These are five keys to the game for the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Carolina Panthers
Gameday for the Dallas Cowboys is finally upon us. All those questions, all those unknowns will begin to reveal themselves when the 2018 season kicks off at 3:25 p.m Sunday against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Perhaps we won’t have definitive answers on the Cowboys’ most pressing issues. Remember how long ago these season openers feel when you’re watching a game in December? Like ancient history. Still, a few basic questions should get addressed against the Panthers which could leaving Cowboys fans feeling relieved or feeling dread. Maybe we’ll only have more questions about what exactly we can expect from the 2018 Dallas Cowboys.
Here are five things to watch when the Cowboys and Panthers get going on Sunday afternoon:
1. Containing Cam
To stop the Panthers you have to slow down quarterback Cam Newton. Newton’s ability to run and shed tackles was the focus of much of the Cowboys’ defense all week. The gameplan couldn’t be any simpler: keep Newton contained within the pocket with consistent pressure on the ends from DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford. Behind them, Randy Gregory and Taco Charlton should both get plenty of chances to leave their mark on the game. Of course, stopping Newton isn’t only on the defensive line. Linebackers Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith and the banged up secondary can help the line with solid coverage.
2. Zeke’s chip
It’s almost as if this is Ezekiel Elliott’s rookie season. Although he nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in his sophomore season, his absence from six games because of an NFL suspension left a sour taste with just about everybody involved, most noteably Elliott. He has kept a low profile during training camp, earned nothing but high praise from his teammates, coaches and the front office with his work ethic and dedication to his preparation. Elliott also didn’t mince words when he spoke to the media one last time before Sunday’s opener. He has something, perhaps everything, to prove and that should bode well for Dallas.
3. Real time with Brett Maher
It may have been a gamble to keep kicker Dan Bailey despite declining accuracy and a rash of injuries the past two seasons. But it’s hard not to view going with rookie kicker Brett Maher, who has never kicked in an NFL game, a gamble as well. That’s what the Cowboys have done and his first field-goal attempt with come with big, deep breaths from Jerry Jones’ stadium suite down to Jason Garrett on the sideline (not to mention Cowboys Nation around the world). If Maher struggles in the opener, a whole mess of questions will fill up Week 2. If he kicks like he’s been kicking all preseason, the Cowboys’ money-saving move may look genius. Until he misses a kick, of course.
4. O-Line on the line
Besides the depleted secondary group, the Cowboys’ offensive line remains the biggest unknown going into the opener. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Cowboys are supposed to be loaded with All-Pro linemen. Travis Frederick’s bout with Guillain-Barré syndrome has forced Joe Looney into the starting role at center and right guard Zack Martin’s availability seemed dubious for a few days after he left a preseason game with a knee injury. Rookie left guard Connor Williams (a former Coppell Cowboy and Texas Longhorn) will make his first NFL start.
5. Which receiver will step up?
No more Dez Bryant. No more Jason Witten. The question kept being asked throughout the spring and into training camp and will continue until the answer presents itself: Who’s going to step up to fill the void left by Bryant and Witten? As for the wide receiver corps, the most obvious candidate appears to be veteran Allen Hurns, who signed a free agent deal this spring after four seasons with Jacksonville. But what about rookie Michael Gallup? He has impressed throughout camp. Or Cole Beasley, whose 36 receptions for 314 yards were his lowest numbers since his 2012 rookie season? Does Terrance Williams step up and become Dak Prescott’s go-to target? Williams caught no touchdown passes in 2017. Lastly, does Tavon Austin prove the skeptics (and his former team the Los Angeles Rams) wrong and become a consistent playmaker?