Some matchups are going to prove more important than others on Sunday for the Cowboys.
To kick off the 2024 season, the Dallas Cowboys will hit the road to take on the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It seems to be a tossup right now as to which team is favored to walk away with the victory, but Dallas may have the slight edge considering they have the majority of their starters returning on both sides of the ball.
This is far from a cakewalk win for the Cowboys. There’s still a lot of mystery and unanswered questions of about this year’s team, which makes this Week 1 matchup against the Browns all the more intriguing. If they do want to walk away with the “W” they will need to win some key matchups. Today, we will share the ones we think need to be watch closely.
LT Tyler Guyton vs. DE Myles Garrett
Tyler Guyton won’t be awarded the opportunity to dip his toes in to test the waters in his professional debut in the NFL. Instead, he’s being thrown into the deep end immediately having to face off against Myles Garrett in the season opener. Garrett is arguably the best pass rusher in the entire league and has the ability to ruin the Cowboys day all by himself if the rookie LT can’t hold his own. As matchups go, this could be the most intriguing and important one to follow in Week 1 for the Cowboys.
DE Micah Parsons vs. LT Jedrick Wills Jr.
To help balance the scales from the Tyler Guyton versus Myles Garrett matchup, Micah Parsons going up against Jedrick Wills is another important an intriguing head-to-head battle to keep track of. Wills is still working his way back from a season-ending MCL tear he sustained in November last year, and will maybe be less than 100% for the season opener, which could help tip the scales in the Cowboys favor in this Week 1 matchup. This could be a huge problem for the Browns and quite possibly a multi-sack game for Micah Parsons.
CB Caelen Carson vs. WR Amari Cooper
Due to Amari Cooper’s precise route running ability and his veterans savviness, he is a nightmare matchup for just about any cornerback around the league. The Browns would be wise to get him matched up with Cowboys rookie CB Caelen Carson, who is expected to replace DaRon Bland while he’s sidelined with a foot injury opposite Trevon Diggs. Carson has received some high praise this offseason, but may need some help containing Cooper. Otherwise, his NFL debut may be a rough one.
