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Which Dallas Cowboys stood out during the team’s first preseason game?

While the Dallas Cowboys fell 28-23 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason game, there were some bright spots.

Jake Ferguson, DeMarvion Overshown, Deuce Vaughn and Brandon Aubrey have all been topics of conversation during Cowboys training camp. What did the Cowboys have to say about their performances?

Jake Ferguson

Ferguson had three catches for 38 yards in the first half which led the Cowboys. He caught all of his targets, including an impressive 26-yard catch through contact.

Ferguson spoke about the opportunities he could have this season playing on a team loaded with offensive options like CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson runs for yards while being held back by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Chad Muma on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson runs for yards while being held back by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Chad Muma on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com

“It’s going to come down to, hey, you gotta leave somebody one-on-one, but I think it starts with just having trust with the quarterbacks,” said Ferguson.

With the departure of former starting tight end Dalton Schultz in the offseason, Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot are competing for tight-end snaps.

DeMarvion Overshown

Overshown received rave reviews in training camp and led the team huddle coming out of warmups before Saturday’s game. Overshown made plays all over the field with six tackles in the first half, which led the Cowboys.

Overshown’s best plays of the night were a big stop on a third-and-short to force a punt in the first quarter and a tackle on a third-and-long which showed off his coverage ability when he raced out to the flat to make the play.

Overshown spoke about his takeaways from the game.

“Just getting out there and flying around, really putting on tape that that’s how I play ball. I like to fly around, I’m happy when I’m out there and I’m passionate when I’m out there,” said Overshown.

Brandon Aubrey

As of this game, Aubrey is the only kicker on the Cowboys roster, so all eyes were on the former MLS first-round draft pick to see how he performed.

Aubrey made his first two kicks of the game, a 26-yard field goal and a PAT, before missing his second PAT attempt of the game after a Vaughn touchdown. Aubrey went 2-for-3 on PATs in the game.

Deuce Vaughn

Vaughn has developed into a fan favorite since being drafted by the Cowboys and showed great burst in his first game consistently eluding tacklers. Fans cheered voraciously every time Vaughn touched the ball.

“That support, knowing that support is there is huge and it’s a lot of confidence for yourself,” said Vaughn, “The crowd was electric tonight.”

Vaughn led all Cowboys rushers with eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown but still saw room for improvement.

“There were a couple of things I kinda wanted back,” said Vaughn, “That’s what practice is for.”

The Cowboys will return to Oxnard, Calif for training camp before traveling to play the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 19 for their second preseason game.

Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn (42) finds the hole and rushes up field for a big gain in the third quarter during the first preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023.
Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn (42) finds the hole and rushes up field for a big gain in the third quarter during the first preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com

This story was originally published August 12, 2023, 7:19 PM.

Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a Master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.
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