Tag: Dallas Cowboys vs New Orleans Saints

Apparently Jerry Jones has amnesia of recent times Cowboys endured regular-season whoopings

Apparently Jerry Jones has wiped the entire 2023 season from his memory banks. The fanbase has not. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Sir, can you be serious for five seconds, please?

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke to 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, and while there may be some actual substance to his thoughts buried deep in there, one quote making the rounds around Cowboys Nation is so ridiculous it deserves to be highlighted.

Longtime beat reporter Clarence Hill, Jr. of All City DLLS tweeted out a snippet that is so tone deaf it has to be highlighted. Following Sunday’s debacle at AT&T Stadium, the 2024 home opener where the Cowboys were throttled 44-19 by the New Orleans Saints, there’s a sense of “same-old Cowboys” floating around. Jones is looking to squash that notion and in what is now his normal flubbing of media appearances, stuck his foot deep in it.

Jerry Jones has a bright side to the Cowboys embarrassing blow out loss to the Saints: “If we’ve got any albatross around our neck, it’s that we’ve been a good-to-very-good team during the season over the last 4-5 years with Mike and we haven’t done well in the playoffs. So let’s trade some challenges during the season for doing well in the playoffs, if you want to look at it that way.” – @1053thefan

Apparently Jones has been Men-in-Blacked about what happened in Week 15 last season in Buffalo when the Bills dominated McCarthy’s boys 31-10. Or Week 5 when Kyle Shanahan lambasted the troops 42-10.

Related: 4 Downs: The anatomy of Cowboys’ blowout loss to Saints summed up in 4 plays

While it’s true that Dallas has had regular season success, winning 12 games each of the prior three seasons, and they are normally the team blowing an opponent out, somehow forgetting that they’ve been blown out now three times in their last 14 contests is remarkable.

No, Jerry, fans don’t want to look at it that way. They would like to not lose in such a fashion AND also get postseason wins.

Related: NFL Week 3: Cowboys home underdogs to winless Ravens; betting lines, over/under

Doomed to Repeat? Cowboys’ offseason inaction resulted in spectacularly similar results

Blame the Cowboys offseason for you saw on Sunday because Dallas purposely refused to address known problems, says @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys’ heavily scrutinized inactivity over the offseason will not be soon forgotten. Not after the defense offered up a near identical performance to the game that ended their season last January. Not after the Cowboys fell to 1-1 following a 44-19 loss to a New Orleans team they were expected to handily beat. Not after the Cowboys just showed the world they’re destined for the same outcome in 2024 as they suffered the year before.

And year before.

And year before.

Amidst redefining the phrase “all in,” Jerry Jones declared from the start of the offseason, the 2024 season would be about rolling the same group back and demanding better results. Internal improvement rather than team upgrades would then be theme of the offseason. Some level of churn would be expected through free agency and the draft, but generally speaking the plan was to just play better.

Critics pointed to the wide-open NFC and the window of opportunity currently facing the Cowboys. They pointed to clear and obvious deficiencies on the roster and how those weak links threaten to give the Cowboys the same results again, regardless of improved play elsewhere.

Jones stood fast, refusing to open the checkbook for anything new other than a bargain. Even coaching vacancies were filled with the smallest commitment possible for Jones. Signed to a rare one-year deal, Jones added Mike Zimmer to take over for the recently departed Dan Quinn (Washington, not heaven). The defense suffered an epic collapse in Quinn’s last game and the hope was a disciplinarian like Zimmer may be able to spark improvement, even if the personnel changes were minor.

The defense got their first big test in Week 2 against the high-flying Saints. Under Klint Kubiak, New Orleans ran an offense similar to that of the 49ers and Packers. Hailing from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, New Orleans manhandled the Dallas defense in a way that seemed all too familiar to Cowboys fans.

The Cowboys’ whole “just play better this time” strategy didn’t appear to pay off. Just like San Francisco and Green Bay before them, New Orleans easily put up over 40 points on the vaunted Dallas defense. The Cowboys’ minor personnel changes, coaching changes and scheme changes didn’t seem to make the slightest difference. Perhaps the critics were right after all and the Cowboys really did need to upgrade at a couple positions of obvious weakness.

Defensive tackle has been, and continues to be, a point of contention on the Cowboys. Dallas is extremely thin on their defensive interior and their various Band-Aids and retreads have done little to help their cause. The Shanahan wide zone scheme stretched and sealed the Dallas defensive line with ease, resulting in huge gains and utter dominance all afternoon. Without a single disrupter on the interior, the Cowboys were again easy fodder for a Shanahan offense.

The Cowboys needed to add a high-level disrupter to their interior over the offseason. There were plenty available. But Jones didn’t want to add new investments, so the Cowboys opted to make other, more affordable, adjustments. Predictably it offered the same results.

The offensive side of the ball suffered a similarly predictable outcome on Sunday. The lack of investment at the running back position and pass-catcher was felt significantly. With Jake Ferguson out in Week 2, the Cowboys were without reliable downfield options not named “CeeDee Lamb.” And with the RB group unable to pull their own weight in the ground game, Dallas became one-dimensional in the worst way.

It shouldn’t be surprising the areas the Cowboys refused to improve in free agency produced similar results. While RBs and run-stopping DTs aren’t considered premium positions requiring top investment, they aren’t positions that can be neglected to the degree the Cowboys have neglected them.

Nothing that happened on Sunday is surprising. It’s just the product of poor strategy and inadequate personnel.

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Are Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence playing today? Cowboys DEs transparent vs Saints

The Dynamic Duo has been anything but as the Cowboys’ defense is getting embarrassed in Week 2. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The New Orleans Saints effectively muted the Cowboys’ two biggest defenders. Fantasy football owners who are used to getting a ton of scoring from the opportunistic Dallas defense are certainly scratching their heads through three quarters of action. Dallas was dominant in their Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, but things have changed in Week 2.

Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints have scored touchdowns on all six of their possessions so far, and the names of the two biggest Cowboys disruptors, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, have rarely been called.

Parsons has a lonely two tackles and Lawerence has been shut out of the box score as the fourth quarter begins. Neither has sniffed Carr much in the pocket, after being one and two in the league in QB pressures last week.

Even without the pressures, one would hope the other part of the game, the run defense could help. That’s normally Lawrence’s calling card, but run after run, the Saints have been able to find the edges.

IDP fantasy players have to be scratching their heads at this point.

Dallas trails 41-19 to start the fourth quarter.

False Positives? Cowboys defense tested by Saints early and often in Week 2

The Saints continue their torrid start to the season, leaving the Cowboys’ defense trying to catch their breath. | From @KDDrummondNFL

There was always a concern that Mike Zimmer’s complicated defense was going to take some time to take hold in Dallas. After Week 1’s total shutdown of the Cleveland Browns, there was a ton of optimism the amount of talent in the Cowboys’ locker room would prevent that from being the case. Early on in Week 2 it appears that was nothing but a Deshaun Watson mirage.

Derek Carr, Rashid Shaheed and the New Orleans Saints have stormed into AT&T Stadium for Dallas’ home opener and completely abused the passing defense of the star-laden lads.

On the opening drive of the game, QB Derek Carr connected on a short third down to Shaheed on a crosser, gaining 17 yards. A few plays later Shaheed broke free from Trevon Diggs and raced towards the right sideline to gain 39 yards, setting up an Alvin Kamara five-yard score.

After the Cowboys cut the lead to four on a Brandon Aubrey field goal, it took exactly one play for the duo to go back to work. With no pressure in his face, Carr stepped into a throw and launched a deep bomb to Shaheed, who split and beat the two safeties, Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson, for a 70-yard score.

The score put the Saints up 14-3 and was the 11th-consecutive drive they’ve scored with Carr at quarterback.

Dallas’ defense seems to have their work cut out for them through one quarter.

The defense (never) rests, Your Honor. Hopefully. Is this the Cowboys new mantra?

The Cowboys are hoping to turn in another stellar defensive effort on Sunday and lay the foundation to a consistent anchor for the team. | From @cdpiglet

The Dallas Cowboys are looking to stack good games on top of each other, as former head coach Jason Garrett liked to pronounce. As they prepare to take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the young 2024 season, they will likely look to their defense to come through for the second-straight contest in hopes that a trend is developing.

Last season, Dallas wasn’t competitive in contests where quarterback Dak Prescott didn’t play a great game. They lost to the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia. In every one of those games, the Cowboys quarterback played poorly, and the defense couldn’t step up to make the game competitive.

The team went as the offense went in 2023, but in the first game of 2024, Prescott had average numbers for his standards, and the team dominated behind an excellent performance from the defense.

The Cowboys had the fifth-best performance according to Pro Football Focus grades and third-best according to DVOA numbers. Micah Parsons (9) and Demarcus Lawrence (8) led the entire NFL in QB pressures in Week 1. Lawrence and Eric Kendricks tied for the team lead in sacks with two.

Kendricks and Trevon Diggs each intercepted passes, and DeMarvion Overshown was all over the field, leading the team in tackles with the third-highest PFF grade amongst linebackers with an 88.6.

If Dallas continues this level of performance, the team could flip to a defensive-leaning team from now on, taking a significant amount of pressure off the QB. If the team can hang on whenever Prescott has slow starts, they will be much better off when the playoffs begin.

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast

NFL Week 2 Injury Report: Cowboys TE room depleted, key Saints defenders questionable

A look at the final injury report for the Cowboys-Saints tilt in Week 2. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints will meet Sunday in competing efforts for each team to start 2024 on a hot streak. The two 1-0 clubs are renewing their inter-division NFC rivalry at the right time, in a young season with plenty of hope. Despite the early nature of the matchup, health will play a pivotal role in the outcome as neither team enters the contest at full strength. On Friday, each club filed their final practice reports, providing designations on their injured players after a week full of practice. For Dallas, the biggest news is that they are likely to be without their Pro Bowl TE and one of his backups. Jake Ferguson may have escaped major injury, but his MCL sprain has had him out of practice all week. On the opposite side of the field, there are several questionable Saints defenders dealing with various nicks. Here’s a full rundown of Friday’s practice report and game designations.

Dallas Cowboys

TE John Stephens (Hamstring) DNP all week – OUT TE Jake Ferguson (Knee) DNP all week – DOUBTFUL DE Marshawn Kneeland (Calf) DNP Wednesday, Limited Thursday, Full Participant Friday – No Designation ST CJ Goodwin (Foot) Limited Wednesday, Limited Thursday, Full Friday – No Designation WR Brandin Cooks, LB Eric Kendricks, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, OG Zack Martin sat out Wednesday for rest

New Orleans Saints

DT Khalen Saunders (Calf) – OUT LB D’Marco Jackson (Calf) – OUT DT Bryan Bresee (Illness) – DNP Friday – Questionable CB Marshon Lattimore (Hip/Hamstring) DNP all week – Questionable OT Taliese Fuaga (Back) Limited Wednesday, DNP two days – Questionable DE Isaiah Foskey (Back) DNP Friday – Questionable LB Jaylan Ford (Hamstring) Limited all week – Questionable  Related Links

Mike Zimmer to get first Cowboys test against dreaded Shanahan offense Week 2

Mike Zimmer was brought to the Cowboys to stop Shanahan offenses like the Saints bring in Week 2, says @ReidDHanson

The Shanahan offense. For years it’s been a thorn in the Cowboys’ side. Popularized in San Francisco, coach Kyle Shanahan has created a schematic juggernaut that’s elevated numerous offenses across the league to be far greater than the sum of their parts. Its branches extend from coast to coast and its many spinoffs have traditionally given the Cowboys absolute fits.

In Week 2 the Cowboys welcome New Orleans to take on the latest Shanahan spinoff, Klint Kubiak’s Saints. This will mark the first big test of the Mike Zimmer era and will go a long way into making fans and media believe this year might be different in Dallas.

Zimmer’s predecessor, Dan Quinn, enjoyed enormous success during his three years with the Cowboys. But despite building a one of the best defenses in the NFL, Quinn couldn’t get over the Shanahan hump.

Quinn’s unit was often exposed going up against a Shanahan offense. All three postseasons under Quinn, two of which were at home, abruptly ended at the hands of a Shanahan offense. As John Owning of PFF pointed out over the winter, in the Quinn era the Cowboys gave up an EPA of 0.045 against Shanahan offenses compared to -0.094 EPA against non-Shanahan offenses. That’s a +0.139 swing which, to put it bluntly, is nothing short of radical.

Kubiak’s ties to the Shanahan offense extend beyond his one-year stint in San Francisco last season but go to his roots as the son of Gary Kubiak. Gary Kubiak worked for years under Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan’s father, and as many recall this is where the original conception of the Shanahan offense began. The wide zone scheme held a legendary status even before Kyle Shanahan evolved it into what it is today. Therefore, it’s safe to say the younger Kubiak has a pretty firm grasp on this Cowboys killing scheme even if he only had one year of tutelage in San Francisco.

In the Saints Week 1 win over Carolina, Kubiak hit the ground running, putting up 47 points on the hapless Panthers. They were among league leaders in play-action, condensed formations and motion which are all staples of a Shanahan offense.

https://twitter.com/jagibbs_23/status/1833154900437406157

Historically, this scheme has caused fits for the Dallas defense. In the past Cowboys’ defenders have been lacking gap discipline, often allowing big gains on the ground. They’ve also been eager to bite on play fakes allowing exaggerated separation on routes downfield.

The 2024 Cowboys defense returns many of the same players guilty of these lapses in discipline, but the hope is under the leadership of Zimmer, the issues get corrected. It’s not just that Zimmer is a renowned disciplinarian as a coach, it’s that Zimmer’s defenses historically do very well against Shanahan offenses.

https://twitter.com/CowboysStats/status/1753225757055156534

Pass coverage specifically has made Zimmer a standout coordinator against these types of offenses. Since the run typically exists to set up the more fruitful gains downfield through the air, both elements need to work harmoniously to stop an offense such as Kubiak’s. It’s what made Zimmer the most optimal defensive coach to replace Quinn this past winter. He’s a decisive upgrade against the offenses that have been proven Cowboys killers.

Week 2 is Zimmer’s first test in proving 2024 will be different.

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Week 2 vs Saints gives Cowboys rookies another opportunity to shine

After strong Week 1 performances, a seemingly deep group of rookies look to establish consistency against the Saints. | From @cdpiglet

Dallas put a lot of pressure on their rookie class this year by asking six different players to make significant contributions right from the start of the season. They excelled against the Cleveland Browns, what will they have in store for the New Orleans Saints?

In Week 1, Tyler Guyton had to start and play opposite the reigning defensive player of the year, Myles Garrett. Cooper Beebe started his first game as an NFL center and had to deal with the mammoth Dalvin Tomlinson. Caelen Carson had the tough task of covering former Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper, Marshawn Kneeland, and Brevyn Spann-Ford played plenty of snaps in rotation.

The rookies passed all the first tests with excellent grades. Beebe led all rookie offensive linemen in pass-blocking snaps without a pressure allowed, Carson held Cooper to only two receptions for 16 yards with two pass breakups, and Kneeland had six pressures, the third most on the team. Expectations will rise now, and the players might need to elevate their play depending on their matchup and expectations.

Guyton survived against Garrett and is now asked to handle veteran Cameron Jordan, one of the better defensive ends in the league. Carson has to try to lock up tough matchups in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.  Kneeland faces off with fellow rookie Taliese Fuaga, who didn’t allow a single pressure in his first game. For rookies, it’s important to flash their upside, but imperative to establish consistency from week to week. Can this group loaded with potential have similar performances in Week 2?

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast

Cowboys vs Saints: Bad Week 1 opponents make gauging each team difficult

The two teams boat-raced their first opponents, and now look to gauge themselves against each other. | From @cdpiglet

The Dallas Cowboys handled their business as a road underdog to the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, as the offense held up against one of the best defenses in the NFL last season. The new defense under the leadership of Mike Zimmer was dominant, and the special teams unit might have been the best part of the team. Now Dallas returns to Texas for their home opener against the New Orleans Saints, who are 1-0 after blowing out the Carolina Panthers.

It will take multiple games before the Cowboys can establish any certainty in answering questions about the team. Still, each outing open up storylines for the team based on assumptions, unknowns, and theories. Can players continue performing well week to week, or improve after playing poorly? How will the team respond to injuries?

Dallas and New Orleans both blew out their Week 1 opponents, but was that more about themselves or the quality of the team they faced? The Cowboys were road underdogs who played against a team with the best defense in the league when they played at home last year.

Dallas had to compete with rookies playing at two offensive line spots, a rookie corner, and one corner returning from a significant injury. Their starting nickel linebacker was playing in his first game and returning from a season-ending injury.

On paper, the Browns were a legitimate opponent.

The Panthers didn’t have much to offer in terms of competition.

Saints’ quarterback Derek Carr, only threw four incompletions on 23 pass attempts. Alvin Kamara averaged 5.5 yards per rush, and a slot corner, Alontae Taylor, somehow led the team with three sacks.

Carolina just couldn’t put up any resistance, so Dallas will be an actual test of how good the Saints might be this season. New Orleans could be a top-tier team, but Dallas won games against excellent competition last season.

In 2023, the Cowboys had home victories over the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas must continue playing at the highest level at home under Mike McCarthy. If they play as they did in the playoffs, they risk losing the aura they established in AT&T Stadium. That feeling of being hard to deal with at home could give them the confidence needed when they face the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Dallas walked into their playoff matchup with the Green Bay Packers on a 16-game home winning streak, the longest since 1979 through 1981. Their last loss had been in Week 1 of the 2022 season against Tom Brady, who will call the game on Sunday. Will Dallas continue their regular-season dominance, or will a losing streak at home begin?

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast

Cowboys vs Saints: How does Dallas cope if Jake Ferguson is out?

The Cowboys will more than likely need a replacement plan for their Pro Bowl TE. | From @cdpiglet

The news on Jake Ferguson was as good as could be asked for. Taken out after just three catches for 15 yards in Week 1’s win over Cleveland, fear was a season-ending injury, but it turned out to be an MCL sprain. The sprain typically keeps a player out 2-to-6 weeks. Dallas gets to exhale that it wasn’t more severe, and head coach Mike McCarthy has indicated he’s doing what he can to return quickly, but the team still has to find a way to replace his production in any games he might miss. Second-year UDFA Hunter Luepke played more snaps at tight end than fullback in Week 1, and he is an option to take snaps for Ferguson, but there are many other ways to try and replace him. The second-round pick, Luke Schoonmaker, should be the obvious choice. Between his size, athleticism, pedigree, and draft value, Schoonmaker should be able to step in for Ferguson with an ability to replicate what Ferguson is asked to do. A poor injury history has slowed his development, and he hasn’t had any production, so he isn’t the apparent lock he should be. John Stephens, Jr. and Brevyn Spann-Ford are undrafted free agents (UDFA) who each have some valuable qualities for replacing Ferguson, but they are unknown in actual games. It would be better if the production loss from Ferguson’s injury came from Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert, and Jalen Brooks. Getting an excellent receiver like Cooks more touches can only help an offense with limited weapons, and developing Tolbert or Brooks into a more reliable target is an ideal scenario because they will still impact the game similarly when Ferguson returns. You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast