Tag: Cowboys

Saints struggles against quality teams has spilled into 2024

The Saints are one of five teams who have played at least four games against teams who currently have a winning record, but haven’t defeated any:

The New Orleans Saints haven’t beat a team this year that currently has a winning record. They’re one of five teams in the NFL who have played at least four games against teams with winning records but haven’t won any of those matchups. The Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers join the Saints in the 0-4 bunch.

Carolina is one of two teams the Saints have beaten. The other is the Dallas Cowboys. At the time Dallas and New Orleans played, the Cowboys did have a winning record. It was Week 2, and both teams were 1-0. That’s the closest the Saints have gotten to beating a quality team.

As time has gone on, the Cowboys’ status as a quality team looks more questionable. The Saints’ inability to beat a good team sounds just like last season, and the year before that. It has been a recurring theme of the last few years. The Saints are 3-10 against opponents who had winning records since Dennis Allen was hired as their head coach in 2022. New Orleans feasts on bad teams and is feasted on by quality teams.

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Former Wisconsin running back leads 49ers to victory over Cowboys on ‘Sunday Night Football’

Former Wisconsin running back scores first NFL touchdown on “Sunday Night Football”

Former Wisconsin running back Isaac Guerendo scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in the San Francisco 49ers’ 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

The former Badger took a hand off from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy from the 4-yard line and plunged in for the score. His touchdown was the first of three third-quarter touchdowns by the 49ers. It put the team up 13-10 — a lead it did not relinquish.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 9: Penn State makes a statement

Guerendo finished the evening with a team-high 14 carries, 85 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, plus three receptions for 17 receiving yards.

Here is his touchdown:

The former Badger’s role has steadily increased since joining the team as a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He has become the team’s primary option at the position with star Christian McCaffrey out with an injury.

His evening against Dallas could have looked even better in the stat sheet. Instead of adding another touchdown in the game’s closing moments, Guerendo smartly slid to end the game.

Guerendo played for five years at Wisconsin (2018-2022) before transferring to Louisville for the 2023 season. He was never able to win the full-time starting job with the Badgers thanks to recurring injuries and the emergence of Braelon Allen in 2021.

The speedster’s best college output was, by far, his 810-yard, 11-touchdown 2023 season with Louisville. Otherwise, he totaled 99 carries, 582 yards and six touchdowns in his years with the Badgers.

Guerendo is up to 37 carries, 227 yards and one touchdown in his rookie NFL season. He and the 49ers will be back on the field on Nov. 10 at Tampa Bay.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Hall of Fame WR on Amari Cooper: Opposite of Stefon Diggs’ personality

Hall of Fame WR on Amari Cooper: Opposite of Stefon Diggs’ personality

The Buffalo Bills traded for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper on Tuesday, and with that came some hot takes from the national media.

Fox Sports’ Michael Irvin had some words on the matter. More specifically, the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer compared Cooper to former Bills WR Stefon Diggs. And, he wasn’t comparing their play on the field. Everyone knows they can both play at a high level. He was comparing their personalities in the Bills’ locker room.

On the Cooper to Buffalo trade, Irvin said, “I think it’s interesting that this is such an antithesis when you talk about Stefon Diggs. Personality-wise, they are absolute opposites. This is a quiet guy who’s going to be in the locker room just playing chess with people. He literally plays chess. He’s not going to be loud. He’s not gonna cause any stir. When the game pressure is on the line… he’s not going to be like Stefon Diggs demanding that the man throw you the ball no matter what. That’s what is different. Right now, that’s good for Josh Allen to get that talent without that noise.”

These are quite the statements coming from Irvin given that he knows Cooper well due to their Cowboys connection. And, Irvin had Cooper’s back when the Cowboys traded him to the Browns in 2022.

Take a look at the full video segment from Fox Sports’ SPEAK show:

https://x.com/SpeakOnFS1/status/1846307063095611634

Dennis Allen’s record against good teams has gotten even worse

Dennis Allen’s record against good teams just got even worse. He’s now 2-9 against opponents who had winning records at kickoff as Saints head coach:

It’s commonly held in the NFL that you are who your record says you are, and that doesn’t bode well for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach is now 2-9 against opponents who held winning records at kickoff. Since being hired back in 2022, Allen has notched just two wins against quality matchups.

And those two wins don’t look as impressive in hindsight. Allen’s Saints beat the Gardner Minshew-led Philadelphia Eagles late in 2022, and his second victory came against an overhyped Dallas Cowboys team that was 1-0 — and has since struggled to tread water at 3-3. Even the high-water marks of Allen’s tenure begin to fade with the passage of time.

Mickey Loomis has preached patience with his choice for Sean Payton’s successor, but time can’t be on Allen’s side. He’s 2-9 against winning teams, which suggests he’s been outfoxed and outcoached by too many opponents who knew what they were doing. But he’s only managed to stay afloat against vulnerable teams. Allen is 12-10 in games against teams who had fewer wins than losses. And when the opposing team had a tied record at .500? He’s just 4-3.

That’s why it’s tough to get too amped up for Thursday night’s game against Payton’s Broncos. A win or loss against a 3-3 team with a bad rookie quarterback doesn’t move the needle regardless of who’s coaching them. Bragging rights would be nice for whoever proves they don’t need the other (whether that’s the Saints or Payton himself), but the Saints have bigger fish to fry. Loomis has ensured a win or loss on Thursday night won’t cost Allen his job, but many fans have already seen enough to know the score. Just look at his record.

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Dennis Allen’s Saints have an atrocious record against good teams

Dennis Allen’s Saints have an atrocious record against good teams. He’s guided them to a 2-8 record against opponents who had a winning record:

There’s a narrative surrounding the New Orleans Saints that they can’t beat good teams, and Monday night’s  loss to the Kansas City Chiefs only seems to support it. Head coach Dennis Allen said himself that the Chiefs outplayed and outcoached his squad. It’s tough to argue with that.

But it’s just the latest loss in what’s a become a pattern for Allen. Since he was hired as head coach in 2022, the Saints have fallen into a 2-8 record against opponents with winning records. Their wins came against the Dallas Cowboys earlier this season and the Gardner Minshew-led Philadelphia  Eagles two years ago.

It’s a concerning trend. Allen and his staff are routinely getting outfoxed by playoff teams and opponents who have seen a thing or two. Just like last season’s demoralizing loss to Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams, the Andy Reid-led Chiefs picked up on their tendencies and picked them apart.

If you’re curious, since 2022 the Saints are 12-10 against opponents who had losing records, and 4-3 versus those who took the field at .500. If you want to be charitable and write off 2022 since Allen didn’t have Derek Carr yet, the Saints are 8-4 against teams with losing records, 2-3 against those at .500, and 1-4 against those with winning records. But that split is gnarly, meaning they’re 8-4 against losing teams and 3-7 against those who were at or above .500.

And clearly that isn’t good enough. There’s no reason to think Allen is going to figure out how to beat better opponents after losing 49 of his first 75 games. He and his staff have real limitations in terms of their vision for the team and how they can win and coach their players, and it’s directly reflected in his record. He is what it says he is. The sooner general manager Mickey Loomis comes to grips with that fact, the better off they’ll be.

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Isaac Seumalo’s return would lift Steelers offense

Isaac Seumalo could make his return in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, but how does this truly impact Pittsburgh’s inconsistent offense?

It is no secret that through the first two weeks, including their first-half performance in Week 4, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense looked lethargic. Key pieces of the offensive line struggled with run blocking, were undisciplined with penalties and at times even appeared to give up on plays.

What they seem to be missing is a true leader on the offensive line — and that leader is Isaac Seumalo.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is hopeful that Seumalo will make his comeback against the 2-2 Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night in Week 5.

Seumalo’s expertise lies in consistency and discipline. He has been playing at a high level for the past couple of seasons, and he has a wealth of postseason experience, having played in two Super Bowls with the Philadelphia Eagles.

With the Steelers’ offensive line losing three starters to season-ending injuries, they need Seumalo’s leadership and presence to help mold the identity of the offense.

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Dennis Allen still hasn’t won three games in a row

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen still hasn’t won three games in a row. And after an ugly showing in Week 3, it’s time to reset the counter:

It’s time to reset the counter. New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen still hasn’t won three games in a row after an ugly showing in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. There was a lot of optimism going into this game that Allen’s team had turned the corner — blowout wins over the division-rival Carolina Panthers and much-hyped Dallas Cowboys in the first two weeks teed up what should’ve been a narrative-busting win with Philly.

But it wasn’t to be. Allen’s defense bent until it broke and couldn’t keep up with Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert late in regulation. The offense had no answers for the aggressive Eagles defense, and now the Saints have fallen back to 2-1.

Still, that’s tied for the best record Allen has ever had after Week 3. The Saints went 2-1 last year, too, but before that Allen’s teams were either 1-2 or 0-3 in his first four years as a head coach. The challenge now becomes staying over .500. Last season they fell back to Earth at 2-2. Now they have an opportunity to improve to 3-1 with a win on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. A 3-1 record would be Allen’s highest win total after Week 4.

Last week we praised Allen for getting back to .500 as the Saints’ head coach, but now he’s fallen back under that threshold with an 18-19 record. Just breaking even can’t be enough for this team if they want to get back to the playoffs. Win three in a row, and then four. Keep it going until you’re in a playoff game. If Allen is going to lead the Saints back to national relevance he’ll have to sustain success week in and week out. But that’s easier said than done. The last three or four years of Saints football are proof of it.

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Jay Glazer reports Taysom Hill is dealing with a bruised lung

FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reports New Orleans Saints do-it-all tight end Taysom Hill is dealing with a bruised lung:

Here’s some clarity on Taysom Hill’s chest injury. FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported Sunday that the New Orleans Saints’ do-it-all tight end is dealing with a bruised lung. Hill had been limited at practice with a chest injury which he suffered last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

Hill was listed as questionable for this week’s game with the Philadelphia Eagles but the team chose to hold him out.

Glazer added that Hill still had some minor breathing issues which ultimately led to this decision. He quoted Dennis Allen on Hill’s absence as, “No one who can replace Taysom Hill” which meant there needs to be a collective effort in order to fulfill his special role in this offense.

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NFL has gotten millions of views promoting Derek Carr’s TD celebration

The NFL has gotten millions of views promoting Derek Carr’s TD celebration on social media. They thanked him for it with a $14,069 fine:


This isn’t a good look for the NFL. The league has gotten millions of views promoting Derek Carr’s touchdown celebration against the Dallas Cowboys on social media, complete with an explanation for why he paid tribute to the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson. Then the NFL thanked the New Orleans Saints quarterback for creating this highlight reel moment with a $14,069 fine.

On TikTok alone the clip has been viewed more than 267,000 times. It’s created even more engagement on Instagram with more than 1.6 million views. It’s since spread far and wide across the Internet as evidence that this 2024 Saints team is different from what fans have had to watch in recent years. And, sure, it’s a great clip. In his postgame press conference Carr joked that he borrowed Jackson’s choreography to remind his kids and younger teammates that he has some dance moves.

At the same time, the people issuing fines from the league office in New York are not the same people editing videos to post online every Sunday. Of course they’re going to react differently when a player grabs his crotch after scoring a touchdown and laughs about it after the game. But that doesn’t make this any less hypocritical. Company policy should be standard across departments. Either outlaw gestures like this (Carr wasn’t penalized for it during the game, by the way) or let it slide and get those clicks, reactions, and impressions online. Not even the NFL should get to have its cake and eat it too.

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Almost two-thirds of experts pick Saints to beat Eagles in Week 3

The good news? Almost two-thirds of experts are picking the Saints to beat the Eagles in Week 3. The bad news? They were almost all wrong about the Saints in Week 2:

Beating the snot out of the Dallas Cowboys helped the New Orleans Saints  win over a lot of doubters, but they don’t have everyone on their side just yet. According to surveying done by Pickwatch, about 37% of former players, media analysts, national writers, and other experts like the Philadelphia Eagles to pull off a road win at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. Roughly 63% picked the Saints on Friday.

So that’s more than one-third of the football cognoscenti picking against the Saints. New Orleans is slightly favored in this game but it’s understandable to still see so many questions being raised about them. They’re the highest-scoring offense in the league, having proven those experts wrong one week ago, but how real is this resurgence? The last two years with Dennis Allen at head coach could be meaningful than their last two games.

Which means the mission is the same as it ever was: Prove these doubters  wrong. The Eagles were a trendy preseason Super Bowl pick and their uneven 1-1 start has left them looking vulnerable. The Saints could stick a fork in them with another dominant win this Sunday.

You figure New Orleans is bound to slow down sooner or later. Klint Kubiak’s offense is new and teams don’t have much film to study on it just yet. They may have a favorable strength of schedule but at some point teams are going to start keying in on Kubiak’s tendencies and adjusting accordingly. That could start as soon as this week. The Eagles aren’t an opponent they can take lightly.

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