Joint practices saw the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos sit most of the starters at Saturday’s preseason opener, creating an opportunity for the second team’s players to show why they can contribute in 2022. Josh Johnson stated that still belongs in the league, even. if the Broncos are the 14th team he has played for in his career.
Starting in place of Russell Wilson (rest), Johnson threw two touchdown passes in the first half to lead Denver to a 17-7 victory, which wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. Johnson’s highlight pass was a 40-yard strike to Brandon Johnson, son of former MLB catcher Charles Johnson, as the catcher looped the pass down the left sideline to get Denver’s offense moving. Johnson then found Seth Williams for a 1-yard touchdown three plays later to put the Broncos up 7-0, a lead they would not relinquish.
Johnson also found Kendall Hinton for a 24-yard score on a rainbow touchdown pass to give Denver a 14-0 lead. He went 16-for-24 for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the first half (120.2 rating) before Brett Rypien relieved him for the remainder of the contest.
Cooper Rush started for the Cowboys in place of Dak Prescott (rest). He finished 12 of 20 for 84 yards with one interception, which came on fourth down in the first quarter in Denver territory. The Cowboys didn’t get on the board until the fourth quarter on a 12-yard pass from Ben Dinucci to Simi Fehoko with 4:56 left. Dinucci went 9-for-16 for 112 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
While many headliners didn’t play, there were still some stories that came out of the contest. Below are some highlights from Saturday’s pre-season clash.
A non-starter
The Cowboys carried 20 starters into Saturday’s game, including Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Russell Wilson also did not debut for the Broncos, as Denver also rested most of its starters in the opener.
The Cowboys and Broncos participated in joint practices this week, so the starters did not play in this one.
Big injury for the Broncos
One starter who did play for the Broncos was inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, who left the game in the first minute with a left elbow injury. Just two plays in, Griffith was out as trainers grabbed his elbow as he left under his own power.
Griffith figured to factor into the Broncos’ plans on defense, but this injury appears significant. Alex Singleton, who signed with Denver this offseason, will get a chance with Griffith’s injury diagnosis uncertain.
Penalty woes continue in Dallas
It doesn’t matter if the Cowboys play first or second team, Mike McCarthy’s team still has massive penalty trouble. The Cowboys were penalized nine times in the first half for 65 yards, after leading the NFL with 127 last season (7.47 per game). Dallas was also second in the league in penalty yards against with 1,103.
The Cowboys showed signs that they are still undisciplined, with 17 penalties for 129 yards on the night. Preseason opener or not, this is unacceptable.
Who is the No. 2 QB?
Cooper Rush started in place of Prescott and his performance was subpar. Rush played in the third quarter and finished 12-for-20 for 84 yards with an interception as Dallas went scoreless on its seven possessions. The Cowboys didn’t go beyond 34 yards and didn’t go past Denver’s 38-yard line when Rush played.
Ben Dinucci wasn’t much better, though he did throw a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to get Dallas on the board. What does Dallas do if the backup quarterback’s play continues to lackluster? Are the Cowboys looking to upgrade the position or roll with Rush? Does it even matter if Dak Prescott goes down?
Rush has two more games to improve on this uninspiring performance.
The Josh Johnson Show
Johnson started for Russell Wilson and was impressive in the first half as the No. 2 quarterback. The Broncos are Johnson’s 14th team in the NFL, but the veteran signal caller looked like someone who wants to stick around.
Johnson went 16-of-24 for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the first half (120.2 rating), showing zip on his passes and excellent leadership of his receivers. There are better backup quarterback options around the league, but Johnson fills the role very well.
The 36-year-old should be on an NFL roster in 2022. Whether the Broncos choose Johnson or Brett Rypien as their No. 2 quarterback will be determined over the next two weeks.