Dallas City News

It was officially announced on Monday that the Dallas Cowboys will be opening their 2024 NFL season on the road against the Cleveland Browns. The week one matchup is no easy task, as the Browns went 11-6 last season and made the playoffs. As of right now, DraftKings have the Cowboys as one-point underdogs heading into the matchup. Here are three of the biggest storylines involving the week one game.

Amari Cooper revenge game

The Cowboys traded star WR Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns on March 12, 2022. They sent him to Cleveland for a mere 2022 fifth-round pick and a swap of their 2022 sixth-rounders. This deal came after a disappointing playoff loss for the Cowboys to end the 2021 season. While Cooper had back-to-back seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards for the team in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he posted just 865 receiving yards in 2021 and the team felt the need to move on from his contract.

Since the trade, Cooper has been nothing short of a top 10 receiver in the league. In his two seasons with the Browns, Cooper has accumulated 2,410 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 150 receptions. He received a Pro Bowl nod this past season, marking the fifth of his career.

This week one matchup will be Cooper’s first opportunity to play the Cowboys since they dealt him away for cheap. It is fair to assume this game will be personal for Cooper, who will be looking to put up a big performance for the Browns.

Micah Parsons vs Myles Garrett

This will be the first time in Micah Parsons’ career that he will be facing the Cleveland Browns and their star pass-rusher, Myles Garrett. Since Parsons entered the league, he has been battling against Garrett for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, with Garrett finally receiving the honor this past season.

It is safe to assume that it will be no different this upcoming season, and that if both players remain healthy, they will both be finalists for the award again. If Parsons can significantly outperform Garrett in their week one matchup, it could go a long way in solidifying himself as the DPOY when the award is announced at the conclusion of the season.

With that said, Garrett is likely just as excited for the matchup, as he will be lining across rookie first-round pick Tyler Guyton. Talk about a warm welcome to the NFL.

Tom Brady makes his commentary debut:

Another storyline regarding the week one matchup doesn’t have to do with who is on the field, rather who is in the commentary booth. The great Tom Brady will be making his commentary debut for FOX during the game, replacing Greg Olsen.

This comes after Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million contract to take over as the company’s lead color commentator for the network. Brady signed the deal back in May 2022, and will now be fulfilling his responsibilities in the booth.

Brady has social media buzzing, as he took a shot at Dak Prescott when discussing the news he would be commentating the game.

Prescott will need to “pull through” if the Cowboys hope to open the season with a 1-0 record. The Browns have one of the best defenses in the NFL and will likely make things difficult for the Cowboys on the offensive side of the ball.