5 winners & 3 losers from Dallas Cowboys preseason loss to Rams

The Dallas Cowboys' first preseason game is in the books as they dropped one to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 31-21.

Their start to the game was frustrating, as they seemed to come out with no energy at all. They started to turn things around in the second half, but it was too little, too late.

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With the game behind us, let's take a minute to see who stood out as winners and losers for the Cowboys in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.

Winner: Phil Mafah, RB

Dallas Cowboys defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis shakes hands with running back Phil Mafah. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With multiple running backs out against the Rams, Phil Mafah got the start and received plenty of playing time. The rookie out of Clemson rose to the occasion and was one of the few stars on offense.

He finished with 36 yards on 10 carries as well as 15 yards on two receptions. He was quick and decisive, and could have had even better numbers if he hadn't had a big run negated by a penalty.

Winner: Malik Davis, RB

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams safety Jason Taylor II. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Just signed this weekend, Malik Davis made the most of his second chance with Dallas. He racked up 63 yards on just seven attempts and looked fantastic every time he touched the ball. He's still too far down the depth chart to make the team, but might have given himself another crack at the practice squad.

Loser: Asim Richards, OT

Dallas Cowboys OT Asim Richards goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

With Tyler Guyton out, the Cowboys might need someone to fill in at left tackle. While Nate Thomas is the favorite to be the swing tackle, Asim Richards was in the mix. Unfortunately, he might have taken himself out of the conversation on Saturday.

Richards was called for back-to-back formation penalties on a second-quarter drive. The first was an incomplete pass, but the second penalty took a 14-yard run from Phil Mafah off the board. Not a great showing for the third-year pro.

Winner: Marist Liufau, LB

Los Angeles Rams RB Blake Corum pursued by Dallas Cowboys LB Marist Liufau. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

One of the starters who got to play early in the game, Marist Liufau, was all over the field. He had four tackles and seemed to be the only player who could make a stop in the run game.

As a rookie, Liufau had 50 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The Notre Dame product picked up where he left off and could be in for a huge sophomore campaign.

Loser: Joe Milton III, QB

Dallas Cowboys QB Joe Milton III throws the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Fans were excited to see the debut of new Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III, but he left them feeling empty. He couldn't move the chains at all in the first quarter and needed a couple of flags to get his team their first field goal.

Milton's first few passes were not only behind his receivers, but he had far too much zip on the throws. The second-year signal-caller settled down some, but went into the half 11-of-18 for just 64 yards.

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What's worse is he missed two players deep for potential touchdowns, including one in the second quarter where Ryan Flournoy smoked his defender.

The third quarter didn't start any better with Milton throwing a pick on an ill-advised deep ball into double coverage.

Cam Lampkin said "gimme that" 🙌 @RamsNFL

Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/X3DYPnp0EQ
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2025

Milton settled down and had two touchdowns before leaving with an elbow injury, but there’s a lot of work to be done.

Winner: Israel Mukuamu, S

Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu reacts after intercepting the ball in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Cowboys' defense finally made a big play in the third quarter after Milton's interception. A deep pass on second down from Stetson Bennett was hauled in by safety Israel Mukuamu, who beat Konata Mumpfield to the ball.

do your thing, Izzy 🫡

📺: #DALvsLAR on CBS11
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/RmDxAeDdUk pic.twitter.com/CI0HcUbgLj
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 10, 2025

Mukuamu is one of the players fighting for a big role this season and he made an impression once again.

Loser: Geron Christian, OT

Former Los Angeles Rams OT Geron Christian | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Cowboys finally scored a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't easy. They thought they would have an easy deep play to Rivaldo Fairweather, but the play was blown dead thanks to a false start penalty on Geron Christian.

He was flagged again at the two-yard line, forcing the offense to back up five more yards. They still scored, but it shouldn't have been as difficult.

Winner: Traeshon Holden, WR

Dallas Cowboys receiver Traeshon Holden at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

An undrafted free agent, Traeshon Holden has been turning heads throughout camp. On Saturday, he kept the momentum going.

It took a while for him to see any targets, but he made the most of them with 42 yards on two catches. His second was the most impressive as he helped Dallas get into range for their first touchdown when he caught a 35-yarder to move the ball to the Los Angeles 20.

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