Who defeated the Cowboys 16-8 in their opening game for the 2018 NFL season?

The Carolina Panthers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 16–8 in the opening game of the 2018 NFL season for both teams. The game was played on September 9, 2018, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Carolina built a 10–0 halftime lead behind a rushing touchdown from quarterback Cam Newton and a field goal by Graham Gano. Fullback Alex Armah added another rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter, putting the Panthers ahead 16–0. Dallas finally scored on Ezekiel Elliott’s four-yard touchdown run and added a two-point conversion to make the score 16–8.

The Panthers’ defense controlled most of the afternoon, limiting Dallas to 232 total yards and forcing six sacks. The decisive late play came when Carolina defensive end Mario Addison forced a fumble from quarterback Dak Prescott, which Captain Munnerlyn recovered. The result gave Carolina a 1–0 start and left Dallas 0–1.