CLEVELAND — It was going to be a close race when the Dallas Cowboys took on the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Stadium to open the NFL regular season, but the latter was pigeonholed early and often as the former went all-out on offense, especially the defense of Micah Parsons and Mike Zimmer.

The world got its first glimpse of what the unit could accomplish under Zimmer, and against a highly mobile playmaking quarterback in Deshaun Watson and his stable of weapons — including five-time Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper and recently acquired wideout Jerry Jeudy — Parsons helped lead a brutal onslaught of pressure.

They gave up just one first down in the entire first half and ultimately scored just 17 points in the entire game. Parsons (who agreed with All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs after the game) says they’re just getting started.

“We haven’t opened the whole bag,” Parsons said. “… I think the sky’s the limit. This is just the beginning.”

The defense flew so hard you wonder if American Airlines is going to give them frequent flyer miles for their efforts. From Eric Kendricks to DeMarvion Overshown to DeMarcus Lawrence to Osa Odighizuwa and more, the defensive front was outstanding.

And then came the secondary, who pushed Cooper, Jeudy and Elijah Moore into a locker and turned the combination to the lock.

The run defense shined. The coverage shined. The containment on Watson shined.

“We’ve got those rotational pieces and we’re obviously drafting pretty well, so it looks good and it helps that we can rotate when you’re tired and stuff like that,” Parsons said of the Cowboys being able to throw waves of talented defenders at teams. … Man, I feel like we could have done more for everybody else.

“Deshaun is tough. He’s a tough quarterback, bro. He’s tough to beat. He’s competitive, he’s relentless. He kept stepping up, man (but) it was a challenge for Cleveland to really get going on offense.”

The three-time All-Pro pass rusher lined up in multiple spots on Sunday in Cleveland, making it difficult for the Browns to use him pre-snap, which made him a resounding success.

He did praise Watson for his toughness and determination, and for keeping Parsons from starting the season with a multi-sack day.

“I think I missed two or three (sacks),” Parsons said. “He’s tough. I’m definitely going to have nightmares tonight. I should start the year with (three sacks). … I don’t think I played at my level. I’ve got to finish those plays.”

Parsons says he doesn’t want to make excuses and is determined to get back into the lab after this game to try to get everything back in order for Week 2, the home game against the New Orleans Saints.

“First home game? They’ve got Derek Carr and they just scored 40 points, so it’s clicking,” Parsons said. “We’ve got to get this lab in and cook, but the Lion’s coming. We’ve got to protect the Den. Come on.”

The Cowboys had the league’s longest home winning streak until it was snapped by the Green Bay Packers in January. They now want to start a new streak, which begins on Sept. 15.