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What goals should the Cowboys players and coaches have for the first preseason game against the Seahawks? What do they need to accomplish? What do the coaches need to learn about the players? – Marty Monforte/Endicott, NY
Patrik: First and foremost, the goal is to stay healthy. The risk is always there in preseason games, as in any other NFL game, so the Cowboys need to leave Seattle fully intact. After that, it's a matter of evaluation, and not winning.
I'd like to see those who have stacked good days and/or flashed in camp prove they can do it under the bright lights, and those who haven't, well, now's the time to show up to avoid being waived in the hours, days and weeks that follow. Coaches are looking for attention to detail, physicality, mental toughness and an ability to change games in the Cowboys' favor. Sounds easy enough, but if everyone could do it, everyone would.
Nick: Stay healthy. Look organized in and out of the huddle. Be efficient on both sides of the ball. Find ways to succeed in situational football. Put individual players into the right position for them to shine. And after all that, win the game.
To me, those are the goals - in order - that teams should have for the preseason games. Yes, you'd like to win, but only if you're following the rest of the rules.
Again, that's just my set of rules that I came up with. I don't think head coaches really have a preseason rulebook. They just want to know that what they've bee doing all summer and especially the last few weeks of camp, have been to good use. When the world is actually watching, the Cowboys want to showcase the improvements that seem to be apparent, but it's hard to know until you get into a game like this.
I mean, Seattle is the defending champions. Sure, the starters likely won't play much, if any, but if they're truly a great team again, it will show with some of the depth they've got. So I do believe the Cowboys will be tested on Saturday and they've got a chance to prove themselves in many ways.
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