'We're Going to the Super Bowl!' Cowboys Take Lead in NFC East Race
The only thing that hit New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones more than the comically-large raindrops at MetLife Stadium Sunday were Dallas Cowboys defenders, who recorded seven sacks of the opposing quarterback in a 40-0 Week 1 throttling of their division rivals.
There are 18 weeks in the season. A Sunday Night Football shellacking of the Giants won't mean anything if the Cowboys 2023 season ends with another humiliating loss in the NFC Divisional Round.
So when Micah Parsons said after Week 1, "We’re going to go to the Super Bowl ...'' Well, it's a fine plan. But we'll say this: you can only play one game at a time, and holy crap, how do the Cowboys not come out of Week 1 as the major winners in the NFL?
In the NFC East alone, the Cowboys clearly made the biggest statement on the first Sunday of the season.
The defending NFC East Champion Philadelphia Eagles jumped out to a 16-0 first quarter lead over the New England Patriots Sunday, quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles nearly coughed the game up in the fourth quarter, ultimately holding on to win 25-20. The conditions at Gillette Stadium weren't ideal for an explosion of points, but they weren't in MetLife either, and that didn't stop the Cowboys.
In D.C., there's a lot of optimism about the Washington Commanders. The black cloud of Daniel Snyder is gone, and if quarterback Sam Howell can play at all, a team that won seven games a season ago with a disastrous situation at the most important position could very well compete for a postseason spot. The Commanders are off to a 1-0 start, but it's hard to get overly excited about a 20-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals, who may as well already be on the clock for the 2024 NFL Draft.
And the Giants, well, if you thought that a few too many things broke their way last year and regression was coming in 2023, nothing happened Sunday to dissuade you.
The Dallas Cowboys obliterated the New York Giants in Week 1. (USA Today)
For all the talk about Dallas' "Texas Coast Offense" debuting with coach Mike McCarthy taking over playcalling, quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 134 yards and zero touchdowns. Running back Tony Pollard found the end zone twice, but finished with just 70 rushing yards. Receiver CeeDee Lamb had four catches for 77 yards.
If you just looked at the offensive box score, you might think the Cowboys lost their season opener. But this was about "complementary football,'' as coach Mike McCarthy likes to put it ... and Dan Quinn's defense played with an attitude Sunday, making the Giants offense look like they were a JV squad playing against the varsity.
Cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Stephon Gilmore each had interceptions. Defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa and Dorance Armstrong each had multiple sacks. Odighizuwa and Armstrong were among the seven players who combined for 10 tackles for a loss Sunday evening. It was an incredible setting of the tone by what looks like it could be a ferocious defense.
Every time an NFC East team plays in prime time, you're reminded that there hasn't been a repeat winner of the division since the Eagles won four consecutive titles from 2001-2004. Sunday likely won't change the Eagles being favored to snap that streak and win the NFC East for a second year in a row. But by winning 40-0 on opening night, the Cowboys - with a 1-0 record that feels better than the rest - made clear that they'll have something to say about that. ... just like Micah Parsons always has something to say about everything.
