Bubble players make their case

Not a lot of drama in Thursday's nights game. Almost all of our starters didn't even play. So how did the bubble players perform? Calvin Watkins of the DMN is on the scene.

Cornerbacks Evan Oglesby and Alan Ball are battling for a possible sixth spot at that position. Oglesby deflected a potential touchdown pass in the end zone and made a strong tackle on a run play in the third quarter.

Linebackers Tearrius George and Tyson Smith are also on the bubble.

During one stretch of the third quarter, George had a sack and two knockdowns of quarterback Brooks Bollinger. George added another sack in the fourth quarter.

Watkins also talks about two players who might see more time than expected at wide receiver. First they have to make the team though. But with the injuries to our wide receiver position, I don't see how one of these guys doesn't make the team.

Two players who needed to prove themselves were wide receivers Mike Jefferson and Danny Amendola.

Jefferson led the team with three catches for 36 yards. Amendola had two catches for 19 yards, and he averaged just nine yards in four punt returns.

Richard Bartel. Not bad young man. Not bad at all. Wade and Jason Garrett weighed in and seem to agree he was productive. DC.com's Mark Norris covers Bartel's night.

"He was up and down," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said. "I thought he fought hard the whole game. I thought at points in the game he got away from what he does well. At other spots, I thought he threw the ball really well."

Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was more generous with his praise, saying it was good to give the first-year quarterback a chance to be in control for more than a half.

"I thought he did a good job managing some of the bad things that happened around him and just kind of getting us out of Dodge so to speak," Garrett said. "It was fun to see him play. It was fun to give him a chance to play the whole game and see how he responded to different situations."

I really like this though.

Bartel finished 28 of 41 in passing for 233 yards with no touchdowns and three sacks for -23 yards, courtesy of those Viking defenders. But he did drive the Cowboys to one touchdown and three Nick Folk field goals to leave the Cowboys with a 2-2 preseason record.

Postgame wrap-up with Clarence Hill and Rick Herrin.

Cricket takes one for the team.

Wow. Randy Galloway's new article in the Star-Telegram is a masterpiece.

I'm not saying it's Pulitzer-worthy because it's not. But it's the perfect combination of sarcasm, personal digs and condescension. I'd say it's Hater Ball Hall of Fame worthy but it's more than that.

It's hate-tastic.

Just a few samples.

Side note to Richard Bartel, Cowboys quarterback:

Not bad, kid. You’ve come a long way from Tarleton State, and certainly from that day when struggling SM-who didn’t want you anymore. If Wade Phillips doesn’t go three deep at QB (Wade screwed up last August on Matt Moore in the same situation), then Thursday night might have been enough for another team to offer a roster job.

There's even a little something for the newest of Cowboys.

When "in shape" Holland distributes 325 pounds over a 6-foot-2 frame, a ratio not recommended by the surgeon general. In Denver, he was said to be up around 340.

Montrae has been a proven player, and between the Broncos and his former team, the Saints, he’s started plenty of games. Plus, new-old offensive line coach Hudson Houck loves guys with a bubble butt. Hud found himself the backend of an 18-wheeler here.

And let's not forget Killer.

Day two of Keith Davis being on the NFL street, and the Cowboys still haven’t re-signed the special teams’ coverage ace. Sources say the club is "gathering all the facts" on why Big Bill wanted Davis gone in Miami.

But it wasn’t for murder and it wasn’t for drugs (I watch The First 48 and have seen nothing from Miami involving Davis), so who the heck cares what Bill was thinking? What’s this, the Cowboys, of all teams, suddenly being picky?

It's almost as if Galloway made it rain with cynicism. Skip Brainless and Jay Mariotti would be proud.