Dallas Cowboys Crumble in Disastrous Home Opener Against New Orleans Saints
The Dallas Cowboys’ defense saw a brutal collapse in their Week 2 matchup, suffering a 44-19 defeat against the New Orleans Saints. Following a promising 33-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, the Cowboys entered their home opener with hopes high. However, the Saints delivered a humbling reality check.
Led by quarterback Derek Carr, the Saints' offense was relentless, scoring touchdowns on each of their first six drives. New Orleans put together an impressive 80-yard drive, capped by a five-yard touchdown run from Alvin Kamara. Kamara’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, amassing 180 yards from scrimmage and crossing the end zone three times.
The Cowboys' defense, which allowed only 17 points last week, unraveled rapidly, conceding 35 points in the first half alone. This tied a franchise record for the most points given up in the first half of a game and went down as the second-largest home opener defeat under owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas’ defensive struggles were evident. Despite a stellar showing in Week 1 with six sacks and two interceptions, the Cowboys managed only one sack and one interception against the Saints. Their quarterback pressure rate plummeted to 17.6%, significantly impacting their ability to disrupt Carr’s rhythm.
“For sure humbling, can't give up big plays and start the game off like that. Got us on our heels,” linebacker Eric Kendricks remarked on the defeat. His sentiments were echoed across the defensive unit, pointing to fundamental issues in execution and preparedness.
Cornerback Trevon Diggs did not mince words, expressing his disappointment: “Unacceptable. Yeah, it’s not necessarily confusing, it's just you have to be on your toes. You have to be on your Ps and Qs because they can run it, play-action and then when they [are] passing the ball, they're max-protecting everybody. So we're not getting any [pass] rush. You're just out there just, you know, this is unacceptable. We ain't come to play today.”
Micah Parsons added his perspective, emphasizing the need for better tackling and aggression. “We have to use our hands and feet. We got a guy like Kamara. We're not tackling well. We're arm-tackling. We're trying to pull a guy down. We got to be aggressive, we have to create penetration and do a much better job tackling.”
Indeed, the Saints’ offensive strategy was a masterclass in neutralizing the Cowboys’ defensive strengths. “They did a great job schematically. Everything was short. Everything was quick, and if it wasn't, it was max [protect], two-man routes. ... Instead of having a lineman block me in max protection with a chip, they sent a chip with a lineman and sent a running back to cut. I was going through a maze almost. I thought that was creative, a new way,” Parsons acknowledged.
The atmosphere in the locker room post-game was one of dejection, with players clearly feeling the sting of the debacle. Kendricks reflected on the collective disappointment: “I feel like you look around the locker [room], you can sense it. Obviously everyone is disappointed. We didn’t want that, especially at the home opener. The NFL will humble you like that. This isn’t the first time I’ve been a part of that. We got to make a stand. We got to come back to work tomorrow. Obviously, let it hurt for a little bit. I think that’s a good thing. Put it in our rearview and work toward the next.”
However, amidst the disappointment, there was also a resolve to improve. Parsons noted, “Everyone is going to say they did their job and everything was perfect right now, but the film tells all. I can't wait to see the film. I don't know who was out of what gap [in the run game]. I know for the guys when I turn the film on, I want to say 'No. 11 was giving his all.' That's all that matters. Then, we're going to continue that standard. I got a job. I owe these guys. I owe my family a certain level of ball. I don't think I helped to the best of my abilities today.”
The Cowboys will need to quickly regroup and address their defensive woes if they hope to bounce back from this early-season setback. With a mixture of candid self-assessment and a commitment to work, they aim to move forward and regain their footing in the weeks ahead.