The Cowboys looked pretty good overall for game 1 of the pre-season tonight against the Bengals. The offensive and defensive starters looked solid, but special teams have a long way to go.
The starting offense looks to be in mid season form. Doug Free could not have looked better in his debut as the starting left tackle, he did nothing but solidify his position. On the other hand, his competition for that spot, Alex Barron looked slow and rusty. I don’t expect this to change, Doug Free will be your starter unless he gets hurt.
Felix Jones was saved by a defensive penalty when he fumbled at the goal line, but don’t think the coaches will give him a pass. The Cowboys subsequently failed to score from the 1 yard line in 3 plays. Looks like the red zone offense needs some work.
The defense was solid. Not much to say here. Against a very good Bengals offense, both the first and second string made stop after stop. Chad Ochocinco and T.O. were very quiet tonight. Looks like the D are picking up right where they left off at the end of last season.
Special teams was not good. Several penalties, a long punt return and a missed field goal are the highlights here. Oh, and Titus Ryan broke his thumb. On the bright side, David Buehler did make 3 field goals, we just need to see some accuracy on the longer field goal attempts and he could be the starter for years to come.
That’s how I saw it, let me know your thoughts! See you in a few days. The Cowboys play again this Thursday at home against the Oakland Raiders.
