Cowboys vs Rams: 3 questions that need answers
On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys play football for the first time in 2024. Even though it’s just the preseason, returning to normalcy as a fan is within reach. Most of the veteran players will be sitting out of the preseason to limit the risk of injury, thus giving others an opportunity to find their way onto the roster.
Even though Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and DeMarcus Lawrence won’t be suiting up, there are many intriguing questions that need answering after a few weeks of training camp practices.
Here are three that hopefully have answers after the Cowboys take on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 of the preseason.
1. Is the Trey Lance experiment working?
In the world of science, professionals employ the scientific method to seek answers to questions through testing and experimentation. Dallas has hypothesized a theory in which Trey Lance could be a successor to Prescott if he were to leave in free agency next offseason.
A hypothesis isn’t necessarily right, so it’s up to the scientists to test it and see if it becomes fact. The Cowboys have yet to test Lance outside of a practice environment, considering he joined the team at the end of last year’s preseason. When Lance takes the field against the Rams, it will be the first true experiment in which Dallas’ theory could be tested.
Lance has had his moments in camp, especially with his athleticism. However, there seems to be room for improvement in reading defenses and limiting turnovers.
You have to admire Lance’s spirit. Even in the face of adversity and criticism since being drafted into the NFL, he remains resolute that he was traded to Dallas for a reason, even though he’s unclear on what it means yet. In recent practices, especially against the Rams in practice, Lance showed some growth since the interception above.
Having been in the Mike McCarthy classroom for almost a year, it’s time to put the Lance hypothesis to the test and figure out where his baseline stands, and that starts on Sunday against the Rams.
2. How has Mazi Smith improved from his rookie season?
Unfortunately, the Cowboys can’t sit every starter in the preseason because the roster numbers won’t allow it. Veterans, as mentioned above, like Prescott, Lawrence, and even DaRon Bland, might not see playing time because keeping them healthy for Week 1 of the regular season is the utmost priority.
Some starters will have to play for at least a chunk of the game, and no defender has more eyes on him than defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Dallas’ first-round pick from a season ago had a rookie year that’s had enough dirt thrown on it this offseason to not warrant bringing it up again. Fans and analysts know it could have been better. Smith needs to be better.
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has said during training camp that Smith has done a really good job in the role he’s been asked to play. When speaking to the media, Zimmer said the defensive tackle is “not gonna be a speed rusher by any stretch.”
Considering the Cowboys had hoped for Smith to have pass-rush upside, maybe Zimmer’s narrow focus on one thing at a time helps his development.
Luckily for Smith, it looked like some of his best days in training camp came against Los Angeles in their joint practice. If he can line up against the same offensive linemen on Sunday in the preseason with the same success, then the tune around Smith in year two will start to change.
3. Can the rookie defenders be trusted for larger roles in year one?
Since the Cowboys decided not to add much external talent through free agency to the Mike Zimmer defense, they could rely heavily on the rookies to fill the void. Dallas selected four defensive players in the 2024 draft: Marshawn Kneeland, Marist Liufau, Caelen Carson, and Justin Rogers. Kneeland has already been given an increased role after Sam Williams suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season.
Liufau and Carson were initially thought to be rotational players in their inaugural season, but an unofficial depth chart and surprising training camp performances have shifted the thinking to both players potentially taking more snaps early on.
On the depth chart, Liufau was the only rookie listed as a starter on defense, ahead of breakout candidate DeMarvion Overshown. That doesn’t mean Overshown hasn’t had an outstanding camp coming back from surgery—he has. It could mean the Cowboys want to slow-play his return to football and could be comfortable having Liufau play more in the meantime, which speaks volumes about the rookie.
Carson has been one of the impressive overall players in camp from the jump. He’s been making plays all over the field in pass breakups and interceptions and had a strong scrimmage against the Rams wideouts.
That’s not to say he’ll be taking the job of Jourdan Lewis as the third corner, but with Dallas trading away Nahshan Wright this week, it signals confidence in Carson that if someone were to go down, he could slide in right away without missing a beat.
It will be an uphill battle for Rogers to crack the starting rotation as a seventh-round pick, but if he can prove himself against Los Angeles like he’s shown at times in camp, then Zimmer has shown over his career he isn’t afraid to throw rookies into the lineup over veterans.
Overall, the Cowboy’s defense can’t afford a step back this season in Dan Quinn’s absence and with expectations at an all-time high. Dallas still has outstanding talent on the defensive side of the ball, but if all four of these rookies can show on Sunday flashes of something and can keep taking good days in practice, there’s a chance all four can elevate the unit to something better than what was seen under Quinn.