Preseason football is never a pretty watch, and the Dallas Cowboys proved that in flying colors in Saturday’s loss against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cowboys dug themselves an early 14-0 hole in the first quarter. While they tried their best to climb out of it, there wasn’t enough execution on either side of the ball to get it done. The good news is that Brian Schottenheimer and staff still have three weeks to iron things out before they travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles to kick off the NFL regular season.

Before then, it only feels right to underline some winners and losers from Saturday’s defeat.

Winners and losers from Cowboys’ first preseason game

Winner – RB Phil Mafah

While 10 carries for 36 yards looks like a pedestrian stat line, Mafah was the best player on the offensive side for the Cowboys. He found a groove even amidst Joe Milton’s struggles and likely would’ve had a more efficient outing if Milton had any sort of rhythm as a passer.

Mafah will need to keep performing in the final two preseason games and the rest of camp, but he’s put himself in an excellent position to make the 53-man roster.

Loser – QB Joe Milton

Bazooka Joe was out in full force at So-Fi Stadium. Unfortunately, the Cowboys needed less bazooka and more finesse from their development quarterback.

It was an erratic debut for Milton, who finished 17-of-29 for 143 yards and one touchdown to one interception. He averaged 4.9 yards per pass and tallied a 68.9 passer rating. He could have had more yards and another TD, but he overshot a wide open Ryan Flournoy on two occasions.

The backup QB battle might be more of a battle than we thought after Milton’s performance. He’ll need to play a lot better in the next two preseason games to fend off veteran Will Grier.

Winner – Marist Liufau

The Cowboys could have taken Liufau out after the opening kickoff after he flew down the field and popped the Rams’ return man as soon as he fielded the kick.

Ever playing with his hair on fire, Liufau finished with four tackles in limited playing time, including a run stop on 3rd-and-1. The second-year linebacker also made Rams running back Cody Schrader look like a practice dummy on a pass-rushing snap. He’s more than ready for the regular season.

Loser – Kemon Hall

Hall was listed as the starting nickel corner on the Cowboys’ first unofficial depth chart and he got the start on Saturday. Unfortunately for the North Texas native, he got picked on early by Sean McVay and Stetson Bennett. He was a step late on seemingly every snap that he was targeted.

Cowboys fans might remember Hall’s pick-six against the Raiders last preseason. He’ll need to rediscover some of that magic over the next two weeks if he wants to land a starting gig.

Winner – Israel Mukuamu

Despite not drawing the start, Mukuamu made the highlight of the game for Dallas when he somehow managed to intercept a Stetson Bennett deep ball in the second half. Mukuamu displayed incredible tracking, body control and ball skills to corral the pass while flying through the air.

Considering how Mukuamu and Hall performed, the former should be leading the race for the starting nickel job.

Loser – WR Jalen Cropper

It wasn’t a bad game from Cropper by any stretch. However, it was what the other wide receivers did that make him a loser, as Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy and Traeshon Holden managed to flash in the passing game despite Milton’s subpar game under center.

Holden led the team in receiving despite not checking in until the third quarter, Flournoy was Dallas’ best separator, and Brooks had two catches for 26 yards. Cooper, meanwhile had 10 yards from scrimmage (six receiving, four rushing). He needs to stand out in a big way over the next two weeks.

Loser – Jay Toia

Aside from Milton and Mafah, there weren’t many players Cowboys fans were more excited to watch debut against the Rams than Toia. While the seventh-round pick out of UCLA was able to create some push against the run, it was largely a really poor game from him.

That’s not the end of the world. These were Toia’s first real reps as an NFL player and the Rams’ offensive line is extremely physical.

At the same time, though, Toia is widely viewed as someone with the potential – and girth – to eat into Mazi Smith’s snap share and ultimately steal his job. Saturday served as a harsh reminder that he has a long way to go before that becomes a possibility.