Photo Courtesy: Ray Bouknight
Brought to you by: Big Shucks
By Zach Walker
Game Info
Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams
Saturday – August 12 – 8:00 p.m.
TV: NFL
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, California
The Cowboys rallied to win their extra exhibition game, and now they travel down the coast from Oxnard to play against the team that Dak Prescott got to unveil himself, the Los Angeles Rams. The Cowboys were handed a Texas-sized smack down with the suspension of running back Ezekiel Elliott, to the tune of six games. Appeal is coming, so there’s that, but it’s a pretty solid rain cloud following the Cowboys are dragging along with them.
Besides that, here are some Cowboys to keep an eye out for:
1: DE #99 Charles Tapper – A player that consistently flashed on the screen was fourth round pick from a season ago, Charles Tapper. He showed a pretty nice control of pass rushing moves and showcased that Marinelli-brand of constant motor on every play that I watched of 99 flying across the screen. He’s in the thick of it, in terms of depth on the roster, but if he continues to be a force affecting the quarterback, the Cowboys 2016 draft class can continue to rain gold on them.
2: LB #57 Damien Wilson – I have zero understanding of the Damien Wilson situation. I could have sworn that he had a couple of assault charges pending on him, that’s why I sort of skipped over him on my preseason preview, but then he’s at the Canton game, chasing people down. The Cowboys can very much use a player like Wilson to add more quality depth to their linebacking corps, but I’m just really wary about pending legal matters. But until he can’t play, he’ll be great to look for.
3: QB #17 Kellen Moore – I’ve been transparent from the start about how much I’ve always really liked Kellen Moore. His Boise State days were incredible, but being sub-six foot AND left handed, those aren’t traits of bankable NFL starters. But Moore is football smart. All of his throws are calculated and timed, just as they’re drawn up. I never really put stock in the idea of Moore really being the number two quarterback on the depth chart, because I simply forgot how everything really looked when he’s actually got things going. But, Moore can be a comfortable backup for a while.
4: WR #81 Andy Jones – the receiver to watch for is… Brice Butler, to be perfectly honest, but the man behind Butler would be Andy Jones. As it stands now, Jones is fifth on the depth chart, with Ryan Switzer being held back with his hamstring hiccup. As long as Jones continues to catch the ball when it’s coming his way, he could be on the roster when 53 rolls around.
5: TE #80 Rico Gathers – I mean what more can I really gush on about Rico Gathers. His size is always going to be a great subject, but didn’t we all get a showing of what his hands were like. He lorded over a defender to make a great soft touchdown catch. He made a couple of pure hands plays and showed some really great field awareness in his Hall of Fame game outing. I just want to continue to watch him play.
From the Los Angeles Rams:
1: QB #16 Jared Goff – This game, one season ago, showcased a pair of rookie quarterbacks that would both be starting for their teams in 2016. Dak Prescott dropped dimes to Terrence Williams and Dez Bryant, and Jared Goff got picked off by a linebacker. Crude analysis, but nothing is inaccurate. The Rams have done nothing but cater everything to help their quarterback succeed. The Rams have drafted three tight ends and four wide receivers in the two drafts since drafting Goff number one overall. Then they hired the 30-year-old Sean McVay to try and guru Goff into something resembling a number one overall pick.
2: TE #81 Gerald Everett – I really liked Everett coming out of the University of South Alabama, I liken his skills set to Aaron Hernandez (And seriously it’s just a skill set comparison, because he’s better than Dwayne Allen who is also a solid contrast). But he’s an action tight end, like Charles Clay, where they will likely have him lined up in a bunch of positions, to maximize his mismatch.
Prediction: Rams 25 – Cowboys 22
