What to Watch for Against the Chargers

It feels like a long time ago that the Cowboys played the Raiders. There hasn't been much news out of training camp recently outside of the injuries to Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier. Now that we are getting to the meat of the preseason schedule we have reached the point that the starters get a lot of playing time. This is what I will be watching for:

1. Can the offensive line hold up with two starters out? Like I have said before, in some ways it is a good thing to have some starters out for the preseason. The coaches are forced to get Montrae Holland and probably Robert Brewster some meaningful playing time with the first unit. I'm pretty confident that Holland can get the job done but Brewster is a big question mark.

2. Assuming Romo gets some protection, can the offense finally find a good rhythm and score a touchdown? It sounds like the offense really found their groove in practice this week but until they score points in a game there are going to be questions.

3. Is David Buehler going to keep it up? He has been solid so far in the preseason games, but he needs to keep improving heading into the season.

4. Is Stephen Bowen good enough to start when Spears finally gets healthy. Bowen has looked pretty good so far but he still needs to prove he can stuff the run like Spears can do.

5. Who is going to win the #4 cornerback job? There are a lot of young guys vying for the job. Whoever makes the most plays will win the battle but right now it is too close to call.

6. What can Akwasi Owusu-Ansah do at the NFL level? He missed the first two preseason games but he'll be playing on Saturday. I'm excited to see what he can do in the return game.

7. Does Martellus Bennett have his head screwed on straight? He has been lighting it up in practice but I still need to see him prove he knows the play book. I'd like to see him get lined up every play without help from Romo or anyone else on the field.

8. Will Kevin Ogletree snap out of his slump? He looked so good in his limited action last year I think everyone expected him to challenge for more playing time this season. So far his play has been flat and uninspired in the first two preseason games.

9. Will the linebackers impress again? Last week it looked like the Cowboys were stacked across the board at the four linebacker spots. Having too many good linebackers is a good problem to have. I hope they look good again this week.