[caption id="attachment_93" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Victor Butler was all over the field on Thursday night for the Cowboys. Although he did not record a sack, he was constantly in the backfield disrupting the Broncos offense."]
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Football is finally back. After a summer of sitting and waiting, free agency opened with a bang, and now the first preseason games are in the books. While preseason wins mean nothing to the regular season standings, it was exactly what the Cowboys needed. Last preseason, the Cowboys constantly struggled in their games, and while a 3-2 record was not atrocious the first team never put it together and few back-ups shined. The first team saw little action on Thursday night, but the second and third teamers put together a great effort in rallying from behind for the victory. Wins create momentum and confidence, two things this team significantly lacked last season. With little changes to the overall personnel and the team looking for addition by subtraction, confidence and individual progression will be major components in Dallas finding its way back to the playoffs. Beyond the win, the Cowboys saw quite a few quality individual performances, which will create interesting position battles for the remainder of the preseason
After forcing the Broncos into a third down after the first two plays, it seemed like the Cowboys defense would not be able to stop the Denver rushing attack. Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee made the first team defense look like the back-ups as they moved down the field with ease. One of the main culprits was Igor Olshansky, one of the defensive trouble spots last season. Olshansky was constantly pushed back, and could not complete his first responsibility as a defensive end: stopping the run. Olshansky is in great danger of not making the roster due to his contract size and the play of back-up defensive end, Jason Hatcher. Hatcher was constantly around the ball while on the field. Twice he rushed a Tim Tebow throw with his pressure, and when the running back came his way the Broncos could only manage a short gain. If Hatcher keeps up this level of play, more snaps will come his way and a starting role could be right around the corner.
Gerald Sensabaugh was another culprit in the long opening drive for the Broncos. He missed a coverage early on allowing a big gain for the Denver offense. The safety position continues to be a major concern for the Cowboys secondary.
There was one positive note for the Cowboys first team defense: a goal line stand. After getting down inside the five, the Broncos were backed up after a penalty, and were unable to find the endzone. The Broncos did not attempt a rushing play inside the ten-yard line, and the secondary held Denver to a field goal. The goal line stand should be something to build on for the secondary, which constantly receives scrutiny for their poor play.
On the offensive side of the ball, Felix Jones led the charge. Felix regained his explosiveness this offseason and it showed. He showed his burst of speed with run up the middle and on a perfectly executed screen pass to the outside. One of the major struggles last season was running between the tackles, but Jones was able to find a hole Thursday night and make something out of it. If he can continue to show his burst and run both between the tackles and outside, Felix has the potential to be one of the top backs in the league this upcoming season. Lonyae Miller on the other hand did not deliver. Reports from camp were extremely complimentary of Miller, but he only averaged 1.2 yards per carry on 9 carries. One of the problems could have been the back-up offensive line, but fifth running back Phillip Tanner managed to lead the team in rushing yards gaining 33 more yards on the same amount of carries. Miller must improve in the next three games in order to prove he is worthy of carries on Sunday.
The star of the night though was Victor Butler. Butler was constantly in the backfield. He hurried two Tebow throws and drew two holding penalties on the Denver offensive line. He was even able to run down the scramble-happy Tim Tebow for a short gain. Butler was impressive last season in pass-rushing situations, but perhaps his role should be expanded this season. The talks of him overtaking Anthony Spencer are a little much right now. Spencer only played one series, and really did not get the opportunity to shine. Spencer was outstanding in his rookie year, but did suffer a sophomore slump. Under Rob Ryan’s new defense, Spencer should be able to better display his talents rushing the passer. Yet, if the struggles do continue, the Cowboys do have an adequate replacement waiting in the ranks. Butler has already demonstrated his pass-rushing abilities, and is now starting to show he can be effective against the run too.
DeWayne Harris was impressive in his first game wearing the star on his helmet. Harris finished with 127 yards receiving and more impressively two touchdowns. Yet, it was not the amount of catches that made an impact. It was his natural ability as a slot receiver that could see him inserted into the third receiver role.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=b1GXciGFT1s
On the 76-yard touchdown reception, Harris showed exactly what a slot receiver should do. DeWayne came over the middle without fear, caught the ball with soft hands, and then took off with blazing speed. Harris is not going to make tremendous plays every game, but if he can be a reliable fourth option for Tony Romo he will see plenty of passes coming his way. The other noticeable play on the touchdown was the block that paved the way for Harris. Martin Rucker sealed off his man perfectly allowing for Harris to take off for the endzone untouched. Rucker also had two catches for 29 yards and the game winning two-point conversion reception. Keeping four tight ends on the roster is not an option, but Rucker is going to make the Cowboys truly think about it. The possibility of trading Martellus Bennett is becoming more and more likely if Rucker, normally a pass-catching tight end, continues to shine as both a receiver and a blocker.
Lastly, the Cowboy’s lumberjack quarterback Stephen McGee showed off his offseason work. McGee came out a bit shaky, most likely due to constant pressure, but once he got his composure he looked like a NFL quarterback. McGee was not throwing off his back foot like young quarterbacks tend to do. He was stepping up in the pocket and delivering his throws at full force and on the money. He also demonstrated his decision-making ability by knowing when to throw the ball away, and when to put his head down and run, which he has the ability to do. Perhaps the most impactful was his ability to spread the ball around to all of his receivers. McGee found Poots, Harris, and Radway on the way to his first touchdown drive. McGee will not unseat Jon Kitna this season, but starting in 2012, the full-bearded McGee might come into camp as first in line behind Tony Romo.
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