Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The NFL did the Cowboys no favors by choosing Shawn Smith this week The Cowboys enjoyed a strong win in their season opener, beating the Browns 33-17 and looking pretty good doing it. One of the very, very few negatives from the game was the fact that they drew 11 penalties in the game, tying them for second-most in the league through one week. The good news, sort of, is that the Browns were called for just as many penalties in that game and slightly less total penalty yardage, so the impact of the penalties was more or less negated. If you read last week’s ref report, that’s exactly what the profile of referee Clete Blakeman surmised. Let’s take a look now at what the Cowboys can expect from this week’s official, Shawn Smith. Referee for Saints at Cowboys — Shawn Smith https://t.co/M62mFmSsz5 #NOvsDAL pic.twitter.com/BVR56hhxtH —  Fᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ Zᴇʙʀᴀs (@footballzebras) September 11, 2024 Smith is entering his seventh season as a head referee and 10th season in the NFL in total. Interestingly enough, Smith is one of the least experienced members of his own officiating crew, as three officials on his crew have 20+ years of experience and two more of them will hit 20 next year. That usually bodes well for the crew as a whole, whereas last week’s crew featured two officials new to the NFL. Throughout Smith’s tenure as a head referee, he’s developed a reputation for trying to mitigate teams’ homefield advantages. That’s reflected in a tendency to call more penalties on the home team. No crew called a larger percentage of penalties against the home team than Smith’s crew last season, which marked the third time he’s done that in six full seasons leading his own crew. Last week, Smith flipped the script. He was on call in Chicago as the Bears pulled off a major comeback win over the Titans. In that one, the Bears drew seven penalties while the visiting Titans were hit with eight. That’s not a major difference, but it is unusual for Smith and his crew. Historically speaking, Smith’s tenure has seen a pretty terrible record for the home team too. In his six full seasons leading a crew, Smith has seen the home team go 42-54, with the home team posting a losing record under Smith in all but one season of his. Last year, the home team was a dismal 3-14 in games called by Smith. Having said that, the Cowboys have been largely immune to this trend. Smith has called three games for the Cowboys, and they’re 2-1 in those games. They ended the regular season last year with Smith on the call and beat the Commanders on the road, the first time they’d won as the road team under Smith. That also means the Cowboys are 1-0 at home with Smith on the call. Meanwhile, the Saints have three games played under Smith as well, and all have seen them playing as the visitor. New Orleans is also undefeated in those games, their perfect 3-0 record fitting neatly into Smith’s reputation. One piece of information that might help explain this, though, is that the Saints were favored in each of those games; they are currently 6.5-point underdogs for their trip to Dallas. Still, though, Smith is an official who’s known for calling things tighter on the home team and he’s grown very accustomed to seeing the home team lose. Given the Cowboys’ history of being highly penalized, regardless of how much their opponents are penalized, this feels like a perfect storm that could make this game tighter than the oddsmakers expect. It will certainly force the Cowboys to play with more discipline than normal in order to avoid the yellow flag becoming as much of an opponent as the Saints.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Here is all of the information you need on how to watch this week’s Dallas Cowboys game. Two undefeated teams will play at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, Granted, it’s only the second week of the season but it is still an intriguing NFC matchup. The Cowboys are fresh off their beatdown of the Browns, 33-17. The defense and special teams were the stars, with the offense doing just enough to keep things moving. The Saints were explosive in their 47-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, but the question is was it more the Saints being good, or the Panthers being bad? We’ll see how it shakes out during the game. Cowboys at Saints game info Important links: Cowboys depth chart | Roster Date: Sept. 15, 2024 Game time: 1:00 PM EST Location: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX TV channel: FOX Coverage Map: 506 Sports Radio: 105.3 The Fan | SXM Streaming: FOX Sports, Sling Cowboys record: (1-0) Saints record: (1-0) Odds: Dallas -6.5, courtesy of FanDuel Prediction: Cowboys 31 – Saints 23 Enemy blog: Canal Street Chronicles Twitter: @BloggingTheBoys Facebook: Please Like us!

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Several things were noticeable on the defensive side of the ball from the Cowboys Week 1 win. The Dallas Cowboys couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2024 season last Sunday. From start to finish, they handled the Cleveland Browns on their way to a 33-17 victory, and the final score doesn’t tell just how lopsided it was. What made the win even sweeter was that the Cowboys did it in all three phases, which is exactly what a team wants in the first game. New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was looked at as one of the biggest offseason addition for the Cowboys, and his defense was expected to make an immediate impact. They did that and more on all three levels, and here’s specifically what was learned about that side of the ball after Week 1. DeMarcus Lawrence still has it For years, the knock on Lawrence has been that he’s not the elite pass rusher that many remember him to be in years past. Week 1 saw him turn back the clock as Lawrence had his first multi-sack game since 2022, and just his second since 2018. Lawrence looked extremely fresh as his speed off the ball was impressive and resembled that of his All-Pro days. Lawrence also continued to show his ability to set the edge and be a dominant run defender. Despite this performance, it wouldn’t be smart to expect this type of pace to be kept up by Lawrence. However, it’s clear that at any given moment, he still has the skill set to wreck a game. Cowboys linebackers are much improved Dallas was shorthanded at the linebacker spot in 2023 to the point that they had safety Markquese Bell playing the position although he was undersized. The addition of veteran Eric Kendricks and the return of DeMarvion Overshown paid immediate dividends for the Cowboys as the former had two sacks and an interception while the latter led the team with 11 tackles. Kendricks put on a clinic on what it takes to get guys in the right spots and how to diagnose plays and fill in gaps when need be. As far as Overshown, his speed in the open field is extremely impressive, and his past experience playing safety helps him in coverage. Add in Damone Clark and rookie Marist Liufau, and linebacker has gone from a liability to a strength in Dallas. Dallas found another one in Calen Carson It was a big blow when All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland went down with a stress fracture in his foot. This gave rookie Calen Carson his shot to start, and he didn’t disappoint. While covering Amari Cooper, Carson only allowed two receptions for 16 yards on nine targets while also logging two pass breakups. Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Carson did give up a touchdown to Jerry Juedy. However, that was a small setback to an excellent NFL debut. One thing he’ll need to work on is catching the ball because he could have had a couple of interceptions as well. Like Bland, Carson is looking like another late-round gem for the Cowboys at cornerback.

For the second week in a row Madden has predicted the Dallas Cowboys to lose. The Dallas Cowboys are set to face off against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and based exclusively off of Week 1 the game looks like a toss up. It is true that New Orleans had their way with the Carolina Panthers in their own opener, but acting like one week’s worth of data is anything to go off of in an incredibly serious way is bit much. We can certainly learn from how the Cowboys and Saints played last week, but it will take a bit into this season to get a true and proper feel for every team involved. But we are curious about what could or will happen at all times which is why we do our best to figure it out. Something we like to do around here on the blog is run a Madden simulation to see how the game views the upcoming matchup for the Cowboys shaking out. For the second week in a row Madden has predicted Dallas to lose. Notably Dak Prescott found CeeDee Lamb for their first touchdown hookup of the season early on in this game, but then the duo went quiet. Additionally the Cowboys got a pick-six from Caelen Carson which would surely send the hype around him higher, but it was still not enough in the end. This is just a fun exercise and not meant to be taken super seriously. We have seen Madden simulations in the past produce exact results, obviously that’s rare, but for the record the game predicted Dallas to lose last week and was obviously wrong. Week 1 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Cleveland Browns, 18-17 Week 1 In Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Cleveland Browns, 33-17 Here’s to hoping that Madden is wrong for a second week in a row and that the Cowboys improve to 2-0 for the 28th time in franchise history.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 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 #Cowboys have a streak that’s on the line this weekend. Since Week 2 of 2022, Dallas has won 16 consecutive regular-season home games, the longest active streak in the NFL, and tied with New England (2014) for the fourth-longest such streak since 2000. (stat via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/utSumGqELA — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) September 11, 2024 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

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images There are plenty of people laying points and picking the Cowboys this week. The 1-0 Dallas Cowboys will take on the 1-0 New Orleans Saints this Sunday. The Cowboys went on the road in Week 1 and punished a Cleveland Browns team by the score of 33-17. Meanwhile, the Saints stayed at home and dismantled the Carolina Panthers 47-10. Both teams will enter this game with plenty of confidence. There is some context to consider. The Cowboys played on the road against a 2023 playoff team with a stifling defense. The Saints played at home, and beat up on the worst team in the NFL. With the Cowboys at home this week, Fan Duel has them as 6.5-point favorites for Sunday. Let’s take a look at some game picks. USA Today Lorenzo Reyes: Cowboys 28, Saints 20 Dallas in a home opener, with Mike Zimmer’s defense — this will be a far different task facing New Orleans when compared to its Week 1 assignment. I have a tough time seeing the Saints putting up enough points to match the Cowboys, and I expected Dallas’ offense to be much better in Week 2. Tyler Dragon: Cowboys 30, Saints 20 The Saints and Cowboys both routed their Week 1 opponents. These two teams have good defenses, but can the Saints score enough points to keep up with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys? The Cowboys win in their home opener. Arizona Republic Both of these teams impressed in Week 1, but the Cowboys really impressed on the road against a tougher opponent. Prediction: Cowboys 28, Saints 20 Most of the picks around the internet have the Cowboys winning, and most also have the Cowboys covering. We agree. The Cowboys are a different team in the confines of AT&T Stadium where their offensive production usually elevates. Dak Prescott has some of his best games at home. The Cowboys also have the advantage when it comes to key injuries. The Cowboys defense may be the key factor here as they looked as good as ever in the first week under Mike Zimmer. They should do enough to slow down a Saints offense that exploded last week. Take the Cowboys to cover 31-23. Check out our partner FanDuel for all your betting needs.

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images The Cowboys are going to find out who the Saints really are on Sunday. Things went really well for the Cowboys in Week 1. Dak Prescott got his deal done and the team walked out of Cleveland with a pretty big win and solid performances all the way around. The good news continued with word that Jake Ferguson, who suffered an injury that looked pretty serious, is actually week-to-week. Meanwhile, the Browns – who were favored to win the game, mind you – have had a terrible start to the year. Their offense looked putrid, and their high-priced quarterback found himself in the news yet again for reasons outside of football. It all begs the question: were the Browns really much of a test for the Cowboys? More importantly, is that first real test coming this week in the Saints, who obliterated the Panthers by a similarly wide margin a week ago? Our Tom Ryle and David Howman have some thoughts. Tom: There were certainly some impressive aspects of the Cowboys’ win, but without question the Browns turned out to be a much less formidable foe than we expected. Now Dallas faces a Saints team that had an even more impressive win in week 1. Simply put, the Cowboys didn’t have to have their A-game to beat Cleveland. After a good but not spectacular start on offense, they sputtered through the second half. The defense was simply overwhelming, but faced a battered offensive line and a quarterback that is not looking good for the Browns. Special teams certainly showed out, but that is not always replicable week to week. The New Orleans game is going to tell us a lot more about whether this is a good Dallas team or not. I am cautiously optimistic, but this could go south. David: I’m inclined to agree that the Saints are a better team than the Browns, if only by virtue of the quarterback position, but let’s not discount the Browns so quickly. Their defense is legit, which is why the offense “sputtered” in the second half when trying to chew clock, and the offense has weapons in Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and David Njoku. Plus, they’re led by the reigning Coach of the Year. Beating them in Cleveland – the Browns were 8-1 at home last year – is no small task, and blowing them out of the water is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Last year we did the same song and dance. The Cowboys lose to a team and it’s “oh the Cowboys can’t beat good teams, same ol’ Cowboys” but when they beat a team it’s “there’s those frontrunnin’ Cowboys, beating up on bad teams.” Let’s not forget that the Cowboys were underdogs in Week 1. They were supposed to lose by a field goal, and they won by 16 points. Now they’re at home and they play host to a team with a better quarterback but a slightly less talented everything-else. Not to sound cocky but they should roll these Saints. Tom: Yeah, I’m more about slow rolling this. Remember, this is just the second week of the season, and many NFL teams still have a lot of work to define themselves. Still, the results of Week 1 are all we have to go on. When the Saints had the ball against the Panthers, they ran it. A lot. 180 yards, led by Alvin Kamara with 83. Stopping the run is going to be key for Dallas. We have to be encouraged by how they kept the Browns bottled up on the ground, although with the early big lead they had, they also forced Cleveland to throw it a lot. Here, the performance of players like DeMarvion Overshown and Eric Kendricks needs to continue from the opener. If they do, we will find out if Derek Carr was just benefitting from the Panthers’ poor showing. I admittedly feel better about this phase of the game. Offensively, the Cowboys just need to play a complete game. They looked good in the first half, and I hope you are right about them. The Saints are obviously not bad on defense, but obviously Dak Prescott is an entirely different quarterback from Bryce Young. One pleasant surprise from last week was that Ezekiel Elliott looked pretty danged good in the first half. If he can do that for an entire game, with help from Rico Dowdle, that is going to be pretty big. The proof, of course, is going to be on the field. David: I think for me this game’s outlook comes down to the context of who each team played in Week 1. Both teams won big and looked good doing it, but who was it against? The Saints crushing the Panthers – a very familiar opponent who’s also extremely bad – in New Orleans isn’t as impressive, or surprising, as the Cowboys crushing the Browns – a playoff team a year ago with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year – on the road. I think, in context, the Cowboys had the better and more meaningful win. You’re right about the Saints being a run first team under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who runs the Shanahan style offense. But Cleveland was the same way; they’ve been top 5 in rushing attempts in three of Stefanski’s four years there. Yet the Browns had to abandon the run because the Cowboys got up big, and even when they did run they had nowhere to go. The Saints are good on defense, but not as good as the Browns. Plus, Dak Prescott always does better in AT&T Stadium. If the Cowboys’ best players do their thing, this game ought to go the same way as last week. I really don’t see that big of a difference between these teams, stylistically, to expect a drastically different outcome. Tom: I suppose I still have to see a bit more before I start believing,