CLEVELAND — Kim, my Lyft driver on Sunday morning, is a lifelong Clevelander, which means she knows a thing or two about this town, and about her Browns. She told me something on the way to the stadium that rang through my head all day.
“When you go in the Dawg Pound, anything can happen,” Kim told me.
“And I do mean anything.”
I’ll be honest, Kim: I took your words to heart, but I didn’t see that coming.
Sunday’s season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns was expected to be a battle. Tom Brady was in the broadcast booth making his debut at this game for a reason. Instead of a battle, it was a rout.
Cowboys 33, Browns 17.
Here are four takeaways from the Cowboys’ win.
The rookies
We have to start with the biggest on-field storyline for Dallas on Sunday: how would the rookies hold up against some talented opponents. The answer: pretty darn well.
Tyler Guyton had some help (more on that later), but he played well against the Browns defensive line and Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett beat Guyton around the edge once for a strip sack, but against Garrett, that would be considered a good day.
Guyton’s fellow lineman, third round pick Cooper Beebe, didn’t look like he was making his first appearance at center since little league football.
Fifth round pick Caelen Carson nearly had two interceptions. He allowed a touchdown catch to Jerry Jeudy, but he played very well against former Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper. Not bad for a player who the Cowboys didn’t expect to start Week 1 when they drafted him.
Even Marshawn Kneeland and Marist Liufau made some plays for a defense that had a great day.
Overall: a solid first impression from this year’s rookie class.
Coaching clinic
Remember when I said Guyton had some help? He did — from his coaches.
Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer did a great job of getting Dak Prescott away from Garrett. They mixed in a variety of designed rollouts, quick passes, reverses — pretty much whatever they could to try and help out Guyton and the rest of the Cowboys offensive line.
The Cowboys defense also had a fantastic day. It looked like Mike Zimmer’s defense was ready in the season opener.
Even special teams had a touchdown when KaVontae Turpin returned a punt to the house. It was his first punt return touchdown of his career.
Not last year’s linebackers
There were a bunch of takeaways from last year’s playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. One of them: the lack of linebackers was noticeable. The Cowboys only played nickel and dime, because Damone Clark was their only true healthy linebacker. The Packers established the run early in what proved to be a dominant performance.
Things have certainly changed.
The Cowboys used five linebackers on Sunday, including veteran Nick Vigil, who was elevated from the practice squad. The group rotated often, allowing them t play fast.
Eric Kendricks looked right at home in Mike Zimmer’s system. He led the team in tackles, had two sacks and an interception on a tip from Micah Parsons. DeMarvion Overshown made his regular season NFL debut after missing last season with a torn acl. He said all training camp that he would be ready to go, and he backed it up, too. Clark and Liufau also rotated in.
The linebacking corps, along with the help of the defensive line, held the Browns rushing game in check. Jerome Ford and Piere Strong Jr. didn’t have a lot of room to run.
Aubrey … still smooth as butter
The only disappointing thing about Brandon Aubrey’s day was the fact that Mike McCarthy didn’t let him attempt a 71-yard field goal before the end of the first half. Especially because the 66-yard field goal he made moments before — which was nullified by a delay of game — had plenty of leg to it, as well.
Aubrey, an All-Pro selection in his rookie season, picked up right where he left off, going 4-for-4 on field goals on Sunday. That included a 57-yarder, which — to no surprise — also had plenty of leg.
Aubrey has turned into a weapon for the Cowboys. The field goal that didn’t count on Sunday showed why. The Cowboys defense forced a third down stop late in the first half. The Cowboys could’ve just let the clock run down before heading into the locker room. Instead, McCarthy called a timeout, forcing the Browns to punt. KaVontae Turpin returned the ball to Dallas’ own 40-yard line. The Cowboys only had one play to get into field goal range. Prescott found Jalen Tolbert to do just that.
Aubrey made a 66-yard field goal, which would’ve tied Justin Tucker for the NFL record if not for the delay of game. It feels like Aubrey claiming that record is also a delayed inevitability.
