After further review: Joe Milton settles down, Nate Thomas shows up in Cowboys first preseason game

The Dallas Cowboys lost their first preseason game 31-21 to the Los Angeles Rams. This is a time when teams work in some game action while trying to preserve health. It’s a balancing act for coaches, and oftentimes, what we see doesn’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things.

Despite that, there are always things to look at, as we get a feel for what players are capable of. Some things don’t always present themselves the first time through, so let’s take a look and see what we can learn after rewatching the game film. Here are six players who caught our attention on Saturday night.

It was a mixed bag for the Cowboys’ young backup quarterback. Over most of the first three quarters, he couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. His arm strength was impressive, but his accuracy left something to be desired. Fortunately, he started to settle in late in the third quarter. After connecting on a couple of short bootleg passes, he looked a lot more comfortable. In fact, all 10 of his final throws were nice tosses (statistically just eight because one was negated by a false start, and one was from a two-point conversion). Rather than fastballs, Milton put a softer touch on his throws, and the ball placement was much improved.

The Milton situation is a curious one. As a young player with three years of player control, he certainly has plenty of time to develop. When you look at things that way, he’s fine. However, when you consider he’ll be given the keys to the offense should Dak Prescott go down, he’ll need to show more of the good stuff and string together some consistency, or the Cowboys could find themselves in dire straits later in the year.

When Tyler Guyton got hurt in training camp, a dark cloud hovered over the Cowboys’ offensive line. Adding insult to injury (or injury to injury technically) was the fact that the team lost their top reserve lineman in Rob Jones earlier in camp. However, the team did not panic and calmly trotted out second-year tackle Nate Thomas to fill in at left tackle. Thomas, a seventh-round pick from Louisiana last year, never saw the field in 2024 due to knee tendinitis, but he’s healthy now, and the coaching staff likes what they’re seeing. On Saturday against the Rams, Thomas showed us why.

In pass protection, he did a great job getting out of his stance and setting a wide base, which isn’t hard to do because he’s a big fella. His long arms kept defenders from slipping by him. Additionally, he showcased some nice lateral agility that kept him in a good position. He was only on the field for two running plays, but both times he attacked the shoulder to create a good seal for the designed running lane. It’s a small sample, but it was a good showing for this red-shirt sophomore who could be thrown into action sooner than expected.

We don’t know what the landscape of the Cowboys’ linebacker group will look like when the regular season rolls around, but one thing is starting to be clear. Second-year player Marist Liufau might be the real deal. He had a solid rookie season last year and looks to be picking up right where he left off. Whether it was making the tackle on the opening kickoff, shutting down a third-and-short run, or pancaking a helpless running back on a delay blitz, Liufau had it going on against the Rams.

Fans forgave the Cowboys for passing up on a running back in the third round to take DeMarvion Overshown after we saw how good Overshown was. A similar forgiveness might be in order for Liufau as well if he continues on this trajectory.

Malik Davis was the running back star in the stat sheet as he burst into open space late in the game, and we’re not sure what to make of that, as Davis was unemployed just a few days ago. The back everyone was interested in seeing was the rookie from Clemson, Phil Mafah. The numbers won’t impress you, but Mafah ran hard, grinding out yards. And his best run of the night didn’t even count.

The Cowboys want to be more physical on defense, so the coaching staff has to like what they’re seeing from Kentucky undrafted free agent Zion Childress. The rookie defensive back had six total tackles, five of which were solo. No Cowboys defender had more of either. Childress did a great job reading the play, shedding from his blockers, and when he had a clean shot, he took full advantage. He sniffed out a jet-sweep and shot off into the backfield to make a nice tackle for a loss. It’s still early, but this rookie UDFA is making a case for one of those final spots on the 53-man roster.

There wasn’t much to like from the Cowboys’ defense on Saturday, but another player who showed up on tape was third-year defensive end Tyrus Wheat. It’s really easy to forget about him. Every year, when people are listing the defensive ends on the team, he’s often left out. However, every year, the coaches don’t leave him out as he makes the football team. Wheat does the little things, from contributing on special teams or just displaying high motor plays again and again. Against the Rams, he was making run stops, pressuring the quarterback, and even making tackles 20 yards down the field. The coaches appreciate his contributions, so we might want to start as well.