2. New secondary players
The Steelers’ third drive of the night got off to a hot start as Mason Rudolph hit wide receiver Chase Claypool on a deep pass for 45 yards — although he did get away with a push-off on Nahshon Wright. But on the very next play, Maurice Canady announced his presence.
Canady, a veteran corner who sat out 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, has been playing incredibly well in camp both as a slot corner and on the boundary. He was in the slot on this drive and following the big play to Claypool, Canady exploded through the line on a first-and-10 and hit Najee Harris for a four-yard loss.
Another guy who is new to the Cowboys’ secondary is Israel Mukuamu. The sixth-round pick from South Carolina moved to safety and the first time he had his name mentioned on the broadcast was when he made a play on a pass from Dwayne Haskins.
The former Washington quarterback was trying to connect with Zach Gentry on a third-and-five and Mukuamu was in perfect position and knocked the ball to the ground.
In the grand scheme of things, the secondary needs to be better but having a couple of new faces make splash plays during their first preseason game is a step in the right direction.