Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Don’t be surprised if the Cowboys look a little rusty in the 2024 season opener. Ideally, the Dallas Cowboys would come out in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the 2024 season and already look as if they’re in midseason form. That unfortunately is probably unrealistic considering the majority of their starters had little to no snaps in the preseason, and because of that, will likely look a little rusty early on. Rust could be a significant factor in the outcome of this Week 1 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. The Cowboys decision to rest the majority of their starters on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball in the preseason means whatever rust they needed to knock off was hopefully done in training camp. Sadly, training camp practices may not have been enough to completely knock off all of the rust. Offensively there are a couple of big factors that could result in some sloppy play in this Week 1 matchup with the Browns. For one, the offensive line continuity may not be at the level it really needs to be at the beginning of the season. As things stand right now, it looks as if the Cowboys will have two new faces starting for them at two critical positions along their offensive line. Cooper Beebe and Tyler Guyton, both rookies this year, will need to be at their best against Cleveland and their talented defensive front. With mostly just practice reps with the other starters, communication will be key. If that’s not concern enough, the connection between Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb will only have a few practice reps to get back to where it was last season because of No. 88’s holdout. These two combined for 135 receptions for 1,749 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. Hopefully there’s little to no rust with their synchronization. We can only hope CeeDee Lamb was putting in the work during his time away from the team while contract negotiations were ongoing. Even if he was, he still may not be exactly in “football” shape right away. It may take him a little time on his own to knock off a little rust, and as such, may struggle a bit in Week 1. There might be just as much concern about players looking a little rusty on the defensive side of the ball as well. Not only are they still learning and fine tuning themselves to Mike Zimmer’s new defensive scheme, but a lot of them didn’t participate in any of the preseason either. Plus, injuries and free agent additions will play a factor as well. Jordan Phillips and Linval Joseph haven’t had much time to acclimate themselves in Dallas other than in training camp practice. That alone could have a ripple effect through the rest of the defense from Dallas’ young linebacker corps to their secondary where it looks as if they will start at rookie CB Caelen Carson as DaRon Bland’s injury fill-in on the outside. So yes, while the shortened preseason may help prevent early season injuries, it also likely means we could see quite a bit of rust still remaining for several Cowboys players. That could result in sloppiness in all three phases the game in the season opener against the Browns, but only time will tell how much it will play a factor in the outcome.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images We countdown the days to kickoff giving you an interesting fact about each number. Today is number 3 We are at day 3 of our 99 day countdown until the regular season. Here is your daily fact associated with number 3. The fastest touchdown ever recorded in the NFL was by a Dallas Cowboys player, and it was scored just 3 seconds after kickoff. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Andy Reid has consistently demonstrated a willingness to adopt an aggressive approach during games. However, in his fourth season with the Eagles, this boldness proved to be counterproductive when they encountered a unique situation: trailing by a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys just three seconds into the game, a scenario unprecedented in the history of the league. In a significant Week 6 matchup in 2003 featuring the Cowboys and the Eagles, kicker David Akers initiated the game with an onside kick. However, rather than the Eagles recovering the ball, Cowboys receiver Randal Williams intercepted it mid-air, demonstrating his preparedness for the play and marking the beginning of a record-setting event. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Williams earned a reputation as a remarkably swift player. As he secured the ball, Williams utilized his remarkable quickness to evade a tackle attempt by an Eagles player, making a direct dash toward the end zone. This remarkable 37-yard return consumed merely three seconds of game time, establishing an NFL record that remains unbroken. Given the recent changes to kickoff regulations, it appears that this record may never be surpassed. The new kickoff rules will ensure that Randal Williams will keep the record for the fastest TD scored. 3 seconds. pic.twitter.com/10hlnpGqZU — Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 26, 2024 Dallas ultimately triumphed in the match with a score of 23-21, underscoring the significance of the touchdown in securing their victory.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys defense is set to look a lot different than in recent years, bringing back former coordinator Mike Zimmer as Dan Quinn departed for the Washington Commanders head coaching job. Quinn left behind plenty of talent for Zimmer with many of these recognizable players sitting out the preseason and showing the Cowboys have no intention of taking a step back on this side of the ball. Unfortunately, to do so early in the season they will need to overcome two significant injuries suffered in training camp. DE Sam Williams was lost for the season and last year’s record-breaking CB DaRon Bland will reportedly miss at least six weeks with a foot injury. The Cowboys should be fully embracing the chance to show a new defensive look to teams with the wisdom and experience from a veteran coordinator like Zimmer. Week 1 on Sunday afternoon is no easy task to get off on the right foot though, as the Cowboys go on the road to the Browns for a meeting against former WR Amari Cooper, as well as Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy, and a stout offensive line that plays in protection of potentially dangerous QB Deshaun Watson. Where should the Cowboys, and their fans, have the most confidence throughout the defense expected to see the field on Sunday? Here is our ranking by position group. Cornerback Players: Trevon Diggs, Caelen Carson, Andrew Booth Jr., Jourdan Lewis, C.J. Goodwin It says a lot about not only the way new players have stepped up at cornerback, but the coaching of both Zimmer and secondary/assistant head coach Al Harris, that this position group still leads off the list despite not starting the season with Bland. The ball-hawking pairing of Bland and Diggs playing in tandem will still have to wait a little longer, but welcoming back Diggs himself after an ACL tear in 2023 is big. Diggs is still more than capable of taking away an opposing team’s top weapon, and perhaps more importantly putting fear into quarterbacks to even test his side of the field. When paired with the pass rush the Cowboys can consistently expect to get from a player like Micah Parsons, Diggs is regularly put in position to play to his best strengths. Of course, if fewer throws come in the direction of Diggs on Sundays, other Dallas defenders will be tested. Veteran Jourdan Lewis has looked rejuvenated in this new defense, seeing the field more as the Cowboys shift their trust on the backend to true defensive backs and less hybrid linebacker types. Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Lewis has made the most of these reps by finding the ball and finishing with a patented competitiveness through the catch point. His best spot in the defense is still as a slot cornerback, leaving the Cowboys to look elsewhere on the depth chart for their early-season replacement for Bland’s outside position. It looks like rookie Caelen Carson will get the first shot at replacing Bland. The Wake Forest prospect has done absolutely everything he can to stand out in his first offseason with the team, playing physical and never backing down from lining up against the Cowboys’ own top pass catchers in Oxnard, but the speed of regular-season games in the NFL can be jarring for rookies. The team will probably offer him plenty of safety help to start the year. Behind Carson would be some combination of Andrew Booth Jr. and flexible safety/corner Israel Mukuamu. Booth is the newest addition to this group as a trade acquisition late in the preseason and natural scheme fit for Zimmer’s defense. Booth needs to work on tracking the ball over his head and locating it to defend passes, but he is a sure tackler on the boundary that can still play a role funneling routes to help defenders elsewhere in the secondary. Mukuamu would likely be a “break glass in case of emergency” guy. Mike Zimmer has made a career for himself in football long enough to be two or three careers combined for other coaches that come and go, mainly because of his prowess in coaching defensive backs and getting the most out of a secondary. They may not be at full strength to start the season, but the Cowboys are more than ready to lean on the trust of Zimmer, Harris, and Diggs as a clear CB1 to start the season feeling very confident about this group. 2. Safety Players: Israel Mukuamu, Donovan Wilson, Markquese Bell, Juanyeh Thomas, Malik Hooker This was a fascinating position group to watch throughout the offseason, as once again the Zimmer effect will be in full effect as a coach not only renowned for getting the most out of cornerbacks, but also safeties. Just about every NFL fan can name a safety that’s played under Zimmer and had success, targeting a specific type of rangy, cerebral player that can chase down throws into coverage and play physical against the run. However, instead of going out and getting these types of players for their new defensive coordinator, the Cowboys have left the safety position as perhaps the most recognizable carryover group from Quinn’s time as coordinator. Nonetheless, just like at CB, the immediate results have been there for a deep group of experienced safeties. Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker may be the most obvious starters that fit the traits just mentioned that Zimmer covets, but both have dealt with durability concerns throughout their career. Even if this duo is able to suit up for all 17 games, the Cowboys are not going to hide their depth at safety, and have the versatility to use all of the players here to their advantage. Markquese Bell is now back at his natural position of safety after playing linebacker for Quinn. Playing on the second level as an enforcing box safety against the run may still be a needed role for the Cowboys defense that Bell can handle while they sort

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images Jim Schwartz has long been on the opposing sideline of Mike McCarthy The Dallas Cowboys face a relatively unfamiliar opponent in this Sunday’s season opener, the AFC North’s Cleveland Browns. While these cross-conference teams don’t see each other often, a key figure for the Browns has plenty of history with the Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy. Cleveland’s defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, tangled with Dallas and McCarthy during his past jobs with the Eagles and Lions. Schwartz was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2016-2020, including their Super Bowl season in 2017. He had a very positive impact on them overall, taking one of the league’s worst defenses and making them good enough to consistently compete both in the NFC East and the conference as a whole. Matchups against Philadelphia have always been some of the biggest for Cowboys QB Dak Prescott during his run, and for his first five seasons those games involved a Schwartz defense. While coordinators do change over time, especially with a move to a different team, Schwartz has been at this a long time and is only going to adapt so much. You can be sure that those years of going up against the Eagles will benefit Prescott, plus longtime backup and game prep aid Cooper Rush, as they get ready for what Schwartz might throw at them this week. They should also have confidence from having gone 6-4 against the Eagles during that time. Before Schwartz ever got to Philadelphia, he was most known for a five-year stint as head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009-2013. This coincided with Mike McCarthy’s long tenure as coach of the Green Bay Packers. As they did with most NFC North teams during those years, McCarthy’s Packers dominated Detroit with an 8-2 record while Schwartz was head coach. Granted, Schwartz was not the Lions’ DC back then but he still had considerable influence on that side of the ball. To be fair, Detroit was a very mismanaged team back then and there only so much any coach could do. Plus, McCarthy had one of the NFL’s all-time cheat codes in QB Aaron Rodgers at his career apex. We’re now over a decade removed from those games and with two very different teams for both coaches, so there’s only much the history applies to now. Still, it’s safe to say that McCarthy has plenty of practice going up against Schwartz and will have lots to share with Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. This familiarity goes both ways, of course. Schwartz has schemed against QB Dak Prescott plenty of times and had success against him. Some of Prescott’s lowest-rated performances in those first four years came against the Eagles, so Schwartz knows how to frustrate him. While Prescott is an older and wiser passer now, and he’s not running Scott Linehan’s offense anymore, we’ve also noted tendencies that have never left him since entering the NFL. This will be just the fifth meeting between Dallas and Cleveland since the year 2000, so a lot changes between each game. The Browns are almost an entirely different team now than the one we saw in 2020, but Jim Schwartz provides at least one known element for the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. We’ll find out soon how that knowledge benefits one side or the other.

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images Here is the Dallas Cowboys injury report for Wednesday  The NFL season will soon be upon us. Before the Dallas Cowboys take the field on Sunday, we’ll be treated to two games before the weekend, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night and the Green Bay Packers and the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles in an international showdown in Brazil on Friday. The Cowboys returned to practice in preparation for their season opener at Cleveland and we have the injury report. #Browns #Cowboys injury report for Wednesday: pic.twitter.com/1uH99rG161 — Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 4, 2024 As expected, cornerback was DaRon Bland has been placed did not practice and will be sidelined for multiple weeks with a foot injury. Damone Clark and Marshawn Kneeland practiced fully even though they were listed with knee injuries respectively. Juanyeh Thomas, who was hampered by a groin injury, returned to practice and practiced in full. Tight end John Stephens Jr. did not practice (hamstring). As for the Browns, several of their starters were limited Wednesday. Among the names on the injury report were Jack Conklin, Jerry Jeudy and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images We countdown the days to kickoff giving you an interesting fact about each number. Today is number 4 We are at day 4 of our 99 day countdown until the regular season. Here is your daily fact associated with number 4. He was taken in the fourth round, he’s fourth among Cowboys quarterbacks in total wins, he wears 4 for Dallas. Yes you guessed it, we’re talking Dak Prescott. Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Rayne Dakota Prescott was born July 29th, 1993 and was drafted by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft. The team had their starting quarterback in Tony Romo, and future offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was the team’s backup quarterback. During a routine practice, Kellen Moore had broken his ankle and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. In a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, Romo was injured after an awkward tackle and would lead to the much beloved signal-caller missing a large portion of the season with a back injury. When talking about Dak Prescott’s ability to handle a lot as a young QB, Jason Witten has vividly recalled this play on multiple occasions as an example of how nothing has been too much for Dak: Rookie year. Third preseason game. First play after Tony Romo went down. 3rd-and-8. pic.twitter.com/bUvfogfs6J — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 27, 2019 This situation propelled the young rookie quarterback from Mississippi State into the starting role, marking the first time a rookie has started at quarterback for the Cowboys since Quincy Carter in 2001. What followed was astonishing, as Dak had 3,667 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, and only four interceptions. This remarkable season instilled genuine optimism among Cowboys fans, leading to Dak receiving the Rookie Offensive Player of the Year award and earning a spot in his inaugural Pro Bowl. Prescott is first Cowboys rookie QB to make the Pro Bowl. It’s also the first time two Cowboys rookies (Dak, Zeke) have made the Pro Bowl. — Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) December 21, 2016 In the subsequent two seasons, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys demonstrated significant productivity as an offensive team. While Dak’s passing efficiency remained largely consistent, his ability to scramble and rush became crucial in propelling Dallas to victories. He secured his inaugural playoff victory against the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 and made a return to the Pro Bowl. Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images In 2019, Prescott concluded the season with 4,902 passing yards, placing him second in the league, alongside 30 touchdowns, which ranked fourth among starting quarterbacks, and 11 interceptions. The team finished with an 8-8 record, ultimately missing the playoffs. The following year, 2020, was marked by Dak’s prominence in the headlines due to his contract negotiations and his status under the franchise tag. Dak was performing exceptionally well, enjoying a career year until a devastating ankle injury in Week 5 sidelined him for the remainder of the season. His performance had been remarkable, suggesting he was in contention for the MVP award. As the next season approached, discussions regarding Dak’s contract dominated the news cycle. Ultimately, he signed a four-year contract extension worth $160 million, with $126 million guaranteed. This agreement included a signing bonus of $66 million, which was the largest in NFL history at that time. Take a bow, @Dak Prescott! 25-for-32 405 yards 4 TDs@dallascowboys | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/UTnH3aH6mB — NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2019 In 2021, Dak had a fruitful season despite the challenges of recovering from a severe ankle injury. He played a crucial role in leading the team to another playoff appearance, but their journey was cut short by the San Francisco 49ers. In a dramatic final play with just 14 seconds remaining, Prescott executed a quarterback draw for 17 yards but was unable to spike the ball in time to stop the clock, resulting in the team’s elimination from the playoffs once again. Dak Prescott: 84.1 PFF Grade when under pressure this season 1st among QBs ⭐️ : @dallascowboys pic.twitter.com/SNqoUjSghJ — PFF (@PFF) November 16, 2021 The 2022 season did not commence as anticipated for Dak Prescott. In the opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he sustained a thumb injury after his hand collided with a defender’s helmet, resulting in a fracture. Consequently, Prescott was sidelined for six weeks before making his return in Week 7. By the conclusion of the season, he had accumulated 2,860 passing yards, achieved a completion rate of 66.2%, thrown 23 touchdowns, and recorded a season-high of 15 interceptions over the course of 12 games. The interception rate became a focal point in mainstream media throughout the offseason, overshadowing the positive achievements Prescott had made that year. In the Wild Card Round, he excelled by completing 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards, along with four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown, leading the Cowboys to a 31–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This marked Prescott’s most significant playoff win, signaling to other teams the Cowboys’ potential. When someone ever asks about Dak Prescott’s best performance in a meaningful game, I offer you 57 seconds of his masterpiece in Tampa Bay from the ’22 playoffs. pic.twitter.com/7RftRI8N1o — Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) January 17, 2023 The following week, Dallas faced the 49ers in the Divisional Round, where the game concluded with a score of 19-12. In 2023, Dak Prescott arguably experienced his finest individual season to date. He topped the league with 36 passing touchdowns, ranked third in passing yards with a total of 4,516, and secured the second position in passer rating at 105.9. Additionally, his 242 rushing yards marked the highest total since his 2019 campaign. Despite his remarkable performance and showcasing some of the best football of his career, the team was unable to advance in the playoffs, perpetuating the ongoing discussion regarding his playoff success, or the absence thereof. DAK. CEEDEE. TOUCHDOWN. pic.twitter.com/HLE5I4wtDc — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) December 11, 2023 Dak Prescott ranks among the elite