Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs opens up on disappointing debut

The Dallas Cowboys were one of the most hyped teams in the NFL during the offseason.

With new defensive coordinator Christian Parker and multiple new pieces in town, the team's historically poor defense looked poised for a major turnaround. Instead, it gave up 394 yards of offense and 28 points in the first test of the season, dropping the opener to a seemingly lesser New York Giants team.

However, it's way too early to panic. Despite the setback, rookie first-round pick Caleb Downs looked the part for most of the game. In a talk with CBS Sports' Garrett Podell, he sounded unfazed by the team's defensive miscues.

Caleb Downs thinks the Cowboys defense is fixable

"Everything that we made mistakes on is very fixable," Downs said. "Defense is pretty simple. At the end of the day, it's not like we're playing rocket science. It's just we got to do our jobs when we're on the field, and that's the biggest thing."

Downs was, to some, the best prospect in this class, though having a safety go No. 1 is pretty much unfathomable. That's why expectations are so high on the Ohio State product, especially now that Malik Hooker will be out for at least a couple of weeks. Downs is more than up for the task, and he's ready to do whatever Parker needs him to.

"I think I can play the run game really well. Play the pass game, whatever it is, whether it's man or dropping zones," Downs said. "I'm an extra corner or extra linebacker. Whatever you need."

At the end of the day, it's way too early to jump to conclusions, and Week 1 often leads to overreaction. Of course, the Cowboys will always be a hot topic, and it's hard to give them the benefit of the doubt after last season. But with this revamped personnel and a promising rookie like Downs, there's nowhere to go but up.