FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys face the Carolina Panthers in the regular season opener on Sunday in Carolina at Bank of America Stadium. The two teams have met 13 times, including two in the postseason, with Dallas leading the series winning 9 of the 4. Nine of the games have been decided by 10 points-or-less.
The key for the Cowboys in Sunday’s matchup will be stopping the Panther’s offense led by new offensive coordinator, Norv Turner, who has been in the league over three plus decades and has worked with Troy Aikman, Philip Rivers, and Teddy Bridgewater. Turner was the offensive coordinator for Dallas during 1991-1993, coaching Jason Garrett in ’92 and ’93 when he was the backup for Aikman.
Earlier in the week Jason Garrett remarked on his relationship with Norv Turner
“ He is one of my best friends in football and has been a huge influence on my coaching career. Often times, you go against the people you are close to. His fingerprints are all over what we have done. Terminology comes from that experience in the 90s…but it has evolved.”
Turner has created new weapons and routes in the Panther’s offense to play into Cam Newton’s strengths, but the Cowboys have one of the strongest defensive line rotations in the franchise history, led by defensive wizard Rod Marinelli. With power edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, Antwaun Woods’ penetration, as well as Randy Gregory and Dorance Armstrong’s ability to create quarterback pressures, the “hot boys” will be a threat.
Coming off the 2017 season, the Cowboys defense limited opposing quarterbacks through the air by only allowing 10.1 yards per completion, the fewest in the league. The d-line is back to wreak havoc once again, and with the added depth to the defensive line, along with Sean Lee at the weak-side and Jaylon Smith up the middle behind the line, as well as Chidobe Awuzie and Byron Jones protecting the backfield on man-to-man press coverage, the Cowboys could have another “doomsday defense” on their hands!
