LOS ANGELES – The Cowboys are close to returning to Texas, but have one more stop to make – a preseason game against the Chargers.
The first-team starters practiced against LA twice this week, but Saturday night at SoFi Stadium will be more of an opportunity for the younger players.
Here's eight players our staff writers will be watching the most.
The Cowboys take on the Chargers in preseason game No. 2 on Saturday in Los Angeles, the final event before coming home. Here's eight players we'll be watching closely.
DaRon Bland: The corner position suddenly looking thinner with Jourdan Lewis out for the rest of camp. That's allowed for rookie DaRon Bland and second-year Kelvin Joseph to prove they'd be worth the extra snaps. So far, Bland has been far more effective in practice and capped off Thursday's practice with the Chargers with an interception. Expect him to get most of the playing time in the second preseason game while Joseph mixes in as well.
-Kyle Youmans
Nahshon Wright: It's time for Wright to get back to the version of himself that drew praise earlier in training camp. For while there's no denying his skill set and ability to be disruptive in the pass game, he's found himself on a downturn as of late - including in run defense. With DaRon Bland excelling and Kelvin Joseph still showing signs of progress, it's paramount for Wright that he shows up and shows out on Saturday.
-Patrik Walker
Josh Ball:Last week, Ball got a huge plate of snaps in the joint practice and preseason game against Denver. The practices vs. LA provided more work. He's had some challenges in pass protection this camp, but these are valuable reps for last year's fourth-round pick, who missed his entire rookie season with an ankle injury. And the Cowboys need a swing tackle to emerge.
-Rob Phillips
Peyton Hendershot: This undrafted rookie tight end has got a real shot to make the team, but he needs a big performance on Saturday night. The Cowboys won't use starter Dalton Schultz and veteran Jeremy Sprinkle is dealing with an Achilles strain that should sideline him for a while. So Hendershot, Jake Ferguson and Sean McKeon will get most of the reps. Look for the Cowboys to try and use Hendershot's speed to get him the ball down the field.
-Nick Eatman
Dennis Houston:There's already been a storyline surrounding Houston's camp performance. However, he had his best week in two practices against the Chargers Wednesday and Thursday. He'll have an opportunity in the game (especially if Noah Brown doesn't play) to continue his momentum in a big way. It wouldn't be a surprise if he's the most targeted Cowboys receiver Saturday night.
-Kyle Youmans
Isaac Alarcon: With the absence of rookie fifth-round pick Matt Waletzko and the struggles of Josh Ball in camp and against the Broncos, the door is open for Alarcon to try and punch his way onto the final roster this season. He looked great in limited duty last week and that includes drawing zero penalties and allowing no pressures at left tackle, but consistency is the name of the game - so he'll need another strong showing on Saturday against the Chargers.
-Patrik Walker
Quinton Bohanna: Last Saturday, the Cowboys held Denver to 1.8 yards per carry. Bohanna (6-4, 330) was a big part of that, clogging lanes and taking on double teams. "Look at me. That's what I do," he said with a smile. He'll look to build on that the rest of preseason. If so, he's probably looking at a larger role in the defensive line rotation.
-Rob Phillips
Trysten Hill: So far this preseason and camp, Hill hasn't made the splash plays I was expecting. But he's still going to get the chance to play a few snaps, especially in the first half. Hill needs to show that pass-rushing burst that helped him become a second-round pick back in 2019. Time is running out on young veterans such as Hill to make plays. He needs to get a few in the game to help his cause.
-Nick Eatman
