3 standouts (and 2 duds) in Cowboys blowout win vs Giants

Cowboys Standout: Osa Odighizuwa, DT

It's hard to single out any one player on the defensive line for Dallas because they were all fantastic in Week 1. Daniel Jones never had any time to pass as he was sacked seven times on the night. It could have been more if not for his speed, which allowed him to take off and run to the line of scrimmage or maybe even gain a yard or two before going down.

Either way, he spent the majority of the game picking grass out of his face mask and it wasn't just the big-name players that got after him.

Sure, it was expected that Micah Parsons would hang out in the backfield as would DeMarcus Lawrence. Even Dorance Armstrong — who had 8.5 sacks in 2022 — and Dante Fowler, Jr. — who had six — were expected to get into the backfield. But one player who wasn't getting much attention heading into this one is Osa Odighizuwa, the third-year defensive tackle from UCLA.

Odighizuwa had two sacks as a rookie in 2021 and doubled that with four last season. Against the Giants, he already has half the total he put up in 2022, recording two sacks on Jones.

What was most impressive was the versatility he showed. The 6-foot-2, 280-pound Odighizuwa rushed from his normal 3-tech spot but also moved to the edge more than once and was able to get into the backfield.

This defense is deep and talented and that leads to Odighizuwa being forgotten about, but that won't remain the case with a few more games like he had in Week 1.

There were many more standouts that deserve to be praised, including Trevon Diggs who forced two turnovers, including the touchdown for DaRon Bland, which happened when he drilled Saquon Barkley causing him to cough up an easy catch. It was a thrilling Week 1 win and should help the team carry some confidence into their home opener next week.

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