CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Well, we made it. All the waiting is over. It’s Christmas in September as the Cowboys open the season against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. While you’re enjoying your Sunday morning coffee, here are some of my thoughts on the game.
There are soooooo many storylines to follow, but I’ve picked out the three I’m most interested in seeing. Don’t expect many nuances here. We’re just getting this thing kicked off, so we need to identify what we’re working with.
Will Zeke prove he’s the best?
Zeke Elliott couldn’t have been more clear with his mission this season. He says he’s out to prove he’s the “best back in the league.” He’s motivated with a chip on his shoulder and Cowboys fans have to hope that his 6-game suspensions last season can work in a positive way. Think about it. Since Elliott was a kid, he’d probably never let his team down until last season when he wasn’t available. Now, it’s his chance to hit the reset button and start over.
Elliott will have to don a super hero cape each week for the Cowboys to have a chance to get where they want to go this season. He averaged 98.3 rushing yards per game in the 10 he played last season. He says he’s young with fresh legs and ready for a heavy workload. We’ll see if the Cowboys can get him the ball more in the passing game. Don’t be surprised when he gets 25 touches, and that may even increase more in the coming weeks. Zack Martin confirmed something I noticed in camp. He told me he noticed something different about Elliott as he prepared this season. Elliott says he’s more focused. Now we get to see how that translates on Sundays.
The Panthers will provide a stiff test, boasting the NFL’s third-ranked rush defense a year ago that yield just 7 rushing touchdowns all year. If Elliott can reach the 100-yard rushing plateau, he would do what no back could all of last season against linebacker Luke Kuechly and company.
How will the Cowboys passing attack perform?
Jason Witten and Dez Bryant aren’t walking out that locker room, and now we finally get a chance to see how the Cowboys will use their revamped receiving corp. I was not impressed with what I saw in training camp. The Cowboys say they understand they don’t have a clear cut number one. But do they have number two’s that can come through in the clutch?
Dak Prescott struggled mightily in the second half of the season last year. Without Elliott in the lineup, not to mention tackle Tyron Smith, Prescott found out just how hard the NFL can be. Bouncing back with this group could be problematic.
I’m also interested in what schematic changes the Cowboys come up with. Recall, when the season ended last year, the Cowboys spent an inordinate amount of time self-scouting and evaluating what they had done. Dez Bryant complained about what he called predictability from offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. How much tweaking will we see, and how effective will it be? I know Prescott has put in the work it takes to improve, seeing it executed on the field is a different matter.
How will Randy Gregory perform in his return?
Defensive end Randy Gregory will play in his first game in 21 months, and he has the ability to be a wildcard in a Cowboys defense that looks to be much improved. If he can provide a bookend with Tank Lawrrence and his 14.5 sacks of last season, offensive coordinators will have fits.
When was the last time the Cowboys had two players with double-digit sack totals? You’d have to go back to 2012 when DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer pulled off the feat. If Gregory can stay on the field and out of trouble, we could see another “double-double.”
This game provides a great chance for Gregory to get out of the blocks. The Panthers offensive line has been decimated with injuries. There’s a possibility that four of last year’s starter could be gone because of injury and attrition.
Who wins?
I’m not exactly sure how the Cowboys offense will move the ball through the air, and I’m not sure how good the Cowboys defense can be, but I think the Cowboys will be good enough in the opener. Look for Zeke Elliott to dominate and the Cowboys front seven to cause problems against a depleted Panthers offensive line.
Cowboys win 27-24.
