Perhaps the most impactful move the Dallas Cowboys made this offseason was reuniting Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator. Zimmer’s return to the franchise began with a bang, as his defense dominated the Cleveland Browns in Dallas’ 33-17 season-opening victory.

With so many starters and key backups sitting out the entire preseason, this was our first look at Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs and others since the departure of Dan Quinn. They really did well, as Parsons and Lawrence combined for three sacks and Diggs had an interception in his first game since Week 2 of 2023. Veteran CB Jourdan Lewis also had a strong game, contributing to several key stops.

Several new faces also shone in their Cowboys debuts. LB Eric Kendricks, who probably wouldn’t be here if not for his long history with Zimmer in Minnesota, had two sacks and an interception in a stellar afternoon. DeMarvion Overshown showed the wait was worth it after his rookie year, flashing high-impact plays all over the field. Rookie CB Caelen Carson came close to forcing a turnover a few times and held his own overall.

Overall, Dallas’ defense looked like a well-coached unit. They played with passion and rarely seemed to get out of position. If it weren’t for a few missed opportunities to overpower Browns QB DeShaun Watson in the backfield, the game would have been even more one-sided. Watson was able to evade a few perceived sacks and continue the attacks, but it wasn’t nearly enough to turn the tide.

Many will be quick to point to Cleveland’s struggling offensive line and Watson’s lack of playing time over the past three years as reasons for their ineptitude. That’s not unfair; the Browns were missing both of their starting offensive tackles. Watson, who only played in six games each of the past two years after sitting out all of 2021 due to personal issues, is clearly done for right now. This was far from the best offense the Cowboys will have to contend with this season.

But dominating another NFL team is never easy, especially as a road team. The Cowboys entered this game as underdogs and posted one of the most lopsided results of Week 1. And with their own offense only gaining 35 more yards than Cleveland’s, Dallas’ defense made the difference by shutting down attacks before they could be converted into points.

Brandon Aubrey’s four field goals all came after Dallas’ offense was set up with short fields following a three-and-out, two failed fourth-down conversions and an interception. The Cowboys never got more than 17 yards on any of those drives, but Aubrey was still within striking distance thanks to the defense that kept Cleveland in check. Those field goals accounted for 12 of Dallas’ 33 points.

Once again, Mike Zimmer’s team faces by far the biggest challenges. One of them is the New Orleans Saints, who just took 47 points from the Panthers. But we’ve often criticized the Cowboys for stooping to the level of their opponents, and that certainly wasn’t the case on Sunday, at least not on Zimmer’s side of the ball. The message was that Dan Quinn didn’t take Dallas’ defensive strength with him to Washington, and it should remain a strength for the Cowboys in 2024.