Coop’s Revenge vs Trevon’s Triumph among key matchups for Cowboys-Browns Week 1 rumble

There’s nothing like a little bad blood to spark an instant rivalry. While Dallas and Cleveland may not have natural animosity, a nasty divorce between a team and star player offers it in spades.

Once upon a time, Cooper was the biggest playmaker in Dallas. After a failed attempt at WR-by-committee, the Cowboys traded a first-round pick to the Raiders to add Cooper and save their season. It all worked out – until it didn’t.

Why exactly the situation soured is an article unto itself, what matters here is the Cowboys were so eager to unload their Pro Bowl WR, they accepted a paltry fifth-round pick as compensation (which they turned into Matt Waletzko). Cooper isn’t an overly fiery guy, but folks can bet their bottom dollar he wants to make the Cowboys’ front office look foolish for their actions back in 2022.

Diggs is also a player with something to prove. The former All-Pro is coming off an injury-shortened season and is extra eager to show he’s back and better than ever. Unlike most cornerbacks, Diggs will shadow WRs from time to time. Given the situation at receiver for the Browns, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him follow Cooper from left to right on Sunday.

He’ll have his hands full because Cooper’s PPR jumps from 13.8 to 17.6 when Deshaun Watson is under center. With a higher target rate and an axe to grind, Cooper is going to come out swinging on Sunday.

Tyler Guyton and Myles Garrett are drawing all the headlines but it’s possible Steele and the person he’s matched up against on Sunday are the real key to protecting Dak Prescott on Sunday.

Garrett is arguably the best defensive tackle in the NFL, so Guyton deserves all the attention he’s getting this week. But Mike McCarthy is aware of the situation and extremely likely to focus all of his efforts in the direction of his rookie OT. To do that, he has to leave Steele on an island.

Anyone who watched film in 2023 knows that’s a frightening idea. Steele was nothing short of abysmal in pass protection most of last season and while training camp and preseason have offered reason for optimism, it’s still a legitimate concern heading into Week 1.

Smith is an accomplished Pro Bowl pass rusher ready to put his poor 2023 season behind him. He’s the likely opponent to face Steele, but far from the only option. Behind him is the extremely imposing Alex Wright. The 6-foot-5, 267-pound edge might be one of the more underrated players on their defense.

It’s even possible Garrett strolls over to Steele’s side to see what he can do. Garrett takes the vast majority of his snaps at right DE but he’s no stranger to moving around. Regardless of who matches up against Steele, it’s imperative Steele handles business and doesn’t require McCarthy to pull support from Guyton to help him.     

Scheming tight ends in a matchup is always difficult since the coverage changes from down to down. That’s not only tough on an article writer but also tricky for a play caller like Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy wants to call fast-developing plays for Prescott on Sunday. He doesn’t want his franchise QB sitting in the pocket any longer than he has to against this Cleveland defense so he’s going to call as many plays inside the numbers as possible. To anyone who’s been paying attention, that’s CeeDee Lamb and the tight end Ferguson.

Lamb will likely be the focus of the defense, so the stage is set for Ferguson the be the chain-mover this week. The Cowboys third-year TE has been a rising star in Dallas the past three seasons and now eyes a major breakout season in 2024. The success of Sunday will very likely come down to his ability to best the Browns’ linebacker corps and safety Grant Delpit.

The Cowboys interior linemen versus Cleveland’s interior linemen also warrant attention. Both teams will want to exhibit some degree of run-game aptitude in an effort to slow the pace and protect their passer.

The kicking matchup is also critical since this might come down a battle of three-pointers on Sunday as both offenses struggle to get extended drives.

For the Cowboys, it’s Ferguson, Steele and Diggs who will likely set the stage for Dallas’ success (or failure) in Week 1 against the Browns.

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