CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Dallas Cowboys, led by quarterback Dak Prescott, will be an extremely tough opponent as the Browns open the 2024 season. The veteran signal caller threw for 4,516 yards with an ultra-impressive 36 touchdown passes last season.
Newly extended receiver CeeDee Lamb was even more impressive with 135 receptions for 1,749 yards with 12 receiving touchdowns. Equally imposing for the Cowboys are defensive stalwarts Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. Parson had 14 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss while Diggs looks to return to his elite level of play after returning from an ACL injury.
Besides game planning for stars, Kevin Stefanski and his staff will look to attack two potential starting rookies for Dallas:
1. Tyler Guyton vs. Myles Garrett
Tyler Guyton
Strengths – At 6-foot-8 and 322 pounds, the former Oklahoma star is a mountain of a human being. With all that size, Guyton is still able to run a 5.19 40-yard dash, vertical jump 34.5 inches, and move his feet as if he were a smaller man. He has really strong aggressive hands in pass protection and an NFL-ready body that should help him stay healthy.
Weaknesses – Guyton played only 26 games in college where he predominately played on the right side. At 34 1/8 inches, Guyton has moderate arm length for a man of his height. In comparison, Cleveland’s mammoth right tackle Dawand Jones has an arm length of 86 3/8 inches. This wingspan allows Jones to get his hands on the defender first, during a pass rush encounter. Guyton’s height, lack of arm length, and general lack of flexibility may cause him issues in pass protection at the NFL level. Defensive ends who rely on bend and speed around the corner may be problematic for the rookie.
Why Garrett will win this matchup – Garrett’s strength, length, and ability to bend make him an absolute nightmare of a matchup for the Dallas rookie tackle. Guyton has been able to rely his incredible athletic ability to mask any deficiencies he might have with only 26 starts.
Garrett’s ability to go from power to speed and speed to power is something Guyton has not seen in his football career. Garrett’s talent is not a secret and Dallas will have a plan for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. If they double Garrett, Za’Darius Smith, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and the rest of the talented Browns defensive line will have the opportunity for a huge day.
Below, in the top part of the clip, Guyton is too high in his pass set, forcing him to lunge and be unbalanced. In the bottom part of the clip, Garrett demonstrates how it could look against Guyton as he beats 6-foot-7 Mekhi Becton.
2. Caelon Carson vs. Jerry Jeudy/Elijah Moore
Caelon Carson
Strengths – At 6-0 and 199 pounds, Carson is an ultra-competitive corner who plays with a high level of confidence in his skill set. The Wake Forest product has great balance, outstanding hip fluidity, and explosive short-area quickness. On film, Carson has a great ability of reading route combinations and anticipating where the football is going.
Weaknesses – Two qualities may have pushed Carson to the fourth round of the draft. Though seemingly always in great coverage on deep passes, Carson lacks the spatial awareness and ball skills to make a play on the football in the air. Additionally, the rookie corner will get too high in his back pedal, limiting his ability to change direction.
Why Jeudy/Moore will win this matchup – At the catch point on vertical routes, Jeudy has shown the ability to win 50/50 balls with outstanding body control, strong hands, and spatial awareness. This ability to find the football on these vertical concepts is a weakness of Carson and something the Browns will look to exploit with Jeudy.
If Carson moves inside to cover Moore, Moore’s short-area quickness and “twitchiness” in changing directions will challenge the rookie if he does not stay low and maintain his proper fundamentals.
Below is a split screen of how Jeudy could have the advantage if matched up with Carson. On the top part of the clip, Carson demonstrates his lack of spatial awareness and gives up a touchdown to Keon Coleman during their college days. On the bottom part of the clip, Jeudy wins at the catch point with great body control and ball skills on the same type of 50/50 route.
Below is a route that will give Carson a problem if he is covering inside on a slot receiver.
Moore runs a return route that demands a defensive back be able to change direction. If Carson is too high in his back pedal, he will not be able to move his feet laterally fast enough to cover the speedy Moore.
What we learned
Football, at any level, is a game of matchups. As the Browns prepare for their opener against Dallas, finding key matchups may be the difference between winning and losing. Guyton and Carson are two talented rookies who must be tested by Garrett, Jeudy and Moore.
Lance Reisland is the former coach at Garfield Heights High School, where he spent 18 seasons as an assistant for his father, Chuck, and four as head coach, from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, his team finished 11-1 and appeared in the OHSAA Division II regional semifinals. That team went 10-0 and made history as the first Garfield Heights team in 41 years to have an undefeated regular season along with beating Warren G. Harding for the first playoff win in school history.