CLEVELAND – There are plenty of things to overlook on a day like this, one that began with a mega-contract extension for Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys then proceeded to hammer the Browns on both sides of the ball – and special teams too.
But all games have plays that get lost in the shuffle that could've changed the outcome. Here are some that might not be remembered, but were significant to the final score.
False start on the Browns – On Cleveland's first drive of the game, the Browns were on the move and looked to keep it going with a fourth-and-2 attempt at the Cowboys' 28-yard line. But a false start on Jack Conklin, who was trying to get a jump on blocking Micah Parsons, pushed them back 5 yards. After a timeout, Dustin Hopkins kicked a 51-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. But the penalty prevented the Browns from perhaps getting a touchdown.
Jet sweep by Lamb – For a guy that set franchise records in catches last year and is the highest-paid receiver in Cowboys history, leave it to CeeDee Lamb to set the tone of the game … with a run, of course. But with the Cowboys getting off to a slow start offensively, moving backward on their first drive and already committing a penalty on the second, it was a 10-yard run by Lamb that gave the Cowboys a first down. That seemed to calm things down, and the offense proceeded to move down the field. Lamb caught a deep ball, and then Prescott connected with Brandin Cooks for a touchdown.
Tolbert jumps on a loose ball – On the second snap of the second quarter, Prescott was hit by Browns defensive end Myles Garrett on a play that looked like a pass. The ball harmlessly rolled to the right side, but Jalen Tolbert alertly fell on the ball in case it was ruled a fumble. As it turned out, the play was ruled a sack and fumble, and had Tolbert not recovered it, the Browns could've picked it up and possibly scored. The Cowboys eventually punted, but the Browns didn't even get a first down in the second quarter.
Browns' offside penalty on the 7 – The Cowboys were nearing the end of a long drive in the second quarter and faced first-and-goal at the Cleveland 7-yard line. Prescott was sacked on first down, but Garrett was flagged for lining up offside. That negated the play and gave the Cowboys the ball at the 3. With the new first down, Ezekiel Elliott got the handoff and scored. Obviously, it's a different set of downs with the ball at the 7 than at the 3. That penalty led to a touchdown, giving the Cowboys a 14-3 lead.
Aubrey's rolling kickoff – In the second quarter, the Cowboys had just scored on a touchdown run by Elliott for a 14-3 lead. And Brandon Aubrey's ensuing kickoff proved to be the perfect scenario. He was able to split the two return men with a line-drive that bounced around the 5-yard line and rolled into the end zone. By the new rules, when the ball lands in the 20-yard landing zone and then rolls in for a touchback, the ball is placed at the 20. The Browns weren't able to get a first down, and the Cowboys then used great field position, starting at their own 44-yard line, to add another field goal.
Overshown slams the door – Late in the third quarter, the Browns were down by 17 but trying to sneak back into the game. On fourth-and-7 near midfield, Deshaun Watson tried to get to the outside for a possible scramble, but linebacker DeMarvion Overshown made up ground quick and erased the angle Watson had, decking the Cleveland quarterback for a sack and turnover on downs. The Cowboys were then able to get a 50-yard field goal by Aubrey for a 30-10 lead.
