Head Referee for Cowboys vs. Browns Week 1 Game Revealed

The Dallas Cowboys are finally kicking off the NFL season on Sunday as they visit Cleveland to take on the Browns in Week 1. After a tumultuous offseason, the Cowboys have seemingly resolved the drama and are feeling good heading into their season opener. Considering the tough early-season schedule for Dallas in an improved NFC East, Dak Prescott & Co. must start the campaign with a win. In their attempt to do so at Cleveland Browns stadium, the Cowboys will have the benefit of having one of the most experienced referees in the league in charge.

Clete Blakeman, entering his 15th season as a head referee, will officiate the Cowboys' Week 1 matchup. This may be good news for Dallas who went 2-0 in the games the veteran referee was assigned to last year. These wins were home victories against the Jets and the Seahawks.

Cowboys News: Clete Blakeman To Officiate Browns Game

This will be the 12th Cowboys game Blakeman will officiate since 2010, his first year as a head referee. Dallas has gone 6-5 in those matchups, the last loss coming in October 2020 against the Arizona Cardinals.

One thing that could give Cowboys fans a pause before the game is that home teams generally do well when Blakeman is officiating. In each of the last two seasons, home teams have gone 11-6 with Blakeman as the head referee.

With all of this in mind, the Cowboys are +122 underdogs to beat the Browns in Week 1 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.