Consorting with the Enemy - Saints vs. Cowboys

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This Friday, the New Orleans Saints close down the preseason with a trip to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Yes, those same Cowboys who engaged in boxing matches a week ago in California during a joint practice session with the Saints a week ago. We'll cover that later.

Today, we talk with Cowboys On SI editor Josh Sanchez and ask him the questions we are dying to know the answers to.

How has Dak Prescott seemed to progress this camp? Is the battle for backup heating up at all?

Prescott has been exactly who the team expects him to be: Sharp, keeping the offense’s energy up, and showing the leadership to elevate everyone around him. The QB2 battle has arguably been the most exciting battle in camp, and Week 3 will be the decider. Momentum is in Joe Milton’s corner after an impressive showing against the Cardinals, but Sam Howell still has an opportunity to steal the gig against the Saints. It is going to be interesting to see if Dallas dangles the loser of the job as trade bait before final roster cuts.

Which Cowboys player has been the biggest surprise of training camp so far who had taken a noticeable step forward - whether rookie, young player, or veteran?

Jaishawn Barham has been an absolute star. He was expected to be a key rotational job, but with a strong camp and preseason debut (where he wore the green dot and called plays), he could be in the mix for a starting job. Jonathan Mingo also deserves his props. After a slow start to his Cowboys tenure, he’s been a standout performer in the preseason and is currently the PFF's second-highest-graded receiver of the preseason (90.5) with a minimum of 15 snaps.

What position battle should Saints fans be paying the most attention to on Friday? Are there any players whose roster spots could hinge on this final preseason game?

Dallas is loaded at wide receiver, so teams around the league should be paying attention to who is on the outs. Everyone knows about CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Mingo, and undrafted rookie Camden Brown have all shown they are worthy of a 53-man roster spot.

What are the biggest questions Dallas is still trying to answer before the regular season, and how could Friday's game help provide some clarity?

Dallas hasn’t been playing starters in the offseason, so the biggest puzzle the team has been trying to solve is rotational depth along the offensive and defensive fronts. The offensive line has struggled with inconsistency and has a lot of unproven players, so we’ll have to see who steps up and could earn a bigger role in the trenches. The job is up for grabs, so whoever makes the biggest impact this weekend could land a spot on the roster.

For Saints fans who haven't followed the Cowboys closely this offseason, who is an under-the-radar player they should watch Friday night who could make an impact against New Orleans?

Because there are so many new faces on the defensive side of the ball, Dallas fans are still trying to get a grasp on who to keep an eye on themselves. However, a guy like Shavon Revel has been stepping up in a major way to start Year 2, and has been making plays throughout training camp, joint practices, and the preseason games. If he sees significant time again this weekend, he’s a guy who is almost certain to make a play.

Will last Tuesday's fisticuffs play a role in how things play out this Friday night?

Brian Schottenheimer and Christian Parker have been preaching discipline, so while things got out of hand during practice, I wouldn’t expect much to happen during the actual game. After all, no one is going to want to risk punishment with roster spots on the line and jobs at stake for the season opener.

New Orleans Saints Preseason Schedule

Sat. Aug. 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 24-20)
Sat. Aug. 22: @ Los Angeles Rams (L 24-20)
Fri. Aug. 28: @ Dallas Cowboys, 7 p.m., FOX

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