Dak Prescott marked the celebration of his $240 million contract extension with a dominant performance as the Dallas Cowboys cruised to a 33-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns in their season opener on Sunday.
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Prescott, now the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history based on annual salary, delivered an impressive showing, completing 19 of 32 passes for 179 yards.
In contrast, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had a game to forget. Under relentless pressure from the Cowboys’ defense, Watson was sacked six times and intercepted twice. Several overthrows and poor decision-making marred his performance, disappointing the Browns fans.
Prescott’s play led the Cowboys to six scoring drives, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks.
As the Cowboys built a commanding lead in the first half, Prescott had less to do in the second half, which affected his overall stats.
Watson finished the game with 24 completions on 45 attempts for 169 yards. Notably, the Browns’ offensive line struggled to protect him, and his receivers were unable to provide the necessary support, forcing him to hold on to the ball too long.
This raised concerns about whether the Browns offensive unit lacked sufficient practice in the training camps.
With Watson’s performance raising concerns, the Browns must adjust before their Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars. Ironically, the Jaguars themselves suffered a narrow 20-17 loss to the Dolphins, adding further urgency for the Browns to rectify their issues before Sunday.
In addition to Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott also played a key role in the Cowboys’ dominance, contributing a three-yard touchdown run that proved big in the Cowboys’ offensive success.
Meanwhile, Brandon Aubrey was perfect on field goals, connecting from 57, 50, 46, and 40 yards, further solidifying Dallas’s impressive performance.
Prescott’s commanding display and record-breaking contract extension set a perfect tone for the Cowboys’ season. With Prescott shining, the Cowboys would hope 2024 will end their title drought after the 1996 Super Bowl win. The Browns, meanwhile, left a lot to be desired.
