After further review: Cowboys defense dominates in all areas, special teams huge, and offense coasts

Everything went really well last week.

The Dallas Cowboys started their new season with a nice road win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The offense didn’t do much, but they didn’t have to, so we’ll have to wait another week to give them a proper evaluation. We’ll touch on the rookie left tackle, but most of our attention will be directed where the heaving lifting was done, and that’s on defense. In our first installment of the new season, what things stood out After Further Review?

NEW DEFENSIVE LEADER

We didn’t get to see the veteran free agent Eric Kendricks in preseason, but he wasted no time reminding us what type of player he is. In his Cowboys debut, Kendricks recorded nine tackles, two sacks, and an interception. He was outstanding against the run, excellent in coverage, and a contributor as a pass rusher. Everything we hoped for from this veteran linebacker joining forces with his old coach was on full display on Sunday. Only once in his career has he missed more than two games and he’s had nine straight seasons with at least 100 tackles. He’s always on the field and he’s always doing great things. The ageless one is showing no signs of slowing down.

DEFENSIVE RISING STAR

Having a veteran linebacker in the clubhouse is great, especially if you have a bunch of young linebackers as well. And the Cowboys do. One of those guys is second-year player DeMarvion Overshown who was deprived of a rookie season after a season-ending injury in the preseason last year. Well, that’s behind him now and he is ready to go. On Sunday, Overshown was fantastic. He saw the field well, showed sharp instincts, and attacked. Whether it was the running back coming out of the flat or trailing the tight end, Overshown fired at them like a missile and stopped them in their tracks.

OLD DEFENSIVE LEADER

Not all the defensive stars in Sunday’s game were new guys. While some things change, other things stay the same. Veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was up to his usual tricks, chasing running backs across the field, applying pressure in the quarterback’s face, and collapsing on any unsuspecting prey that enters his habitat. In typical fashion, Tank was a tank.

ZIMMER’S COVERAGE

While the guys at the line of scrimmage get to make all the splash plays, you have to credit the sensational job the secondary did sticking the coverage. There were very few windows of opportunity to make a play in the passing game. Mike Zimmer had Deshaun Watson all out of sorts, dancing around in the pocket hopelessly, and often ending unfavorably for him. There was a lot of apprehension about sending rookie Caelen Carson on the outside so early as he fills in for the injured DaRon Bland. There were also concerns about how Trevon Diggs would look in his first game back after his season-ending injury last year. But considering how dominating the Cowboys’ secondary was against the Browns, we have to feel better now. Watson finished the game 24/45 passing for just 169 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked six times, threw two interceptions, and finished with a 51.1 passer rating.

And when you can’t find open receivers and hang on to the ball too long, there are usually consequences. The Cowboys made Watson pay.

GUYTON’S DEBUT

How did the rookie fare against the great Myles Garrett? Not bad. When you look at how the Cowboys approached the game, they did some things to help mask the matchup. They ran several plays rolling to Dak Prescott’s right. There were bootlegs and quick throws so he wouldn’t have to hold his ground too long. They also provided help with chipping from the backs and tight ends. It was a good plan.

When Guyton went toe-to-toe with Garrett, he did alright. There were a couple of reps where Garrett beat him around the edge real fast where Guyton never stood a chance, but there were other times when the rookie got his body squared up and used his length to keep defenders from getting into his chest. He still needs to work on his balance as he’ll lunge when he feels that a defender is getting around him, but overall it was a nice debut for a young player who drew a tough first assignment.

THE BEST KICKER IN THE NFL

This time last year we didn’t know what we had in the leg of Brandon Aubrey. Boy, how the tables have turned. Aubrey not only brings that Dan Bailey level of comfort when he lines up for a regular-length field goal, but he also adds the extra excitement from wondering how far he can kick it. And honestly, we don’t even know what that is. How many of us wanted him to attempt that 71-yarder? Whether it’s the easy stuff or the harder stuff, Aubrey is the man for the job. The Cowboys are lucky to have him.