NFL Week 1: Five compelling storylines for Cowboys vs Browns
A challenging offseason for fans began immediately after a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium, continued through a non-existent free agency season, and finalized with a still unsigned All-Pro quarterback, Cowboys Nation is ready for meaningful games. Their time has final come, as the Dallas Cowboys will travel to play the Cleveland Browns to start the 2024 season on Sunday.
That crazy offseason has led to multiple questions and concerns heading into the year. The team is leaning heavy into their draft class to fill holes in the roster. CeeDee Lamb barely joined Dallas last week after signing his new extension. The running back room is filled with older options without much explosiveness. The entire defense has too many unknowns at every level, and all of that is before they even get to the fact the Browns are a 2023 playoff team with a once great QB attempting to bounce back to his once excellent self. There are a ton of storylines going into the first game of the season, here are the top ones to look for when Dallas goes into Cleveland Sunday.
CeeDee Lamb’s ability to go full throttle
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 14: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys walks on the sideline during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on January 14, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. The Packers defeated the Cowboys 48-32. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Last season Lamb was in on 46 plays, 79% off the total offensive snaps in the Cowboys’ opener. If Lamb isn’t able to manage that to open this season, Dallas only has themselves to blame. After waiting all offseason, Dallas gave in and sign Lamb to the second-highest receiving contract behind Justin Jefferson, just like everyone knew they would many months ago. This delay in signing Lamb resulted in a holdout that extended through the entire training camp. Now he doesn’t have a typical ramp up period that helps players avoid soft tissue injuries like groin or hamstring pulls.
There is a good chance Lamb will need to ease himself into the season, or risk getting a lingering injury that hampers his play all year. The Cowboys already saw this play out a year ago when Zack Martin missed all but the last few weeks of camp, ended up dealing with injuries all season, and instead of being the best offensive guard in the NFL, he admittedly struggled with injuries.
Brown’s DL vs revamped Dallas OL
OXNARD, CALIFORNIA – JULY 30: Offensive tackle Tyler Guyton #60 of the Dallas Cowboys stretches during training camp on July 30, 2024 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
As soon as the first-round of the draft ended, Myles Garrett welcoming rookie Tyler Guyton to the NFL became a talking point. These might be the names on the marquee, but the matchup in the trenches goes beyond just two players. Garrett could easily move over to Terence Steele because he had a down year coming off of injury in 2023. His ability to bounce back or even improve on his 2022 season could be a key to this offense and this opening game.
The All-Pro offensive guards for Dallas should be in good shape, even against a tough Browns defensive line, but rookie center Cooper Beebe will have to show he can snap, transition to his blocks and hold on to good defensive tackles like Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris. Harris has had two different six sack seasons in the last five years, and even though Tomlinson is a run stuffer, he has averaged three sacks over the last five seasons. If Garrett, Harris, Tomlinson, and Za’Darius Smith dominate the new OL in Dallas, this could be a long game for the Cowboys.
The strength of Cowboys cornerbacks
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 10: Trevon Diggs #7 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 10, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
On paper this could be the top unit of corners in the NFL. Trevon Diggs was an All-Pro, and interception leader in 2022, then DaRon Bland followed that up with his own All-Pro season, leading the NFL in interceptions, and breaking the record for interception returns for touchdowns. With two All-Pro players on the outside, and a scrapy playmaker like Jourdan Lewis in the slot, the Cowboys cornerback group was nearly untouchable, but there are issues with Bland out multiple weeks with an injury.
Bland’s replacement is fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson, who has impressed all training camp, but will have his ups and downs. Lewis has never been a top of the league corner; he’s better than average, but would struggle if he had to be the top CB on the team. Diggs is coming off a major injury and Dallas doesn’t have much luck with those. If Diggs is slow to come around with Bland is out, cornerback becomes a possible weakness.
New look linebackers in Dallas
Jul 30, 2024; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (13) during training camp at the River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys have long struggled to put together a great linebacker room. Whether it was injuries (Sean Lee, Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith), or safeties playing out of position, the unit has rarely been a strength. Last season Dallas added DeMarvion Overshown but the injury bug eliminated he and Vander Esch and left Damone Clark and a safety out of position.
This season the front office might have finally nailed it. Eric Kendricks is a veteran of Zimmer’s defense, has stayed healthy and can lead a young linebacker group. Overshown looks built up, ready to take on a full year at the position, Clark is back to playing his natural position where he can just run and hit, and Marist Liufau looks to be one of the better instinctual players in the draft, even as a third-round pick.
The Browns are a tough draw for their first game because they will attack the linebacker position with the run game and play-action, plus their QB is mobile. There is no better and fair test for this unit going into the 2024 season than to begin against the Browns.
The running back rooms for the Cowboys and the Browns
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 11: Ezekiel Elliott #15 of the Dallas Cowboys after a preseason game at SoFi Stadium on August 11, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Cowboys analytics team has finally gotten through to the front office. No matter what, stop spending money or high draft capital at running back. If the offensive line and play calling is good, the running game will be good enough. The team could’ve added some young legs, but the draft didn’t fall that way, so the Cowboys brought in veterans like Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott to play roles along with Rico Dowdle. It is unknown how the rush attempts will play out, but if Dowdle is the top back in attempts and yards, Elliott is the short yardage guy, and Deuce Vaughn can add some juice than Dallas could be a much better rushing team even though their running back room got worse overall.
The Browns have adjusted to a new approach as well. They got out of their giant deal with Nick Chubb, instead signing him to a deal less than $2.5 million per season and he will miss at least the first four weeks of the season, leaving the team with backups Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr., and D’Onta Foreman to take up the slack. Both teams have a lot of uncertainty at the position, and the abilities of both the Cowboys and Browns running backs to perform are a key to victory for each team.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast
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