[my clarifying comments inserted in brackets]:
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2021/9/12/22668480/dallas-cowboys-vs-tampa-bay-buccaneers-10-thoughts-dak-zeke-nfl-football-opening-night-week-one-nfc

September 12 2021, 8:00 am CDT

Ten thoughts on the Cowboys vs. Buccaneers
season opener

Cowboys didn’t come away with the victory, but
there was a lot of positives to take away from
week one.

The Dallas Cowboys kicked off the 2021 season
in explosive fashion. The Cowboys faced off against
the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay
Buccaneers and stood tall as they traded blows all
night.

Dallas did not come away with the week one win,
but their performance was inspiring enough to put
the rest of the league on alert that they are a team
worth respecting moving forward.

Here are 10 thoughts on the Cowboys loss to the
Bucs.

~~~

1. Dak Prescott picked up right where he left off.
Dallas Cowboys v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dak Prescott Bucs Game Photo:
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22842506/1339380852.jpg

Based on Dak’s performance alone you could not
tell he has not played in an NFL game in almost 11
months. Dak had the offense rolling on all cylinders
all game long, leading to a go ahead drive with under
1:30 on the clock.

Prescott finished 42-58 for 403 yards, 3 TDs & 1
interception on a throw that might’ve been his best
ball of the night. [NO, it was at the ends of a leaping
CeeDee's fingertips, who was NOT given a Drop on
that pass as the pass was uncatchable, a pass just
half a foot closer to CeeDee might've deserved the
analyst's comment]

If this is what a rusty Dak Prescott looks like, this
Cowboys offense is going to be real scary moving
forward.

~~~

2. Anthony Brown had a tough night (to say the
least).

Photo of Anthony being beaten for a long TD
by a long pass from Brady to Antonio Brown:
tinyurl.com/AnthonyBrownbeatenforTDvsBucs

Tom Brady has a way to pick out a weakness and
attack it. That weakness Thursday night seemed to
be Anthony Brown. All night Brady looked his way
and parlayed it to consistent production and points.
We knew the secondary could be an issue for this
team, but if week one is any indication, Brown ...

.... might seem himself being tested early and often
all year. [If his play is weak in the Chargers game,
he might be replaced with Canady or rookie Nah-
shon Wright]

3. Ezekiel Elliott did his job - even if the stats don’t
show it.

Photo of 1 of Ezekiel's 11 runs vs Bucs:
tinyurl.com/Zeke-runvsBucs

The front seven for the Bucs are tough and they are
talented.

Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles likes to bring pres-
sure and exotic looks that forces an all-hands-on-deck
approach for offenses to protect against it. Zeke found
himself being vital to the protection and passing attack
as he was on the spot and a willing pass protector all
night.

Zeke’s rushing production was minimal as the Cowboys
threw the ball most of the night [Dak tied the NFL record
for the most passes in a season opener, 58, but the NFL
record for the most passes in any game is held by Drew
Bledsoe, 70 in 1994:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Football_League_records_(individual)#Passing_attempts ], but you could see just how important it was to the ...

.... offensive rhythm to see Zeke back there stone walling
blizters all night.

4. Amari Cooper is still WR1.

Photo of Amari Cooper making 1 of his 2 TD receptions:
tinyurl.com/AmariCooper1of2TDsvsBucs

Cooper was a problem for the defense all night. Dak looked
to him early and often and he answered the call each time.
Cooper finished the night with 13 receptions, 139 yards, &
2 TDs. CeeDee Lamb is well on his way to being a mega
star in this league, but Cooper spent opening night remind-
ing everybody to not forget about him and his skills either.

5. Demarcus Lawrence is a stud.

Photo - Demarcus Lawrence hitting Bucs Tight End:
tinyurl.com/DemarcusLawrencevsBucs

Video - Demarcus Lawrence punching ball out of
Ronald Jones hands, recovered by Randy Gregory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j9F8XUIqug

Even with a dip in his sack numbers, the overall value Law-
rence has to this defense can’t be overstated. Lawrence was
a monster in the run game and forced a key turnover with a
textbook punch of the football, & applied pressure & was dis-
ruptive all night as a pass rusher as well.

Brady routinely gets the ball out quickly and is very smart in
the pocket, so the fact Lawrence didn’t get home for a sack
is understandable if frustrating.

6. Connor McGovern was up to the task.

Photo - McGovern celebrating alongside Prescott & Elliott
in Bucs game, unsure which play he was celebrating:
tinyurl.com/McGoverncelebratinginBucsgame

McGovern got thrown into a tough situation. He was told he
was going to start just days prior against a fierce defensive
line on opening night, and he did not blink. He was tough in
the running game and held up well in pass protection. The
Cowboys have depth at the guard position when Zack Mar-
tin is back this week, and it’s safe to say sooner rather than ...

.... later, McGovern will factor into the starting five picture
moving forward.

7. It’s definitely a new era for the linebacker corp.

Photo - Micah Parsons between plays during Bucs game:
tinyurl.com/MicahParsonsvsBucs

Last year the linebacker play was a problem. The struggles
were well documented and clearly noted as the Cowboys
invested heavily this year to upgrade the position.

The Cowboys state that matchup will dictate the personnel,
but if week one is any indicator it looks like a changing of
the guard of sorts as Micah Parsons and Keanu Neal tallied
more snaps that Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith by
a wide margin.

We will see how that is delegated moving forward, but it is
certainly something worth monitoring as the season progres-
ses.

8. Greg Zuerlein should be on notice.

Photo - 1 of Zuerlein's kicks vs Bucs (unsure which one):
tinyurl.com/Zuerlein-1ofhiskicksvsBucs

In a game decided by two points on a game-winning drive
orchestrated by Tom Brady, it makes you sick to think that
the four points left on the field by your kicker made a huge
difference in the outcome of this game. Missing a 31-yard
field goal and an extra point is just unacceptable at this
level. We understand he didn’t get much work in training ...

.... camp, and he is working through an injury, however if
you aren’t ready, then you shouldn’t be out there. You don’t
want to overstate the situation but it’s very honest and real
to think with a healthy reliable kicker on roster we could be
having a very different conversation after this game.

9. Trevon Diggs is what we thought he could be.

Photo - Trevon Diggs after interception vs Bucs:
tinyurl.com/TrevonDiggsafterintvsBucs

Video - Trevon Diggs interception vs Bucs:
https://youtu.be/hxV1TBCYQxA

For as much time Brady spent picking on Anthony Brown,
that’s how little time he spent looking Trevon Diggs way.
Diggs was only credited for coverage stats of one comple-
tion for ten yards against a very good Mike Evans. Diggs
found his way to capitalize on a tipped pass interception
as he continues to prove he is a consistent playmaker for ...

.... this defense. It will be interesting to see next week when
he goes against another quality receiver group the Chargers
possess, but as Diggs comes into his own, it might be safe
to say he is up for any challenge in year two.

10. They gave up 31 points, but this defense is much im-
proved.

Photo - Randy Gregory & Cowboys celebrate his
fumble recovery caused by Demarcus Lawrence
punching the ball out of Ronald Jones hands
tinyurl.com/RandyGregoryvsBucspostfumrecov

Four turnovers, sure tackling, control in the running game
from the front seven, and keeping the team within striking
range to have a chance to take home a W, surely we aren’t
speaking about the Cowboys, right? Granted they gave up
a drive that resulted in a loss, but this is a game versus ...

.... Tom Brady & they defending Super Bowl champions on
opening night. Rome wasn’t built in a day and we can’t ex-
pect a historically bad defense from last year do a 180 shift
in the next season, however there was much to be pleased
about.

They attacked the football, brought some different wrinkles
& looks, & were opportunistic when a situation presented it-
self. They aren't a top 10 defense, but with this offense they
don’t need to be.

[Maybe, but to increase chances of making it back to a
Super Bowl, a top 10 defense is involved in 87% of Super
Bowls. As an optimistic analyst who believes the Cowboys
will win Super Bowl 56 (perhaps alone in his belief) stated
in the last sentence of the following post:
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.sports.football.pro.dallas-cowboys/c/Hogq2JkbEMY/m/8XuKTQIgIQAJ
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Insert

"It's a completely different energy in the locker room on de-
fense than this time 1 year ago, & all things considered, the
unit should realistically buoy to the top half (16th+) of the
league by midseason. That's not bold enough, though, so
the prediction here is top 10 -- because let's have some fun."

Follow-up:

Defense Coordinator Dan Quinn's press conference
yesterday, with explanation of how Anthony Brown
was not to be blamed for long TD pass to Antonio
Brown 2:32 into the following video (my comments
in parentheses): https://youtu.be/utOIOzbSm70

"... I thought Anthony did an excellent job tackling
& uh the one deep ball that went for a touchdown
was actually a, you know, a coverage that was, we
were playing a trail technique, which you guys would
know that means he's playing underneath with help
over the top. Another player fell down, the safety ...

.... tried to help that one instead of Anthony, so it
looked like, you know, he was in a bad spot but he
was doing the technique that he should, know that
they should have had help, so one problem caused
another problem, so that could make it feel funny.
But now you know the answer on that play."

Questioner: "So what's the safety supposed to feel
in that spot, don't cover for the guy?"

Dan Quinn: "I don't know. That's a good question
(chuckles) because if you don't (cover) for the guy
that trips, he'd (Brady) throw it to that one, so the
message of the story is 'don't trip'."

On Sunday, September 12, 2021 at 12:56:46 PM UTC-5, observer wrote:

..> [my clarifying comments inserted in brackets]:
..> https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2021/9/12/22668480/dallas-cowboys-vs-tampa-bay-buccaneers-10-thoughts-dak-zeke-nfl-football-opening-night-week-one-nfc
..>
..> September 12 2021, 8:00 am CDT
..>
..> Ten thoughts on the Cowboys vs. Buccaneers
..> season opener
..>
..> Cowboys didn’t come away with the victory, but
..> there was a lot of positives to take away from
..> week one.
..>
..> The Dallas Cowboys kicked off the 2021 season
..> in explosive fashion. The Cowboys faced off against
..> the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay
..> Buccaneers and stood tall as they traded blows all
..> night.
..>
..> Dallas did not come away with the week one win,
..> but their performance was inspiring enough to put
..> the rest of the league on alert that they are a team
..> worth respecting moving forward.
..>
..> Here are 10 thoughts on the Cowboys loss to the
..> Bucs.
..>
..> ~~~
..>
..> 1. Dak Prescott picked up right where he left off.
..> Dallas Cowboys v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
..>
..> Dak Prescott Bucs Game Photo:
..> https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22842506/1339380852.jpg
..>
..> Based on Dak’s performance alone you could not
..> tell he has not played in an NFL game in almost 11
..> months. Dak had the offense rolling on all cylinders
..> all game long, leading to a go ahead drive with under
..> 1:30 on the clock.
..>
..> Prescott finished 42-58 for 403 yards, 3 TDs & 1
..> interception on a throw that might’ve been his best
..> ball of the night. [NO, it was at the ends of a leaping
..> CeeDee's fingertips, who was NOT given a Drop on
..> that pass as the pass was uncatchable, a pass just
..> half a foot closer to CeeDee might've deserved the
..> analyst's comment]
..>
..> If this is what a rusty Dak Prescott looks like, this
..> Cowboys offense is going to be real scary moving
..> forward.
..>
..> ~~~
..>
..> 2. Anthony Brown had a tough night (to say the
..> least).
..>
..> Photo of Anthony being beaten for a long TD
..> by a long pass from Brady to Antonio Brown:
..> tinyurl.com/AnthonyBrownbeatenforTDvsBucs

See explanation from Dan Quinn above regarding
how Anthony was not to blame for that.

..>
..> Tom Brady has a way to pick out a weakness and
..> attack it. That weakness Thursday night seemed to
..> be Anthony Brown. All night Brady looked his way
..> and parlayed it to consistent production and points.
..> We knew the secondary could be an issue for this
..> team, but if week one is any indication, Brown ...
..>
..> ... might seem himself being tested early and often
..> all year. [If his play is weak in the Chargers game,
..> he might be replaced with Canady or rookie Nah-
..> shon Wright]
..>
..> 3. Ezekiel Elliott did his job - even if the stats don’t
..> show it.
..>
..> Photo of 1 of Ezekiel's 11 runs vs Bucs:
..> tinyurl.com/Zeke-runvsBucs
..>
..> The front seven for the Bucs are tough and they are
..> talented.
..>
..> Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles likes to bring pres-
..> sure and exotic looks that forces an all-hands-on-deck
..> approach for offenses to protect against it. Zeke found
..> himself being vital to the protection and passing attack
..> as he was on the spot and a willing pass protector all
..> night.
..>
..> Zeke’s rushing production was minimal as the Cowboys
..> threw the ball most of the night [Dak tied the NFL record
..> for the most passes in a season opener, 58, but the NFL
..> record for the most passes in any game is held by Drew
..> Bledsoe, 70 in 1994:
..> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Football_League_records_(individual)#Passing_attempts ], ...
..>
..> ... but you could see just how important it was to the
..> offensive rhythm to see Zeke back there stone walling
..> blizters all night.
..>
..> 4. Amari Cooper is still WR1.
..>
..> Photo of Amari Cooper making 1 of his 2 TD receptions:
..> tinyurl.com/AmariCooper1of2TDsvsBucs
..>
..> Cooper was a problem for the defense all night. Dak looked
..> to him early and often and he answered the call each time.
..> Cooper finished the night with 13 receptions, 139 yards, &
..> 2 TDs. CeeDee Lamb is well on his way to being a mega
..> star in this league, but Cooper spent opening night remind-
..> ing everybody to not forget about him and his skills either.
..>
..> 5. Demarcus Lawrence is a stud.
..>
..> Photo - Demarcus Lawrence hitting Bucs Tight End:
..> tinyurl.com/DemarcusLawrencevsBucs
..>
..> Video - Demarcus Lawrence punching ball out of
..> Ronald Jones hands, recovered by Randy Gregory:
..> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j9F8XUIqug
..>
..> Even with a dip in his sack numbers, the overall value Law-
..> rence has to this defense can’t be overstated. Lawrence was
..> a monster in the run game and forced a key turnover with a
..> textbook punch of the football, & applied pressure & was dis-
..> ruptive all night as a pass rusher as well.
..>
..> Brady routinely gets the ball out quickly and is very smart in
..> the pocket, so the fact Lawrence didn’t get home for a sack
..> is understandable if frustrating.
..>
..> 6. Connor McGovern was up to the task.
..>
..> Photo - McGovern celebrating alongside Prescott & Elliott
..> in Bucs game, unsure which play he was celebrating:
..> tinyurl.com/McGoverncelebratinginBucsgame
..>
..> McGovern got thrown into a tough situation. He was told he
..> was going to start just days prior against a fierce defensive
..> line on opening night, and he did not blink. He was tough in
..> the running game and held up well in pass protection. The
..> Cowboys have depth at the guard position when Zack Mar-
..> tin is back this week, and it’s safe to say sooner rather than ....
..>
..> ... later, McGovern will factor into the starting five picture
..> moving forward.
..>
..> 7. It’s definitely a new era for the linebacker corp.
..>
..> Photo - Micah Parsons between plays during Bucs game:
..> tinyurl.com/MicahParsonsvsBucs
..>
..> Last year the linebacker play was a problem. The struggles
..> were well documented and clearly noted as the Cowboys
..> invested heavily this year to upgrade the position.
..>
..> The Cowboys state that matchup will dictate the personnel,
..> but if week one is any indicator it looks like a changing of
..> the guard of sorts as Micah Parsons and Keanu Neal tallied
..> more snaps that Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith by
..> a wide margin.
..>
..> We will see how that is delegated moving forward, but it is
..> certainly something worth monitoring as the season progres-
..> ses.
..>
..> 8. Greg Zuerlein should be on notice.
..>
..> Photo - 1 of Zuerlein's kicks vs Bucs (unsure which one):
..> tinyurl.com/Zuerlein-1ofhiskicksvsBucs
..>
..> In a game decided by two points on a game-winning drive
..> orchestrated by Tom Brady, it makes you sick to think that
..> the four points left on the field by your kicker made a huge
..> difference in the outcome of this game. Missing a 31-yard
..> field goal and an extra point is just unacceptable at this
..> level. We understand he didn’t get much work in training ...
..>
..> ... camp, and he is working through an injury, however if
..> you aren’t ready, then you shouldn’t be out there. You don’t
..> want to overstate the situation but it’s very honest and real
..> to think with a healthy reliable kicker on roster we could be
..> having a very different conversation after this game.
..>
..> 9. Trevon Diggs is what we thought he could be.
..>
..> Photo - Trevon Diggs after interception vs Bucs:
..> tinyurl.com/TrevonDiggsafterintvsBucs
..>
..> Video - Trevon Diggs interception vs Bucs:
..> https://youtu.be/hxV1TBCYQxA
..>
..> For as much time Brady spent picking on Anthony Brown,
..> that’s how little time he spent looking Trevon Diggs way.
..> Diggs was only credited for coverage stats of one comple-
..> tion for ten yards against a very good Mike Evans. Diggs
..> found his way to capitalize on a tipped pass interception
..> as he continues to prove he is a consistent playmaker for ...
..>
..> ... this defense. It will be interesting to see next week when
..> he goes against another quality receiver group the Chargers
..> possess, but as Diggs comes into his own, it might be safe
..> to say he is up for any challenge in year two.
..>
..> 10. They gave up 31 points, but this defense is much im-
..> proved.
..>
..> Photo - Randy Gregory & Cowboys celebrate his
..> fumble recovery caused by Demarcus Lawrence
..> punching the ball out of Ronald Jones hands
..> tinyurl.com/RandyGregoryvsBucspostfumrecov
..>
..>
..> Four turnovers, sure tackling, control in the running game
..> from the front seven, and keeping the team within striking
..> range to have a chance to take home a W, surely we aren’t
..> speaking about the Cowboys, right? Granted they gave up
..> a drive that resulted in a loss, but this is a game versus ...
..>
..> ... Tom Brady & they defending Super Bowl champions on
..> opening night. Rome wasn’t built in a day and we can’t ex-
..> pect a historically bad defense from last year do a 180 shift
..> in the next season, however there was much to be pleased
..> about.
..>
..> They attacked the football, brought some different wrinkles
..> & looks, & were opportunistic when a situation presented it-
..> self. They aren't a top 10 defense, but with this offense they
..> don’t need to be.
..>
..> [Maybe, but to increase chances of making it back to a
..> Super Bowl, a top 10 defense is involved in 87% of Super
..> Bowls. As an optimistic analyst who believes the Cowboys
..> will win Super Bowl 56 (perhaps alone in his belief) stated
..> in the last sentence of the following post:
..> https://groups.google.com/g/alt.sports.football.pro.dallas-cowboys/c/Hogq2JkbEMY/m/8XuKTQIgIQAJ
..>
..> --- --- --- --- --- ---
..> Insert
..>
..> "It's a completely different energy in the locker room on de-
..> fense than this time 1 year ago, & all things considered, the
..> unit should realistically buoy to the top half (16th+) of the
..> league by midseason. That's not bold enough, though, so
..> the prediction here is top 10 -- because let's have some fun."
..>
..> End Insert
..> --- --- --- --- --- ---
..>
..> Through one game, you can see the groundwork laid out for
..> this unit to be respected going forward.
..>
..> [Yes, two areas of success, but Bottom 10 rankings in sacks
..> made, passing TDs allowed, passing yards allowed, passer
..> rating allowed, & points allowed are cause for concern:
..> https://groups.google.com/g/alt.sports.football.pro.dallas-cowboys/c/EP5H_O7L09E ]
..>
..> --- --- ---