown to his resume. Through three preseason starts, Milton completed 36 of his 65 pass attempts (55.3%) for 397 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Too good to ignore?
The Cowboys pass rushing unit may be one of, if not the deepest position group on the roster which already makes it difficult to trim down. James Houston is only making it more difficult, as he's continued to show up and make plays throughout training camp and in the preseason. On Friday night, Houston put a sack and two tackles for loss on film for the Cowboys decision makers to consider.
If Houston does get a shot at the roster, he'll likely have to have convinced the staff enough that he could be a contributor on special teams. Going into Friday night's game, Houston played 19 total special teams snaps in the first two weeks of the preseason.
Another standout on the defensive line has been Perrion Winfrey, who was added from the UFL ranks to try and bolster the defensive tackle room. Winfrey had the second of two sacks for the Cowboys on Friday night, and paired it with four tackles, two quarterback hurries and a pass deflection.
Flournoy, Brooks making their case
With Jonathan Mingo expected to start the 2025 season on injured reserve, the Cowboys could use the extra roster spot at the wide receiver position, meaning there was a battle coming into Friday night's game against the Falcons.
In that battle, Ryan Flournoy and Jalen Brooks rose to the top. Flournoy led the team in receiving yards with 45 on four receptions, and Brooks had one of the better plays of the day making an adjustment on a 29-yard deep ball from Joe Milton for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Have the two done enough to convince the Cowboys into taking six wide receivers on the roster? Or is one going to top the other for the fifth and final spot? We'll find out next week.
Brian Schottenheimer unfazed after first win as head coach
Sure, it may just be a preseason game, but Brian Schottenheimer has won his first game as the Cowboys head coach. The real tests will come during the regular season, but it's nonetheless a good feeling for Schottenheimer, who has waited more than 30 years for the opportunity to lead a team as head coach.
That said, Friday's win against the Falcons didn't mean much to Schottenheimer at all.
"It doesn't phase me," Schottenheimer said. "I didn't want this one necessarily. I'll take it for the guys, but my eyes are already on Philadelphia."
Micah Parsons' presence
A day after Jerry Jones discussed his stance on the Cowboys' contract negotiations with Parsons, and Parsons removing all mention of the Cowboys from his social media, the All-Pro pass rusher was present with the team at AT&T Stadium.
While Parsons is still under contract and needs to be present unless he wants to take the risk of being fined by the team, his presence is still nonetheless notable. It's especially notable that he spent a few minutes laying down on one of the team's treatment tables behind the bench. Brian Schottenheimer didn't see that part because he was calling the game, but is sure to notice when the team watches the film back.
"We'll look at the film and we'll talk to everybody involved and we'll have a great assessment of how we did both on and off the field." Schottenheimer said.
