Everything about the last 24 hours has been peak Cowboys. They waited until the morning of the season opener to give their franchise quarterback essentially the same deal they could’ve given him months ago. They stuffed a past-his-prime Ezekiel Elliott with enough carries to make him their leading rusher (with 40 yards). They made a mediocre team look even worse by overwhelming it with top-end talent. And they reminded the football world they are a force to be reckoned with… in the regular season, anyway. Welcome back, baby.
Perhaps we all underrated the arrival of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, in part because it wasn’t as if the defense under predecessor Dan Quinn was underperforming. But Zimmer is clearly different from Quinn. He will bring much more pressure and rely on his secondary to handle man coverage across the board. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was able to escape the pocket a few times and shake would-be tacklers, but that was about it. Watson was sacked six times, threw 45 passes and averaged just 3.7 yards per attempt and 2.5 yards of completed air yards, third-worst in the NFL in Week 1. The reality is that Watson is no longer a good NFL quarterback, and when the Cowboys encounter that, they feast.
I’ve written a lot about the notion of apathy regarding this team, that no one will care until it makes noise in the postseason. I still believe that. You probably still believe that. But there is something about enjoying the ride. Watching players do great things is fun, and I think it’s worth being reminded of that from time to time. Seeing Micah Parsons rise to tip a pass that results in an interception is awesome to witness. From a playmaking standpoint, most teams don’t have someone in the same zip code as that guy, and that’s something we shouldn’t lose sight of.
Ironically, on a day when he became the highest-paid player in the league, Prescott was rather pedestrian. He didn’t need to be a world beater, though, as John Fassel’s crew had a day of its own. Brandon Aubrey is flat-out ridiculous. He hit a 66-yard field goal that was waved off due to a delay of game penalty, and Mike McCarthy declined the chance to let him try from 71 yards. But the make from 66 would have been good from 71. KeVontae Turpin, after a couple of years of near misses, housed a 60-yard punt return that was blocked perfectly. I don’t think it is crazy to say the Cowboys have the best collection of special teams stars paired with the best special teams coach in the league.
You could say that about the defense as well. Zimmer is widely regarded as an exceptional mind in his area of expertise. Parsons is and will continue to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Trevon Diggs is an All-Pro who at some point will be joined by DaRon Bland, who holds that same distinction.
And why not the offense, too? For all of his perceived faults (and the 11 penalties for 85 yards shouldn’t be overlooked), McCarthy is a venerated football mind. He has a quarterback who most people believe is at least capable; at best, great. He has a wide receiver who is regarded as top five in the game, at minimum. The line has been churned but even starting a pair of rookies ultimately maintained a commendable level of production, with upside galore across the left side.
Add it all up, and Dallas has nailed it at every position we believe to be the most important on a roster. It’s just one game, yes, and it came against a team that will struggle to get into the postseason. But the Cowboys are probably going to do this to a lot of teams. They’re just too talented in the places that matter most to be a middle-tier team. They were not favored on Sunday, but after that performance and the ones that will follow, I’m fairly confident Dallas will be the betting favorite in 10 to 12 more games.
Here’s the other thing. Their quarterback is not exactly the most publicly dynamic personality in the world, which is most likely a calculated decision made by knowing what comes with being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Outside of Prescott, though, this team is fun. They have a swagger about them that doesn’t feel like the “country club” veneer that often accompanies Cowboys teams. Parsons and Diggs, in particular, have some sort of buddy cop dynamic you usually only see on college teams.
Everything that transpired in Cleveland made it seem as though the Cowboys are on their way to a fourth straight 12-win season. The quarterback is signed through the rest of his prime; his go-to receiver also recently agreed to a new deal. We can refer back to this column to roast me next summer, but I find it highly unlikely McCarthy won’t be coaching this team next year and beyond. Parsons will hold out and then sign a massive deal, probably on the morning of the opener.
This version of the Cowboys is static, with a slight chance of variation come the postseason. It could be a lot worse. History tells us it could also be a lot better, and days like Sunday do virtually nothing to address the latter portion of that equation. Except for instilling us with the hope of a new season watching a fun football team. In September, that can be enough.
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