New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys
Final Score: NO 44 – DAL 19
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
There was not a single thing stopping the Saints in Dallas on Sunday afternoon.
Three Up
- Derek Carr, QB (NO) – I was one of Carr’s many detractors in the offseason, so I did not expect much here, but boy, was I wrong. Carr picked right up where he left off last week against Carolina and absolutely obliterated the Cowboys’ defense, throwing 2 TDs and rushing one in himself. He has had 9 incompletions total in his two games this season. Nine. That’s impressive. Credit to the man where it’s due, he is balling out in this new-look Saints offense.
- Rashid Shaheed, WR (NO) – This man is ridiculously fast, and it was evident early and often in this game. Shaheed started strong, burning the Cowboys’ secondary on crossing routes repeatedly, and he took a missile from Carr for a 70-yard TD on the first play of the Saints’ second possession. It was an impressive outing, 2 for 2 on the season, and looks to be one of the top options in this offense in 2024.
- Alvin Kamara, RB (NO) – It’s not quite Christmas, 2020 – but it sure felt like the holiday came early for Saints fans. Kamara was monstrous in Dallas, racking up 4 total TDs on 18o yards through the ground & air. There were plays where it looked like the veteran RB wasn’t touched at all, just having his way with the Cowboys’ front seven and their defensive scheme. If you had him on your fantasy roster, you probably had a really good start to your Week 2.
One Down
- Dallas Defense – What a difference a week makes. The Saints and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak came in and turned what was supposed to be one of the premier defenses in the NFL into an absolute laughing stock. New Orleans whooped them worse than they did the perennial last-place finisher Carolina Panthers last week. 432 total yards, 44 points, and an abysmal week for Mike Zimmer and the Dallas defense – there’s nothing positive to say here.
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Derek Carr: 11/16, 243 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT | 1 Carry, 1 Yards, 1 TD
It’s business as usual for Carr and company.
Tom Brady himself was in awe of the performance Carr put up in Week 2. Carr was surgical against the Cowboys on Sunday. He led the Saints to touchdowns on their first six possessions, failing to be stopped until the second half of the game. It was a masterclass performance from the longtime veteran and a continuation of dominance for the Saints offense.
It would be difficult to find anything Carr and the Saints did poorly on the day. Being the stickler that I am, however, I will point out the interception the New Orleans QB threw; up big by this point in the game, Carr haphazardly sailed a pass that was deflected into the hands of safety Donovan Wilson for the pick. Not that it would have mattered anyway: the Cowboys turned it over on the very next play.
Jake Haener: 3 Carries, -3 Yards
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 20 Carries, 115 Yards, 3 TDs | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 65 Yards, 1 TD
“Have a day, Alvin Kamara.”
It was as perfect of an outing in Big D as you could hope for the New Orleans RB1. The Saints running game didn’t miss a beat in Week 2 and the veteran was the tip of the spear, scoring the first touchdown of the afternoon and finishing with 3 others, approaching his legendary performance in Minnesota on Christmas Day. Dallas just couldn’t stop Kamara no matter what side he ran the ball through, and his 57-yard receiving touchdown felt like an early dagger to any comeback hopes the Cowboys may have had.
Jamaal Williams: 8 Carries, 39 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Rashid Shaheed: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 96 Yards, 1 TD | 3 Carries, 13 Yards
Rashid’s speed is killer, and it’s obvious he’s a focal weapon for Kubiak and New Orleans.
Shaheed did most of his damage in the game early on, but it genuinely felt like he was everywhere during this game. His crossing routes and break-away pace to outrun Dallas’ zone defenders were crucial, and it established exactly the style the Saints’ offensive scheme called for. His single long TD, where he split and burned both Cowboys safeties over the middle, was perfect; it was quite the performance indeed, and a continuation of sorts to last week’s 3-73-1 stat line. The speedy receiver was a favorite target of Carr’s and the trend continued in this one.
Chris Olave: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 81 Yards | 1 Carry, 7 Yards
The talented wideout played second fiddle today, but he still had a great day through the air.
The fact that Olave had a nice day receiving and still finished second on the team says just how dominant the Saints’ offense was. He led the team in targets and had a healthy receiving average, going for 20.3 yards a catch. As high as Olave was drafted, it might be a little disappointing that he couldn’t rack up a score in this game. Still, considering the talent surrounding him and the attention they’re all sure to garner moving forward, he’s in a prime spot to excel in an explosive offense.
Taysom Hill: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard | 3 Carries, 18 Yards
Adam Prentice: 1 Target
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott: 27/39, 293 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs | 2 Carries, 12 Yards
Dak at least tried to make this competitive.
Believe it or not, Dallas had a decent day offensively in the first half. Prescott moved the ball well and made smart decisions, taking what the defense gave him and creating opportunities himself with his feet in and out of the pocket. It wasn’t nearly enough, however, and the Saints just outpaced Dak and the Cowboys, blowing them out and forcing an off-brand style of play for Dallas. The rest of the afternoon was rough sledding, and you could tell Dak was forcing his throws – leading to his second interception on the day.
There were several balls Prescott threw that were too soft, overthrown, or hung in the air for far too long. A better ball on multiple occasions likely leads to at least one more TD to Lamb, and numerous other first-down receptions to the other receivers Dak targeted on the day. His fourth-quarter lob to Lamb stayed in the air seemingly forever and allowed the Saints’ safety to tee off and deliver a massive hit to the WR that shook him up. You have to expect better placement and zip from the league’s top-paid veteran QB.
Cooper Rush: 1/3, 6 Yards
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: 7 Carries, 30 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 29 Yards
This committee is not pretty.
It was Dowdle who got the first carries of the game and appeared to have the lion’s share of playing time, though it’s definitely RB-by-committee in North Texas these days. The young back did fairly well on the ground but did more catching passes out of the backfield as an option for check-downs for Dak (of which there were many on the afternoon). It’s concerning that Dallas doesn’t seem to have much of a run game to begin with, although to be fair the Cowboys were forced to abandon it early on.
As solid as Dowdle may be, this is a backfield I wouldn’t want much of for fantasy purposes.
Ezekiel Elliott: 6 Carries, 16 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
The longtime vet was far less effective in Week 2.
It was Dowdle who got the first crack in this rotation, but it was far more concerning that Deuce Vaughn had much more of a share in this game than he did last week. All three ate fairly evenly in terms of touches, but Elliott wasn’t nearly as effective, going a meager 2.7 yards per carry. He received some passing game volume, especially as the Cowboys were forced to throw the ball in catch-up mode, but even then it didn’t translate into much production.
Deuce Vaughn: 4 Carries, 11 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Vaughn got more volume in the run game but couldn’t make much of it in this one. There might be better days ahead, however, against easier defensive fronts – and the fact that his usage has increased a bit is promising.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
CeeDee Lamb: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 90 Yards, 1 TD
Lamb was one of the few bright spots for the Cowboys in Arlington on Sunday.
It was clear that Lamb was the one consistent threat on offense for the Cowboys, and the Saints made it a point to ensure he couldn’t beat them, double-covering the wideout throughout the afternoon and playing physically at the line of scrimmage. On a day when the number two option Jake Ferguson was out with a knee injury, Lamb was asked to step up and he sure did his best. His lone TD catch was all on him, outmaneuvering two Saints defenders after the catch on what was a sure tackle, racing down the sideline for six. Even with the extra attention, Lamb had a positive outing and it’s encouraging to see as we move forward in the season.
Jalen Tolbert: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 82 Yards
The young wideout stepped up when his number was called.
The game was all but over by the time Tolbert started to see the majority of his targets, but his involvement in the passing game instead of other options was a good sign for the young receiver. It was evident that Dallas wants their younger pass catchers to log snaps and increase their experience, but there’s been a steep drop-off from the likes of Lamb & Ferguson to the other options on this offense. Tolbert looked to change that and made some tough catches on his team-leading targets. He’s certainly a name to keep an eye out for on the waiver wire in the weeks ahead.
Luke Schoonmaker: 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 43 Yards
The second-year Michigan man put forth an effort in replacing TE1 Jake Ferguson.
Labeled a bust after his rookie year, Schoonmaker got the call to start in this one and made himself a reliable option for Prescott on the opening drive. He didn’t put up gaudy numbers by any means but did what was asked, blocked fairly well, and caught every pass thrown his way. That’s all you can ask for from a backup, really, and while it’s still Ferguson’s spot to lose when he returns from his knee injury, it was a good look for Schoonmaker for future opportunities.
Brandin Cooks: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 19 Yards | 1 Carry, -3 Yards
Cooks didn’t do much in this game, a far cry from his solid performance against Cleveland last week. What was concerning was the lack of looks he got from Prescott in a game where they were desperate to throw and make it competitive. It was a forgettable outing, and hopefully not the trend going into the rest of the season.
Kavontae Turpin: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 4 Yards | 1 Carry, 2 Yards
Jalen Brooks: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Brevyn Spann-Ford: 1 Target