The first full day of NFL football in 2024 is finally here, and the Dallas Cowboys take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 action.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game today.
Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns
- Start time: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, 4:25 p.m. ET
- Channel: Fox
- Live stream options: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FOX NOW
- Radio Stations: 105.3 The Fan, 92.3 The Fan
- Starting QBs: Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson
- Betting lines:
- Spread: CLE -2.5
- Total: 43
- Moneyline: CLE -135, DAL +114
While the moves have been scarce, the Cowboys’ offseason has been filled with plenty of drama. Dallas had three critical pieces of the franchises seeking a contract extension: QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, and DE Micah Parsons.
After a public exchange, which included subtweeting Jerry Jones’ comments to the media, Lamb and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $136 million contract. The deal keeps the Cowboys’ leading receiver for the past three seasons under contract through the 2029 season.
But despite getting Lamb under contract, the drama continues with the bigger elephant in the room: Prescott’s future.
The Cowboys and Prescott have been here before, but Prescott has all the leverage yet again. After hitting on Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Cowboys have struggled to identify another person to come and possibly take over if they genuinely believe it’s time to move on from Prescott. Additionally, no one on the market is in the same tier, or even close, to what Prescott offers Dallas’ passing attack.
While the Cowboys don’t want to pay Prescott, the options are slim, and it doesn’t seem like an agreement is coming any time soon given Jones’ recent public comments about the Cowboys’ QB1. With that in mind, it might be a one-year window for the Cowboys with a very uncertain future.
Cleveland comes into the 2024 season hoping its $230 million quarterback will play at least most of the season. After handing Deshaun Watson a fully guaranteed contract in 2022, the Browns QB1 has only played in 12 games with mediocre results. He’s completed 201 of his 341 pass attempts, 14 TDs, and nine INTs in two seasons.
The Browns expected more from the electric quarterback that started in Houston. If his play continues to disappoint, Cleveland can turn to either Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Still, it would be one of the worst investments in NFL history if Watson can’t turn things around.