Brett's Cowboys Corner

Finally, Cowboys football is back, and this time they will begin their season in Cleveland to take on the Browns. These two teams don’t get to see each other too often, the last meeting being four years ago where in a high-scoring game the Browns beat Dallas 49-38. Will that much scoring be a forecast toward Sunday? Well, these two teams are vastly different than the last time they met, which always makes cross-conference play interesting.

Some potential X-Factors for the game, now these are not always the best players like Ceedee Lamb, who will be an x-factor every week but more of the players that can stand out based on the matchup.

• Dowdle will get carries and to establish the run game, they need to be meaningful
• Kendricks will have a huge role in making sure the Dallas defense is set and ready to play
• Diggs coming back from an ACL tear, will be guarding one of the better route runners in the game in Amari Cooper

• Tight ends can give Dallas problems historically, if Njoku is locked in…Dallas could be in for a long day
• Garrett is a game-wrecker if the line isn’t sound.
• J.O.K. is a tackle machine at the linebacker role, he could limit the Cowboys ability to get a run game started

1 – Do not let Myles Garrett wreck this game.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has the ability to take control of any game. You won’t find the formula to stop Myles Garrett here or anywhere for that matter, but there are ways to limit his dominance. On any passing down you will likely see the Cowboys line a tight end up across from Garrett, and here you don’t necessarily need to double team him but simply lay a chip block, meaning when the tight end goes on their route they will run into Garrett and create a little contact before their route, causing a little slowness in Garrett’s rush and allowing the tackle to get into their position.

Jim Schwartz, Cleveland’s Defensive Coordinator, will line Garrett up on both sides, so this is not just rookie Tyler Guyton’s problem. Terrance Steele on the right side will have his hands full with Garrett as well, this can create a problem as Steele has had issues anchoring his blocks and dealing with power rushers. There were times last season when Steele would hold up his block but end up backing into Prescott’s lap as he attempted to make the throw. Schwartz has a great pass rush scheme that goes deeper than Garrett, with 49 sacks as a team last year, Myles Garrett was responsible for 14 of those and four forced fumbles. While Garrett primarily lines up against the left tackle, we saw times when he lined up on the right tackle’s side and even over the center, which is going to be rookie Cooper Beebe.

2 – Force Deshaun Watson to be a passer.

Watson had the 4th lowest completion percentage among the 42 QBs that threw for 150+ attempts last season. He has only played in 12 games for the Browns over the last two seasons, with an 8-4 record. In most of their wins, Watson threw for a low amount of completions and was usually on the move. Watson prefers to be outside the pocket on the run, throwing the ball deep down the sideline, and looking for chunk plays. The key here is that the Cowboys defense needs to keep Watson contained in the pocket and make him go through his progressions and think more as a passer, that’s where his mistakes come from. This is not saying Watson can’t beat you with his arm, he has plenty of arm talent but it’s the long methodical drives that lead to his mistakes.

The only way to make him a passer is to take the run game away from Cleveland. This is a very creative run team, now they are without their star runner Nick Chubb, but their schemes are what make their runs so effective. Often the Browns lean on the run to facilitate their game and keep control of the ball. Cleveland is dealing with some injuries to their tackles and may have a weak point of attack on both edges. Mike Zimmer will likely implement a ‘QB Spy’ that will follow Watson and make sure he doesn’t get too many rushing yards, I could see Kendricks as the spy and leaving the tight end David Njoku for someone like Isreal Mukuamu, a bigger safety.

3 – Figure out your run game and rotations.

One of the biggest mysteries of the offseason has been the running back room, many have wondered who the starter is and who would ultimately make the 53-man roster. The Cowboys decided to sign back their former franchise star Ezekiel Elliott and will bring back Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and full-back Hunter Luepke. During training camp, the Cowboys did not show their hand in who the starter is going to be, as Zeke did not practice much but it is implied that he will be the starter, but being the starter versus getting the most snaps are very different.

I think it will be very telling of how the Cowboys value their run game just from the first drive, Rico Dowdle is the purest runner you have and if they trot him out there early it will be clear that the Cowboys value their running game, as Coach McCarthy has expressed the importance of establishing the run…but he says that every year. If we see Zeke early on, it will likely be for more pass-blocking sets, we will have to see if that is coupled with Prescott throwing it 40 times a game.

4 – Make less mistakes than the Browns.

This one may seem more obvious and probably can be used every single week but I will strictly use it for week one because that is usually what the first week of the season is all about, getting into the groove of your plays. From watching the Thursday night game, Ravens vs. Chiefs, we saw a lot of penalties in that game and a lot of them were from just kicking off the rust. I believe this will be a low-scoring game, which means each play matters more and you can not afford to make little mistakes. In a previous article, I discussed all of the rookies having to start for the Cowboys in week one, and that plays a role in needing to make few mistakes.