CLEVELAND – Please allow the Dallas Cowboys to introduce themselves.
To those who might not have attended training camp, and those who really had no clue of the talent on this team while judging from way afar.
To the Cleveland Browns, who had no idea what hit them upside the head here on a late Sunday afternoon, probably planning on a 2024 season-christening party.
And to the mostly unsuspecting 67,431 folks packed into the newly renamed Huntington Bank Field, so stunned by what was taking place that not only did they take to booing the home boys by halftime, but by the middle of the third quarter they were disgustingly vacating those orange seats they had been waiting this entire offseason to sit in and watch a team with great expectations.
Well, hello there!
Cowboys 33, Browns 17, and believe you me, it was not near as close as that 16-point differential might seem, probably leaving the Browns and the majority of a national TV audience wondering, Who in the world are these guys?
"Excellent win," head coach Mike McCarthy exclaimed, "especially going on the road," a reference to the 2023 season when all five of the Cowboys' losses were on the road.
"Great, great, great win for us," said quarterback Dak Prescott, who had a great, great, great morning after finally agreeing to a four-year extension and most importantly putting an $80 million signing bonus in the bank when the ink dries on what turned out to be a $231 million guaranteed deal. "Great team effort."
Well, you know those two guys.
But how 'bout the rest?
Shake hands once again with Mike Zimmer, back for a second defensive coordinator tour of duty, fist-bumping his brand of defense by limiting the Browns to just 54 first-half yards, one first down and no play longer than eight yards, the impetus for the Cowboys taking a 20-3 first-half lead.
Meet the Cowboys' high-priced – for them – new defensive ringleader, veteran middle linebacker Eric Kendricks, who enjoyed a fine Cowboys how-do-you-do with nine tackles, two sacks – for the first time since 2016 when playing for Zimm and the Vikings against, you guessed it, McCarthy and his Packers – one TFL, two QB hits, one PD and, oh, an interception of a DeShaun Watson pass initially tipped by Micah Parsons.
"I know the type of player I am," Kendricks said, no worries about what others might think of this newcomer. "This is more about the people on the team, proving to them who I am."
And in case folks had forgotten, hello again from KaVontae Turpin, the former Pro Bowl special teams return ace, reintroducing himself with his first NFL punt return for a touchdown, zooming, weaving and turning the corner for 60 yards to smack the Browns in the solar plexus, taking the wind out of them for good and giving the Cowboys a 27-3 lead just two minutes and a second into the second half.
Brandon Aubrey, you remember him, right? Last season's first-year NFL kicker earned Pro Bowl honors by making 36 of 38 attempts. He picked up where he left off, going four-for-four in this game, including two more from 50 yards (57 and 50), making him 12-for-12 in his short career from that distance. And I'll be, if not for the umpire hovering over the ball for some unknown reason as the play clock was counting down, Aubrey would have tied the NFL record with a 66-yard field goal that would have been good from 70, just like he did in the preseason. This one, though, was nullified by a delay of game penalty, initially prompting McCarthy to give him a go from 71 with four seconds left in the half until the Browns sent a return man into the end zone ready to set sail if the kick came up short.
May I continue?
The Cowboys had 11 players making their Cowboys debut Sunday, six of those their NFL debuts, including nickel linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, tying Kendricks for the team lead with nine tackles and adding a sack of a scrambling Watson as if he was shot out of a cannon.
Same from rookie cornerback Caelen Carson, forced into starting after the foot injury to DaRon Bland. Not sure he shook hands with Amari Cooper or not, but the Cowboys basically eliminated their former wideout from the game, Carson finishing with two passes defensed and nearly two interceptions.
Now, about those offensive linemen, Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe. No problems there. Hey, Browns' game-wrecking defensive end Myles Garrett was held to just two tackles, one sack, one TFL and one QB hit. The Cowboys will take that, and they had a good gameplan, asking Dak to roll out excessively to aid the protection, along with using fullback Hunter Luepke and tight ends to nudge last season's NFL Defensive Player of the Year back into place.
And that run game so many had such high concerns over, provoking losing record predictions, and a loss here to the 11-6 Browns of last season who were 8-1 at home? Well, the "committee" cobbled together 102 yards rushing, Ezekiel Elliott leading the way with 10 carries for 40 yards and his first Cowboys rushng touchdown since Game 16 in 2022.
Then there was CeeDee Lamb, putting on his uniform for the first time since the Cowboys' playoff loss to Green Bay last season, causing high concern since he only had practiced a handful of times while negotiating his contract extension. Nah, CeeDee produced 86 yards from scrimmage, his five catches for 61 yards enhanced with a career-high 25 yards rushing.
Now look, this is just one game. Get it. Long way to go. And as efficient as the Cowboys and Dak were offensively in the first half, they repeatedly struggled in the second, producing just two field goals. And those were set up by the defense with two fourth-down stops in Browns territory.
That caused McCarthy to rightfully describe the second half as "sloppy," and Dak to also rightfully criticize his play, his passes seemingly rushed and short. When asked about if this new deal puts undo pressure on him to perform, he said, "I put the most pressure on myself. Simple as that. I'm not happy with my personal performance today, and that's what motivated me. That's what pushes me."
But look, last year in those road losses, the Cowboys were atrocious against the run, twice getting hit for more than 200 yards rushing. Yet in this one, if this is any indication of things to come – and I know the Browns finished with 93 yards rushing, averaging 4.9 yards a carry – but after three quarters, the Browns, without the injured Nick Chubb, were held to just 35 yards on 10 carries, and Watson to 119 yards passing while eventually getting sacked six times for a woeful 51.1 QB rating.
Here is the point, though, and what was trying to elaborate on Friday about this permeating fear of the unknown. Don't be so fast to write off this team, as so many have before the Cowboys ever came out of the gate. Newbies, yes, they have. Inexpensive free agent signings – bringing in veterans so they could have cap space, and not just for this year but next year, too, and the year after that, so they could sign Lamb and Prescott to extensions – should not immediately signal doom.
How 'bout let this thing breath.
"Loved the energy pregame," veteran Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin said. "Guys were ready to go."
And they went. Who knows, maybe Dak's extension announced in the morning when the deal was agreed to with the Joneses, who stayed behind working the phones until jumping in the private jet to zip over to Cleveland, arriving at the stadium with warmups already taking place, might have given these guys an emotional jolt.
Plus, can hear the uninitiated choir coming in with this Jerry did this on purpose to make a splash for national TV on Sunday. Look, you could tell on Thursday and then Friday they must have been getting close since Jerry didn't want to answer Dak contract questions and Dak lightened up his tune. Both sides made concessions, Dak's folks coming off demanding the entire extension guaranteed and accepting less on the total package, and the Cowboys manipulating the signing bonus by adding voidable years at the end of the extension.
Leave it to Jerry to quip upon stadium arrival that they arrived by bus for lack of car fare.
So all is well that ends well. Dak is happy, really happy, having time during early warmups to hug his baby girl behind the bench area. The Joneses are happy, probably more relieved, though having to spend the grandkids inheritance. (Come on, joking.) The players, as Dak said, were happy, pointing out practice squad running back Malik Davis was telling his teammates to get their wrists measured for golden watches.
And for all the reported fan base disgruntlement out there, maybe you guys are happy too.
At least for one week, huh?
