3 important takeaways from Cowboys backfield usage in season opener

It was a season opener that all Dallas Cowboys fans will remember. The Cowboysrolled past the New York Giants by a score of 40-0 in Week 1, and the shutout was the largest in franchise history. 

Everything went right for the Cowboys against the Giants. They blocked a New York field goal early in the first quarter, and the momentum stayed with Dallas for the entire game. 

After the blocked field goal, cornerback Trevon Diggs laid a nice hit on Saquon Barkley to force the ball right into the hands of Da’Ron Bland for a pick-six touchdown. Then, the defense forced another turnover two drives later, thanks to an interception by newcomer Stephon Gilmore. 

As for the Cowboys’ offense, they didn’t need to provide much. The defense gave Dallas a quick lead, which took the pressure off quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott threw for just 143 yards on 13 completions. 

For the most part, the offense looked solid under head coach and new play-caller Mike McCarthy. They moved the ball quite easily against New York’s defense, which is a great sign of what's to come for the offense in the coming weeks. 

But the thing that all fans wanted to see in Week 1 was how the offense would look at running back without Ezekiel Elliott. Who would get the goal-line touches? Who would be the RB2? 

Here are three takeaways from the Cowboys running back room in the season opener.