With two preseason games in the books for the Dallas Cowboys, there was but one remaining to conclude their training camp and offseason, officially, and it came against an NFC foe in the form of the Atlanta Falcons — Joe Milton being one of many who still had something to prove.
But while Milton, regardless of the outcome, is presumably safe from roster cuts as a recent trade acquisition, others can't lay claim to such protection. Others who happen to be on the bubble had but one more preseason game to show their value to the Cowboys.
Things got off to a great start for Dallas' offense, including Milton, as things went better for the Cowboys in all phases of the game this time around — the following players standing out the most before it was all said-and-done:
[Note: This list is unranked.]
Joe Milton, QB
Now that's how you show improvement, folks. Milton effectively flipped his two poor preseason showings into a much, much more impressive finale, getting off to the aforementioned fast start by using his legs to move the chains and, eventually, to give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. He found his touch over much of the remainder of the contest and looked far more confident as well, also quicker in his progressions and throwing with better anticipation and accuracy on his throws — adding an impressive passing touchdown (more on that in a moment) to his reel as well. He'll certainly grade this outing far higher than a D or D-minus, that's for sure.
Jalen Brooks, WR
There's no need to ever count Brooks out of the race when it comes to trying to figure out the WR depth chart in Dallas. Whether it's the 60-plus yard touchdown bomb he reeled in from Milton in the Cowboys' scrimmage against the Rams in Oxnard or the athletic 29-yard touchdown grab he reeled in from Milton in the second half against the Falcons, there always seems to be a way for Brooks to find his way to the highlight reel; and onto the roster, most likely, again.
Jaydon Blue, RB
It was the first NFL game for the rookie running back, having missed the first two opportunities to play this preseason due to injury, and he wasted little time making good on his chances against the Falcons. Blue had a couple of impressive runs on a drive in the first half that ended with him scooting into the end zone to give the Cowboys a 14-0 lead, one they'd never look back from as the game rolled along, and his vision and burst were both on full display. He'd exit the game with an apparent ankle injury, and all the Cowboys can only hope it doesn't cost him any time ... considering he just returned from exactly that: an ankle injury.
James Houston, DE
My my my. Johnny Gill aside, watching Houston this preseason was an absolute delight, and he continued to make his presence felt when the Falcons took the field. His sack on the first drive against Easton Stick marked yet another moment in which he teleported into the backfield and, speaking of teleportation, his ability to diagnose a motion toss before blowing it up like a stick of dynamite for a tackle for loss will make it virtually impossible to justify not finding a way to keep him on the final 53-man roster next week.
Shemar James, LB
When asked what the Cowboys' linebackers corps could be in 2025, Damone Clark went on record as saying the unit is "nine or ten players deep", and James is helping to make his point. The rookie out of Florida has come on strong over the past several weeks and throughout the entirety of the preseason, and his matchup against the Falcons was no different. James is not only making an impact as a special teamer and a hard-hitting, downhill linebacker on defense, but his coverage skills were put on display against Atlanta when he hauled in an interception in the second half to go with his handful of tackles on the evening.
Robert Rochell, CB
Rochelle is hoping to parlay his praise from the coaching staff into a roster spot, and flying all over the field against Atlanta goes a long way in trying to achieve that mission, and his fourth-quarter interception generated by a tip drill from Mike Smith, on a throw from former Cowboys' backup quarterback Ben DiNucci, only adds that more seasoning to the chicken for Rochelle.
Ryan Flournoy, WR
Speaking of the WR battle, Flournoy delivered what one could rightfully describe as a stellar training camp and preseason, even if he and Milton had a difficult time connecting on several occasions. Film consistently showed Flournoy getting separation and running sensationally crisp routes and, when the ball was catchable, he nearly always, if not always, found ways to come down with the ball, often, moved the chains in the process. Schottenheimer has a very inevitable task next week when it comes to taking an ax to a very talented receiving corps.
Deuce Vaughn, RB
One of the other high-profile battles is at running back, and Vaughn did his damndest to not be outshined by the rookie against the Falcons. It was Vaughn getting the start against Atlanta, and he served as a key reason for the Cowboys getting a touchdown on their opening drive, and several first downs, to boot. That drive saw Milton and the Cowboys use nine plays to find the end zone, and five of them were handoffs to Vaughn that amounted to 33 rushing yards. Having missed time in camp and the preseason due to injury, like Blue, the outing against the Falcons served him quite well.
Mazi Smith, DT
Prior to his outing against the Ravens last week, the former first-round pick was candid in that he "needs to do something" on the field. Fast forward to this battle with the Falcons and something was done. He delivered a drive-ending tackle for loss on third down and also looked much better in run defense as a whole. His stat line may not floor you, but the film from Friday night showed progress and an uptick in confidence, Smith going on to finish as one of the team leaders in tackles as well.
Rivaldo Fairweather, TE
Fairweather is a name you've heard before this preseason, seeing as he grabbed one of Milton's touchdowns earlier this August, but also because he seems to be a favorite target of the young quarterback. That manifested yet against against the Falcons, as Fairweather continues to push the enveloped at a tight end position that will be insanely difficult to crack.
Perrion Winfrey (DT) + Buddy Johnson (LB) + Phil Mafah (RB)
Winfrey has flashed at several points in the preseason and in training camp, and his sack against the Falcons put a nice cherry on top of his offseason with the Cowboys. Johnson has flown under the radar to this point, but he went far above the radar on Friday by leading the team with tackles in a hotly contested war at linebacker. Mafah was a late contributor to the final score but his body of work over the past month stands strong in conjunction with his 15-yard run against the Falcons that put not one, not two, but three defenders on the turf before he'd punctuate that very offensive drive with a touchdown to cap off his offseason work.
Brandon Aubrey, K
There's not much to say here other than, well, Butter is butter — a nonchalant 64-yarder to end the first half proving that point. And the fact it might've been good from 70+ yards is utterly inhuman.
