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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterSep 8, 2024, 06:22 PM ET
- Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
CLEVELAND — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott‘s first series as a $60 million man Sunday did not go as planned against the Cleveland Browns, with a second-down sack. His second series ended with a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks.
And the offense wasn’t the only unit rolling for the Cowboys. To close the first half, the Cowboys were upset when the officials did not reset the playclock and threw a delay-of-game penalty that negated what would have been a record-tying 66-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey.
KAVONTAE TURPIN. 60-YARD PUNT RETURN TD.
Cowboys up big in Cleveland.
: #DALvsCLE on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/o9fjs7PsJo— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
The Cowboys special teams unit got its revenge in the third quarter when KaVontae Turpin returned a Corey Bojorquez punt 60 yards for a touchdown that upped the Dallas lead to 27-3. It was Turpin’s first punt return for a touchdown in his career and the first by the Cowboys since Ryan Switzer’s 83-yard punt return for a touchdown on Nov. 30, 2017, against Washington.
Prescott, meanwhile, celebrated his four-year, $240 million extension with an early TD pass.
After hooking up with CeeDee Lamb for a 34-yard gain on a long ball over Denzel Ward, the Cowboys faced third-and-5 from the Cleveland 21 three plays later. With Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz bringing on all-out blitz — and an unblocked defender — Prescott floated a perfect pass to the corner of the end zone for Cooks to run under as he scooted past safety Juan Thornhill.
Dak to Brandin Cooks! First Cowboys TD of the year!
: #DALvsCLE on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/VQ2JNW3GE1— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
The Cowboys know Schwartz wants to bring pressure, and they know they need to beat the blitz with big plays.
None was bigger than Cooks’ touchdown after the Cowboys’ opening drive lost 1 yard.
For Cooks, it marked the fourth straight regular-season game he connected with Prescott for a touchdown pass.
Last year, when Cooks caught a touchdown from Prescott, the Cowboys went 7-1.
