Dallas Cowboys to face Cleveland in season opener

• The Browns are favored to win on Sunday. They were 8-1 at home during the regular season last year, but the Cowboys had a better overall record.

Flashback: Both teams played in a Wild Card game last year and lost.

The intrigue: The Browns feature former Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper and Arlington native Myles Garrett, a linebacker who grew up rooting for Dallas.

• Quarterback Dak Prescott returns for his ninth season. All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb is playing in his first game after sitting out the preseason while negotiating a contract extension.

Yes, but: The Cowboys may need more time to settle in as a team.

• The Cowboys are poised to start four rookies, the first time the franchise has done that in a season opener.
• It's former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer's first year as Dallas' defensive coordinator.
• The team didn't re-sign running back Tony Pollard and instead added veteran running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, who are in the twilight of their careers.

Threat level: Head coach Mike McCarthy was in his first year as the Cowboys' coach in 2020, when the Cowboys last played the Browns. Cleveland won 49-38.

Between the lines: Prescott's future in Dallas remains in limbo. This season is the last year of his contract with the team.

How to watch: The game will be broadcast on Fox and streamed on YouTube TV. Kickoff is at 3:25pm.