Dallas Cowboys: 5 Bold predictions for Week 2 vs. Falcons
By Randy Gurzi
5. Awuzie gets No. 2
One thing that was overshadowed in the Cowboys loss was the fact that cornerback Chidobe Awuzie played very well for Dallas. In his first game as the team’s No. 1 cornerback, he was up to the task as he finished with an overall grade of 73.9 from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which was 10th in the NFL in Week 1.
That was his overall score that included run defense as well as coverage. However, when he was targeted Jared Goff and the Rams, he was even better. According to a tweet sent out from PFF Dallas Cowboys, the cornerback allowed just a 27.1 rating when thrown at, which was seventh overall.
Chidobe Awuzie allowed a 27.1 passer rating when targeted in W1.
— PFF DAL Cowboys (@PFF_Cowboys) September 17, 2020
That ranked 7th among CBs with at least 17 snaps#Cowboys pic.twitter.com/Zpo0RXvU7g
It’s a small sample size but it also came on a day when the entire defense had its flaws. And was against a good group of receivers that includes Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.
Of course, what likely made fans the most satisfied with No. 24 was his interception. It’s no secret that the Dallas defense has been atrocious when it comes to creating turnovers — especially in the secondary, so seeing a cornerback create one in the first game of the season was a relief.
In this bold prediction, Awuzie does it again. Now in his fourth season, the former second-round pick has had exactly one pick in each year of his career and while he seeks a new contract in 2021, look for him to finally find a way to create some more turnovers under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.