In a humbling setback for the Dallas Cowboys, their defense suffered a stark defeat in their Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, losing 44-19. This came on the heels of a strong opening week, where Dallas celebrated a 33-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The New Orleans Saints, under the guidance of quarterback Derek Carr, came out of the gates swinging. Carr orchestrated a masterful offense, leading the team to touchdowns on each of their first six drives. One of the standout moments was an 80-yard drive culminating in a five-yard touchdown run by Alvin Kamara. Kamara was virtually unstoppable throughout the game, racking up 180 yards from scrimmage and scoring three touchdowns.
For the Cowboys, this defensive collapse was particularly damaging as it saw them concede 35 points in the first half alone, tying a franchise record for the most points given up in the first half of a game. This defeat marked the second-largest home opener loss during the tenure of owner Jerry Jones.
Eric Kendricks did not shy away from the magnitude of the defeat. "For sure humbling, can't give up big plays and start the game off like that. Got us on our heels," he confessed. Trevon Diggs echoed these sentiments, describing the performance as "Unacceptable. Yeah, it's not necessarily confusing, it's just you have to be on your toes. You have to be on your Ps and Qs because they can run it, play-action and then when they [are] passing the ball, they're max-protecting everybody. So we're not getting any [pass] rush. You're just out there just, you know, this is unacceptable. We ain't come to play today."
In stark contrast to their previous game, where the Cowboys' defense managed six sacks and two interceptions, their outing against the Saints yielded only one sack and one interception. This statistically translated to a mere 17.6% quarterback pressure rate.
Micah Parsons attributed some of the defensive woes to missed tackles and a lack of aggression. "We have to use our hands and feet. We got a guy like Kamara. We're not tackling well. We're arm-tackling. We're trying to pull a guy down. We got to be aggressive, we have to create penetration and do a much better job tackling." Parsons also praised the Saints' offensive strategy: "They did a great job schematically. Everything was short. Everything was quick, and if it wasn't, it was max [protect], two-man routes. ... Instead of having a lineman block me in max protection with a chip, they sent a chip with a lineman and sent a running back to cut. I was going through a maze almost. I thought that was creative, a new way."
The sentiment in the Cowboys' locker room was one of evident disappointment. Kendricks sensed the downtrodden mood among his teammates. "I feel like you look around the locker you can sense it. Obviously everyone is disappointed. We didn't want that, especially at the home opener. The NFL will humble you like that. This isn't the first time I've been a part of that. We got to make a stand. We got to come back to work tomorrow. Obviously, let it hurt for a little bit. I think that's a good thing. Put it in our rearview and work toward the next."
Reflecting on the game, Parsons was eager to analyze the team's performance in detail. "Everyone is going to say they did their job and everything was perfect right now, but the film tells all. I can't wait to see the film. I don't know who was out of what gap [in the run game]. I know for the guys when I turn the film on, I want to say 'No. 11 was giving his all.' That's all that matters. Then, we're going to continue that standard. I got a job. I owe these guys. I owe my family a certain level of ball. I don't think I helped to the best of my abilities today."
As the Cowboys reckoned with this tough loss, it was clear that a lot of work lies ahead to address the deficiencies noted in their play. The resilient attitude expressed by the players underscores the drive to bounce back and improve in the coming weeks.