Cowboys expert points out weak spot that the Cleveland Browns could look to exploit against Dallas
Week 1 begins tonight with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens and that means we are just a couple of days away from the Cleveland Browns hosting the Dallas Cowboys. Teams around the NFL in Week 1 are not what they will be in Week 18. It is often hard to gauge how a […]
Week 1 begins tonight with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens and that means we are just a couple of days away from the Cleveland Browns hosting the Dallas Cowboys.
Teams around the NFL in Week 1 are not what they will be in Week 18. It is often hard to gauge how a team is going to come out of the gates. However, the Browns lost just one game at home last year and that home record is something they look to protect in 2024.
The Browns have a question mark at offensive tackle heading into the game but should be relatively healthy to start the season outside of that and Nick Chubb being sidelined the first four weeks.
To learn more about who Dallas is expected to be in Week 1, I caught up with A to Z Sports’ own Mauricio Rodriquez, who covers the Cowboys as well as anyone.
With CeeDee missing much or all of camp, what is to be expected from him out of the gates. Is the expectation that he will be his normal All-Pro caliber?
Mauricio: “It's certainly difficult to know for sure given his absence from training camp and OTAs/minicamp, but according to Mike McCarthy, Lamb is expected to be a full go by Sunday and not on a pitch count. Dak Prescott and Lamb put in an insane amount of work prior to the 2023 season that led to the elite chemistry they shared last year and they should still be able to cash in on the hours they've put in. I wouldn't expect Lamb's best version of himself showing up for this game but I find it difficult to believe that their chemistry will be completely gone. He should be closer to his usual self than the other way around. Lamb showed up with around 15 pounds more than last year but most of that is muscle, so you could expect a more physical version of him this year, though.”
Micah Parsons has improved year over year and very well could win a DPOY in 2024. Will the plan with Mike Zimmer as the defensive coordinator still be to move him around, or will we see him primarily on one side?
Mauricio: “Zimmer certainly appears to be fixated on moving him around and using him as a chess piece. Parsons has even talked a lot about this being the first year where he truly feels like the Cowboys will be disguising what they want to do with him, even though Dan Quinn wasn't afraid to move him around here and there. In 2024, you'll see him a lot at linebacker, over the center, against guards, etc. Most of the time, he'll be rushing the passer though, even if he's doing it from different spots on the field. With that being said, it's a Jimmies and Joes game before it's an Xs and Os one, so I'd expect Parsons to line up against whoever replaces Jed Wills Jr. at left tackle this Sunday considering the Browns have one of the best OLs in the NFL.”
With injury to DaRon Bland, who should we be watching to step up in the secondary alongside Trevon Diggs for Dallas?
Mauricio: “Browns fans might get excited about this one: The man stepping in for DaRon Bland is… fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson. Don't get me wrong, he's been impressive in training camp and the Cowboys might've gotten away with another fifth-round cornerback steal like they did with Bland, who was tasked with filling in as a starter halfway through his rookie season, but it's still hard to get excited about a late-rounder starting Week 1 against the likes of Amari Cooper (in a revenge game, too) and Jerry Jeudy. It's one of the top mismatches I could see Kevin Stefanski targeting since the first drive of the game. Mike Zimmer will have to aid his rookie with safety help. If the Parsons-led pass rush doesn't step up, it'll be a long day for the rookie in his regular season debut.”
Browns start off Week 1 with the news they needed to hear that can help them beat the Cowboys
Good news in the Cleveland area.
