Cowboys Country

'Lots of Opportunity!' Cowboys' Comeback Falls Short In Loss To Jaguars

The Dallas Cowboys made a valiant comeback, but ultimately fell short in their preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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ARLINGTON, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys clawed their way back into the game, but it ultimately wasn't enough in a 28-23 home preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday afternoon.

"There was a lot of opportunity,'' said Dallas coach Mike McCarthy. "This is our first time operating ... We'll be better next week.

"Operating,'' that is, with McCarthy as the play-caller, and the point here was about function ... with something left to be desired in form.

After falling into a 14-0 hole in the second quarter, the Cowboys finally came alive and even took the lead briefly. Dallas got the ball rolling just before halftime, when quarterback Will Grier hit receiver Jalen Tolbert for a 17-yard touchdown to get on the scoreboard. Then after a field goal on their opening drive of the half, the Cowboys put together a 10-play, 85-yard drive to take the lead, capped off with a four-yard rush by rookie running back Deuce Vaughn.

However, Jacksonville roared back to life after falling behind. They first took the ball 75 yards on eight plays to go back up by six, with third-string quarterback Nathan Rourke punching it in from four yards out. Then on their next drive, the Jaguars went 67 yards on nine plays and Rourke hit receiver Qadree Ollison for a 21-yard score, putting Jacksonville up by two scores. 

If that didn't already seal it, an interception from Grier on the Cowboys' next drive did. Even as Dallas forced a fumble and scored on the ensuing drive, it was ultimately too little, too late.

Turnovers were a problem for Dallas in this game. In addition to Grier's interception, running back Rico Dowdle and returner KaVontae Turpin each lost a fumble in costly situations. On the bright side for the Cowboys, they did force two turnovers of their own and a turnover on downs.

Grier took the reins in the second quarter and completed 22 of 31 passes for 199 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cooper Rush completed 10 of 12 passes for 83 yards in his quarter of action, while Dak Prescott had the day off. The Cowboys' offensive line allowed four sacks on the day, something they'll look to improve on.

Vaughn made a solid first impression as a Cowboy, rushing eight times for 50 yards and a touchdown. Undrafted rookie receiver John Stephens Jr. led the team in receiving with five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. 

For the Jaguars, Rourke led the team in passing with nine completions on 17 attempts for 153 yards and a score. Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence also made a brief appearance, completing five of six passes for 36 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Rookie running back Tank Bigsby led Jacksonville in rushing with 52 yards on nine carries, while receiver Jacob Harris had a team-high 42 receiving yards on just one catch.

The Cowboys return to action next Saturday when they travel to face the Seattle Seahawks. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CT and the game will air on NFL Network.

You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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