For the Dallas Cowboys fans who thoroughly believed that Trey Lance would supplant Cooper Rush as the backup quarterback, Saturday's preseason finale was not kind to you. Lance threw five interceptions in the game, two in the end zone and one that was returned for a pick-six.
There was also a collection of fans whom wrote Deuce Vaughn off the roster. A hamstring injury shelved Vaughn for the first preseason game in addition to a week's worth of valuable practice time in training camp.
With Royce Freeman coming on strong and Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Hunter Luepke favored, if not confirmed, to make the 53-man roster, the odds were stacked against Vaughn to restore his value in time. Would two weeks be enough for Vaughn to prove he's worthy of a roster spot?
As it turns out Vaughn didn't even need two full preseason games. After rushing for 53 yards on nine carries in the first half, Vaughn didn't see the field after halftime. Vaughn's performance caught the eye of one Jerry Jones, who subtly hinted postgame that Vaughn will make the team.
Jerry Jones subtly hints Deuce Vaughn will make Cowboys' 53-man roster
"He's going to be interesting for us."
That is a very telling statement from Jones. It implies that Vaughn will have a role on the 2024 Cowboys. It is nothing less than Vaughn deserves, however. In two preseason games, he tallied 87 rushing yards on a healthy 6.2 yards per carry.
Last week against the Raiders, Vaughn led Dallas' backfield with 36 rushing yards on 6.8 yards per carry. He was slippery between the tackles and shifty in the open field. Saturday was much of the same. He was sudden and decisiveness with his cuts and his lateral movements and quick feet made it nearly impossible for the first defender to bring him down.
While Jones subtly revealed that Vaughn will make the team, it was apparent by Vaughn's early number of touches that the Cowboys hoped Vaughn would emerge as the fourth running back over Freeman, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner.
Freeman finished with eight carries, but it was all Vaughn in the first half. If you noticed, Davis and Conner handled the lion's share of touches in the third and fourth quarters.
Vaughn has a limited ceiling as a runner, but he has a wiggle and burst that can't be found in the Cowboys' other running backs. Mike McCarthy needs to be clever with Vaughn's usage (it was far too predictable last year), but if used correctly the second-year pro can help the offense as a gadget player.
The roster deadline isn't until Tuesday, but it seems Jones and the Cowboys have already decided that Vaughn has a spot on the team.
