(Photo: Clutchpoints)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week One
Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns
Cowboys: I said this during the Summer when I previewed divisions and I will say it again. I feel they are perfectly content with just being relevant instead of trying to win and advance to the Super Bowl which is a sad mentality to have and it may come off as harsh, but I’m only being honest. Each year, you can pencil them in to make the playoffs and have one of the best records in the NFC, but their ceiling in the playoffs is the divisional round or the Wild Card round if we want to look at their last result in the playoffs. I’ll continue to be blunt here: I have a very tough time figuring out who the Dallas Cowboys are as a football team. One week, they’re dominating and handling their business and the next week, they’re losing. Where’s the consistency amongst this group? I say that because when they want to show out on the field, they can do just that, but you just never know with them. I’ve followed Dak Prescott since he came into the league and I can truly say last year was the best I’ve ever seen him look. When he’s in control of the offense and doesn’t try to jump out of his box, he’s a good Quarterback. Last year, CeeDee Lamb had his breakout year and showed he’s more than capable of being a number-one receiving option. It’s something about that number 88 and Dallas receivers. Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, and Dez Bryant all wore the number and they all panned out quite well if you ask me. I said this a few times during the 2023 season and I will say it here once again. Their defense is Super Bowl caliber without a doubt. It’s the offense that has been holding them back these last few years. This Sunday, they will kick off their season in Cleveland, Ohio.
Browns: They were a surprise team last year. The AFC was so loaded, especially after the New York Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers. There’s the Chiefs (of course), Buffalo, the Dolphins, Baltimore, and the Bengals just to name a few, so it’s understandable as to why they’d be lost in the shuffle because the conference was stacked. When Kevin Stefanski took the Head Coaching job, he helped lead the Browns to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and they also advanced to the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs that year where they fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs. 2023 was Kevin’s finest season as a Head Coach and the right guy won the Coach of the Year award. I remember there being a very lengthy debate about who should win it between DeMeco Ryans and Kevin and I will explain why Kevin won it. What DeMeco did was incredible last year in his first season in Houston, but the Browns were able to win 11 games and started five different Quarterbacks in the process (Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jeff Driskell, P.J. Walker, and Joe Flacco). The old argument has always been when the starting Quarterback goes down, everything falls apart. Next, they lost Nick Chubb in week two last season to a knee injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year and they started multiple Offensive Linemen yet found a way to stay afloat and make the playoffs in the tough AFC. Kevin more than deservedly earned this award. One thing that had my attention with this team a year ago was their defense and Myles Garrett finally won his first Defensive Player of the Year award! He was such a force and impacted the game in more ways than one. Just imagine where this defense would be without his services! They have the talent and they go as far as the health of Deshaun Watson takes them. They begin their season on Sunday afternoon with Dallas in town!
Cowboys X-Factor: DeMarcus Lawrence– He may not be the player he was years ago, but he can still produce and knows his role on this defense. DeMarcus still has that speed even after being in our league for more than a decade and he still shows that explosiveness off the snap of the ball. He’s the unquestioned leader of this Cowboys defense. When he speaks, everyone around the huddle listens. DeMarcus may not be the sack machine as many other edge rushers are, but he’s so dominant against the run and that will once again come in handy for the Dallas defense.
Browns X-Factor: Jerry Jeudy– They acquired him in hoping to bring another receiver to play alongside Amari Cooper. Jerry was a very sought-after prospect at Alabama. A change of scenery will do Jerry well I feel. He’s a phenomenal route runner and if it’s man coverage, he does just enough to shake his defender off to free himself without doing too much and if it’s zone, he knows how and where to find the soft spot in that coverage. If all pans out, Deshaun, Jerry, and Amari could be one of the best offensive trios in the NFL. Then, you also add David Njoku and Nick Chubb to the mix. This could be a fun Browns offense to watch this year.
Final Thoughts: As soon as I saw this was on the slate for week one, I had to get my hands on it. Two legendary teams in the NFL, two of the best defensive players in the league (Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett), the return of Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, and Amari Cooper faces his former team for the first time since being traded by Dallas. The storylines captured my attention. I see this game being a dogfight. These are both teams that are physical and love to play downhill. I see this game coming down to who can establish their ground attack more consistently and who will be able to limit the other team’s rushing attack. Dak does NOT have to be Superman and when he does have that cape on, the Cowboys lose. Slow the game down and let it come to you. Cleveland on the other side has the potential to make this a shootout if they want to. This will be a war throughout and to the fourth quarter. I like the Cowboys to win a nail-biter here in Cleveland to open the season. Dak will get the ball for one more possession and lead his team to a victory.
Prediction: Cowboys 23, Browns 21
