Five things to watch for Dallas Cowboys season opener against the Rams on Sunday
Might the Dallas Cowboys season opener be in danger?
NFL officials and the Los Angeles Rams are monitoring the air quality in Inglewood, California, to assess whether issues caused by wildfires in the state could pose health concerns and affect the start time of Sunday night’s game at the new SoFi Stadium, per the NFL Network.
As of now, officials are positive that the game will not be affected by the air.
The game could be affected should there be a sustained poor air-quality level of 200 or above.
Per the NFL Network, if the game needs to be delayed, options are moving it to later in the week or relocating. That decision would come from the league.
Here are five things to watch in Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Rams:
Mike McCarthy’s debut
The Dallas Cowboys, as an organization, do pretty well with season openers. They are tied with the Denver Broncos for the all-time winning percentage (.658) on opening day. Dallas’ 39 wins are tied for sixth all-time in league history.
That positivity is offset by the fact that new head coaches are 3-5 all-time with the Cowboys, including opening losses by the Hall of Fame legends and Super Bowl champions in Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells.
That doesn’t bode well for those that hope the new Mike McCarthy era will one day feature a Super Bowl title in Dallas.
McCarthy was 9-4 on opening day in Green Bay but started with an opening loss in 2006.
How many Cowboys will kneel?
Running back Ezekiel Elliott said some Cowboys will take a knee during the national anthem in a peaceful protest in support of social justice and to bring attention to police brutality.
The only Cowboys player who said they would kneel for sure has been defensive tackle Dontari Poe. But whatever happens, the individual expression of the players will be supported by the organization, per coach Mike McCarthy.
No Cowboys player has ever taken a knee but the practice is no longer prohibited by owner Jerry Jones.
Doing it Sunday against the Rams is one thing, as there will be no fans at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The game to watch will be Sept. 20, the Cowboys home opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
How will the fans at AT&T Stadium react to the kneeling players?
Dak Prescott playing for his contract
This is game one of quarterback Dak Prescott under the spotlight and playing for his contract. Sure, it was the same way last year when he turned down a $33 million annual offer and risked losing it all by playing on a $2 million salary.
And while he is betting on himself again by playing on a $31.4 million franchise tag, he turned down a $175 million deal in the off-season with the goal of making even more in 2021.
His contract numbers, in the minds of many, will ebb and flow with each pass and each passing game, starting Sunday.
Aldon Smith’s miraculous return
The most underplayed story heading into Sunday’s game against the Rams is linebacker/defensive Aldon Smith playing in a game for the first time since 2015 due to an NFL suspension.
That the first game is in Los Angeles is fitting for Smith, who began his return and personal recovery at the Merging Vets and Players program/gym in Southern California.
Smith has been so good in training camp that it’s almost an afterthought that he is listed as a starter for the Cowboys in the season opener. But that is a big deal after not playing in four years due to substance abuse and depression.
Getting reinstated and returning to the game was a big milestone itself but being an opening day starter is downright miraculous.
Rookie debuts of CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs
All eyes will be on rookie top picks CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs making their NFL debuts for varying reasons.
The anticipation for Lamb, the slot receiver and punt returner, is for him to make a big play. The No. 1 pick from Oklahoma has lived up to the hype in training camp. There are many who think he might be the team’s most exciting player from Day 1.
Diggs is also coming off a great training camp and has been the player the team expected with they drafted him, if not more. But life on the island at cornerback comes with ups and downs, especially for a rookie.
The Rams will surely test to see if Diggs can hold up in Game 1.
