Cowboys - Raiders: 5 players to watch in their second preseason game | Minshew Kneeland Lance

We are already entering Week 2 of the preseason and there are still many questions to be answered for some NFL teams. The Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys are two of those teams with big question marks surrounding their roster. The two teams will play this Saturday, August 17 as the Cowboys head out to Vegas to face the Raiders on their home turf.

Here are some of the key players to watch on both teams.

Cowboys @ Raiders - 5 players to watch

Cowboys QB Trey Lance

Trey Lance had a bit of an up-and-down game against the Rams in the Cowboys’ preseason opener and he still has a lot to prove if he wants to make the case as Dak Prescott’s backup over Cooper Rush. He played all but one series, but did not score a touchdown on any of his eight possessions. He has just two games left to prove he’s better than he looked on Sunday.

Raiders QBs - Gardner Minshew vs Aidan O’Connell

The Raiders will likely play both Minshew and O’Connell this week against the Cowboys as the quarterback battle is still ongoing and a starter has not yet been decided. Both played well in their preseason debut against the Vikings. Minshew came in the second quarter and was 6-of-12 for 117 yards and led two touchdown drives. O’Connell had one drive and went 7-of-9 for 76 yards. This game on Saturday will likely be their last chance to show off what they can do before a decision is made.

Cowboys TE Luke Schoonmaker

The Cowboys drafted Schoonmaker in the second round last year and he hardly had any impact at all in his rookie season as Jake Ferguson stepped up as the elite TE1. In the preseason opener last week, Schoonmaker started at the TE position and still didn’t impress. He finished with zero receptions on two targets through 18 total snaps, the team’s lowest-grade pass catcher. He is going to need to prove he can play better than that pretty soon, so we’ll be keeping an eye on him in this week’s preseason game.

Raiders WR Ramel Keyton

If three’s a crowd, what’s 14? The Raiders have their top two receivers with Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, but behind them, there are 12 more receivers hoping to make the 53-man roster. DJ Turner has shone as a special teams player and is working to become more than that this season. But Ramel Keyton is more of an unknown. While he didn’t do anything noteworthy in the Raiders’ preseason opener, Keyton has stood out to coach Antonio Pierce in practices and will be one to watch throughout the rest of the preseason to see how he fights for a spot amongst this sea of receivers on the corps.

Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland

The Cowboys’ defensive depth is alarmingly thin and in last week’s preseason opener, there was hardly ever any pressure on Rams QB Stetson Bennett. Marshawn Kneeland finished the game with just two tackles and no pressures. After the loss of Sam Williams to a season-ending injury, the rookie is going to need to step up big time. He didn’t have a bad game though, despite the stats. His snaps were limited during the game and even still, he showed dominance. Plus he’s been receiving consistent praise during training camp so it will be interesting to see how he does in Week 2 of the preseason.