ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Four years ago, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys almost beat the Super Bowl champs on the road in the NFL opener in his return from an injury that played a big part in a losing record the previous season.
Then the star quarterback and his surprisingly resurgent team ran off six consecutive victories on the way to the first of three straight trips to the playoffs.
Dallas is off to the same start going into Sunday's home opener against the New York Giants (0-1) after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20.
Prescott had a good night coming off the torn hamstring that sidelined him the final nine games of 2024, and the Cowboys (0-1) stayed close in their first game without Micah Parsons, just a week after the star pass rusher was sent to Green Bay in a stunning trade that followed a long contract stalemate.
“This is a young group, led by the right older vets that have a lot of confidence,” Prescott said. “And I credit the coaches as well, putting guys in the right position to give them confidence, building their confidence all throughout the offseason that now it’s just about putting it together. I think this is a team that can be really, really good.”
The opener was something of a replay for Russell Wilson as well, but not in a good way after a mediocre season in Pittsburgh that followed a losing record over three years — the final one in Seattle and two more in Denver for the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback and Super Bowl winner.
The Giants became just the second team in NFL history to go a third consecutive opener without scoring a touchdown in a 21-6 loss to Washington, while Wilson was just 17 of 37 for 168 yards and was sacked twice.
Wilson's showing left coach Brian Daboll noncommittal about his starting quarterback after the game, before he said a day later Wilson would start. Rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart had a strong preseason.
“I think that you embrace challenge,” said Wilson, the 36-year-old in his 14th season. “I don’t think I run from challenges. It’s just staying together, staying upbeat, staying positive. But also, understanding that there’s things that we’ve got to do better and figure out those things every day.”
Forgetting the drops
CeeDee Lamb had three critical drops against the Eagles, and a catch on any one of them might have been all the Cowboys needed for the upset as a touchdown-plus underdog.
The 2023 All-Pro receiver was seen catching passes with a machine last Friday, the day after the game. First-year coach Brian Schottenheimer brought it up in his conference call with reporters the same day.
“That wasn’t supposed to go viral. I wasn’t doing that for no internet to be honest,” said Lamb, who still had a productive day with seven catches for 110 yards. “So I came in on a day when nobody was in the building and I still caught a camera. As for me, it's going back to my fundamentals. I know what it is. I know what to do.”
Part of what to do, he said, is not pressing against the Giants.
“Just relax. Take a deep breath. Let the game come to me and then when it does, take over," Lamb said. “It’s obviously simple to say and harder to do, but for me, I feel like if I keep it that simple, it’ll work out.”
Put on a smile
Malik Nabers understands why footage of him looking displeased or frustrated against the Commanders got so much attention. The top receiver who had a stellar rookie year talked to Daboll about that demeanor.
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“That’s just my face,” Nabers said. “I look the same way every time. I don’t know. It’s just how I am, but I guess I have to smile more.”
Nabers explained he wasn’t unhappy about how many times Wilson threw his way. He was targeted 12 times but finished with five catches for 71 yards, and the offense did not score a touchdown.
Another Pickens penalty
New Dallas receiver George Pickens was flagged for unnecessary roughness for going after the head of a defender while blocking and throwing him to the ground.
The penalty was overshadowed by Miles Sanders' fumble four plays later, right after a Philadelphia penalty gave Dallas a first down and got Pickens off the hook.
Still, the flag was noteworthy because of similar incidents in Pittsburgh, which traded Pickens in the offseason after coach Mike Tomlin essentially said the 24-year-old had plenty of maturing to do.
“That's a play where you don't want to go over the edge and get a 15-yard penalty,” Pickens said. “You just want to be competitive but not over the edge.”
Schottenheimer has been quick to praise Pickens all offseason, and said he talked to the receiver about a play that looked all too similar to Pickens' time with the Steelers.
“You can’t hurt the team,” Schottenheimer said. “I love the physicality that George plays with, but all of us, you can’t do stupid (expletive). And I’m not saying that was the only stupid thing that we did, but things like that hurt the team.”
Shutting down the stars
The Giants signed Paulson Adebo to be a shutdown cornerback, and he filled that role against the Commanders, holding Terry McLaurin to two catches for 27 yards. He followed McLaurin, so the question is whether he will do the same with either Lamb or Pickens.
“Sometimes it’s a matchup thing,” Adebo said. “Sometimes it’s a scheme thing. I think you don’t want to get your ego involved in it.”
AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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