Quarterback Deshaun Watson returns from shoulder injury, and Browns open season with home game against Cowboys

Dallas (12-6) at Cleveland (11-7)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Browns win 2 1/2.

Series standings: Browns lead 18-14.

Last Meeting: The Browns defeated the Cowboys 49-38 on October 4, 2020 in Arlington, Texas.

Cowboys offense: total (5), rushing (14), passing (3), scoring (1)

Cowboys Defense: Overall (5), Rushing (16), Passing (5), Scoring (5)

Browns offense: total (16), rushing (12), passing (19), scoring (T13)

Browns Defense: Overall (1), Rushing (11), Passing (1), Scoring (13)

Turnover differential: Cowboys plus-10; Browns minus-9.

Cowboys Player to Watch

WR CeeDee Lamb made it clear he would be ready for any workload after missing all of training camp due to a contract suspension. Lamb has one year left on his rookie contract, but he wanted something close to the largest non-quarterback contract in history, which Vikings WR Justin Jefferson signed this spring. Lamb received a four-year, $136 million deal, less than the $140 million Jefferson signed. Now, Lamb is working on an encore of his breakout season. He led the NFL with 135 catches and had 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 25-year-old has improved his scoring in all three categories in each of his first four seasons.

Browns player to watch

DE Myles Garrett grew up in Texas rooting for the Cowboys. This week, he looks to destroy their start to the season. The reigning NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year hopes to build on his most dominant season as a pro — if possible — by leading the Browns to their first Super Bowl. Garrett has had at least 14 sacks in each of the past three seasons.

A key clash

Cleveland’s left offensive lineman vs. Cowboys center Micah Parsons. With starter Jedrick Wills Jr. still recovering from knee surgery, the Browns will either go with James Hudson III, move Jack Conklin from right quarterback or swap quarterbacks to address one of the league’s best pass rushers. Conklin returned only last week from reconstructive knee surgery.

Key injuries

The Cowboys will play at least the first four games without CB DaRon Bland, who underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his foot just after the preseason ended. Bland set an NFL record last season with five interceptions and touchdowns and led the league with nine picks. Rookie Caelen Carson, a fifth-round pick like Bland, is expected to start in his place. … WR Brandin Cooks was limited by a knee injury in the preseason but is expected to play. … With Wills back, the Browns are as healthy as they have been in months. … RB Nick Chubb remains on the PUP list and will miss the first four games after suffering a nasty knee injury in Week 2 of last year and undergoing two surgeries.

Notes from the series

This is the fourth time the Cowboys and Browns have opened the season against each other. Dallas has won the first three. … The 33rd meeting will be Dallas’ closest with an AFC opponent, including the playoffs. The other is Pittsburgh, which the Cowboys have faced in the Super Bowl three times. … The Cowboys and Browns also have three postseason meetings. They were in the Eastern championship game from 1967-69, before the NFL-AFL merger.

Statistics and stuff like that

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has an NFL-best 35 touchdown passes, also a career-high, in his third straight 12-5 playoff season. But his pick-6 played a role in a huge first-half rout in a 48-32 wild-card home loss to Green Bay. … The Cowboys are the only team to make the playoffs with at least 12 wins in three consecutive years and not reach the conference title game. … Prescott’s career-high passing yards in a game was 502 in a loss to the Browns in 2020. The teams combined for 1,074 yards, the most in a single game in Dallas history. … Prescott, who is entering his final season under contract, is 541 short of 30,000 for his career. … RB Ezekiel Elliott should start for Dallas in the return of the two-time rushing champion. Elliott spent 2023 in New England after Dallas released its No. 3 overall pick in a savings move. … The Cowboys are expected to have two rookies on the offensive line: LT Tyler Guyton (first round) and C Cooper Beebe (third round). … LB Eric Kendricks is expected to make his Dallas debut with new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who was the head coach in Minnesota for Kendricks’ first seven seasons in the NFL. … Parsons and Hall of Fame member Reggie White are the only players with at least 13 sacks in each of his first three seasons since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Parsons had 14 last season. … CB Trevon Diggs is expected to return after missing the final 15 games of last season with a torn knee ligament. Diggs led the league with 11 interceptions in 2021. … Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady will make his televised debut. Brady is set to retire in 2023. … Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to play for the first time since breaking a bone in his right shoulder in November. Watson underwent surgery, ending his second season in Cleveland after just six starts. While disappointing, Watson finished on a high note, completing all 14 passes in a second-half comeback win at Baltimore despite suffering an injury. … Cleveland’s offense has been tweaked by new coordinator Ken Dorsey to match Watson’s strengths. … WR Jerry Jeudy was acquired in an offseason trade with Denver to give Watson another target. … Last year, WR Amari Cooper became the first player in Browns history to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Cooper played with the Cowboys from 2018-21. … The Browns were 8-1 at home last season. … Cleveland’s defense blossomed in coordinator Jim Schwartz’s first season, leading the league in several categories. … Garrett is the only player with at least 10 sacks in each of the last six seasons.

Fantasy Tip

Browns TE David Njoku could be a frequent target for Watson as the Browns try to get the QB comfortable in a revamped offense. Njoku led Cleveland in receptions (81) and touchdowns (6) last season, and his size makes him a nightmare for defenders in the red zone.