Joe Milton’s preseason struggles will affect the Cowboys in the regular season if coaches don’t do something about it soon
Brian Schottenheimer needs to make a decision quickly.
The hope for the Dallas Cowboys was that Joe Milton’s preseason Week 2 would go better than his preseason opener. That last weekend was all about getting the nerves out and something that wouldn’t repeat itself. Unfortunately, they were met with another lackluster performance from their backup quarterback.
At one point in Saturday’s game versus the Baltimore Ravens, Milton was 3-of-10 with an interception to his name. He finished the game 9-of-18 for 122 yards, one INT, and a 48.8 passer rating en route to a 31-13 loss.
But one thing are preseason scoreboards that are forgotten the second the clock hits zero. The biggest problem is the Cowboys are being directly affected by Milton’s struggles in a way that will linger into the regular season: With him throwing the football, the coaching staff has no way of evaluating other players on offense.
Primarily, I’m talking about the wide receivers. The Cowboys arrived at the preseason knowing the battle for the WR3 job was going to be one of the most important ones. Between Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo, Dallas would have to see who did the most with Milton at quarterback. Neither has.
In the preseason opener last weekend, Tolbert and Mingo combined for one catch, which went for negative yardage. On Sunday’s matchup versus the Ravens, Tolbert recorded a two-yard catch in the first half. Mingo’s lone first-half target came in a forced deep shot by Milton that was intercepted by a safety that knew where the pass was going every step of the way.
Part of the numbers above is about inaccuracy and decision-making. Another part is the fact that the Cowboys offense under Milton has been so ineffective that the unit hasn’t been able to put many reps together.
The Cowboys have to demote Joe Milton to QB3 next week
Listen, I’m not arguing for the Cowboys to completely shut down the Milton project. The guy has elite arm talent and he’s worth having on the roster to continue to develop his talents. But we’ve seen little—like a 49-yard completion to Mingo in the third quarter—to suggest he’s going to have things nailed down in Week 3.
If Dallas wants a shot to look at Tolbert, Mingo, Ryan Flournoy, Jalen Cropper, among other receivers it should evaluate, it’s time to shake things up and let Will Grier command the offense.
Let’s see how quickly head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his staff reacts to this one. If not quick enough, the Cowboys might have to go into the regular season without a clear idea on who’s who on the roster.
Last week, Schottenheimer said he wasn’t pressing the panic button on Milton. This isn’t about that, however. It’s about giving offensive players a chance in the preseason finale next Friday.