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 top pass was a 40-yard strike to Brandon Johnson, son of former MLB catcher Charles Johnson, as the receiver broke up the pass down the left sideline to set Denver’s offense in motion. 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 of 24 for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the first half (120.2 rating) before Brett Rapien 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 a fourth down pass 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 of 16 for 112 yards and a touchdown in the loss. While many starters didn’t play, there were still some stories to come out of the competition. Below are some highlights from Saturday’s pre-season clash.
A non-starter
The Cowboys sat 20 players in Saturday’s game, including Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Russell Wilson didn’t make his debut for the Broncos either, and Denver rested the majority of its starters in the first. The Cowboys and Broncos participated in joint practices this week, which is why the starters did not play in it.
Big Broncos injury
One of the starters who played for the Broncos was inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, who left the game in the first minute with a left elbow injury. Just two games in, Griffith was out as trainers held his elbow while he left under his own power. Griffith figured to contribute to the Broncos’ defensive plans, but this injury looms large. Alex Singleton, who signed with Denver this offseason, will get a chance with Griffith’s injury diagnosis uncertain.
Sentencing issues remain in Dallas
It doesn’t matter if the Cowboys are playing the first or second team, Mike McCarthy’s team still has huge penalty problems. The Cowboys were penalized nine times in the first half for 65 yards — this after leading the NFL with 127 last season (7.47 per game). Dallas was also second in the league in penalties against with 1,103. The Cowboys showed signs of still being undisciplined, having 17 penalties for 129 yards on the night. First season or not, this is unacceptable.
Who is the No. 2 QB?
Cooper Rush started in Prescott’s place and his performance was subpar. Rush played in the third quarter and finished 12 of 20 for 84 yards with one interception as Dallas failed to score on its seven possessions. The Cowboys didn’t have a drive longer than 34 yards and didn’t get past Denver’s 38-yard line when Rush was playing. Ben Dinucci wasn’t much better, though he did throw a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to put Dallas on the board. What does Dallas do if the backup quarterback play remains flawless? Are the Cowboys looking to upgrade the position or roll with the Rush? Does it matter if Dak Prescott goes down? Rush has two more games to improve on this incredible 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 NFL team, yet the veteran signal caller looked almost the part of someone who wants to stay. 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 options for a backup quarterback in the league, but Johnson fills the role nicely. The 36-year-old should be on an NFL roster in 2022. Whether the Broncos select Johnson or Brett Rypien as the No. 2 quarterback will be determined in the next two weeks.
