Cowboys should feel disrespected by narrative around Deshaun Watson’s struggles

Deshaun Watson's struggles were the story of the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, and for good reason. The Browns traded a ridiculous haul and gave him a monster contract with the most guaranteed money in NFL history at the time expecting him to lead them to a Super Bowl and he has, for the most part, been abysmal in Cleveland.

Watson completed just 24 of his 45 passing attempts (53.3 percent) for 169 yards and threw two interceptions in Cleveland's 33-17 loss.

Watson was brutal, there's no disputing that. However, Sunday's game felt like it was more than just Watson struggling. The Cowboys deserve more credit than they're receiving for their ability to just completely shut Cleveland down.

Cowboys deserve more credit for Week 1 defensive masterclass vs. Browns

The Cowboys opened the season with a new-look defense. Not only did they lose Stephon Gilmore in free agency and DaRon Bland to injury, but Mike Zimmer took over for Dan Quinn as the team's defensive coordinator. These changes did not appear to phase Dallas in the slightest, as they dominated the Browns on the defensive end.

The Browns were held to 230 yards of total offense which in the modern day, especially in a game in which Dallas led handily from the start, is tough to pull off. Watson completed 24 passes, but he needed 45 attempts to do that, and he averaged just 3.8 yards per attempt. The Cowboys didn't allow any big plays and managed to pick him off twice despite a shallower cornerback room than they were expecting.

The Cowboys managed to dominate Cleveland's offensive line as well, constantly being in Watson's face and making him extremely uncomfortable. They sacked him six times, two of which came from Eric Kendricks, a newcomer to the Cowboys who reunited with Zimmer.

"I feel like it's a different crew now," Kendricks said. "We have different bodies. We have different guys. We have a different soul. But at the same time, the nucleus is the same and we're going to build off of today. I keep saying, 'We're going to build,' but it's true. There's a lot of things we can still clean up."

This is a new situation for Kendricks entirely, playing his first game in Dallas, yet he fit in seamlessly. The 32-year-old saying that they have a lot of things they can clean up after Sunday's game should be a warning sign to the rest of the NFL.

It might've just been the Browns, but the Cowboys proved that they can be one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Watson being as bad as he is helped, obviously, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the defense lead Dallas to some important wins this season.