Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK 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. I know it’s only one game, but the Cowboys might’ve hit a home run with the Eric Kendricks signing. The guy was all over the place and looked like that All-Pro back in his Minnesota days. pic.twitter.com/LFCVv4n5QX — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 9, 2024 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. Not only do the Cowboys have a veteran leader at linebacker, but they also have a lightning-fast youngster in DeMarvion Overshown. Fantastic debut. A position of weakness a year ago might have become a strength with this new dynamic duo. pic.twitter.com/HxntMXaQid — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 9, 2024 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. Some people will never truly appreciate the level of disruption DeMarcus Lawrence brings every week. The dude was absolutely feasting on Sunday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/RYYa5ncd7o — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 9, 2024 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. A lot is made about how Mike Zimmer disguises coverages and makes it hard on the quarterback. I can’t remember the last time I saw a QB struggle to find open receivers and how often the broadcast booth commended the Cowboys’ coverage. The secondary was outstanding on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/TZhJdx47l3 — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 9, 2024 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. The Cowboys’ defense was a collective unit of destruction on Sunday. Deshaun Watson was running for his life and things could have been much worse. pic.twitter.com/RoWCVwWArN — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 9, 2024 When you have to face the Cowboys’ defense in the season opener… pic.twitter.com/UcJJSsTidl — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) September 9, 2024 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. First real NFL action, a tough opponent, all things considered, rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton did a fine job on Sunday. When he was able to use his length and square up, nothing
How to buy your team’s 2024 NFL Crucial Catch gear
How to buy your team’s 2024 NFL Crucial Catch gear Nick Wojton The 2024 line of the NFL’s Crucial Catch Collection has arrived. The initiative released by the league once again features both apparel and headgear. All 32 teams are featured for a good cause. The NFL does not profit from the sale of Crucial Catch gear. Charitable contributions are awarded by the NFL Foundation to the American Cancer Society. Such a topic is not only felt by those on the field. Many NFL fans have felt the impact of cancer at some point in their lives and the football family can do their part all while supporting their team. The 2024 collection is available at Fanatics and includes shirts, hats and hoodies for each team. 2024 NFL Crucial Catch t-shirt Shop NFL Crucial Catch shirts 2024 NFL Crucial Catch hat And if a hat is more your preference, your team is covered there as well: Shop NFL Crucial Catch hats 2024 NFL Crucial Catch hoodie Finally, each team also has a Crucial Catch hoodie: Shop Crucial Catch hoodies Both shirts and hoodies are available in sizes S to 4XL. T-shirts cost $39.99, while hoodies list at $94.99. Shirt sizes come in both adult and kids. Hats, which come in a variety of styles, list at $45.99. Winter knit caps list at $34.99. Grab your team’s 2024 Crucial Catch gear now. For more information please visit www.NFL.com/CrucialCatch. Shop NFL Crucial Catch gear We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Cowboys linebacker room looks much improved this season after week one win
Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images The Cowboys got some elite play from their linebackers in the season opener. The Dallas Cowboys defense looked dominant against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, winning 33-17 on the road. While the whole unit looked great under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, what impressed many fans the most was the linebacker group. A big question mark heading into the offseason for the Cowboys was their depth at linebacker, as the unit was embarrassed by the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round of the playoffs last season. The team addressed the need by signing veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks in free agency, reuniting him with Zimmer who was his former coach with the Minnesota Vikings. Kendricks dominated for the Cowboys against the Browns, registering nine total tackles, six solo tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits, and one interception. When the team lost LB Leighton Vander Esch to injury last season, it not only impacted the defense from a physical sense, but also a leadership one. Vander Esch was the leader of the defense and kept everyone where they were supposed to be on the field. Kendricks seems to fulfill this role nicely, as his veteran presence against the Browns elevated the play of everyone around him. When it comes to the linebacker position EYES are extremely important and once you SEE IT .. YOU REACT .. Eric Kendricks put those traits on display yesterday pic.twitter.com/kqBeRkgkuz — J Tuck (@jtuck151) September 9, 2024 As the team benefited from the veteran leadership of Kendricks on Sunday, they also got a big contribution from LB DeMarvion Overshown in his regular-season debut. The team was high on Overshown when they selected him in the third-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he looked great in training camp before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in the preseason. After missing his entire rookie season, Overshown looked ready for the moment against the Browns, securing a team-high 11 tackles, five solo tackles, two quarterback hits, and one sack. He had an impressive fourth-down sack on Deshaun Watson in the third quarter, displaying incredible closing speed. #Cowboys’ LB DeMarvion Overshown covered over 14 yards in only 2.8 seconds. That’s a closing speed of 5 yards/sec https://t.co/UFKB2eX8pa pic.twitter.com/SMbc7cMW0R — Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 8, 2024 It’s a relief for Cowboys fans to see great play from their linebacker unit, as it seemed to be their Achilles heel last season. If they can continue getting this type of production from the group, this could possibly be one of the best defenses in the NFL. The linebacker group looks much better this season for the #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/fDdW5CCxsP — Chris Halling (@ChrisHalling_) September 9, 2024
Cowboys news: Early returns at linebacker, cornerback could not be better under Mike Zimmer
Scott Galvin-Imagn Images All the latest news off the first Victory Monday of the season! ‘This ain’t nothing yet’: Cowboys rookie CB promises bumpy ride for opposing QBs after Week 1 lockdown – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire There is no shortage of confidence with rookie Caelen Carson being a surprise starter for the Cowboys without DaRon Bland. In his NFL debut, rookie cornerback Caelen Carson lived up to the nickname given to him at Wake Forest and was instrumental in restraining the Browns’ air attack in the Cowboys’ 33-17 opening day win. The dominant Dallas defense limited Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson to a meager 3.75 yards per attempt and a 51.1 passer rating on the day, looking nothing like a fifth-round DB making his first pro appearance. “Honestly, I didn’t know how the first game was going to go,” Carson said after the win, “but I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to come in here scared.” The 22-year-old more than held his own despite being matched up against five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper, with Carson holding the former Cowboy to just 16 yards and breaking up as many passes- two- as he let Cooper catch. And he nearly came away with two interceptions. “I didn’t capitalize on my opportunities today,” the rookie confessed. “I think I played okay, but I’ve got to capitalize on the opportunities. That’s the biggest thing with a Cowboys defense- turnovers.” Dallas Cowboys have another defensive star in LB DeMarvion Overshown – Jesse Reed, Sporting News It was a long time in the making, but DeMarvion Overshown’s much anticipated debut with the team couldn’t have gone better. Overshown had 11 tackles, six stops, one sack, and two quarterback pressures. His sack of Deshaun Watson showed off elite closing speed, which caught the quarterback completely off guard. The speed he showed there was jaw-dropping, and it had people in the NLF community rightfully jumping out of their chairs. After the game, Overshown commented on his spectacular play. “As soon as he [Watson] broke the pocket, he was mine,” said Overshown, per Cowboys reporter Patrik Walker. “He thought he was gonna be able to get a throw off when he saw me but it was too late. I had him.” That’s an understatement. Speed wasn’t the only attribute he was working with on Sunday. Now check out the pure strength shown by Overshown here on this run play. McCarthy pleased with Cowboys’ win over Browns, but not content: ‘We’ve got work to do’ – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys are 1-0 for the second straight season under McCarthy. “I think September football is what the league experiences.” he said. “You don’t have the time that you used to have as far as fundamentals, and things like that, but everybody’s on the same schedule so it’s not as if one team has an advantage over the other. It’s just something to be aware of and coach against.” That September football, as he labels it, usually involves a bit of rust and that usually leads to mistakes, though most of the errors made by the Cowboys were in the realm of penalties and not actually giving up big plays on a regular basis. But having finished the contest with 11 penalties accepted, costing them a total of 85 yards of field position, it’s something McCarthy has already begun stressing as the Cowboys turn the page to the New Orleans Saints in the home opener for Week 2. “You want to play cleaner football,” he said. “We had way too many penalties. Who the hell wants to be part of a game that has 20 penalties? So we’ll spend time on that. We’ll make sure we’re clear with our players on what’s being emphasized. Report: Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson has sprained MCL, will miss ‘some time’ – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys The Cowboys may be without a big weapon in their passing game for a few weeks, but avoided a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 with Jake Ferguson. Monday morning brought official confirmation that Ferguson did not suffer a season-ending injury which is great news; however, he did sprain his MCL according to NFL Network and will miss some time. In terms of recovery time, recent history suggests it could be anywhere from three to six weeks depending on severity. It is worth mentioning that the Cowboys have their bye in Week 7 so perhaps they want to ride things out through then to give Ferguson extra time to rest and heal. In the meantime, the Cowboys will have to depend on second-year, second-round draft pick Luke Schoonmaker to man the tight end position. John Stephens Jr. and Brevyn Spann-Ford will also be important options in the offense. Update: 11:30am ET For what it’s worth Adam Schefter mentioned Ferguson is considered week to week. Dak Prescott got paid, now he needs to deliver – Richard Paolinelli, Inside The Star So far, so good for the new highest paid player in NFL history. A Regular Season Titan There is no arguing with Prescott’s regular season numbers. The Cowboys have finished 12-5 the last five seasons. Over his previous eight years, he is 73-41 as a starter. If he plays out this extension as the starter in Dallas, he’ll likely finish with all of the franchise’s passing records. He’s already just under 400 yards shy of eclipsing 30,000 passing yards. He has 203 touchdowns against just 74 interceptions. In the regular season. And there’s the rub. The Long Road Ahead If Prescott thought the pressure to win a Super Bowl for the Cowboys was intense the previous eight years, he hasn’t seen anything yet. Now that he is the top-paid player, nothing less than a Lombardi Trophy in his hands in New Orleans in February is acceptable. That comes with all of those new Benjamins in his wallet. He can’t get to the Divisional round and promptly throw two first-half interceptions. He’s done just that the last two
If We’re Being Honest: Cowboys offense was actually awful for half of Week 1 win
If We’re Being Honest: Cowboys offense was actually awful for half of Week 1 win Todd Brock There’s always something to clean up in football, always some aspect of the game that can be improved upon, no matter how good the performance. And despite a 33-17 drubbing of the Cleveland Browns which didn’t seem even that close for most of the opening-day afternoon, that has indeed been a common thread among Cowboys coaches and players since their Week 1 meeting went final. Most experts were split before the game on who would emerge victorious. The close contest that had been so anticipated that it earned “Game of the Week” status, however, became a laugher long before halftime. The Dallas offense and their two newly-signed superstars had blown the doors off the vaunted Browns defense, while the revamped Cowboys D under Mike Zimmer had embarrassed a pathetic Cleveland offense. That was the story in the aftermath of Sunday’s win. Cowboys Nation may rightfully be celebrating a decisive win over a playoff-caliber opponent and already preparing to see a jump in the power rankings for Week 2, but a closer look inside the numbers show that it may be a bit early to christen this 2024 Cowboys squad as a bona fide powerhouse. The inconvenient truth, perhaps lost in the happy haze of a Week 1 win, is that the Cowboys offense was just as bad in the second half of the game as the Browns offense had been in the first half. In several categories, they were even worse. “We were totally out of balance in the second half of the game,” McCarthy told reporters in his Monday press conference. “You’d like the [whole] game to go the way the first half went; I’m just talking about play distribution, ball distribution, all those types of things.” Sure, the Cowboys were well ahead coming out of the tunnel after intermission. But the game certainly wasn’t decided at that point, and there’s a big difference between easing off the gas a little and parking the car and walking away with the engine sputtering. A statistical breakdown by half shows that Dak Prescott & Co. did next to nothing for the final 30 minutes of play. 1st Half 2nd Half Off. plays 40 20 1st Downs 13 2 3rd Down Eff. 4-9 0-5 Rushing Plays 16 9 Rushing Net Yds 76 26 Passing Atts 21 11 Passing Net Yds 140 23 Total Net Yds 216 49 Possession 19:56 9:10 It’s worth noting that KaVontae Turpin’s electrifying punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter, while furthering the Cowboys’ lead, automatically reduced the offense’s second-half opportunities in every one of these categories. Even still, it’s awfully hard to scan that second column of stats and be crowing too loudly about the offense responsible, no matter what the scoreboard said at the end. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Of particular concern for McCarthy is the unit going 0-for-5 on third down conversions in the second half; he called that “probably our biggest negative on offense.” McCarthy often speaks candidly about “September football,” and it was on display on both the shores of Lake Erie and around the league. Silly penalties. Sloppy tackling. Inaccurate passing. Mental mistakes. Missed assignments. Guys cramping and getting winded late in games. There is a legitimate amount of rust to be knocked off for nearly everyone this time of year. Some of the shortcomings noted above will work themselves out with time and conditioning and reps. No one in Dallas is panicking, and after all, a win is a win. (And a 16-point win over a team expected to be an AFC playoff contender is a fantastic way to start the season.) And after a frustrating and tension-filled offseason, Cowboys fans understandably aren’t especially eager to focus on the negative after such a satisfyingly cathartic win to kick off the season. But pretending there’s not a problem won’t help it go away. McCarthy knows there’s a problem to be fixed; he and the offense have six days to tinker with it before trying again versus New Orleans. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys vs Browns: Micah Parsons wrecks Cleveland’s offense, earns Week 1 game ball
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Micah Parsons had an amazing game in Week 1. All things considered, Sunday went about as well as it possibly could have for the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas started the day by locking up star quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year contract extension. They finished it by dominating the Cleveland Browns, kicking off their 2024 regular season with a 33-17 victory. Don’t be fooled by the ease of victory, the Browns are a good team. Cleveland’s defense was arguably the best in the league last season and they came into this matchup favored by 2.5 points. This was an extremely impressive win by the Cowboys and will go down as one of their best Week 1 performances in recent memory. Plenty of players stood out in this game, but only one was worthy of receiving the game ball for Week 1. That guy was All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons. Parsons started the season about as well as the Cowboys could have hoped for. The 25-year-old was a true game-wrecker and tortured Cleveland’s offense all afternoon. The former first-round pick finished the day with nine total pressures, the most of any player in the league, five QB hits, one sack, and one pass defense. (a tipped ball that led to an Eric Kendricks interception) Micah Parsons had 9 pressures today, the most of any player in Week 1 so far. #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/xtZuWUpK0N — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 9, 2024 No matter what the Browns did, they could not slow Parsons down. He was chasing down Deshuan Watson all game long, and easily could have finished the afternoon with three or four sacks. .@dallascowboys @MicahhParsons11 the NFL has an MPP (Micah Parsons Problem). @Browns had nightmares with his speed and destruction #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/8HPTXx17JQ — Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 9, 2024 Tom Brady breaking down Micah Parsons’ sack: “This guy deals with more double teams than anyone. He’s just too athletic. This is what you deal with when you’re a great rusher … ‘You get two on you, you know what, put two on me, it doesn’t matter.’” pic.twitter.com/hcEsA4vj8g — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 8, 2024 The Cowboys defense pressured Deshaun Watson 25 times, including 6 sacks on 56 dropbacks. Micah Parsons led the group with 9 pressures, followed by Demarcus Lawrence (8), and rookie Marshawn Kneeland (6). Watson vs. Pressure: 5/17, 22 yards (-8.5% CPOE) Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/Z0jpbw9Vtk — Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 9, 2024 Shockingly, Micah Parsons has not won a Defensive Player of The Year Award in his three NFL seasons. If he keeps playing the way he did on Sunday against Cleveland, Parsons is going to have some hardware to add to his shelf at season’s end. 2024 Game Ball Tracker Week One – Micah Parsons
Penalties, clock snafu, offensive stalls among bad, ugly aspects of Cowboys’ Week 1 win
The eagerly-awaited dogfight between the Cowboys and Browns never really happened, as Dallas got out to a healthy lead early and never really let the home team get back into it in the season opener. It’s admittedly nitpicky to find fault in a 16-point win over the AFC’s top-seeded wild-card team from a year ago, but a look beyond the basic box score shows a fair bit of “bad” and “ugly” to go along with all the “good” that the 33-17 victory contained. Mike Zimmer’s defense certainly made a strong first impression, the special teams unit was exactly that, and neither CeeDee Lamb nor Dak Prescott did anything to make their new megacontracts look like errors in judgment by the front office. But one has to be concerned by a couple of old bugaboos that have haunted Mike McCarthy over his Cowboys tenure, and the afternoon’s most notable Cowboys injury could cause some second-guessing about what Plan B might look like. Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Cowboys’ visit Sunday to the shores of Lake Erie. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Good: The debut of Mike Zimmer’s defense If there were still any questions about how a revamped defense would look, Mike Zimmer’s crew wasted no time in giving their answer. Look at Cleveland’s first-half offensive stats: one first down, 0-for-6 on third down conversion attempts, 54 net total yards, no play longer than eight yards, just 10 minutes of possession. The Cowboys eased up some after the break but still sacked Deshaun Watson six times, picked him off twice, and limited him to a 51.1 passer rating on the day. And while established stars like Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and DeMarcus Lawrence all had very productive days, some of the new faces on the Dallas defense showed that the unit should be a force this season from front to back. Caelen Carson came dangerously close to logging two interceptions, DeMarvion Overshown flashed impressive speed and pressure skills, and Eric Kendricks recorded two sacks and a pick and led the team in tackles. Bad: Play-clock snafu negates 66-yard field goal Cowboys fans already knew Brandon Aubrey could connect from 66 yards; he did it just last month in the team’s second preseason game. His no-doubt bomb from that same length at the end of Sunday’s first half would have actually counted on his permanent record (and tied the NFL’s all-time mark)… except for the play clock that had expired just before the snap. Even more maddening was the fact that Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was sitting on two timeouts. With just three seconds to play, there was no reason to save them. McCarthy appeared to argue after the fact that there had been a mishap with the play clock resetting too early, but someone on the coaching staff should have called attention to the issue well before the time ever hit double-zero. After getting backed up five yards, McCarthy elected not to give Aubrey the chance at a 71-yarder, even though all indications have shown that to be a very makeable distance for the second-year Pro Bowler. Clock management issues have haunted McCarthy in the past. While it thankfully didn’t hurt the team in Week 1, it did cost Aubrey a share of an NFL record and didn’t do anything to reassure fans that a clock snafu won’t rear its ugly head again sometime in 2024. Ugly: Are penalties back? Week 1 is sure to bring a lot of laundry, as players and officials alike look to knock off the offseason rust and settle back into game-speed action that often skews to the sloppy side. But the Cowboys have been among the most-penalized teams in the league for the past several years, and despite it supposedly being an ever-present focus for McCarthy, the team picked up right where they left off on Sunday, drawing 11 flags and losing 85 yards as a result. The markers starting flying right out of the gates, too, with wide receiver Jalen Tolbert getting dinged for offensive holding on the very first snap of the season and effectively ruining the Cowboys’ opening possession. The penalties were split pretty evenly among the team’s units- four by the offense, three by the defense, four by special teams- but it would behoove the entire team to work on their discipline before the truly elite opponents start showing up. Good: Special teams could be special again KaVontae Turpin is a legitimate threat every time he touches the ball. Unfortunately, that has resulted in most teams making sure he doesn’t get near the ball whenever possible on kick and punt returns. But the Pro Bowl speedster made the most of his first opportunity of Sunday’s second half, finally bringing one all the way back in a game that counts. Turpin’s 60-yard punt return was the longest so far of his short career, but it was also the Cowboys’ first punt return housecall since 2017. Turpin’s five punt returns in Week 1 averaged 19.2 yards, and his lone kick return was for 34 yards. The league’s new dynamic kickoff should give him more chances overall in 2024. He’s already started capitalizing on them. Bad: Ferguson’s early exit exposes TE depth The starting tight end had logged three catches on five targets and gained 15 yards before an awkward tackle had him grabbing at his knee and limping gingerly off the field. While early indications are that he may have dodged a major injury, his exit midway through the third quarter turned a spotlight on the team’s depth at the important position, and the outlook isn’t great. (Remember that Peyton Hendershot was released at the end of camp and is now on the Chiefs roster.) Backup Luke Schoonmaker would represent a significant dropoff in the passing game. Behind him are undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford and second-year man John Stephens Jr., who was inactive Sunday and has yet to appear in a regular-season game. The practice squad’s Princeton
Cowboys vs. Browns day after thoughts: Mike Zimmer, Eric Kendricks are welcome additions
Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images One day later… the Dallas Cowboys season opener feels even better than it did in real time. The Dallas Cowboys took care of business on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns and needless to say it was the kind of thing that we all needed to see from this team. Just about every headline about the team between last season’s playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers and kickoff on Sunday in Cleveland had to do with a lack of free agency activity or contract extensions that were not happening. The Cowboys took care of extensions for both CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott recently and on Sunday the team in no way looked like one under the cloud that appeared to hover over them to this point. It was impressive in this respect. We do not need to overreact and plan a trip to New Orleans, incidentally Dallas plays the Saints next, but we can celebrate that this looks like one of the better teams in the league. Context matters in all discussions which is why we perform the exercise we are about to every week. Here are our thoughts on Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys game, one day later. The Eric Kendricks signing may have been a much bigger deal than we originally made it out to be Remember that Eric Kendricks initially agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers. No, seriously. This happened. It was an eleventh hour sort of thing how the Cowboys got the player who might wind up winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week with how he played in Cleveland. Kendricks was the first free agent signing that Dallas made and given all of the “all in” stuff, the initial deal with San Francisco and Dallas’ history with free agency in general, it was kind of a yawn sort of reaction from folks. Kendricks was a star on Sunday against the Browns. While the Cleveland offense is hardly one to brag about slowing down, Kendricks was everywhere and manning the group with serious authority. What’s more is that Kendricks did something the Cowboys franchise has not seen in almost 40 years. He joined Tommy Haynes and Jim Jeffcoat as the only three players to record two sacks and an interception in a single game. Dallas Cowboys LB Eric Kendricks recorded 2 sacks and 1 interception during Sunday’s win against the Cleveland Browns. This is the first time a player has done this in Cowboys franchise history in 37 years and only the third overall. Tommy Haynes (1987) and Jim Jeffcoat (1985)… pic.twitter.com/ILhfxpDS5J — RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) September 9, 2024 It would be foolish to expect these kind of performances every single week, and for what it’s worth while Kendricks’ name is the one in the history books, Micah Parsons deserves an enormous amount of credit for the statistics he picked up. But that is sort of the thing. Dallas finally has a linebacker capable of capitalizing on the chaos created by the teammates around him. Kendricks may have been the perfect fit for what this team has needed in the heart of its defense. Speaking of! Along those lines, Mike Zimmer may have been exactly what this team needed It will be interesting to measure this defense against Derek Carr’s Saints next week (what a time to be saying this in total seriousness), but right now Mike Zimmer looks like the perfect person for the Cowboys to have turned the defense over to. I’ll admit that I was skeptical and ultimately was down on the move. It felt like Dallas doing something comfortable and not trying hard to change, but maybe that’s because they knew the exact kind of change needed and the perfect person to implement it. All throughout training camp we heard Cowboys players talking about the level of accountability that Zimmer was instilling within them. Cleveland ultimately put some points on the scoreboard in this game, but they happened when the Cowboys had called off the horses with the game well out of reach. Maybe the Cowboys had a plan all along and it actually worked. Respect. The Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb connection will define this team, both now and long-term CeeDee Lamb “only” had five catches for 61 yards in this game, but the majority of his work came early on when the game was competitive. As Dallas put it on ice he also got a chance to rest. That Lamb looked so good in the first bit of action we have seen him during was highly impressive. The same can be true for his quarterback in Dak Prescott, and seeing how the organization just made substantial commitments to them for the next half-decade, what the team does or does not accomplish will rest largely on their shoulders. It is not hyperbole to say that the success of this relationship is among the most very important things going on with the Dallas Cowboys for the next handful of years. Seeing their connection and chemistry thrive on Sunday, albeit in a small sample size, was a great reinforcement on the idea that Dallas has made the right bet here.
Monday Night Football odds, pick and live discussion: Jets vs 49ers
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Who wins on MNF? Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season comes to an end tonight in a game featuring the New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers. This game has a few storylines including the return of Aaron Rodgers from injury. Our partners at FanDuel have the 49ers as 4.5-point favorites in the game. There are lots of numbers that say the Jets should cover the spread. The 49ers have an injury issue with Christian McCaffrey, and they just returned Trent Williams and Brandon Ayiuk. The Jets sport a fierce defense and they have Rodgers back. Take the Jets to cover, but the 49ers win 27-24. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.
Studs and Duds: Coaching staff leads Cowboys to victory over Browns
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
