Studs and Duds: Coaching staff leads Cowboys to victory over Browns

Mike Crum

The Dallas Cowboys have had a horrible taste in their mouth for months following the disappointing end to the 2023 season. After the “all-in” offseason included a long wait to get extensions for CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, everyone just wanted to get on the field and play the Cleveland Browns. The team hit their mark as they took out all their frustrations as a road underdog, dominating all aspects of the game for a 33-17 win.

A performance like this from all units of the team leads to positive vibes for the players, leaving plenty of studs to pick from for their elite performances. There were a few duds who need to improve as the season goes on, but they get a break for a poor performance since the team blew out their opponent.

For the Cowboys it was the best of both worlds.

Studs: Coaching staff

OXNARD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 8: Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer of the Dallas Cowboys paces the sideline during a joint practice with Los Angeles Rams at Cowboys training camp on August 8, 2024 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The big sell for Dallas’ offseason was an upgrade on defense with the hiring of Mike Zimmer, but with a loss of depth, it was an unknown if Zimmer would have the pieces necessary to be good on that side of the ball. Dominant is the perfect word to describe their Sunday performance.

The Cowboys defense allowed just a single first down in the first half, holding the Browns to two conversions on 15 third-down attempts while adding six sacks and two interceptions. Cleveland only averaged 2.7 yards per pass despite Dallas lining up a rookie corner against Amari Cooper most of the game. Zimmer was better than advertised in their first game.

John Fassel had a great day as special teams coach as well, with KaVontae Turpin returning a punt for a touchdown and Brandon Aubrey hitting on all seven of his kicks. Aubrey even hit an eighth kick from 66 yards before halftime, but a clock malfunction caused a penalty to take away the record tying blast. He still had a long of 57 yards.

Duds: WR Jalen Tolbert

OXNARD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 8: Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 and wide receiver Jalen Tolbert #1 of the Dallas Cowboys practice hand shakes during joint practice with Los Angeles Rams at training camp on August 8, 2024 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Once the Cowboys pulled ahead 14-3, the offense went conservative, making sure the excellent Cleveland defense couldn’t impact the game for the Browns. This led to receivers not getting many chances to make an impact. Prescott only threw 32 total times for just 4.7 yards per pass. Regardless, Jalen Tolbert made zero impact in the opening game of the year after an impressive training camp.

Tolbert was the least impactful player on the team of any player who accrued stats. He had fewer receiving yards than Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Jalen Brooks, Hunter Luepke, and Jake Ferguson. Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle both were relatively impactful in the run game and Turpin added his return touchdown. Tolbert came in as the clear third receiver, with some saying he could battle for the second spot, but he made no impactful plays against the Browns.

Studs: Edge Micah Parsons

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 11: Micah Parsons #11 of the Dallas Cowboys before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on August 11, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

All offseason the talk was about what Myles Garrett would do to the rookie left tackle of the Cowboys and how they couldn’t let him wreck the game, but it was Micah Parsons who ended up ruining the Browns chances at a Week 1 victory. Parsons stat sheet doesn’t jump out with only four tackles, a sack, and a tackle for a loss, but he was the most impactful player on the field by a mile.

He caused multiple early penalties on the offensive lineman across from him, putting Cleveland in tough situations offensively. He tipped a pass that ended up intercepted by Eric Kendricks, pressured Watson causing him to run into Demarcus Lawrence for a sack, and he even dropped in coverage leaving the Browns offensive line confused allowing Kendricks took advantage with a sack. Parsons started off his defensive player of the year campaign with a stud performance for the Cowboys.

Duds: First down runs

Dec 24, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) rushes with the ball during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The duds for the run game’s poor performance could go to the offensive line or the running backs, but the predictable play calling probably was the largest issue. The innovative play callers for the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, or Detroit Lions aren’t walking through the door here in Dallas, but the first-down, up the middle runs haven’t been effective here for the entirety of the Mike McCarthy era.

Dallas had two runs on first down to Lamb, they were sweeps that went for 10 and 12 yards, other than that they had one first down run all game that went for four yards or more. The total for running backs on first down was 19 yards on 11 carries. That is a putrid average of 1.72 yards per attempt, a complete dud for the offense.

Studs: Linebackers

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 17: Eric Kendricks #50 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

Dallas isn’t known for signing impactful free agents, content to build their team by drafting and developing, but Eric Kendricks made the mark of a top-tier free agent in Week 1. He filled the stat sheet like his name was Caitlin Clark, accumulating nine tackles, two sacks, a pass deflection, and an interception. He showed why he was brought in to lead the Zimmer defense he knows so well and his counterpart, DeMarvion Overshown, was equally impressive.

Overshown looked like a star, moving faster than almost everyone around him. He led the team with 11 tackles, had one for a loss, and his fourth-down sack caused a turnover on downs. Every time Watson tried to run, Overshown was there just like he said he would be days before the game. His playmaking was very timely, his second QB hit led to an incomplete pass on fourth down and another turnover.