The Dallas Cowboys faced their second straight preseason loss on Saturday night, falling 31-13 to the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium.
A slow offensive start and defensive lapses that allowed 30-plus points for the second week running left plenty of questions heading into the team’s final preseason outing.
Despite the setback, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer emphasized that the mood inside the camp remains focused and resilient rather than alarmed.
“We’re not going to panic, and we’re not pushing the panic button, we’re pushing the work button, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Schottenheimer said after the game.
While refusing to sound alarms, Schottenheimer also made clear that he is far from content with the performances so far, even if they have come in preseason contests.
“We’re not going to say that this is just a preseason game,” he stressed. “We’re not going to just say, ‘Oh, we’re fine.’ We’re going to look at it. The fact that we lost both halves, that’s something we have to get corrected. There’s too many good football players, there’s too many good coaches for us to perform the way we did tonight.”
Milton’s Growing Pains Continue
Rookie quarterback Joe Milton once again found himself under the spotlight in his second preseason start. The young passer endured another uneven outing, completing just 9 of 18 passes for 122 yards while throwing an interception.
Milton’s evening began on a rough note as he was tackled for a safety on the Cowboys’ opening offensive drive, a play Schottenheimer noted should have been executed more cleanly. Quick decision-making and ball release remain areas of development for the rookie signal-caller.
Even so, the coaching staff is backing Milton to grow through his mistakes.
*”I wouldn’t say I’m concerned…” Schottenheimer explained. “I think we came out with a little bit of a different mindset in terms of trying to run the ball, though they got him… They showed down and brought the blitz from the other side and just spooked him. He’s got to try to throw the ball away. It wasn’t just him. We’ve got to be able to run the ball better. We’ve got to take care of the ball.”
Position Battles Still Open
With roster decisions looming, Schottenheimer reiterated that no immediate conclusions would be drawn from the preseason struggles, including the competition for the backup quarterback role.
“I feel like I don’t have to decide anything today,” he said. “I’m going to keep letting these guys practice. I just told the guys to get ready because a couple of these practices are going to be really physical. All of these position battles, we don’t have to decide anything now.”
Final Tune-Up Ahead
The Cowboys have one last preseason game this week at AT&T Stadium against the Atlanta Falcons, though the short turnaround allows limited practice time. For Milton and others vying for roster spots, it represents one final opportunity to make their case before the Cowboys kick off their regular season against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on September 4.
