Previewing the Cowboys and Saints game from the enemy’s angle

Here’s what you can expect from the Cowboys-Saints matchup from the New Orleans point of view.

The Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints are coming off Week 1 wins, in which they shook off the narrative surrounding them entering the season. Both teams were “not supposed to look this good” and take a step back in 2024.

There’s still a long season ahead, and a lot can change. Still, the Saints easily beating a divisional opponent and the Cowboys dominant showing versus a playoff-caliber Browns team on the road shouldn’t be taken lightly.

For Dallas, they play their first game at home with a historic streak on the line.

The Saints had a 4-5 record on the road last year and have lost the previous two matchups against Dallas on the road.

Is the Week 1 version of the New Orleans Saints, who beat the Panthers 47-10 at home, indicative of who they can be all season? What do the Cowboys need to keep their eyes on before Sunday’s game? Here to help break down this matchup is Matthew Paras, the New Orleans Saints beat reporter for The Times-Picayune and The Advocate.

Looking at the sustainability of what the Saints displayed last weekend, Paras believes that blowing teams out every week isn’t something to count on, but how the team wants to play football in 2024 may be a constant.

Well, they aren’t going to blow out teams every week, but I do think the formula for how they want to play is sustainable. Klint Kubiak has come to New Orleans and his offense emphasizes the run, pre-snap motion and play-action deep shots. And then defensively, this team is still poised to be very sharp and has a lot of top-tier talent.

Klint Kubiak, son of former Super Bowl-winning head coach Gary Kubiak, is an up-and-coming name to watch in the NFL. The Saints offensive coordinator is in his first season with the team but has experience as a play-caller. He spent time as the quarterbacks coach and then OC with the Minnesota Vikings from 2019 to 2021. The head coach at the time? Current Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Last year, in Derek Carr’s first season with New Orleans under then-OC Pete Carmichael, the Saints’ offense sometimes struggled to click. Any time they could score 28 or more points, the team was 4-1. Any time they scored less than that, their record was 5-7.

If the offense takes a step forward and builds off the momentum from Carr’s cleanest performance as the Saints quarterback, Paras feels it starts with Kubiak and his offensive game plan.

The Saints saw the effects in Week 1, and the offensive coordinator has helped make life easier for Derek Carr and his supporting cast. [Dennis] Allen said he hired Kubiak because the scheme he brings is one of the more effective in the NFL. And though Kubiak isn’t a first-time playcaller — he was the previous OC in Minnesota — his year with the San Francisco 49ers last season adds an interesting wrinkle for the Saints.

The Cowboys have a jaded history with the 49ers and their run game. Unsurprisingly, Kubiak, just coming from San Francisco, got the most out of his running back duo of Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams. The tandem rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns off 26 touches.

Like Mike McCarthy in Dallas, Saints head coach Dennis Allen is under a microscope this season. Allen was appointed head coach in 2022 after Sean Payton went to the Denver Broncos and has yet to reach the postseason.

In the past, Allen’s coaching style has been described as no-nonsense with his players. However, Paras says he’s re-tooled his approach this year, hoping to connect better with them while keeping things the same on defense.

Defensively, this is the same scheme, though Chase Young’s addition should boost a pass-rushing unit that underwhelmed last year. But Allen did change his approach in the offseason, from retooling his offensive staff to altering how he interacted with players in pre-practice meetings.

The Cowboys have experienced the positive effects firsthand of having a brilliant, engaging, defensive-minded coach in charge of their defense. Dan Quinn successfully ensured his players were prepared for game day while also creating an enjoyable atmosphere.

New Orleans has a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, including Young, Cameron Jordan, Tyrann Mathieu, Demario Davis, Willie Gay Jr., and Marshon Lattimore. If Allen can get the most out of his unit in a similar way Quinn made things work in Dallas, the Cowboys could be in a difficult spot on Sunday offensively.

One area of the game that could change things is cornerback, with Lattimore listed as questionable to play on Sunday. Allen said Lattimore would travel with the team to Dallas, which would be a gameday decision.

In the absence of Lattimore, Paras draws attention to the potential impact of rookie corner Kool-Aid McKinstry. His role, especially if Lattimore can’t go and McKinstry ends up lining up against All-Pro CeeDee Lamb, could be a game-changer.

I’m interested to see how cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry performs filling in for Marshon Lattimore. The latter has missed practice this week with a hamstring injury, and so McKinstry would be the next guy up. How does he match up against CeeDee Lamb? Alontae Taylor, New Orleans’ slot corner, could see a bulk of reps on Lamb, and Paulson Adebo as well.

Taylor did not play as just a coverage corner in Week 1. The Saints corner had three sacks in the game in four pass rush snaps, per NFL Pro. It’ll be interesting to see if Allen decides to put his rookie corner on an island with Lamb or if he wants to shift the defense so Dallas’ No. 1 wideout is double-teamed most of the game.

Against Carolina, New Orleans forced the Panthers’ wide receivers to beat them one-on-one by having their outside corners in press coverage on 45% of snaps (the second-highest in the NFL). If they feel comfortable keeping Lamb in one-on-one matchups, buyer beware, as No. 88 was the most productive receiver against man coverage in 2023.

If Dallas improves to 2-0 on the season, it could be because of their defensive stars again. Even with the offense struggling against Cleveland in Week 1, the Cowboy’s defense limited opportunities for Brown’s, getting to the quarterback for six sacks against backup offensive tackles.

New Orleans might face a similar situation. Their rookie left tackle, Taliese Fuaga, is questionable to play after missing the final two practices due to a back injury. Despite the Saints’ offensive line performing better than expected, Paras is aware of the potential impact Micah Parsons and his teammates can have by exploiting a team’s weakness along the offensive line.

New Orleans’ offensive line was surprisingly stellar against Carolina, but the Cowboys are a different test. Specifically, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence might have a field day with right tackle Trevor Penning — who played solid in Week 1 but has had a rough start to his career.

Sunday should be a good test for both teams, who are trying to figure out their identity to carry with them for the rest of the season. New Orleans and Dallas bring formidable defenses with enough talent to sour any plans for the opposing offensive coordinators.

Conversely, Cowboys fans know what the offense can look like when Dak Prescott and Lamb find their groove. The Saints have one of the best young receivers, Chris Olave, and a dangerous deep threat, Rashid Shaheed. The edge could lean toward New Orleans, considering Dallas has rookie Caelen Carson starting in his second game as a pro.

If the defenses play as tough as they did last week, a win for either team could hinge on the running backs’ performance. The battle between Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams for New Orleans and Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle for Dallas could be a deciding factor.

A strong showing in Week 2 could provide a glimpse of where the Cowboys and the Saints might finish at the end of the season.