TAMPA, Fla. – On the road, the Dallas Cowboys went toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A neglected offensive pass interference by Chris Godwin and a Ryan Succop 36-yard field goal in the final two seconds, sealed the nail-biting victory for the Buccaneers. Not the preferred outcome for Dallas in Week 1 but a performance that revealed positives to permeating offseason questions. The Cowboys proved they are contenders in the NFC East and as cliché as it sounds, this was a moral victory for the Silver and Blue. Not an overreaction, but a recollection of facts.
Here are some key takeaways from the season opener:
Dak Prescott’s Impressive Return
“He has not missed a beat,” a statement made by receiver Michael Gallup earlier in the week on Prescott’s acclimation to practice. A phrase that rung true against the Buccaneers and Todd Bowles’ aggressive one-gap scheme. After 333 days of no live action football since his compound right ankle fracture and dislocation in Week 5, Prescott hit the turf like a man possessed. He completed 72.4 percent of his passes (42 of 58) for 403 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception for a 101.4 passer rating. Many conversations surrounded his post-injury form entering the ballgame and he silenced the doubt with MVP-caliber production. Prescott had pinpoint accuracy and moved outside of the pocket without reserve to extend drives. In addition, July’s right shoulder muscle strain did not impact Prescott’s throwing motion. The Cowboys heavily relied on the passing game against the Buccaneers premier run defense and Prescott showed no signs of concern or limitations. After significant time apart from the game, Prescott nearly led the team to victory. In a face-off with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, Prescott held his own.
Amari Cooper Out to Prove His Rank Among the WR Hierarchy
Amari Cooper’s route running ability was on full display against the Bucs. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has consistently discussed “big plays” being a foreshadowed transformation from last year to this year and Cooper delivered. The Alabama product was Prescott’s go-to target. His release off the line created separation from defenders. Cooper amassed 13 receptions for 139 yards, a 10.7 average per-catch, and two touchdowns. Tampa Bay’s secondary had no answers for his precision of the route tree. Even more impressive considering he missed the majority of training camp as he rehabbed from ankle surgery in January. Cooper worked one-on-one with Prescott over the past couple of weeks and the work paid dividends. No. 19 is out to prove his status as the league’s best receiver. His highlight-worthy day certainly builds a convincing case.
Defensive Takeaways
The secondary struggled at times in the passing game but notched four turnovers and only allowed 52 rushing yards. The first of the night- DeMarcus Lawrence stripped the ball from Ronald Jones, and it was recovered by Randy Gregory. Dallas capitalized with a touchdown to Cooper. On the defense’s next possession, Trevon Diggs intercepted a pass that popped off Leonard Fournette’s hands. Turnovers have been a stress point of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and it was evident. To end the second half, Brady’s pass was intercepted by Jourdan Lewis, and he made another impact play in the fourth quarter. Damontae Kazee forced a Chris Godwin fumble and Lewis made the recovery to give the Cowboys a shot at winning the ballgame.
Kellen Moore’s Playbook
Without right guard Zack Martin, the team’s best run blocker, and facing the league’s top-ranked run defense from 2020, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore dialed up a tremendous game-plan. To mitigate pressure from Todd Bowles’ front seven, Moore relied on a short passing attack. A quick release to ease the pressure off the offensive line and target favorable matchups with Tampa’s secondary. The plan obviously worked with both Cooper and Lamb posting over 100 receiving yards and eclipsing the 10 yards-per-carry mark. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard did not receive a lot of carries but they did not need to with the production of the passing game. Ndamukung Suh and Vita Vea posed a greater threat in the interior against the run, so Moore opted to light it up through the air. Regardless of the outcome, credit is due to Dallas’ offensive coordinator against the champs.
Ezekiel Elliot’s Pass Protection
Ezekiel Elliott may not have received the bulk of carries that he is accustomed to, but he was willing to do the dirty work in the trenches to provide a clean pocket for Dak Prescott. Often, a running back’s success is measured by runs over 20-plus yards, but pass protection is a valued commodity for a complete back. On Thursday, Elliott showed his versatility. He picked up several blitzes and stayed on blocks that set up big gains to Amari Cooper. Elliott’s selfless mentality opened things up in the passing game. Disregard the numerical sheet. Elliott battled at the line of scrimmage for his quarterback. That is a solid performance and one worth noting.
Not a perfect performance by any means with many key mistakes that shifted the momentum to the Buccaneers: several drops by Lamb (3), a critical missed block by Blake Jarwin for a should-be touchdown, coverage lapses in the Cowboys’ secondary, special teams’ management, a kicker problem, and self-inflicted penalties. Certainly, plenty of room for improvement but a step forward.
