Cowboys stumble again at home; final preseason showdown looms with Falcons
It was another disappointing outcome for the Cowboys in Preseason game 2 versus the Ravens, but thankfully win-loss results don’t matter. What does matter is player evaluation; however when the team struggles across the board as a whole, you wonder how many useful conclusions coaches and scouts can make. I firmly believe failure shows you where to focus your attention and put in the work. Much of the world spends most of their life trying to avoid failure and the feelings of shame that come with it, which is understandable. However, if you accept failure as a normal part of life, understand that it is possibly even more valuable than success, and lean into it, then it can actually help you. It tells you what you need to focus on next, if you face it rather than turning away from it and ignoring it all the time, because it’s too painful. How do you define failure anyways? I’ll probably write more about that in the Spiritual category of this site at a later date. The coaches probably look at losses the same way too, and feel like it makes their jobs easier, because the areas of the team that need work are so plentiful and obvious. Truth be told, they probably prefer losses in the preseason when the records don’t matter, so they can coach as many mistakes out of their team as possible before the season starts.
Now, on to the game…
The Dallas Cowboys couldn’t find their footing in their second preseason outing, falling 31–13 to the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium. A sloppy offense and recurring issues raise real concerns heading into their final tune-up against the Atlanta Falcons.
Even though the record doesn’t matter, play style and the eye test still count for something, and through two games this team has not reflected well on its new head coach. A lot of fans and probably players too would feel better and more confident if the team looked more competitive through its first two preseason games. Patience is a virtue as they say. It’s no surprise this thing doesn’t look like a well-oiled machine from day one, especially with a new head coach and staff that needs time to put it all together. So, we adjust our expectations, and give them grace and time to figure it out. They’ve only got to have it figured out by playoff time, as I keep saying, not on Day 1 of the season or in this case preseason.
Preseason Game 2 Recap: Cowboys vs. Ravens
Final Score: Cowboys lost to the Ravens, 31–13
Offensive Struggles:
QB Joe Milton III again underwhelmed: completing just 2 of 8 passes for 14 yards in the first half, he threw an interception, and posted a 48.8 passer rating.
The ground game was ineffective: Miles Sanders gained just 15 yards on 7 carries; the offense totaled only 51 rushing yards for the game.
Third-down efficiency remained a problem at 18.2% (2-for-11), and Dallas ran just 19 minutes and 49 seconds of offense versus Baltimore’s 40:11.
Defensive Highlights & Lowlights:
The Ravens dominated early: 273 yards to 31 in the first half with 50 plays to Dallas’s 19.
Dallas’s defense forced turnovers: Andrew Booth returned a Cooper Rush interception for a pick-six, and Kemon Hall added another INT.
Linebackers showing promise: Damone Clark, Shemar James, and others racked up tackles and made impactful plays.
Injury Report:
WR Jonathan Mingo exited with a knee injury (sprained PCL) after a 49-yard catch; expected to be sidelined 4–6 weeks, likely on IR.
Takeaways: Key roster battles intensified—performance from Booth, Clark, Hall, and Booker may sway final cuts, but offensive failures continue to overshadow progress.
Preseason Game 3 Preview: Cowboys vs. Falcons
Matchup Info:
Opponent: Atlanta Falcons (visiting)
Date: Friday, August 22, 2025, at 7:00 PM CDT
Location: AT&T Stadium
Broadcast: CBS 11, NFL Network, NFL+
Key Storylines:
With back-to-back losses, this game is the last opportunity in the preseason for players to justify their spot on the roster.
QB Spot Still Wide Open: Joe Milton will start his third straight, hoping to shake off the back-to-back “D-minus” grades and show improvement.
Roster Battles on Notice: Final evaluations ramp up for running backs (Sanders vs. Mafah), offensive line spots (Richards vs. Charles), WR depth (Brooks vs. Flournoy), edge rushers (Turner vs. Wheat), and others.
Micah Parsons Status: Coach Schottenheimer remains optimistic that Parsons will return by Week 1 despite unresolved contract tensions.
Final Thoughts
This final preseason game is the last staging ground to correct course heading into the regular season. Can Milton earn trust with cleaner execution? Will the offense show signs of life, or will it prompt wider concern? And which bubble players step up—or fade under pressure?
In last week’s article, I compared backup quarterbacks in general to Dak, which is unfair to any backup quarterback. The point of the comparison was not that we need a Dak clone, we wouldn’t be able to find one anyhow. The point was simply that it would be nice to have a backup quarterback more similar to Dak, so that if he does have to play, the team can still feel confident enough to win the game. The quality I think you want to see most is composure and the ability to execute the gameplan. Can you string enough successful plays together to complete a drive consistently over the course of an entire game? Some people call that being a baller, whatever you call it, Cooper Rush definitely had that. Through two games, we don’t know if there’s a backup quarterback on this roster that can do that.
I will say regardless of how Joe Milton III plays in the third and final preseason game, I do hope the Cowboys keep him on the roster and continue to develop him. I hear that they are going to keep him regardless, because they spent draft capital on him and have him under contract for two more years, so that’s good. The physical athleticism is apparent; it literally leaps off the screen at you. He probably doesn’t even need to be as athletic as he is to play the position. Far less athletic people have played quarterback very well is all I’m saying, so I definitely believe he can do it and he’s worth developing. I think people just want to see whether he is ready to win games now if he has to, and through two games the answer seems to be no. Will the Cowboys feel differently after the third game? Who knows? Even if he balled out, it’s still only one game. The great thing is, he doesn’t have to be a starter right now, and he has the luxury of time to figure things out. The Cowboys might still have to bring a more experienced veteran in this season, but that is not a failure on his part. It’s simply an acknowledgement of where he’s at right now in his journey. Hopefully he knows that there are plenty of great quarterbacks who sat and learned the game for several years prior to starting, including some around here that say they owe their career to it. So, it’s just a natural, normal part of it for a lot of people and that’s okay. We’re looking forward to watching Preseason Game 3 tonight versus Atlanta and seeing how they look this week. In the words of a great quarterback, “Let’s freaking go!”
CBS 11 – KTVT – Dallas/Fort Worth
Atlanta Falcons 0-2
vs.
Dallas Cowboys 0-2
