Cowboys’ Florida rookies had their ups and downs

The Dallas Cowboys’ two rookies from Florida had an up and down day in SUnday’s loss at Denver.

Trikweze Bridges played in his third game of the season, getting his first NFL start on Sunday. He had the lone defensive highlight in an otherwise miserable day for Matt Eberflus’ unit.

Bridges, a seventh round pick in April of the Los Angles Chargers, actually made his debut in the Week 3 loss at Chicago, finishing with four tackles in 20 defensive snaps (33.9%) and 10 more (43.5%) on special teams.

In last week’s win over Washington, he also had four solo tackles in 53 defensive snaps (79.1%).

On Sunday, he saw 48 snaps on defense (76.2%) and once again had four solo tackles. He also added two passes defended.

But his highlight play came in the first 80 seconds of the contest.

Bridges intercepted Bo Nix’s second pass of the game and gave the Cowboys the ball at their own 48.

Seven plays later, Dallas cashed in the turnover with a 24-yard Brandon Aubrey field goal and an early 3-0 lead. It was all downhill from there.

Bridges gave up four completions for a total of 57 yards in Sunday’s loss.

Linebacker Shemar James, the other Florida rookie on the roster in addition to Bridges, had his third straight start but his lowest output numbers wise.

Cowboys rookie Shemar James

James finished with just four tackles after leading the team in that category the previous three weeks. He saw 60 defensive snaps (95.2%) on Sunday.

Here’s how Sunday played out for the rest of the rookies.

On The Field

Offensive guard Tyler Booker saw all 74 offensive snaps on Sunday and added four more (13.3%) on special teams.

Defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku had one tackle and one quarterback hit on Sunday. He saw 32 snaps on defense (51%) and another eight (27%) on special teams.

Running back Jaydon Blue had 14 snaps on offense (19%) and finished with eight carries for 29 yards.

High school football player in Dallas Cowboys uniform holding football during practice.

Cornerback Alijah Clark played in his fourth game of the year, getting the start in the banged-up Dallas secondary.

Clark had six tackles on 33 defensive snaps (52.4%) in the loss.

Offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius and defensive tackle Jay Toia were both inactive on Sunday.

Stuck On The Injury Report

Defensive back Shavon Revel Jr., a third round pick, continues to try to work his way back from a serious leg injury from last year. Running back Phil Mafah, a fifth rounder, is also doing the same.

Defensive back Zion Childress began the year on the practice squad, was signed by the Houston Texans, released, resigned by Dallas and is now back on the Cowboys practice squad, injured list.

Waiting Their Turn

These three rookies are on the Cowboys’ practice squad at this time:

  • Traeshon Holden (WR) – Practice Squad
  • Rivaldo Fairweather (TE) – Practice squad
  • Justin Barron (LB) – Practice squad

Gone But Not Forgotten

Defensive tackle, and the Cowboys’ final pick of the draft, Tommy Akingbesote, was cut from the team prior to the season starting. He remains out of the NFL.

Was this helpful?


Richard Paolinelli is an award-winning sports journalist with 34 years of professional newsroom experience. His newspaper career (1991–2011) includes the Gallup Independent, Modesto Bee, Gustine Press-Standard, Turlock Journal, Merced Sun-Star, Tracy Press, Patch, and San Francisco Examiner. He received the 2001 California Newspaper Publishers Association Best Sports Story award. Richard has authored two non-fiction sports books and 11 novels. At InsideTheStar.com, he has published 874 articles reaching over 728,000 readers.

Comments

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Loading comments…
Running back holding football being tackled by defensive players during an NFL game, showcasing intense action and player athleticism from Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.
Previous Story

Cowboys’ 2025 Rollercoaster: High-Powered Offense, Defensive Struggles, and Playoff Hopes

Head coach wearing NFL headset during football game, focused on sidelines, close-up shot.
Next Story

Cowboys Must Replace Matt Eberflus — The Right Coach Is Already on Staff