After boasting the NFL’s highest-scoring offense last year, the Dallas Cowboys will face the league’s top defense to open the 2024 season. While CeeDee Lamb is back, points might be hard to come by against Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns defense, especially on the road.
It’s a tricky matchup for the Cowboys. Fans will remember that Dallas didn’t exactly flourish against elite defenses last season.With that in mind, Micah Parsons and Mike Zimmer’s defense might have to bail the offense out of a potential slow start. While Zimmer has received rave reviews all summer, growing pains in a new scheme should be expected.
Fortunately, superstar talents like Parsons are able to overcome age-old obstacles. It also helps when the opponent’s bookend left tackle isn’t expected to play. Parsons couldn’t have asked for better news in the countdown to Sunday afternoon.
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons is primed to feast against the Browns in Week 1
Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 9 of last year. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wills sustained a high-grade MCL sprain, a low-grade PCL sprain and bone bruises. Wills was swiftly placed on injured reserve and later underwent successful arthroscopic surgery.
That is a major development for Cleveland, but Wills only participated in individual drills in the portion of practice that was open to the media. It would be reckless of the Browns to throw him out there after he was only just cleared to practice following a lengthy rehab.
Well, Wills himself revealed that he won’t start on Sunday.
“Oh, no, I won’t be,” Will said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “I’m not starting this week. I’m just going out there for indy (individual drills) and seeing how it feels and get back into things.” Wills have officially been ruled out for Sunday, which means it’s setting up for veteran right tackle Jack Conklin to start at left tackle for the Browns. That is more good news for Parsons.
Though, Conklin is a two-time All-Pro and one of the highest-earning RTs in football, he’s never started at left tackle in the NFL. He played there in college at Michigan State, but he converted to the right side for a reason.
Even better for Parsons? Conklin is only in his second week back after completing his own knee rehab. Conklin tore two ligaments in his knee in Week 1 of last season and missed the rest of the campaign. Coming off a serious injury and playing an unfamiliar position, it stands to reason that Conklin won’t be in peak form on Sunday if he plays. He is questionable for the game.
Not only are the Browns down to their backup left tackle, but the backup only just returned from a major knee injury and is uncertain to play. It bodes well for the entire Cowboys front seven, but the stage is set for Parsons in particular to absolutely wreck Sunday’s game
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