Sunday was a busy day for the Dallas Cowboys, who first took care of the affairs of their franchise quarterback and then played the season opening game against the Cleveland Browns.

The opening game is now over and the contract issues have been resolved. The season is now in full swing and the Cowboys are undefeated after a week. They looked like a complete and complete team and so we have only positive things to report.

Here’s the place to do that, the weekly stock report. Each week we evaluate the game using the stock report and issue three different types. Ups and downs are obvious, but occasionally we have a “static stock,” which is when a player is neither obviously good or bad but deserves a mention.

As mentioned, we have 13 positive arrows to award.

Let’s begin.

Stock up: Dak Prescott

It was far from the best performance of his career, but Dak Prescott definitely looked like a proven franchise quarterback, and that’s exactly what the Cowboys paid him to do. He was firm and determined, and he didn’t let an incredibly strong Cleveland front get him down. In fact, he scored the first touchdown of the season when the Browns threw the whole team to him.

Prescott was methodical, and although the statistics were a little more subdued given the Browns’ strong defense, he deserves credit for his leadership.

Stock up: CeeDee Lamb

You can’t convince me he’s not the most dangerous player in the NFL when he has the football in his hands. He’s unbelievable.

The fact that Lamb was so smooth and effortless in the offseason or training camp without having to work for it is a testament to his talent. Things cooled off for him and the offense as a whole in the second half, but he looks exactly how we would have expected.

Stock up: Brandin cooks

It would be a huge step forward for the Cowboys offense if Brandin Cooks could develop into a real weapon, especially if Jake Ferguson had to miss a few minutes. We could be close to that.

This was the aforementioned all-out blitz by Cleveland, and Cooks has obviously built the confidence in Prescott to throw a ball to him in that kind of danger. He has scored a touchdown in four consecutive regular-season games and appears to be emerging as a key weapon in the overall machine.

Add: Ezekiel Elliott

I’m one of those people who didn’t believe, and maybe still don’t, that bringing back Ezekiel Elliott was the best decision. But I’d be lying if I said he doesn’t look solid.

Interestingly, the Cowboys kept their promise and split the runs almost evenly between him and Rico Dowdle, but it was Elliott who scored the point.

Overall, Zeke finished the game with 10 runs. It was only the second time the Cowboys won a game in which he had 10 or fewer runs.

Welcome back, 21. I mean, 15.

Add: Micah Parsons

This could really be the season of the best defensive player. When Micah Parsons plays, it’s as if there are no contests, there are decisions. He made the ones he wanted to make a lot against Cleveland.

The interesting thing is that for Parsons, this felt like a normal day at the office, which speaks to what an incredible person he has become.

Add: DeMarcus Lawrence

If you’re looking for sacks with DeMarcus Lawrence, Sunday was definitely your day. He put in a remarkable performance.

Lawrence had his most productive day in nearly four years from a pressure percentage perspective. He continues to find his fountain of youth and is a forever underrated part of this entire defensive scheme and group.

Top up: Eric Kendricks

We giggled when Eric Kendricks was the “big” free agent the Cowboys signed, but maybe they were onto something. What an incredible debut. He was everywhere, including as the recipient of a tip drill (shoutout to Micah Parsons) that he turned into an interception.

Kendricks executed the defense perfectly in his first game with Mike Zimmer’s setup. It was wonderful to see him play with such authority.

Stock Up: DeMarvion outshines

We’re often guilty of picking on a player when he shows promise and then being disappointed when he doesn’t deliver. That doesn’t seem to be the case with DeMarvion Overshown.

DeMarvion Overshown made his NFL debut after suffering a preseason injury last year and stole the show on Sunday. His final velocity on the sack shown above was absolutely incredible. He is an extremely unique weapon for Mike Zimmer to use among the many others the defense can boast.

The Cowboys have been stuck with linebackers for so many years that having someone of this quality is very exciting. Hopefully that trend continues.

Add: Trevon Diggs

In his first game back from tearing his ACL, Trevon Diggs had another interception. Water is wet and all that stuff.

The interception came when the game was already in the balance, but it still counts and speaks to Diggs’ ability to be in the right place at the right time. He appears to be in top form and even made a few physical tackles before the interception.

Addition: Brandon Aubrey

What else can we say? That 57-yard field goal was so cool.

Late in the first half, it looked like we were going to get a 66-yard and then even a 71-yard attempt from Aubrey. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but tell me you didn’t think he would make it. Aubrey is the gift that keeps on giving.

Stock up: KaVontae Turpin

It was only the second time the Cowboys ever scored a punt return touchdown on a Sunday in the first week of the season, and the last time it happened (1992) it was the birth of a dynasty.

KaVontae Turpin has clearly put us on the path to success!

Seriously, we’ve seen Turpin come so close to scoring so many times. With the new dynamic kickoff, it seemed like he would finally get it in 2024. Amazingly, the first time he drew blood was on a punt return.

Turpin is a unique weapon that can truly change games. He had an inexcusable dip in performance on offense early in the game, but very few can do what he can on special teams.

Restock: Mike Zimmer

Zimmer’s attitude seemed extremely questionable to me at the time, and even though we were just in the game (against a very weak offense), I looked up how much a pound of crow costs at my local grocery store.

It seems like Zimmer has built a real connection with the defense and has taken himself to a whole new level. Again, Cleveland and Deshaun Watson’s offense isn’t good, but they’ve completely smothered them.

It was clear from the start that it would be very difficult to succeed Dan Quinn. But Zimmer could ultimately do the job very well.

Replenishment: Mike McCarthy

It’s neither cool nor fashionable to say that Mike McCarthy is doing his job well, but we saw the Dallas Cowboys dismantle the Cleveland Browns in virtually every way on Sunday.

This was the first time the Cowboys played a game after one of the most toxic and chaotic offseasons we have seen from the club in recent memory.

The franchise’s quarterback was in a contract year and the situation was resolved literally hours before the season began. Their best wide receiver lasted literally every single offseason activity and all of training camp before being dealt. The owner/general manager constantly inflamed the situation and generated unnecessary headlines. McCarthy himself is in a contract year despite delivering success (albeit in the regular season) the franchise hasn’t seen in decades. And all of this within six months!

And yet, somehow, the Cowboys were prepared to answer the call in Cleveland again. What if it’s not like that? some like or some Gone? What if this is the Mike McCarthy of it all?

This guy deserves his recognition and more. Great work, Mike.