The Dallas Cowboys lost 44-19 in an embarrassing Week 2 showing against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon in which America’s Team was unable to get anything going on either side of the ball.
The loss snapped a 16-game regular season home winning streak built by the Cowboys over two years, with the Saints also putting up more points than any Dallas opponent in the 2023 regular season.
New Orleans dominated this Week 2 matchup at nearly every level, but there are a few aspects of the game that stood out as the reasons why the Saints got out to a large lead within the first few possessions.
Defensive Breakdowns
The Cowboys feature one of the most exciting defenses in the entire NFL, yet the Saints were able to pick apart the team through a combination of short and deep shots that resulted in long gains.
The Saints managed to score a touchdown on their first six possessions of the game, with these scores coming through a variety of red short and deep plays that kept Dallas on its toes.
New Orleans’ first drive of the game took just over four minutes as the Saints marched 80 yards in only seven plays, including a 39-yard pass to wide receiver Chris Olave to get them in the red zone.
Saints wide receiver Rasheed Shaheed then burned Cowboys cornerback CJ Godwin and safety Donovan Wilson for a 70-yard touchdown in the next possession to give New Orleans a quick 14-3 lead in the first quarter.
The long-yardage plays did not stop after the first two possessions, as Saints quarterback Derek Carr hit running back Alvin Kamara in the flat for a 57-yard touchdown to put New Orleans up 21-6 just minutes into the second quarter.
These plays forced the Cowboys to adjust the coverage and focus on the Saints’ passing attack, resulting in New Orleans transitioning to a consistent running game that averaged 4.9 yards per carry.
While these adjustments helped manage the number of big-time plays made by the Saints in the second half, it was not enough to make up for the numerous breakdowns that occurred throughout the defense in the first 30 minutes of action.
Lack of Offensive Depth
Dallas was without tight end Jake Ferguson on Sunday after he suffered a knee injury in Week 1, meaning Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had to manage the offense without one of his most targeted pass catchers.
The loss of Ferguson likely played a major role in the Cowboys’ inability to consistently convert early in the game, as the tight end has become one of Prescott’s favorite options on third down and in the red zone.
New Orleans utilized Ferguson’s absence to their advantage. They put an emphasis on stopping Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb and preventing any explosive running plays while making the other Dallas receivers try to beat one-on-one coverage.
Lamb was able to convert a 65-yard touchdown early in the second quarter and finished with a total of 90 receiving yards on four receptions as the lone Cowboys to reach the end zone.
Dallas finished this Week 2 matchup with a total of 299 passing yards, but many of these yards came in the second half when the Saints were allowing short completions while still preventing any unnecessary touchdowns.
Additionally, the Cowboys were only able to run for a total of 68 yards as the team shifted to a faster game plan that would allow them to make up ground.
When healthy, the duo of Lamb and Ferguson allows the Cowboys to attack multiple areas of the field while keeping the line of scrimmage open for the running backs.
However, losing Ferguson exposed the Cowboys’ lack of depth at the wide receiver position as players were asked to step into more prominent roles.
Moving forward this season, the Cowboys must take a look at potential trade options at wide receiver to help keep the offense moving in case another pass catcher suffers an injury.
While the Cowboys’ front office begins to look at small changes that could help improve the roster, the players within the organization will now shift their attention to a Week 3 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
Dallas will now look to restart its streak of home wins against the Ravens on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT.