Dallas Cowboys vs Cleveland Browns Match Player Stats (Sep 8, 2024)

Dallas crushed Cleveland 33-17 on September 8, 2024, and the final score flattered the Browns. Dak Prescott threw for 179 yards and a touchdown without turning it over, while Eric Kendricks dominated with nine tackles, two sacks, and an interception in his Cowboys debut. Deshaun Watson’s long-awaited return from shoulder surgery went disastrously: two picks, six sacks, and 17 quarterback hits as Cleveland managed just 230 total yards at Huntington Bank Field.

Game Summary

Cleveland held possession longer but failed to convert when it mattered. The 13% third-down conversion rate proved fatal. Dallas built a 20-3 halftime advantage behind Brandon Aubrey’s perfect kicking and Mike Zimmer’s defensive scheme, then KaVontae Turpin ended any comeback dreams with a 60-yard punt return touchdown to open the third quarter.

Prescott’s Validation vs Watson’s Struggles

The quarterback performances show two players on opposite trajectories.

Prescott didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he played exactly the kind of football Dallas just paid $240 million to secure. He took what Zimmer’s scheme created, protected the football, and hit Brandin Cooks for a 21-yard touchdown against Cover-0 blitz in the first quarter. His best throw came on a 34-yard strike to CeeDee Lamb down the right sideline, putting Dallas in scoring position immediately. Lamb missed all of training camp during his contract holdout but showed zero rust catching that ball in tight coverage.

Watson’s first game action since breaking his shoulder last November exposed problems that go beyond rust. His accuracy issues never improved as the game wore on. Pro Football Reference data shows Watson faced pressure on 44.6% of dropbacks and struggled consistently when defenders closed in, and that 7.1 QBR reflects a quarterback who couldn’t solve Zimmer’s coverage disguises.

Both interceptions came on passes intended for Elijah Moore. Eric Kendricks snagged the first after Micah Parsons tipped it at the line, an excellent read by the veteran linebacker who jumped Watson’s timing route. Trevon Diggs grabbed the second in the fourth quarter when Moore tipped a high throw that Watson threw behind his receiver.

Watson got hit 17 times.

Seventeen.

That’s not sustainable for any quarterback, especially one returning from shoulder surgery.

How Zimmer’s Scheme Confused Cleveland

That 44.6% pressure rate resulted from scheme as much as talent. Zimmer disguised coverages pre-snap, then rotated defenders into different zones after the ball was snapped. This forced Cleveland’s line to make protection calls based on false information. Watson held the ball searching for answers that weren’t there, and by the second quarter, Dallas had him completely rattled.

Cleveland’s offensive line injuries made everything worse. Starting tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin both missed the game, forcing backup linemen to face Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and DeMarvion Overshown. Not a fair fight.

Ground Game Battle

Elliott’s three-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter announced his return to Dallas. He split backfield snaps almost evenly with Rico Dowdle (51% to 44%), and the veteran still has power running between the tackles. On the opening play, he hurdled a defender before a holding penalty wiped it out. Message sent anyway.

Ford carried Cleveland’s rushing attack but found no room. Dallas’ defensive line won at the point of attack, and Ford’s 3.7 yards per carry resulted mostly from second-effort grinding. The late touchdown? Game already decided. Watson added 39 scrambling yards, actually leading Cleveland in yards per carry at 7.8. When your quarterback leads in rushing efficiency, your run game has failed.

Pass Catchers

Dallas Cowboys

Lamb commanded double coverage despite missing training camp. The 34-yard catch demonstrated perfect timing as he beat inside leverage and Prescott dropped it in perfectly. Cooks provided the scoring threat with his vertical route against Cover-0, beating Juan Thornhill for the touchdown while showcasing elite chemistry between quarterback and receiver.

Cleveland Browns

Cooper’s reunion with Dallas produced two catches on nine targets. Rookie Caelen Carson matched up with the five-time Pro Bowler most of the afternoon and absolutely won that battle. Cooper failed to get separation, and Watson’s inaccuracy made things worse. That 16-yard output was Cooper’s lowest since 2022.

Jeudy caught his first touchdown as a Brown on a 6-yard slant in the third quarter, capping Cleveland’s only sustained drive. ESPN’s recap noted that 12-play, 75-yard march briefly cut Dallas’ lead to 27-10 and demonstrated what Cleveland’s offense could accomplish when Watson had time.

Defensive Impact

Dallas Cowboys Defense

Kendricks recorded his first interception since 2021 and his first multi-sack game since 2016. He looked like the All-Pro linebacker Minnesota had five years ago. The eight-yard return off the tipped pass gave Dallas prime field position before halftime. Both sacks? Third down when Cleveland desperately needed conversions.

Overshown’s debut deserves its own paragraph.

This kid is special. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, and he returned playing like a veteran. The fourth-quarter sack of Watson on fourth-and-six showcased closing speed that left Watson with nowhere to go. Overshown tracked him down for a three-yard loss on the biggest play of Cleveland’s final drive. Dallas just found their next defensive star, and other teams will be studying this tape all week.

Parsons generated pressure on 26 pass rush snaps but his real impact came from drawing constant attention. Cleveland’s game plan tried to neutralize Parsons with chips and slide protection, which freed up Lawrence and Overshown to pressure Watson relentlessly. The tip that led to Kendricks’ interception changed field position at the perfect moment.

Diggs returned from ACL surgery and played 95% of defensive snaps. That workload in Week 1 after missing most of 2023 proves remarkable recovery. The interception occurred on a tipped ball, but he broke up three passes with tight coverage. Cleveland tested him repeatedly. He passed every test.

Cleveland Browns Defense

Cleveland’s defense actually kept them competitive early. They forced three punts in the first half and held Dallas to field goals on multiple red zone trips. Garrett’s strip-sack in the second quarter should’ve swung momentum, but Cleveland’s offense failed to capitalize on good field position.

According to the Browns’ official recap, Denzel Ward defended three passes and limited Lamb’s yards after catch with tight coverage. The secondary did its job.

The offense failed them.

Special Teams Excellence

Kicking

Aubrey converted from 57, 50, 46, and 40 yards.

Perfect.

The 57-yarder before halftime kept Cleveland at distance when they needed momentum. He nearly tied Justin Tucker’s NFL record with a successful 66-yard attempt, but a delay of game penalty wiped it off the board. Mike McCarthy declined attempting a 71-yarder, choosing instead to take a 17-point lead into halftime. Smart coaching.

The Return That Crushed Cleveland’s Hope

Seventy-two seconds into the third quarter, Turpin took the game away from Cleveland.

He fielded Corey Bojorquez’s 49-yard punt at his own 40, saw a seam up the middle, cut right, and raced untouched down the sideline. The score gave Dallas a 27-3 lead. You could see Cleveland’s sideline deflate. Whatever slim hope remained died on that play.

This marked Turpin’s first career punt return touchdown and Dallas’ first punt return score since 2017.

How This Game Unfolded

Hopkins’ 51-yard field goal gave Cleveland brief early hope. Four minutes later, that hope disappeared.

Prescott marched the Cowboys 70 yards in eight plays, hitting Lamb for 34 yards on a completion that froze Emerson Jr. Two plays later, Prescott found Cooks against Cover-0 blitz for the touchdown. Cleveland showed pressure, and Prescott read it immediately. Cooks beat Thornhill vertically, and the ball dropped in perfectly. That’s what $240 million quarterbacking looks like.

The second quarter crushed Cleveland’s will. On second-and-14 from their own 26, Watson’s pass was tipped by Parsons at the line and intercepted by Kendricks. That turnover set up Elliott’s three-yard touchdown run that made it 14-3. Cleveland’s offense went three-and-out on their next possession after gaining just three yards. Aubrey hit from 57 yards. Cleveland tried to respond but gained minimal yardage on three plays. Aubrey added another from 40 yards before halftime.

Twenty to three at the break. It felt like forty.

Turpin’s return to open the third quarter broke whatever remained of Cleveland’s fight. The Browns responded with their best drive, Watson completing 7 of 11 passes and finding Jeudy for the touchdown. But Aubrey answered immediately with another field goal to make it 30-10. The message was clear: every Cleveland score would be matched.

Ford’s late touchdown made the final score 33-17, which flatters Cleveland considerably. This was total control from whistle to whistle.

The Cowboys’ official game recap confirms it: Dallas dominated every phase after the opening possession.

The Contract and Comeback Context

Hours before kickoff, news broke that Prescott had signed a four-year, $240 million extension, making him the first NFL player to average $60 million annually. That deal came two weeks after Dallas secured Lamb with a four-year, $136 million contract. Both agreements ended the Cowboys’ tumultuous offseason and allowed them to focus entirely on football.

Prescott validated every penny in Week 1.

Watson’s return from shoulder surgery didn’t go as planned. He missed the entire preseason, making this his first live action in ten months. That rust showed immediately on missed throws and slow processing against Dallas’ defensive pressure.

Cleveland lost multiple players to injury during the game. David Njoku (ankle), Tony Fields II (ankle), Mohamoud Diabate (hip), and Maurice Hurst II (ankle) all exited. Head coach Kevin Stefanski classified each as week-to-week, adding to Cleveland’s mounting injury problems.

Championship Implications: Two Teams, Opposite Trajectories

Dallas’ defense isn’t just retooled.

It’s legitimately elite.

The Kendricks-Overshown linebacker combination provides the sideline-to-sideline speed and coverage ability Dallas lacked in 2023. Add Parsons, Lawrence, and a healthy Diggs, and you have a defensive unit that can dominate playoff-caliber teams. Zimmer’s scheme in his first game as defensive coordinator exploited Watson’s rust, but the execution stemmed from elite talent maintaining gap integrity while playing aggressively.

Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton and rookie center Cooper Beebe both played every offensive snap. Starting two rookies on the offensive line against Myles Garrett in Week 1 seemed risky. They held up better than expected, protecting Prescott well enough to keep him clean when it mattered. That bodes well for the investment Dallas just made in their franchise quarterback.

Watson’s accuracy problems go deeper than rust. He struggled with timing and pocket presence throughout the game. The Browns’ championship window depends entirely on Watson returning to Pro Bowl form. Week 1 provided zero evidence of that transformation happening soon.

Watson may never fully return to his 2020 form. The combination of missed time, shoulder surgery, and mental processing under pressure all revealed regression against Dallas. Cleveland needs to start considering contingency plans because this performance wasn’t just rust. It was decline.

Cleveland’s offensive line injuries made bad situations worse. Even when Watson had time, the protection schemes failed to adjust to Zimmer’s coverage disguises. Seven offensive penalties, many for illegal formation and false starts, created long-yardage situations on critical drives. The 2-for-15 third-down conversion rate directly resulted from those pre-snap mistakes.

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Dallas returns home to face New Orleans, who destroyed Carolina 47-10 in Week 1. Cleveland travels to Jacksonville, where both teams desperately need their first win.

The Cowboys validated their offseason investments with a complete performance against a quality opponent in a hostile environment. Cleveland faces legitimate questions about Watson’s health and readiness after a thorough beating that the 33-17 score doesn’t accurately reflect. The player statistics from this matchup show two franchises heading in opposite directions.