Rocky (Mountain) Start: WR Jalen Tolbert on 'Learning Experience' in Cowboys Debut
Even in a 17-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Empower Field at Mile High Saturday night, there are some positives to take away for the Dallas Cowboys in what was an overall forgettable Week 1 of preseason for coach Mike McCarthy and company.
This list, though short, isn't all negative, depending on how you look at it. Dallas didn't get shut out. The defensive line showed some promise, allowing just 39 rushing yards. No major injuries occurred for the Cowboys. The loss also means nothing in the grand scheme of this season.
Another notable point on the list one was that of Dallas' top rookies, receiver Jalen Tolbert, led the team with seven targets as he preps for a year full of plentiful opportunities. But, as he finished with just two catches for 10 yards, he wasn't without his own mishaps in a mistake-filled night for the team.
"I won some routes early on," he said. "I think we had our opportunities there. Overall, the outcome didn't come out the way we wanted it to be, but we’re gonna go back to work and keep competing against each other and come out next weekend and improve upon what we just put out there."
Tolbert had a dropped pass on a would-be fourth-down conversion in the second quarter followed by a false start two possessions later. It's important to get these mistakes out of the way early, but he's holding himself to a higher standard.
"Just got in there too fast," Tolbert said. "That's something that I've got to work on. That's a learning experience for me. I've got make that play. Next time it comes to me, fourth down or first down, I'm going to make that play."
A few of his looks went wrong in ways the young receiver can’t be faulted for. Quarterback Cooper Rush got smacked as he threw a pass well behind Tolbert's route trajectory, resulting in a early interception.
Even the dropped pass was one that was tipped as it headed his direction. But the third-round receiver is expected to haul in most catchable balls, regardless of the often unpredictable flight pattern.
"It was just one of those things … a learning experience," he said. "I gotta get better at those things and work along with the quarterback. I'm just gonna go back to practice and improve on the things that I need to."
Despite coming from a smaller program like South Alabama, he admits the game didn't feel too fast for him on one of football's most famous stages.
"Overall, it's kinda similar, the speed is," he said. "Now, it's just you gonna have different looks than you would at practice. It's not set up for you to really win I guess you could say. You just gotta go out and be able to make moves on the fly, be able to concentrate on certain things."
He'll have a week to assess the situation. Dallas will take on another AFC West foe for Week 2 of preseason, as the Cowboys will travel to SoFi Stadium for a matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
And if Tolbert continues to lead the team in targets, the numbers - and confidence - will continue to swell.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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