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Cowboys at Rams: 3 matchups to watch in Week 1

By Tyrone Starr

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams greets Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys after the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Rams defeated the Cowboys 30-22. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams greets Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys after the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Rams defeated the Cowboys 30-22. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Here are three key matchups in the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 1 battle against the Rams.

It seems like a minor miracle, but it is finally here. Sunday, September 13, 2020. The Dallas Cowboys are going to kick off their 60th NFL season.

The league’s highest-profile team will debut on Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams. Although no fans will be in the building, Dallas will be the first visitor to ever play at the Rams’ new luxury palace, SoFi Stadium.

Primetime is certainly nothing new for the Dallas Cowboys. Expectations are nothing new either. This matchup pits two teams that are coming off of disappointing campaigns in 2019, looking to immediately rectify that in 2020.

Both teams come into the opener with new coaches. For the Rams, former Cowboys defensive coordinator is gone, replaced by Brandon Staley who previously coached the Bears and Broncos linebacking corps. For the Cowboys, wholesale changes have been made to the coaching staff.

For the first time since Phillips was replaced mid-season by Jason Garrett in 2010, the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Mike McCarthy. They have a new defensive coordinator in Mike Nolan and a new special teams boss in the former Rams coordinator John Fassel. Only last year’s offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, remains intact for Dallas this season.

The Rams will undoubtedly be focused on winning for two main reasons. For one, a win over the Cowboys would serve notice to the rest of the league that they should be in the discussion for best teams in the league. For another, four of their next five games are on the road, so a home loss would seem extra disappointing to the start of the year.

Dallas, meanwhile, wants to get off on the right foot to make their own statement. Last season, the Cowboys won just two games against teams with winning records. Ironically, one of the wins was over the 9-7 Rams.

How can the Dallas Cowboys replicate that success and start 2020 with a win? Here are three key matchups that will certainly determine the winner of tonight’s primetime match up?

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