Cowboys' playcallers made two intentional decisions that helped dominate Browns in Week 1

The Dallas Cowboys made a statement in the Dawg Pound on Sunday by beating the Cleveland Browns 33-17 in dominant fashion.

Right from the get go, the Cowboys proved to be in control of the action, jumping to a 20-3 lead at halftime. A big part of the win was all about the two men calling the plays; Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer.

Specifically, two very intentional decisions on both offense and defense stood out during the Cowboys' season opener. Let's dive in.

HC Mike McCarthy solved problems for rookie LT Tyler Guyton

In the first half, McCarthy's play-calling was the perfect example of problem solving: After first-round rookie Tyler Guyton gave up a strip sack against Myles Garrett, the Cowboys head coach quickly made the decision to send help his way.

Multiple times after that rep, Dak Prescott was frequently sprinting out of the pocket and throwing on the run. At one point, he even rolled out to his left and threw across his body to find an open receiver. There was also a screen pass thrown Garrett's way in a play where he was left unblocked by the offensive line. Throughout the game, he was double-teamed, cut blocks were sent his way, and the Cowboys started to lean on quick passes with the lead in their hands.

During the broadcast, even FOX's Tom Brady praised McCarthy's play-calling for such tweaks halfway through the game and giving Guyton some help. There's only so much you can do against a top-tier defense like the Browns', but the Cowboys had some answers when they needed them the most.

Mike Zimmer wisely used Micah Parsons

Speaking of noteworthy coaching decisions, how about Zimmer pumping the brakes on the whole Micah Parsons as an off-ball linebacker thing? It still might happen but down the road but in the NFL, Jimmys and Joes come before Xs and Os and with the Browns missing two starting offensive tackles, Zimmer bet on the mismatch.

By my count, Parsons was an off-ball linebacker for one snap all game long, which happened to be a disguised coverage where two defensive ends (he included) dropped back into coverage while LB Eric Kendricks came away with the sack as a blitzer.

Parsons delivered, recording one sack and leading the team with four QB hits. He also had plenty of pressures that frustrated Deshaun Watson and the Browns offense.

Who knows what the plan is moving forward for Parsons' usage but one thing is clear: Zimmer won't force the issue of him lining up everywhere. When he's effective as a defensive lineman or whenever there's a mismatch to exploit, that will be the route he'll take.

Related: Cowboys legend Jimmy Johnson shares strong Dak Prescott opinion after contract news