2023 Cowboys rookie report: Deuce Vaughn returns in game against Lions
How have you felt about Cowboys rookies this season
The Cowboys snapped their first (and only) losing streak on the year with a close, and controversial, win at home over the Lions. There were a handful of great performances from star players, though the Cowboys’ rookies were short on big moments in this one.
iDL Mazi Smith
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Despite Johnathan Hankins missing his third straight game, Mazi Smith’s snap count went down this week. His 16 defensive snaps were fourth among interior defenders after he had been second each of the last two weeks. That was despite the fact that Dallas faced a fairly run heavy offense in the Lions.
Smith’s performance didn’t improve with the reduction in workload, either. He failed to record a tackle and was getting pushed around most of the night. Smith had been playing fairly well most of this season, but his struggles last week led to a smaller role and continued struggles this week. That’s not the trend you want to see for a rookie towards the end of the regular season.
TE Luke Schoonmaker
Luke Schoonmaker continued his timeshare with Peyton Hendershot as the backup tight end in this offense, playing 17 offensive snaps to Hendershot’s 18 reps. Schoonmaker only ran two routes on the day without a single target, but he did solid work as a run blocker. It seems as though Hendershot has absorbed the limited targets Schoonmaker was seeing in his absence, though.
LB DeMarvion Overshown
DeMarvion Overshown tore his ACL in the preseason and is on the injured reserve for the year.
EDGE Viliami Fehoko
Viliami Fehoko is on the injured reserve.
OL Asim Richards
Asim Richards was inactive for this game.
CB Eric Scott Jr.
Eric Scott Jr. was inactive for this game.
RB Deuce Vaughn
Deuce Vaughn made his way onto the game day active roster for the first time since Week 10, when he primarily filled in for KaVontae Turpin as the punt returner. This was also the first time since the Week 5 loss to the 49ers that Vaughn received multiple carries.
