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CLEVELAND — The wait was over and the games officially began to matter, but first it was Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys delivering blockbuster news by way of a historic multi-year deal that secures him as the team's franchise quarterback through the 2028 season.
But while that news was still moving at fever pitch across all media platforms, the Cleveland Browns had sights on spoiling the celebration.
Prescott and Lamb were looking to get off of a hot start, the latter having missed all of training camp due to a contractual holdout that ended in a megadeal of his own, but the offense also featured the return of Ezekiel Elliott to the running back depth chart and a revamped offensive line with rookies Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe at left tackle and center, respectively, up against Myles Garrett and one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Speaking of defenses, the Cowboys' welcomed back Mike Zimmer this year to coordinate theirs and the return of All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs leads the charge behind Micah Parsons and Co., though being without DaRon Bland, the other record-setting All-Pro cornerback, thrust rookie Caelen Carson onto center stage.
In the end, it was a blowout at Huntington Bank Stadium to begin the Cowboys' season at 1-0, and it really wasn't close as the final score implies.
Let's talk about some of those who jumped off of the film in this game, in explosive fashion.
[This list is unranked.]
Dak Prescott, QB
Yes, the $240 million man came to play ball in Cleveland. Prescott looked as crisp and as decisive as ever and, combined with some surgically-precise play-calling from Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys' offense wasted little time getting on the board via an athletic touchdown toss from Prescott to Brandin Cooks — in the face of a Cover-0 blitz, no less — for a 21-yard visit to pay dirt. There was rarely an errant throw from the All-Pro quarterback, as some of his incompletions were actually drops by the targets but, all in all, he was cooking in Week 1 and made sure to show everyone why he's worth every penny of that new contract.
CeeDee Lamb, WR
Rust? What rust? There wasn't any on Lamb, despite having missed all of training camp with the holdout. The All-Pro is not only slightly bigger, but he's arguably shiftier than he was during his record-setting season, and that's saying a lot when you consider how slippery he has already been throughout his young career. Lamb was active as both a receiver and a halfback, keeping the good times rolling with the latter after having shown he's a viable option there last season. There wasn't much of anything Lamb couldn't do in Cleveland, and that means it's unlikely there will be anything he can't do going forward — seeing as the Browns have one of the best defenses in the entire NFL.
Brandin Cooks, WR
In 2023, Cooks got off to a slow start in McCarthy's first season as playcaller (and Cooks' first year in Dallas) but picked up steam as the season went along. This offseason, the veteran wideout looked as impressive as he ever as at any point in his NFL career, and yet he flew under the radar as younger wide receivers took center stage in the headlines as CeeDee Lamb held out for a new contract. But Cooks was doing damage in Oxnard, and he carried that over to the regular season opener, refusing to get off to a cold start for a second year in a row.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
Rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated. There are those outside of the building who accused Elliott of being washed, but he's looking dry clean only thus far. The former two-time NFL rushing champ started his afternoon against the Browns with a handoff on the first play from scrimmage and then hurdling the defender because, yes, he can still do it. The play was called back due to a holding penalty behind him, but the message was sent. Elliott went on to do damage in both short and middle yardage as both a halfback and a receiver out of the backfield.
KaVontae Turpin, WR
It always feels as if Turpin is a hair away from taking one to the house, but he was bald on Sunday against the Browns. DeMarcus Lawrence sacked Watson in the third quarter to force a punt that Turpin fielded and took back the other way for a 60-yard touchdown — something he's been close to doing at several points in his young career in Dallas. It gave the Cowboys a 20-3 lead at that point and nearly turned the Browns fully one-dimensional but, more importantly, it reestablished the threat that Turpin can be as a returner in this league.
Eric Kendricks, LB
So that's what it looks like to have dominant linebackers, plural, on the roster? The 180-degree turn the Cowboys have experienced at the position in the first year of Mike Zimmer's return has been a sight to behold, and it's led by Kendricks' decision to leave the San Francisco 49ers on read at the last minute and bring his talents to Dallas. Kendricks was a man possessed against the Browns, leading the team in tackles for much of the game and adding an interception and eight-yard return to his bottom line. Yet another former All-Pro that many wondered about due to his age showed they should've never doubted him in the first place.
Micah Parsons, W (Weapon)
He doesn't want to be the killer. He doesn't want to be the hitman. Parsons wants to be the assassin for the Cowboys in 2024, and he's off to a nice start in that mission. Zimmer played him in multiple positions on Sunday against the Browns and it paid off with plenty of pressures against Watson and a sack in the first half, along with a PBU that led to Kendricks' interception in the second quarter. The film on Parsons' performance in Cleveland will make your jaw drop, even if his stat line won't.
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
Mission numero uno was to stop the run, and Lawrence helped make sure the Cowboys did exactly that. Mission numero dos was to bully the hell out of Watson and, yes, Lawrence made sure to help ensure that happened as well. The former Pro Bowl edge rusher was a brick wall whenever the ball was run to his side and with the help of Osa Odighizuwa a time or two, he was able to take Watson down for one of several Cowboys' sacks on the evening. Bottom line is Lawrence continues to play at a high level as a heartbeat of the defense, adding a second sack of the day to his tally late in the fourth as Watson tried to escape.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB
WOW. I mean, I could stop there but I'll give you a bit more about what I saw from Overshown in Cleveland. Despite it being a de facto rookie debut for the former Longhorn, Overshown played like he's been in the league for years — high football IQ to go along with his unreal athletic abilities. In the days leading into the matchup, Overshown told me he was "looking forward" to Watson trying to run and he wasn't kidding. In the second half, he basically hunted Watson like a cheetah on a hyena when the QB tried to escape on 4th-and-6 to take him down for a three-yard loss on a play you have to see to believe. Overshown and Kendricks were a lethal LB duo.
Trevon Diggs, CB
He's back. He is so back. Diggs showed little signs of rust, if any at all, over the course of four quarters that involved a heavy workload for the All-Pro. His coverage was sensational, even when plays broke down, and his tackling was just as stout in the open field. And when Watson decided to target him in the fourth quarter, once too often, Diggs reminded him why he had 11 interceptions not so long ago. An interception on a throw to Elijah Moore sent Watson back to the sideline to ponder the error of his ways, and Diggs right back into the conversation as one of the best corners around.
Caelen Carson, CB
Amari Cooper is a menace, and that's what makes what Carson did that much more impressive. On the second target to Cooper, Carson landed a PBU and then stood over the five-time Pro Bowler, taunting him, something that would be ill-advised if you're not capable of continuing to stop him over the course of the game. Carson helped to shut Cooper down entirely, backing up his taunting, holding the former Cowboys' WR1 to a total of only 16 yards on two receptions as the game neared its conclusion — making good on his "Seat Belt" nickname in his rookie debut against one of the best to ever do it.
Brandon Aubrey, K
Because of course, amirite? All Aubrey did is what Aubrey always does: be accurate from any distance. He went a perfect 4-for-4 on the afternoon, adding 12 points to the final score. The most potent kicking weapon in the NFL also got a shot at making history on a 66-yarder but a penalty deleted the opportunity and the Cowboys opted to not try a 71-yarder, likely for fear of risk of injury. They also didn't need it, as it turned out, but they do need him available, so it was a wise decision.
