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Cowboys Week 1 winners & losers from blowout victory

Which players stood out for the Dallas Cowboys during their Week 1 win over Cleveland?

Randy Gurzi

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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The Dallas Cowboys headed into Week 1 as the underdogs against the Cleveland Browns. Not long into the first half, it was clear that this should have never been the case.

Dallas was the superior team on the field, even heading into the break with a 17-point lead against the home team. They stayed on top, winning it easily by a score of 33-17.

With a record of 1-0, they turn their attention to the New Orleans Saints. Before we do this, let's look back over this lopsided win with the winners and losers from Week 1.

Winner: KaVontae Turpin, Returner

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Cleveland was trailing 20-3 and needed a spark to get back in the game to start the third quarter. That's not what happened as they instead lost 14 yards on three plays and then had to punt it away. That's when things went from bad to worse for the Browns as return man KaVontae Turpin took it back 60 yards for a touchdown.

Turpin has been one of the best returners in the NFL but had yet to score a touchdown. That finally changed as he helped break this one open.

Winner: Micah Parsons, LB

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

During training camp, we heard how Micah Parsons would be moved around the defense under Mike Zimmer and that was exactly how this game played out. It appeared he would line up across James Hudson who was starting at left tackle, but Parsons started on the opposite side. Facing off against Dawand Jones, he drew two flags in the first quarter and recorded a sack on third down.

As if that wasn't enough, he then forced a turnover right before the end of the first half. Parsons tipped a pass from Deshaun Watson into the air, and it landed in the hands of linebacker Eric Kendricks. The Browns defense held but it allowed the Cowboys to go up 20-3 thanks to another kick from Brandon Aubrey.

Parsons had four tackles and a sack but it could have easily been more. He forced Watson to abandon the pocket often, including once when he ran right into DeMarcus Lawrence. In the battle of Parsons vs. Myles Garrett, Parsons scored a huge win.

Loser: Israel Mukuamu, CB

Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu
Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

After Micah Parsons sacked Deshaun Watson to force a punt at the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys were close to starting at midfield. Returner KaVontae Turpin went 14 yards to the Dallas 49 but a hold was called on Israel Mukuamu. That penalty pushed them all the way back to their own 29-yard line.

There weren't many players who struggled in this one and overall Mukuamu was fine. But this was a negative play. Had to pick someone.

Winner: Ezekiel Elliott, RB

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

A lot was made of the ground game for Dallas this season but in Week 1, they seemed to hold up fine. Ezekiel Elliott got the start and while he's not he player who led the NFL in rushing as a rookie, he still proved to be a savvy veteran. He was picking up the blitz, ran hard on several plays, and near the end of the first half, he did exactly what they brought him back to do — ran it in for a touchdown.

Dallas struggled in the red zone last year but their first time inside the 10 was a success on Sunday as Elliott scored from three yards out to give his team a 14-3 lead.

Elliott had 10 rushes for 40 yards and the touchdown and added nine yards on two catches. If that becomes a normal day for him, that's a win for Dallas.

Winner: DeMarvion Overshown, LB

This defense was dominant, and it was easy to heap praise on Micah Parsons, but he wasn't alone. Several others stood out including DeMarvion Overshown.

A third-round pick in 2023, Overshown missed his rookie season, but his debut was worth the wait. He was a blur on the field as he flew from one side of the field to the other. Overshown ended his day with a game-high 11 tackles and added a sack for good measure.

This linebacker corps looks vastly improved under Mike Zimmer and Overshown appears set for a breakout campaog

Winner: Dak Prescott, QB

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Before the game on Sunday, Dak Prescott landed his new deal. Suddenly making $60 million per season, Prescott took the field as the highest-paid player in league history. Making his broadcasting debut, Tom Brady said Prescott now has to earn the money.

MORE: Jones Family Backs Dak: 'He's the right guy for us'

After a slow first drive, Prescott started to do just that. His second drive was a thing of beauty as he led the Cowboys 70-yards on six plays. He hit CeeDee Lamb for a 34-yard pass on the sideline and then stood tall while taking a shot and found Brandin Cooks wide-open for a 21-yard touchdown.

Overall, Prescott's numbers weren't elite. He had 179 yards on 19-of-32 passing but he avoided the big mistakes and led his team to a comfortable win.

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Randy Gurzi

RANDY GURZI

Arizona State grad

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