Cowboys vs Saints: New Orleans’ gameplan? Contain Dallas’ pass rush

Taking one last look from the Saints’ side of things.

New Orleans Saints offense expects to be pressured by Dallas’ defense – John DeShazier, NewOrleansSaints.com

Derek Carr knows he’ll have to get the ball out in a hurry this week.

It’s not just what Dallas does to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks, equally it’s who the Cowboys do it with that makes it one of the best packages in the league.

Coming off a 46-sack season in 2023, the Cowboys opened 2024 against Cleveland with six sacks (including two by defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, one by linebacker Micah Parsons), 25 pressures (nine from Parsons, eight by Lawrence), 17 quarterback hits (five from Parsons, four by Lawrence) and four tackles for loss (three by Lawrence, Parsons had one).

The New Orleans Saints allowed a fraction of that in their season-opening win against Carolina; quarterback Derek Carr was sacked once, the only time the Panthers were credited with a quarterback hit in a 47-10 romp by the Saints.

“I think it’s a really good scheme,” Saints Coach Dennis Allen said. “They have a really good pressure package, so we’ll have to be on point with how we’re identifying who’s coming, which way the protection is going, all those kinds of things. So that’ll be a challenge. And then, when you have a good scheme and you have really good players doing it, it becomes even better.

“He’s so fast,” Carr said. “He’s so fast and powerful, plays extremely hard. He’s one of the best players in our game. I think people are talking about him that way, but you turn on the tape and he reminds me of (former Denver Bronco linebacker) Von Miller all those years that me and Von were battling two times a year.

“He really reminds me of Von with that explosiveness, that get-off, his understanding of what they’re trying to do to him and those kinds of things. Very, very impressive, and he plays off the ball, too. He can literally play anywhere he wants on a defense. It’s really impressive.”

“For me, you’re just keeping your eyes downfield, make the best read, try and get the ball out on time and all those kinds of things. But if I look down (at the rush), I’m doing my receivers a disservice. So you try your best to keep your eyes up and maybe find a scramble lane, things like that. Try your best to always keep your eyes downfield.”

Saints vs. Cowboys features 3 of the NFL’s top 5 sacks leaders – Darrion Gray, USA Today

There may be sacks aplenty in this Week 2 matchup.

You may see the quarterback on the ground quite a bit when the New Orleans Saints travel to Arlington, Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys. This showdown features three players who registered multiple sacks in Week 1.

There’s good and bad news on this front.

The good news is the Saints have the player with the most. Alontae Taylor leads the league in sacks with three from Week 1. The bad news is the Cowboys have the other two players. It gets even worse when you realize neither of those two players are Micah Parsons. DeMarcus Lawrence and Eric Kendricks notched two sacks on Sunday.

Kendricks is a linebacker, so, like Taylor, he rushes the passer on blitzes. Expect Mike Zimmer to call Kendricks’ name a couple times on Sunday. Unfortunately for the Saints, Taylor’s blitzing will likely be minimal because of the Cowboys receiving corps

Two players who registered multiple sacks and a two-time All-Pro? That’s a scary sight for an offensive line still looking to prove themselves. It’s important for the Saints’ defensive line to register pressure of their own. The story of Week 2 could easily be told in the trenches.

NFL Week 2 picks, schedule, odds, injuries, fantasy tips – NFL Nation, ESPN

Final storylines leading into Week 2.

Saints storyline to watch: Starting Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore exited the Week 1 win against the Panthers early with a hamstring injury. Rookie corner Kool-Aid McKinstry, a second-round pick, took his place and would likely be on tap to start if Lattimore can’t go. The Saints also could be bracing for more offensive line shuffling after starting left guard Lucas Patrick injured his toe against the Panthers, which isn’t ideal timing going up against a Cowboys defense that had six sacks in Week 1. — Katherine Terrell

Cowboys storyline to watch: The last time the Cowboys played at AT&T Stadium, they suffered one of their worst playoff defeats in team history, 48-32, to the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 14. But they carry into Sunday’s game a 16-game winning streak at home in the regular season. It’s the second-longest home winning streak in team history (1979-81). Last season, they outscored opponents by 172 points at home, the largest single-season differential in team history. If the Cowboys get to 17 straight home wins, they would be 2-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007-08. — Todd Archer

Stat to know: The Saints and Cowboys have forced multiple turnovers in three straight games dating back to last season, which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind the Giants (four games).

Bold prediction: Saints quarterback Derek Carr will throw for 300-plus yards. No, the bombastic performance in Week 1 was not just about the woebegone Panthers defense. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak dialed up the motion, play-action and rollouts for Carr — tools he badly lacked before — and it worked. The Saints’ offense is better than you think. — Walder