Howdy, howdy Cowboy fans. You know what today is, don’t you? Game day! The Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins square off this evening for their second exhibition matchup of the 2016 preseason.
The Cowboys are still buzzing from their performance in L.A. last week, or at least some of them are buzzing. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott gave everyone a sigh of relief with a near-perfect outing against the Rams. The backup quarterback position left a sour taste in our mouths last year, but hope springs eternal from his lone game thus far.
The defense was another story all together. While Dak, and even Jameill Showers found ways to amaze us, the defense was superbly underwhelming. But, underwhelming and ineffective are two very different things, and the Cowboys did hold the Rams to a single score in the first half.
So we’ll look to see more excitement from the offense this week, with Tony Romo’s 2016 debut — he’ll play a “series or two,” according to reports — and hopefully the defense will make a splash as well.
So it’s game day, and patience is straining to last until 7 pm CDT.
There’s football tonight — Cowboys football — and the offseason has tried us all. To bide our time as the hour grows later, we’re trying something new on Inside The Star.
We polled the staff for their final score predictions and a little reasoning behind their predictions, and we’re posting them here for your amusement. Do with them as you wish. Talk trash or nod in approval, just be sure to share your own predictions when you do.
The plan is to make this a regular thing, with varying members of the staff participating each week.
Alright. Enough with the explanations. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Brian Martin (Cowboys 24 – Dolphins 17)
I think the Dallas Cowboys will once again rely heavily on the passing game and get off to a fast start against the Dolphins. I still expect to see the reserves/backups the majority of the game, so I predicted the game to be close.
I think it will ultimately come down to a one score game that is decided by either a touchdown or a field goal.
Follow Brian on Twitter at @bmart0204
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Ian Koplowitz (Cowboys 28 – Dolphins 13)
The return of Tony Romo should allow us to get ahead early, and I expect Dak Prescott to be able to carry forward some of the momentum from last week. I also expect key preseason players Geoff Swaim and Andy Jones to bounce back this week.
Follow Ian on Twitter at @BleedingTheStar
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John Williams (Cowboys 24 – Dolphins 17)
Tony Romo will get his preseason action and lead the team to a TD on his only series of the night. Dak Prescott and Jameill Showers will continue their strong preseason play with TD drives of their own.
Follow John on Twitter at @John9Williams
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Bryson Treece (Cowboys 24 – Dolphins 28)
Tony Romo will suit up tonight for the first time, and I expect at least a touchdown while he’s in the game. I want to see Dak Prescott continue his impressive poise from the Rams game, and score another touchdown or two before handing the reigns over to Jameill Showers for the night. I’ll want to see Prescott out there longer than he’ll be out there, I have no doubt.
It’s a preseason game, and true to form, Jason Garrett will place the evaluation of players over winning, so I expect a loss. And no, it’s not a big deal.
Follow Bryson on Twitter at @BrysonTreece
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Sean Martin (Cowboys 24 – Dolphins 20)
When Tony Romo returns to action for the Cowboys against the Dolphins, it means they are going to win the game. At least that was the case last year.
And while I’m predicting a much more meaningless win this time around for Dallas, all eyes will be on the offense surrounding Romo. Darius Jackson will score his first career touchdown in the win, and a late turnover will be forced by the Cowboys’ defense to seal the deal.
Follow Sean on Twitter at @ShoreSportsNJ
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Justin Grohowski (Cowboys 20 – Dolphins 17)
Tony Romo sees his first action with most of the first team offense for two series of work, scoring on one drive. Romo tempers some of the Dak Prescott hype with an impressive touchdown to Dez Bryant of his own this week.
The Dallas defense gets tested early and often through the air, with young talents at wide receiver on the Miami offense. Jarvis Landry has a few big catches, and second year breakout candidate, DeVante Parker scores on a deep ball.
The Dallas defense is able to generate a solid pass rush on a weak Miami front line, even beating Laremy Tunsil once for a sack. The hype of Prescott takes a hit as he commits his first turnover of the preseason, but still puts in another good stat line.
Follow Justin on Twitter at @grohowknowhow
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Kevin Brady (Cowboys 27 – Dolphins 21)
With Cowboys starters going for a little more time than they did in game one, I expect that first offense to score right off the bat.
Dak Prescott and Jameill Showers will then be handed a small lead, and I expect both to perform just as well as they did in Los Angeles. The Dolphins’ depth looked strong against the New York Giants last week, but I think the Cowboys 2s and 3s will step up and come out with the “w,” unlike last week.
Follow Kevin on Twitter at @KevinBrady88
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If you need info on the game tonight, check out Sean Martin’s itinerary post: Cowboys Vs Dolphins: Team Itinerary and Broadcast Information. And don’t forget to head over to Periscope and Facebook Live after the game. RJ Ochoa will have a fresh stream going to review the game on Ocho Live.
Don’t forget to give us your predictions in the comments before you go.
Let’s Go Cowboys!
