Several things were noticeable on the defensive side of the ball from the Cowboys Week 1 win.
The Dallas Cowboys couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2024 season last Sunday. From start to finish, they handled the Cleveland Browns on their way to a 33-17 victory, and the final score doesn’t tell just how lopsided it was. What made the win even sweeter was that the Cowboys did it in all three phases, which is exactly what a team wants in the first game.
New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was looked at as one of the biggest offseason addition for the Cowboys, and his defense was expected to make an immediate impact. They did that and more on all three levels, and here’s specifically what was learned about that side of the ball after Week 1.
DeMarcus Lawrence still has it
For years, the knock on Lawrence has been that he’s not the elite pass rusher that many remember him to be in years past. Week 1 saw him turn back the clock as Lawrence had his first multi-sack game since 2022, and just his second since 2018. Lawrence looked extremely fresh as his speed off the ball was impressive and resembled that of his All-Pro days.
Lawrence also continued to show his ability to set the edge and be a dominant run defender. Despite this performance, it wouldn’t be smart to expect this type of pace to be kept up by Lawrence. However, it’s clear that at any given moment, he still has the skill set to wreck a game.
Cowboys linebackers are much improved
Dallas was shorthanded at the linebacker spot in 2023 to the point that they had safety Markquese Bell playing the position although he was undersized. The addition of veteran Eric Kendricks and the return of DeMarvion Overshown paid immediate dividends for the Cowboys as the former had two sacks and an interception while the latter led the team with 11 tackles.
Kendricks put on a clinic on what it takes to get guys in the right spots and how to diagnose plays and fill in gaps when need be. As far as Overshown, his speed in the open field is extremely impressive, and his past experience playing safety helps him in coverage. Add in Damone Clark and rookie Marist Liufau, and linebacker has gone from a liability to a strength in Dallas.
Dallas found another one in Calen Carson
It was a big blow when All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland went down with a stress fracture in his foot. This gave rookie Calen Carson his shot to start, and he didn’t disappoint. While covering Amari Cooper, Carson only allowed two receptions for 16 yards on nine targets while also logging two pass breakups.
Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Carson did give up a touchdown to Jerry Juedy. However, that was a small setback to an excellent NFL debut. One thing he’ll need to work on is catching the ball because he could have had a couple of interceptions as well. Like Bland, Carson is looking like another late-round gem for the Cowboys at cornerback.
