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NFL Week 1 Recap: Dallas Cowboys 33, Cleveland Browns 17

2Y20XMD Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass under pressure from Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) in the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Dak Prescott made his Super Bowl intentions clear just hours after securing a four-year, $240 million contract as the Dallas Cowboys dominated the Cleveland Browns 33-17 in their season opener.

Prescott's new deal, which makes him the first player to average $60 million per year, ends months of speculation about his future with Dallas, a team he's led to three straight 12-win seasons.

Prescott finished 19-of-32 for 179 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown to Brandin Cooks in the first quarter. The Cowboys built a 27-3 lead early in the third, thanks partly to KaVontae Turpin‘s 60-yard punt-return touchdown and four long field goals from Brandon Aubrey (57, 50, 46 and 40 yards). Ezekiel Elliott added a 3-yard rushing touchdown, capping off a strong offensive performance.

On the other side, Deshaun Watson struggled in his return for Cleveland, playing his first game since injuring his shoulder last November. Watson was sacked six times, threw two interceptions and never found a rhythm, as the Dallas defense kept his receivers locked down.

PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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PLAYER OF THE GAME

The game didn't go the Browns' way, but that was no fault of Myles Garrett, who was his usual dominant self in the loss. Garret recorded a sack and a hurry on his 26 pass-rush snaps, though he had three more pass-rush wins that didn't result in pressure.

BOX SCORE

Cowboys Browns
Total points 33 17
Total offensive plays 60 70
Average EPA per play -0.157 -0.325
Total net yards 255 245
Avg yards per play 4.3 3.5
Total first downs 15 15
Rushing first downs 7 3
Passing first downs 8 10
Penalty first downs 0 2
Third-down efficiency 29% 13%
Fourth-down efficiency 0% 23%
Possessions 14 14
Avg plays per drive 5.4 5.6
Avg yards per drive 17 16.3
Avg points per drive 1.8 1.1
Red-zone possessions 2 2
Red-zone plays 5 8
Red-zone TDs 1 2
Red-zone FGs 0 0
Red-zone scoring efficiency 50% 100%

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION

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