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Cowboy’s Opener Recap
Football is back in action! The NFL season has just finished up its first week of football. Prime Time Thursday Night football following the Dallas Cowboys’ first game, falling short to the last year’s Super Bowl Champions: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The final score of 31-29, battling it out to the end by a game-winning field goal. Here is a little recap of Week 1: It was a back and forth game. Dak Prescott is back from his devastating season-ending ankle injury. Firing for 403 yards and three touchdowns, completing 72 percent of his throws. Ceedee Lamb, a second-year receiver, playing a huge role for this Cowboys team. He finished the game with seven receptions, 104 yards, and a touchdown. Amari Cooper contributed thirteen receptions, along with 139 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cowboys finished with 451 total scrimmage yards, as the Bucs finished with 431 yards. Cornerback Anthony Brown recorded 11 tackles, combining with 68 tackles in total for the defense. Including a fumble recovered by Randy Gregory. Jordan Lewis intercepting an interception in the endzone. And also, Trevon Diggs caught another interception off the hands of Leonard Fournette. Three enormous takeaways for the Cowboys.
Pictured is: (Trevon Diggs celebrating with his teammates)
Credit to dallasnews.com
Show Down in Los Angeles
The Cowboys are hoping to rebound, as they are challenged with a strong opponent. Coming into Week 2, the Cowboys face the Los Angeles Chargers, with a talented offense consisting of Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, and a young, accurate, strong-armed quarterback named Justin Herbert. Do not forget about their tough defense, with the additions of defensive-end Joey Bosa and safety Derwin James back from their injuries. Both of them, have had bad luck in the last three years with season-ending injuries and concussions.
They won their first game on the road against the Washington Football Team 20-16, hoping to make a statement back in L.A. at Sofi Stadium. A significant factor in this game is the injuries of three key players for the Cowboys: DeMarcus Lawerence (Defensive-End), Michael Gallup (Wide Receiver), Randy Gregory (Defensive End), and La’el Collins (Right Tackle) out for the Chargers game. For the Cowboys, having the absences of these four players is quite frustrating for Cowboy Fans and the Organization, especially after the first week. For the Chargers, their starting right tackle Bryan Buluga is put on IR and Chris Harris Jr. (Corner Back) is out against the Cowboys.
Credit to (www.al.com)
My Thoughts on Week 2:
Coming off of a 6-10 record last season, the Cowboys proved to hang with the defending champs last game. With the high-powered offense of Brady and the Bucs, I thought overall, the defense played better than I expected. Despite being ranked 32nd last season defensively in passing and run defense. I was pleasantly shocked how the defense stopped Brady and the run. For the Cowboys to win against the Chargers, the defense must step up and make plays across the field. With the absences of Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawerence for the defensive line, this could be a problem.
If the Cowboys want to shut down Justin Herbet, they must contest his playmaking abilities and his ability to scramble outside of the pocket. This will be a big test for the defense and the amount of controversy. Zack Martin will contribute a positive impact to the offensive line. However, in addition, to give Dak enough time and block for Zeke. Ezekial Elliot was quiet through the Bucs game, recording only 33 yards of scrimmage and 11 carries. This surprised Cowboy fans on how little they included the run in the offensive gameplay. Also, Zeke must be more involved through the Cowboy’s offense pumping the ball to him.
For the Cowboys to win this game, the defense needs to show up, stopping the run and pass not giving up third-down possessions. The red zone defense was a big issue last game, giving Brady too much time to get the ball finding the open man with ease. Furthermore, this will be a problem if not resolved. For the Cowboys to win, Dak must take advantage and shots down the field like he did last game, contributing more than 400 yards across the board.
More importantly, he must make the right reads and get his teammates involved. With expectations, the Charger’s secondary is young, aggressive, and talented. With their new coach Brandon Staley, former Ram’s defensive coordinator under the “master-mind” Sean McVay, acknowledged as having a top 3 defense in the league. Will that be the case for the future of the Chargers? The last three times the Chargers have played the Cowboys, they have won three times. Is this the Cowboys’ chance to change that, with an explosive offense with Dak back?
That is all for this piece of the Preview of Week 2 for the Cowboys, stay tuned for more Dallas Cowboy football content in the future. Tune in to the next game at Jerry World against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 27th Monday Night on ESPN!
