3 important takeaways from Cowboys backfield usage in season opener

2. KaVontae Turpin will be involved in the backfield

Cowboys punt/kick returner KaVontae Turpin was almost non-existent on offense in his first NFL season in 2022. He was primarily a special teamer after seeing just 62 total offensive snaps in the regular season. 

But it appears that Turpin will see more offensive work, especially in the backfield this year. The speedy 27-year-old saw 11 total snaps in Week 1 -- more than any game last season. 

Not only did Turpin line up outside at wide receiver -- catching two passes for 11 yards -- but he also saw a handful of snaps at running back in the season opener. The former USFL MVP ran three times for 14 yards and one touchdown. 

His rushing touchdown came early in the fourth quarter on an outside pitch from Prescott for a seven-yard score to put the Cowboys up 40-0. Despite the game already being out of hand at the time, it appears Dallas has a plan to line up Turpin out of the backfield to utilize his speed on offense. 

Most of us surely didn’t see this coming after Kellen Moore never used him on offense. However, it definitely could work to Dallas’ advantage this year. Turpin ran a 4.31 40-yard dash in 2019, which is just .02 seconds slower than Tyreek Hill's 40 time (4.29). So, getting his speed on the outside could give the Cowboys more big plays in 2023.