Mike Zimmer and his unit were totally outdone by the Saints on Sunday.
Well, that wasn’t the home opener Dallas Cowboys fans were hoping for. The Cowboys got blown out by the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, losing 44-19. While the Cowboys offense settled for four field goals throughout the game, the biggest takeaway from the loss was how poorly the Dallas defense played. Following week one’s win against the Cleveland Browns, Mike Zimmer’s stock surged through the roof. After a display of defensive dominance, it felt like the Cowboys were going to be more than fine on defense after losing Dan Quinn in the offseason. After week two’s putrid performance against the Saints, the defense may not be who fans thought they were.
The Saints offense scored a touchdown on every possession through the first three quarters. Their 35 first-half points tied for the most ever allowed by the Cowboys organization in the first half of a football game. RB Alvin Kamara was unstoppable for the Saints, scoring four touchdowns in the game and had 115 yards rushing. Saints QB Derek Carr tore apart the Cowboys secondary, throwing for 243 passing yards and two touchdowns on 11/16 passing. Ultimately, Carr never seemed to feel uncomfortable in the backfield, as the Cowboys only registered one sack throughout the game. The defense only registered one other tackle for loss, and they only had one QB hit.
Over the last several seasons, it hasn’t been often that the defense gets dismantled in the fashion they were today. However, their last game at AT&T Stadium had a similar script, when the Cowboys got dismantled by the Green Bay Packers in a stunning playoff upset.
The Cowboys defense appeared out-matched and overpowered by the highly-talented Saints offense. Their offense was unable to consistently make big plays and only reached the end zone once. With the team taking on a formidable opponent in the Baltimore Ravens next week, they risk falling to 1-2.
