The Dallas Cowboys played game two of their 2018 preseason Saturday night. They lost 21-13 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Once again, the Cowboys starters played well but the backups failed to hold onto the lead the starters built. On the injury front, the Cowboys seemed to have dodged a major bullet with All-pro Zack Martin. Martin left the game in the 2^nd quarter with a knee injury, which an MRI showed no structural damage. Martin should be good to go for Week 1 in Carolina.

STOCK UP

Terrance Williams

After a tough offseason for Terrance Williams, there has been nothing but positives for Williams during training camp. That momentum continued Saturday night as Williams was able to get in the end zone on a six yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott. The Cowboys don’t have a number one receiver, but the room is filled with competitive guys trying not to get left behind.

Taco Charlton

Taco Charlton continues to show signs of improvement in year 2 of his NFL career. On Saturday, he forced a fumble against Tyler Boyd and picked up 3 tackles, including a sack. With the return of Randy Gregory and the emergence of Dorance Armstrong during camp so far, Charlton is going to have to perform like Saturday in order to stay on the field.

Chidobe Awuzie

Chidobe Awuzie made one of the best defensive plays you will see this season from a defensive back for his interception Saturday night. John Ross, who ran a 4.22 40 at the NFL scouting combine appeared to have Awuzie beaten on the play, but Awuzie was able to use his athletic ability to tip the ball to himself for the interception. The first team defense has been flying around and that play is just another reason to be very excited about this young, very fast defense.

STOCK DOWN

Xavier Woods

Xavier Woods is expected to miss the opening game in Carolina after suffering a hamstring injury Saturday night. Woods is an intriguing young player that was likely going to be one of the team’s starting safeties. This may cause the team to sign a veteran to fill that role, at least for the short term.

Back up QB

The backup QB in Dallas has been a topic of discussion for years in Dallas and it appears to be a problem again. Neither Cooper Rush nor Mike White has looked capable of keeping the team afloat if an injury were to happen to Dak. The uninspiring performances will make for an interesting decision when the team has to decide whether they want to keep 2 or 3 quarterbacks, or if they want to go get a veteran to be the backup quarterback.

Bo Scarborough

The injury bug also hit the running back position. Bo Scarborough was forced to leave the game Saturday night with a hip injury and that opened the door for Darius Jackson, who rushed 6 times for 42 yards. That performance paired with Scarborough’s injury could lead to a 3^rd string running back competition.