{"id":152328,"date":"2025-08-17T05:13:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T05:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/152328\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T05:13:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T05:13:10","slug":"dallas-preseason-duds-highlight-dramatic-gap-still-between-cowboys-and-eagles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/152328\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas\u2019 preseason duds highlight dramatic gap still between Cowboys and Eagles"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARLINGTON \u2014 On the only stop of his revenge tour, Cooper Rush didn\u2019t exactly light up his old team Saturday at JerryWorld, but he generated one more touchdown for the Cowboys<\/a> than did Joe Milton, who somehow got blindsided for a safety when it wasn\u2019t his blind side; threw an interception in the end zone; and generated a first-half QB Rating of 0.0 out of a possible 100. <\/p>\n

Brutal doesn\u2019t begin to describe the 31-13 loss to Baltimore. Most days this summer, you\u2019d have to go next door to see an offense this stultifying<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, the Cowboys\u2019 latest meaningful preseason game was the same ol\u2019, same ol\u2019.<\/p>\n

They keep paying for what they refuse to invest in.<\/p>\n

Cowboys<\/p>\n

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t run the ball.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t stop it, either<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Conventional wisdom says these preseason games don\u2019t really mean much even if there are fewer than there used to be. Dak Prescott suited up Saturday just for esprit de corps. Micah Parsons wore a No. 11 jersey same as a quarter of the crowd. Either because of injury or by sanction, there was no CeeDee Lamb, no George Pickens, no Trevon Diggs or DeMarvion Overshown. Not even Jake Ferguson. Like paying Broadway prices to see understudies. <\/p>\n

On one hand, the Cowboys still have one more preseason game to iron out a few of the kinks from their first two preseason games<\/a>, even if the last one is usually nothing more than a glorified walk-through.<\/p>\n

On the other, do you feel any better about their chances against the defending world champs come Sept. 4 at Lincoln Financial Field?<\/p>\n

Me, neither.<\/p>\n

For the sake of the Cowboys\u2019 argument, let\u2019s say Parsons signs in the next couple of weeks<\/a> \u2014 Jerry Jones didn\u2019t talk about that or anything else Saturday, which is saying something, at that \u2014 and Dak comes back somewhere close to peak form. No one should put much stock in these preseason games, right? Mostly just auditions for wannabes. Jalen Hurts hasn\u2019t played yet, either, and the Eagles lost to Dillon Gabriel and the Browns on Saturday.<\/p>\n

See photos of Dallas Cowboys preseason game against Baltimore Ravens<\/p>\n

\"FansView Gallery<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s something you can bank on and the difference between the defending champs and the Cowboys, besides the hardware:<\/p>\n

Over the last five drafts, the Eagles have taken four players who rank among Pro Football Focus\u2019 top 32 defensive tackles.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys?<\/p>\n

Only Osa Odighizuwa.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason for the Eagles\u2019 success rate with defensive tackles is they\u2019ve spent heavily on the position. Jalen Carter (5th, according to PFF) and Jordan Davis (28th) were first-round picks. Milton Williams (14th), who now plays for the Patriots, was a third-rounder.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys\u2019 best defensive lineman is Odighizuwa, a third-rounder in \u201821 whom PFF ranked 25th despite a poor grade (50.8) as a run-stopper. They ultimately concluded it may have been guilt by association with the second-worst run defense in the league last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo perhaps it came down to coaching,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

Ouch.<\/p>\n

The only defensive tackle the Cowboys have taken higher than Odighizuwa in the last five drafts was, of course, Mazi Smith, a first-rounder two years ago. Considering how he\u2019s panned out<\/a>, you could see why the Cowboys have mostly spent a fifth, sixth and three sevenths on defensive tackles the last five years, even though difference-makers at the position are almost impossible to find in the bargain barrel.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing, though: The Eagles aren\u2019t just good at finding prime beef in the first three rounds. They got Texas\u2019 Moro Ojomo in the seventh. PFF ranked him 32nd at the position going into this season, when he\u2019s expected to replace Williams in the rotation.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re scoring at home, that\u2019s three premium defensive tackles for just two positions.<\/p>\n

Let me repeat: Good DTs not only are rare, they\u2019re the primary building blocks of a well-rounded defense. Matt Eberflus, Mazi\u2019s third coordinator in three seasons, says he wants his linemen to penetrate the line of scrimmage, first and foremost, then make plays from behind enemy lines.<\/p>\n

He also says all of his DTs remain under the \u201cevaluation process.\u201d No one more so than Mazi, who was supposed to help fix their long-time problems against the run. To his credit, he makes no excuses for his failure to do so. Even conceded before the game he\u2019s \u201cgot to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he went out and made one tackle against the Ravens. Any time I zoomed in on him from the press box, he didn\u2019t look much closer to the ball than I was.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a year after opening with a backfield topped by Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott, the running back room doesn\u2019t look much more dynamic. Miles Sanders, who\u2019s shown flashes, led the Cowboys in rushing Saturday with 15 yards on seven tries. Sanders, Phil Mafah, Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis combined for 38 yards and a 2.38 per carry average.<\/p>\n

Tell me again how Brian Schottenheimer\u2019s run-heavy offense will succeed with this group, especially with Nate Thomas at left tackle for the opener?<\/p>\n

Especially going up against the Eagles\u2019 defensive front?<\/p>\n

Maybe the Cowboys will prove me wrong once their stars come back. Then again, the Rams and Ravens didn\u2019t play theirs, either. A week after giving up 181 yards rushing, the Cowboys allowed 148. Sooner or later, they have to learn that fixing the running game and stopping someone else\u2019s can\u2019t always come down to coaching. They keep trying and getting the same result. <\/p>\n

If \u201cLaw & Order\u201d has taught me anything, that\u2019s an insanity defense.<\/p>\n

More Cowboys-Ravens coverage <\/p>\n

\u2014 Five takeaways from Cowboys-Ravens: Milton\u2019s struggles continue, battle for nickel corner<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Joe Milton didn\u2019t help his case to be Cowboys backup QB in preseason loss vs. Baltimore<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dallas Cowboys have more questions than answers with one preseason game left<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Cowboys WR Jonathan Mingo to undergo MRI exam for possible PCL injury<\/a><\/p>\n