Blogging The Boys
A surprise game from an old friend who was just re-signed.
A little more than 24 hours ago, Malik Davis was sitting at home and waiting for another chance to prove himself in the NFL. As fate would have it, when his phone rang on Thursday evening, it was the very same Dallas Cowboys on the other line that signed him as an undrafted rookie in 2022.
And, less than one full day after arriving to practice in Oxnard, Davis was being sent onto the field in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason opener — devouring his opportunities at every turn.
“It’s been great,” Davis said of his whirlwind weekend. “I was called and given an opportunity, and I went out there and made the best of the opportunity I got. … It goes to the trust they have in me and the trust I have in them. They trust in me to go out there and show that I can pick up the playbook on short notice and apply it, and I showed myself that I’m capable of doing that.”
In limited minutes and with only seven handoffs, Davis racked up 63 yards on nine yards per carry with a 16-yard run that added to his total impact, leaving SoFi Stadium as the team’s leading rusher on the evening; and by a large margin.
“It’s a great feeling when you’re able to go out there and put on a great performance for your teammates and coaches and, most of all, proving to myself that I belong here.”
Thoughts on the game.
Rams: The Rams don’t play their starters during the preseason, so the new faces to get extended looks on Saturday evening against the Cowboys were mostly their rookie class.
Two standouts for Los Angeles on defense were third-round linebacker Josaiah Stewart and fifth-round linebacker Chris Paul Jr. Stewart sacked Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III early in the second quarter. Paul wore the green dot, which means he was relaying the defensive playcalls.
The Rams’ top 2025 draft pick, second-round tight end Terrance Ferguson, did not play, as he is dealing with a groin injury. — Sarah Barshop
Next game: at Los Angeles Chargers (7 p.m. ET, Aug. 16)
Cowboys: After games like Saturday, it must be pointed out that quarterback Joe Milton III is in his second year. There will be growing pains even if the Cowboys are counting on him as Dak Prescott‘s backup.
He was off target on his first three throws of the game and his first completion lost 1 yard. Accuracy was an issue. To open the second half, he was intercepted after he forced a deep ball...
