Cowboys Rout Cardinals 34-13: Joe Milton III's Big Arm Headlines Week 2

Dallas beat Arizona 34-13 in Week 2 of the preseason in a game neither Dak Prescott nor Kyler Murray played a single snap in. That left the door open for a big-armed backup to have the best statistical day of the entire weekend.

Joe Milton III's arm was the story of this game

Joe Milton III

Milton went 9 of 13 for 179 yards and two touchdowns, a 151.4 rating, including a 53-yard strike to Jonathan Mingo. Sam Howell struggled by comparison in his own relief stint: 7 of 10 for 65 yards and an interception, a 47.9 rating.

Camden Brown's one big catch was the play of the game for Dallas

Camden Brown

Brown caught just two passes, but they went for 77 yards, a 38.5-yard average, anchored by a 70-yard connection, an explosive, low-volume flash that stood out even in a 34-point outing.

Jaydon Blue was a workhorse, and Gardner Minshew II ran Arizona's offense

Gardner Minshew II

Blue carried 15 times for 75 yards, a 5.0 average and the clear volume leader in Dallas's backfield over Israel Abanikanda's eight carries for 39 yards. With Kyler Murray never appearing in the box score, Gardner Minshew II ran Arizona's offense extensively: 19 of 23 for 177 yards, though an interception was mixed in, an 80.6 rating.

Evan Hull

Evan Hull led Arizona's ground game with 11 carries for 51 yards, while Tre Stewart flashed a 20-yard average on just two carries in a smaller sample.

Jaydon Blue is the name that actually matters

Strip away the highlight throws and the real fantasy story in this game is Jaydon Blue's workload. Fifteen carries is a genuine every-down sample, and being the clear volume leader over Israel Abanikanda in a still-forming Dallas backfield is the kind of separation that carries into September. Rookie running backs who earn early-down trust in the preseason are among the most valuable late-round targets in fantasy, because the position rewards opportunity above almost everything else, and opportunity is exactly what Blue flashed here. He is not a set-in-stone starter yet, but he is the Dallas back to prioritize if you are speculating on a committee that could tilt his way once the games count. Track whether that carry share holds into the final preseason look and the opener.

Joe Milton III's monster line is fun and largely irrelevant to your lineup, but it is not entirely noise. A backup with that kind of arm changes how a team can attack downfield if the starter ever misses time, which quietly raises the disaster-scenario floor for the Dallas pass catchers. The same logic that makes Milton interesting makes Camden Brown a name to hold loosely rather than chase: 77 yards on two catches looks explosive, but a single 70-yard connection against backups is the definition of a small sample, and the trait to remember is the speed, not the box score.

Arizona's side offers less to act on. Gardner Minshew ran the offense competently in relief, and the backfield split between Evan Hull and a small Tre Stewart sample is a depth-chart question rather than a fantasy one. None of it moves Kyler Murray's outlook, since he never took a snap. File the Cardinals portion as roster-battle context and put your attention on Blue.

What to do with this

Joe Milton III's two-touchdown, 151.4-rating game is the single best statistical line from the entire weekend, and Jaydon Blue's 15-carry workload is real volume worth tracking in a crowded Dallas backfield. Check the rookie rankings to see where Blue currently sits, and use the best ball tool to see how Dallas's backup quarterback room is being valued. Full box score: ESPN.