ARLINGTON, Texas – The most decisive numbers from the Cowboys' second preseason game on Saturday night were 31 and 13, the final score with the Ravens handing Dallas their second straight loss in the preseason.
Those two numbers alone didn't tell the entire story, but it was still an up and down night for the Cowboys with a lot more down than there was up.
From rookie Tyler Booker's first start to more turnovers coming on the defensive side of the ball, there were plenty of other numbers that went into how the game unfolded.
Here's a deeper dive into some other telling numbers from Saturday at AT&T Stadium:
2
The Cowboys doubled their number of turnovers forced from their first preseason game, tallying two interceptions on their former backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Andrew Booth had the first one and returned it for a 40-yard pick six, and Kemon Hall added another preseason interception to his career resume on a tipped ball drill. Dallas' defense now has three total preseason interceptions after Israel Mukuamu's highlight pick against the Rams last week.
5
In what was an overall down day for the Cowboys' defense, their linebacker unit had some of the bright spots with five players registering three or more tackles. Damone Clark and Shemar James both had seven, and Darius Harris, Justin Barron and Jack Sanborn had three a piece. Clark has carried over from his strong camp in Oxnard with two solid preseason performances.
18.2%
Third down was a struggle at times for the Cowboys' offense last season, and it was on Saturday night as well. Dallas converted just two of their 11 third down situations, good for 18.2%. The Cowboys threw all 11 times on third down, and the quarterbacks were pressured six times and were sacked three times.
19:49
Dallas struggled to stay on the field offensively, with nine of their drives having just four plays or less, resulting in a total of 19 minutes and 49 seconds of possession. In comparison, the Ravens had the ball for 40 minutes and 11 seconds.
21
The Cowboys' pass rush was effective in collapsing the pocket on Saturday, creating 21 quarterback pressures. However, they were unable to bring down Cooper Rush and Devin Leary and did not register a sack. Tyrus Wheat led the team with five pressures, and James Houston followed him with four.
28
After 39 players did not play last week, Brian Schottenheimer suited up 11 more players against the Ravens, including some projected/potential starters like Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker and Jack Sanborn, all who did not play last week. The Cowboys did have all of their healthy players go through pregame warmups, with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens among those putting on full uniform for the first time this season.
31
Brian Schottenheimer wanted to get out to a better start on offense going into his second preseason game, but that was not the case. The Cowboys produced just 31 net yards of offense in the first half, a week after they gained just one yard throughout the entire first quarter against the Rams. The first quarter against the Ravens was somehow worse, as the Cowboys had -5 net yards at the end of the first quarter but still led the game 7-5 thanks to Andrew Booth's pick six.
48.8
It was another tough day for Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton, who completed just 50% of his passes for 122 yards, an interception, and took a sack for a safety on the opening drive. All that combined for a 48.8 passer rating for Milton, down from his 68.6 rating against the Rams last week.
51
The run game has been something that Brian Schottenheimer and his staff have been excited about, especially given the investment in recent years on the offensive line. The Cowboys had 148 yards on the ground in their preseason opener, but struggled against the Ravens, producing just 51 total yards on 20 carries, good for 2.6 yards per carry. Miles Sanders led the team in rushing with just 15 yards on seven carries.
52
Rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker was a bright spot for the Cowboys in his first NFL action, as he played 28 total snaps on offense. Booker flashed in the run and passing game, creating a big gap for Miles Sanders in the second quarter that led to his longest carry of the night with 7 yards, and did not allow a quarterback pressure in nine one-on-one pass protection blocks.
