Inside the top performances from the Dallas Cowboys in Saturday night's 34-13 win at the Arizona Cardinals.
Milton, Mingo, and Mafah, oh my!
The Dallas Cowboys took care of the Arizona Cardinals 34-13 on their way back east after a month of training camp in Oxnard, Calif.
Once again, "America's Team" gave fans reasons to smile as the offense and defense rode exceptional starts to a stress-free win at State Farm Stadium.
With a week left of camp - but back in home beds - the Cowboys' staff still has things to decide in regard to position competitions, but those decisions will come after the preseason finale on Aug. 28 at AT&T Stadium against the New Orleans Saints.
For now, we dive into the Winners & Losers from Saturday's late night:
WINNER: Monkey off the back
Not only did the win get Dallas to 2-0 in the preseason for the first time in nearly two decades, but it also completed an elusive win in this head-to-head series.
While it is preseason and the game doesn't count to official records, the victory is Dallas' first over Arizona since 2017, Dak Prescott's second season in the NFL.
"A victory over Arizona's backups and third-stringers won't ease the sting that remains from Monday Night Football in Week 9 last year ... nor from the catastrophe against Josh Dobbs in Week 3 of the 2023 season .... nor from a 38-10 beatdown in 2020, which featured Andy Dalton at quarterback, also on Monday Night Football," our Kyler Fox said pregame. "But it would at least help."
It makes for a fun flight home, if nothing else.
WINNER: Joe Milton
The Cowboys' backup quarterback battle took a dramatic swing with Joe Milton fully controlling the offense in the first half and scoring three touchdowns while Sam Howell made an ill-advised throw that resulted in a late interception.
After an even showing between both QBs in Dallas' preseason-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks, Milton broke out with a memorable showing to make the competition with Howell extend all the way to cut day.
Milton accounted for three total touchdowns and completed 9 of 13 attempts for 179 yards. Over his last four quarters of football overall, Milton is 21/28 for 286 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Howell was 7-of-10 passing for 65 yards with the pick. He had an opportunity to grab firm hold of the QB2 spot as the more experienced player.
The pressure is on next week, but as convincing as Milton was, the competition may be over as we know it. ... though coach Brian Schottenheimer cautions otherwise.
Said Schotty: "This is long from over. We're going back to Frisco, thankfully, get a chance to be home and put some more training camp days in. You've got to give Joe his credit, he's played really well the past two games, but we have a lot of confidence in Sam as well."
Oh. OK.
LOSER: Deciding on a RB2
The other competition behind center is clearly still far from decided.
The second preseason game again offered little in cementing in who should back up running back Javonte Williams.
Jaydon Blue rushed for a team-high 75 yards, and Malik Davis had a nice day with 29 yards (plus a receiving touchdown) earlier. Each gained over five yards per carry.
Even battling an injury, Phil Mafah returned the opening kickoff and put the bow on the win with a 15-yard touchdown run on his lone offensive touch.
WINNER: Jonathan Mingo
Dallas' mid-2024 trade acquisition, Jonathan Mingo found the end zone for the first time in his NFL career as Milton hit the big wide receiver in stride for a 53-yard score.
Camden Brown (who added a 70-yard reception in this one) was the star of last week's opener, but Mingo's touchdown grab has kept the final receiver spot a debate.
The Cowboys could be inclined to end this competition altogether, fielding six players on the roster - CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Brown and Mingo - but that is not yet determined.
If that becomes the case, it potentially means bad news for another pass-catching room.
LOSER: Zack Kuntz
Kuntz dropped two catchable balls in the first half, and while Luke Schoonmaker had a 19-yard catch-and-run, the fact that three Cowboys tight ends - Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Michael Trigg - were inactive, and thus above him on the depth chart, is telling about his chances of a long-term future
Still, these tight ends didn't have it as bad as another, one whom might sound familiar.
LOSER: Rivaldo Fairweather
The former Cowboys training camp body is competing for a roster spot in the Cardinals' unit led by Pro Bowler Trey McBride.
Twice on the same drive Fairweather was whistled for penalties - first a hold out in the flat and second with an illegal use of the hands trying to get open up the seam - that both took Cardinals touchdowns off the board.
From there, Arizona could get very little going against another impressive showing by the Cowboys' Christian Parker-led defense.
WINNER(S): Quick day at the office before the trip home
Rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham was electric in his NFL debut. He played sparingly in the first half, but he capitalized on his chances by exploding into the backfield on a tackle for loss and crushing another ball carrier in the open field.
"Him playing [as both an inside linebacker and blitzing outside backer] is one of his cheat codes that he has," Parker said about Barham earlier this offseason.
"He's played equal amount of snaps almost at Maryland and Michigan [at inside linebacker], so he's been exposed to it. So it's not like he's seeing things that he hasn't seen before from that perspective. … I think that he is a fast processor. And again, he's one of those young guys who's eager to learn. He wants to know the details."
Shavon Revel Jr. had a good day in his bid for a starting spot in the Dallas secondary. The second-year cornerback built on a strong training camp by jumping a route to pick off Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew.
The two did not play in the second half as Dallas coasted to victory.
The Cowboys return home to continue training camp, but in front of their local fans. 'Open to Fans' training camp sessions begin on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 5:30 p.m. CT with an Opening Ceremony sponsored by American Airlines, including entertainment from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, being held at The Star in Frisco.
