NFC East Blog: Cowboys Win First Preseason Game

by Bill Young

Finally, the scrimmages begin and news other than Albert Haynesworth's conditioning test can come into focus. The Dallas Cowboys looked impressive early, moving the ball easily against the Bengals in the first quarter en route to a 16-7 victory. Unfortunately, the red zone offense left a lot to be desired as the drive stalled inside the five yard line.
While the Cowboys defense may have looked impressive statistically, offenses are notoriously poor in the beginning of the preseason. Carson Palmer did not have the timing down with his receivers and the running game suffered as a result.
Offensively, the Cowboys played one real drive with starters before giving way to players fighting for roster spots. For the most part, the offense was ugly, with the lone bright spot TE John Phillips sustaining an ACL injury effectively ending his season. It is a tough break for Phillips and the Cowboys as Phillips was impressing the coaching staff and playing well before the injury with 4 catches for 60 yards.