CLEVELAND — It was slated to be a dog fight when the Dallas Cowboys met the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Stadium to open the NFL regular season, but the latter got put in a kennel early and often as the former went rabid in their attack, and that is especially true for Micah Parsons and Mike Zimmer’s defense.
The world got its first look at what the unit might be capable of under Zimmer, and against a highly-mobile playmaking quarterback in Deshaun Watson with his stable of weapons — including five-time Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper and newly-acquired wideout Jerry Jeudy — wherein Parsons helped lead a brutal onslaught of pressure.
They allowed only one first down in the entire first half and ultimately only 17 points the entire game; and Parsons (agreeing with All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs after the game) says they’re just getting started.
“We didn’t open up the full bag,” said Parsons. ” … I think the sky’s the limit. This is just the beginning.”
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The defense was flying around to the point where you have to wonder if American Airlines will give them frequent flier miles for their efforts. From Eric Kendricks to DeMarvion Overshown to DeMarcus Lawrence to Osa Odighizuwa and more, the defensive front was outstanding.
And then came the secondary, who basically shoved Cooper, Jeudy and Elijah Moore into a locker and spun the combination on the lock.
The run defense shined. The coverage shined. The contain on Watson shined.
“We have those rotational pieces and obviously we draft it pretty well, so it looks good and it helps that we can rotate when you’re tired and things like that,” said Parsons of the Cowboys being able to throw waves of talented defenders at teams. … Man, I feel like we could have done more to anybody else.
“Deshaun’s tough. He’s a tough quarterback, bro. He’s hard to get down. He’s scrappy, he’s relentless. He kept getting up, man [but] it was challenging for Cleveland to really dial into the offense.”
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The three-time All-Pro pass rusher was lined up in several different spots on Sunday in Cleveland, making it difficult for the Browns to key in on him pre-snap, to resounding success.
He did give praise to Watson for his toughness and grit, though, and in being able to keep Parsons from having what could’ve otherwise been a multi-sack day to begin the season.
“I think I missed two or three [sacks],” said Parsons. “He’s tough. I’m going to have nightmares tonight for sure. I’m supposed to start this year off with [three sacks]. … I don’t think I played to my standard. I’ve gotta finish those plays..”
Parsons says he’s making no excuses and is determined to get back into the lab following this game to try and right that ship for Week 2 — in the home opener against the New Orleans Saints.
“First home game? They’ve got Derek Carr and they just dropped 40, so they’re clicking,” said Parsons. “We’ve gotta hit this lab and get cooking, but the Lion’s coming. Gotta protect the Den. Let’s go.”
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The Cowboys owned the longest home win streak in the league before it was derailed by the Green Bay Packers in January, and they’re looking to start a new one, effective Sept. 15.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas star guard Luka Doncic returned to the lineup on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing the Mavericks’ previous game because of a right knee contusion.
The Mavericks go in on a two-game winning streak following a four-game losing streak. Their most recent win came at Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City on Sunday night, 121-119, the first game that Doncic has missed this season.
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In his previous outing last Saturday, Doncic played a season-low 28 minutes in a 110-93 home win over San Antonio and scored 16 points — one more than his season low. He sat out the final eight minutes with the Mavericks comfortably ahead.
Doncic won last season’s NBA scoring title, averaging 33.9 points per game, to go with 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists. He’s averaging 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, when asked before Tuesday’s game about Doncic’s lower averages, said, “He has shown that he’s human. (Averages of) 28, eight and eight – you sign up for that all day long.”
Every other year, the Aurora Biennial transforms Dallas into a dazzling display of lights, video and music. This year was special because it was the first time the event took play in-person since 2018. The free public event turned the Dallas Public Library, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas City Hall and other buildings into art installations with the theme “FuturePresentPast.”
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
Joe Mixon ran for three touchdowns to extend his TD streak to six games since coming back from injury, Derek Barnett returned a fumble 28 yards for a score, and the Texans beat the Cowboys 34-10 on Monday night.
The Texans (7-4) stopped just the second two-game losing streak of CJ Stroud’s young career while maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC South.
Houston pulled away in the second-half a week after a 26-23 last-play loss to Detroit at home, when the Texans let a 23-7 half-time lead get away from them.
“It’s not as bad as it ever seems, and it’s never as good as it ever seems,” Stroud said. “Those type of games, you have to come out with a win, especially going up like that at the half [against the Lions]. But what are we going to do about it?”
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Amid a woeful season for the Cowboys (3-7) on the field, debris fell from their stadium’s retractable roof as it was opening a few hours before the game. There was no delay and no injuries were reported, just another mishap to foreshadow a fifth consecutive defeat for a team that lost five games total in each of the past three seasons.
Cooper Rush threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin but lost his second start since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury.
The Dallas losing streak is their longest since a seven-game skid in 2015, and the Cowboys dropped to 0-5 at home. Dallas are the first team in NFL history to trail by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games, including last season’s wildcard playoff loss to Green Bay, according to Sportradar. The Cowboys had reached the playoffs in each of their previous three seasons, but that run is all but over.
“Well, they better be frustrated,” Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said. “I mean, we’re all frustrated. I think there’d be something wrong if they weren’t frustrated. So just very honest with everything and stay in tune with what’s right in front of us. And that’s the only way I’ve ever done it.”
The Cowboys were down 20-10 early in the fourth quarter when Barnett knocked the ball out of Rush’s hand. Dallas rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton caught it and was trying to run when Jalen Pitre knocked the ball loose again. Barnett scooped up the ball and scored, although he almost stepped out of bounds.
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“The play he made really changed for game for us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It flipped the momentum. It got everybody juiced up on the sideline. It was just a huge play.”
Earlier, the Cowboys appeared to have pulled within a touchdown on a 64-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, but Barnett was penalized for slapping Terence Steele on the rush. Dallas erased the points by taking the penalty, but Rush’s fourth-down pass from the Houston eight-yard line was incomplete on the only good scoring chance of the second half for the the Cowboys.
“The defense played with elite energy,” Ryans said. “One big play that we gave up. Like to have that one back, but overall I think our guys played really well.”
Texans receiver Nico Collins returned after missing five games with a hamstring injury and took a screen pass 77 yards to the end zone on the first play of the game, only to have it called back because of an ineligible receiver downfield.
That possession ended with a touchdown anyway on Mixon’s 45-yard sprint up the middle, and he ran wide for a one-yard score and a 14-0 lead. Mixon had 109 yards rushing on the day and set up a field goal with a 37-yard catch-and-run on a screen.
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“I really love that first play because it showed what we could do in this game,” Ryans said. “Even though it got called back, I just told all our guys, ‘We can go score on these guys again. Just get it in your mind we’re going to score again.’”
Already without Prescott, the Cowboys lost tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion and perennial All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and left guard Tyler Smith to ankle injuries. Rush was sacked five times, three on the same possession when Martin and Smith were injured.
Stroud, who has been in a mini-slump, threw for 257 yards while avoiding any mistakes after an early interception on fourth down. It was the third time in five games he has gone without a touchdown pass, and he has two TDs and three picks in that stretch.
Rush was 32 of 55 for 354 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Turpin had three catches for 86 yards.
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