Dallas Cowboys: 3 Big takeaways from Preseason Week 3

3. Turnovers hurt any and all momentum

No matter which players were on the field Sunday night, there is no excuse for losing the football six times in a game. Not just that, the Cowboys had miscues on special teams, which could be understandable on how that play occurred, but other times offensively it is tough to overlook.

Cooper Rush didn’t show much to prove he’s deserving of being the No. 2 option at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, finishing 11-of-17 for 93 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the first half. Rush seemed rushed when on the field, and he was outplayed by the Cardinals defense, especially the interception in the end zone when second-year standout Budda Baker had some very nice coverage. The other interception came by Patrick Peterson for a touchdown, so that is tough to overcome no matter who the quarterback is.

Lance Lenoir had a tough night with two lost fumbles, one not so much his fault when he collided with Byron Jones on a punt return. The other fumbles came from Rod Smith when he was in the air, and Blake Jarwin also lost the football.

If those turnovers weren’t enough, the Cowboys added a seventh turnover in the fourth quarter when Mike White had the ball stripped away and finished with eight on the night.

What was most frustrating about the turnovers was it didn’t help the cause of getting younger players and bubble players more time on the field, which is what the Cowboys need during preseason games when deciding which of those players to keep on the roster. The final outcome on the scoreboard is a second thought, but losing all the valuable snaps on seeing where players stand was what hurt the most.