The first Cowboys touchdown of the exhibition season came with 13 seconds to before halftime, Saturday. And it happened just when fans were shaking their heads over this new offense.
But Will Grier to Jalen Tolbert woke the place up as Dallas cut the score to 14-7 to Jacksonville before intermission. Although exhibition games are pretty meaningless, the touchdown was meaningful to both Grier and Tolbert.
It was Tolbert’s first-ever touchdown for the Cowboys. And Grier, who is vying for second-team quarterback behind Dak Prescott, needed a highlight play. Grier found the weakness in the Jaguars two-deep zone as Tolbert caught a wide open touchdown.
It’s worth another look:
At halftime, Mike McCarthy said in a Cowboys TV interview that he wanted to see Grier to “take the completions.” The former West Virginia star might’ve been looking for more spectacular plays as opposed to the routine ones that move the sticks. However, McCarthy said that Grier definitely got the offense going.
Grier continued his hot streak, leading the Cowboys to a field goal on the opening drive of the second half. However, he likely made McCarthy shake his head in disapproval. That’s because a penalty wiped away a Grier interception when the quarterback was going for a big pass rather than running for a few yards.
The Cowboys selected Tolbert in the third round of last year’s draft. He made one start and caught two passes for 12 yards.
McCarthy opted to keep his starters on the sidelines for the opening preseason game. That gave him an extended look at the younger players, including the top rookies. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson used his first-teamers in the first quarter. Trevor Lawrence and Christian Kirk combined for the first TD. Backup QB CJ Beathard then scored on a keeper to give the Jaguars a 14-0 cushion.
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